South Central Madness

After the gigantic success of N.W.A, gangsta rap exploded around the world and especially in Los Angeles, sparking groups like Compton's Most Wanted, Above The Law, and South Central Cartel. Headed by Prodeje and Havoc (though their actual line-up includes at least 8 other members), S.C.C. dropped this debut album in 1991, and while they never achieved the huge crossover success of Cube/Dre/Snoop et al, they put out some great music that still sounds fresh today. Lyrically they keep it as G'd up as possible, with a dozen songs primarily about jacking, slanging, and blasting fools all over L.A., while production-wise it’s all about classic funk samples and interpolations, mixed with plenty of breakbeats, scratches, and gunshots. Some of the joints sound a bit dated (but in a good way), and you'll definitely recognize a few of the melodies on display, specifically "U Gotta Deal Wit Dis (Gangsta Luv)," a precursor to Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up" and the Barry White jocking "County Bluz." Fans of old-school Westside rap really can't go wrong here. Also check out "I Get My Roll On" and "Say Goodbye to the Badd Guyz."