“Grip It! On That Other Level” is the second studio album by Houston based Hip Hop group, the Ghetto Boys. The album was released on March 12, 1989 on Rap-A-Lot Records. The Ghetto Boys, who would later be known as the Geto Boys, featured a new line-up on the second release after the disappointment of the first release. The carryovers, Bushwick Bill and DJ Ready Red, were joined by Wille D and Akshen, better known as Scarface. The lyrical content of the album feature a lot of sexual and violent themes, so much so that the album has been categorized as Horrorcore by some. Production was mainly done by DJ Ready Red. A remixed version of the album was produced by Rick Rubin a year later.
Interview with Mike T. (@mike_t_bvnm)
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Chris: One of my favorite songs on the album is “Gangster of Love.” The way they flipped “The Joker” is a representation of the intersection of the music I love and the music that my parents love, which I also love. There is another version of the song where the main sample used is “Sweet Home Alabama”, this one features Bushwick Bill. There is also another version, where it’s the original beat and it has Bushwick Bill. That’s the one like. I’m wondering if you prefer one to the other?
Mike: Personally. I like the release that’s on the album I feel “The Joker” sample really ties the lyric structure the best. The guitar being the main driver I feel. Just that straight old school Funk tuning really makes the song flow. Plus, I feel it really embodies that late 80s Hip Hop by sampling Funk music for Hip Hop. I tried to like the other versions but it was one of those I like the sweet home but the original just didn’t vibe with me. I felt the rhymes just didn’t flow as well as what was put on the record.
Chris: I definitely hear what you’re saying. The bass line Ready Red took from “The Joker” is seriously funky. Especially in the parts where he chops it. I love that. The “Sweet Home Alabama” version just doesn’t hit the same.
Geto Boys – “Gangster of Love” (“The Joker”) w/ Bushwick Bill
Geto Boys – “Gangster of Love” (“Sweet Home Alabama”)
Chris: In my opinion, this is one of the best produced Hip Hop albums I’ve ever heard. I just love the beats on this album. It kind of reminds me of a Dust Brothers production. In fact, they use some of the same samples that the Dust Brothers’ used on “Paul’s Boutique.” The whole production is just a wonderful mosaic. I didn’t want to try to influence your answer, but I had to get that out there. Anyway, what did you think about the beats on this album? Any favorites?
Mike: I can agree with the beats. I really like all the beats on the album. This just shows how much music can tie into so many different genres and work. As far as best produced. I couldn’t really elaborate too much on that I feel as your knowledge of Hip Hop in general is so much vaster than mine. Which is why I enjoy doing these reviews, because it really is like finding something new, even though its been around for decades. For some of my favorite beats: I like “Gangster of Love”, “Talkin Loud Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin’”, and “Let a Ho Be a Ho.” Like these dudes straight up sampled “Money” by Pink Floyd. That cash register ching just topped off that beat. It was subtle things like that I enjoyed. Another one that I like was “Size Ain’t Shit.” It just had a good driving drum kick set up. Plus, it made me double take the album cover, because I didn’t know the group had a little person in it.
Chris: Thank you for using the correct nomenclature, Mike.
Chris: In some of the research I did for this review, I saw “Grip It! On That Other Level” being mentioned as a foundational in the Hip Hop sub-genre Horrorcore. The Wikipedia definition of Horrorcore is “music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery.” I also thought it was interesting that Horrorcore is unique to Hip Hop. Do you think this album qualifies as Horrorcore?
Mike: Horrorcore? Interesting. Because in Metalcore there’s a band called Ice Nine Kills and their last few albums have all been Horror-themed. Heavily off 80s horror movies. Along with just brutal killings. I don’t’ know if I would really go as horror with this album maybe because it is pretty vulgar? Because a lot of the lines talk about fucking women or getting their balls licked. Which a lot of the lines made me laugh because of the sexual explicates. I wasn’t expecting that, because the only Geto Boys I had heard previously to this was “Mind Playin’ Tricks”.
Chris: Ice Nine Kills? I haven’t heard of them. They must be Kurt Vonnegut fans. Can you recommend a song to start out?
Mike: I’m not sure who Kurt Vonnegut is, but if he did something with horror movies like slashers I’d say. Yes they probably are fans lol. They are big Stephen King fans. One of their songs is based off of Pet Cemetery. It’s called “Funeral Derangements”. As for a song to start off with. I would say for you either “Rainy Day” which is inspired by Resident Evil. Or “Hip to Be Scare” It has Jacoby the singer from Papa Roach on it. But it is an American Psycho and even has a little skit paying homage to the movie. Plus both songs don’t have like screaming which I know you are not a super fan of so that is why I felt these would be good choices for you to start with. Also, because they are on the same album “Welcome To Horrorwood”.
Chris: Alright cool! I will check it out.
Kurt Vonnegut is an author. I'm guessing it's a reference from this book "Cat’s Craddle". It’s been awhile since I read it but from what I remember Ice Nine is this water like substance that turns to ice at room temperature. I always thought it’d be really dope if a rapper would reference Ice Nine when talking about his jewelry.
Chris: The low-hanging fruit question to ask you is about the lyrical content of the album. Obviously, we can agree that this is from a different time. “Grip It! On That Other Level” came out less than a year after “Straight Outta Compton” and I think that it stands right up there with “Straight Outta Compton” as one of the best Gangster Rap albums of all-time. Where does “Grip It! On That Other Level” stand with some of the other Gangster Rap albums you’ve heard?
Mike: You can tell right off the bat this came out around the time NWA’s album came out. The lyrical structure along with the skits and beats. I just fits that time period. The lyrical content like I said I wasn’t expecting the amount of sexual references. I’ll be honest it didn’t vibe with me that much. Like I enjoyed some of the songs. And there was a lot of lines that made me laugh but as for Gangsta rap. I’ll stick to NWA, Ice Cube, Snoop, or Dr. Dre.
Chris: To me, the Geto Boys are one of the dopest groups in all of Hip Hop. You can’t name too many trios better than Bushwick Bill, Willie D and Scarface. In my opinion, one of the most important acheivements of this album is the introduction of Scarface, who was still going by Akshen at this time, to Hip Hop listeners. Can you speak about Scarface and the song “Scarface” in particular?
Mike: The first thing I noticed was that it gave me an “Express Yourself” vibe a lot. I don’t know which one Scarface is so I really can’t say much more.
Chris: I honestly think that Scarface is one of the best rappers of all time and definitely one of the best storytellers in Hip Hop.
Ghetto Boys - "Scarface"
Chris: Any favorite tracks?
Mike: I like “Gangster of Love”, “Talkin Loud Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin’”, and “Let a Ho Be a Ho”. These were probably my top 3. Talking because they were just goin in on fuck around and find out basically. Like run your mouth and see what happens. Either catch hands or catch a bullet. And for the other two it was mostly the beats, and samples. I love how Hip Hop producers were able to be creative and create beats like I said from songs that were from a completely different genre. I love Pink Floyd so when I heard that the first time I had to restart the track and look it up just to make sure I wasn’t trippin.
Chris: Mine are “Gangster of Love”, “Scarface”, and “Life in the Fast Lane”. It’s so infrequent, I love any Harmonica samples in Hip Hop music.
Geto Boys – “Talkin’ Loud Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin’”
Geto Boys – “Life in the Fast Lane”
Chris: This was your first time listening to “Grip It! On That Other Level”, what’s your opinion on the album as whole and would you call yourself a Geto Boys fan going forward?
Mike: I’m going to have to say this was an “L” for me. The album wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t my favorite. I won’t be coming back to this one. I can listen to some of the songs but the album, not my jam. It just wasn’t there for me. I think maybe I was expecting more of a vibe like “Minds Playin’ Tricks” and this album didn’t have the same vibe to that track. I feel it’s hard for me having my introduction of Gangsta rap being kind of “mainstream” like NWA, Dre, and Snoop. Now this doesn’t mean I am not up for checking out some of their other music, but this album just didn’t hit that spot for me as other albums we have reviewed, but I am up for listening to how they progressed over the years with their other releases.
Chris: No, that’s good! We shouldn’t agree on everything. It makes this thing more fun, more genuine, to be honest. As if you couldn’t already tell, I really enjoyed this album. Maybe even more than I had before. I appreciate its rawness and originality. I was even thinking about it through the process of listening to and now discussing this album with you, that I actually prefer “Grip It! On That Other Level” to “Straight Out of Compton”.
