25 years ago today, the Geto Boys dropped their Till Death Do Us Apart Album. There was controversy before this album ever dropped. Willie D and Scarface had an issue, so Big Mike took the place of Willie D for this album. The Geto Boys didn’t miss a beat as they dropped another classic album. As a Geto Boys fan, I’ve always been irritated that they have never got their proper respect. When people mention greatest groups from the south, they’ll mention Outkast, UGK, 8Ball & MJG and maybe Three 6 Mafia. It baffles me that damn near no one ever mentions the Geto Boys. With this album, they solidified their legendary status and proved why they’re one of my favorite groups. The Geto Boys mixed straight gangsta music with real-life tales, like their first single Crooked Officer.
https://youtu.be/Zsylf7Z6KOw
Crooked Officer is exactly what you think it’s about. The track talks about the frustration of dealing with an officer who happens to be crooked. This was made in 1993, 25 years later does this sound familiar? The track was well-received and helped make this album be their first #1 album in the country. Still riding the success of the album, the Geto Boys released their next single almost three months after the album release. Six Feet Deep was the second single and it was their most successful track since My Mind Playing Tricks on Me. My dad used to love this track and loved for me to play it all the time. I don’t know if it’s because he really loved the track or because the Commodores sample of Easy.
The album was doing great, but they decided to release another single in the beginning of October. Straight Gangstaism was the third and final single Geto Boys released from Till Death Do Us Apart. Straight Gangstaism featured Big Mike and Mr. 3-2. For me, this is probably my favorite Geto Boys album from the beginning to end. In the end, I was hoping that the Geto Boys would put out an album with Scarface, Willie D, Bushwick Bill and Big Mike together. G.E.T.O, It Ain’t, Murder After Midnight, This D’s for You, Street Life and Bring It On are other standout tracks. If you’re a loyal fan of hip hop and Geto Boys, this album should be in your collection.
What do you think about the Geto Boys? What did you think about the Till Death Do Us Apart album? What’s your favorite tracks off the album? How well did Big Mike do in the place of Willie D? Leave a comment below.
