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Catalog Catch Up: Hot Boy$ – “Boys At War”

Posted on November 9th, 2010
by
Karen


Everyone knows, or has at least heard stories, of how ruthless the music industry can be. What’s hot today, can be corny by the next. The climate is always changing and (business) casualties are charged to the game. Knowing this, the evolution of Cash Money Records is particularly amazing. They represent a rare breed of record labels – if not the only one – who have managed to keep their heads above water and achieve a significant amount of success for well over a decade.

Look through the list. Death Row died when Dre left, Snoop jetted down south and once Tupac decided to go to Vegas. No Limit had their time. Bad Boy even fell off, though Puff still manages to keep himself relevant. The R.O.C. crumbled under internal disputes. Yet, through all the “dynasties,” the New Orleans brainchild and hustle of Baby and Slim is still around and still grossly popular. Considering the quantity of material the label has released in the past three years alone, their “ancient” recordings from the ’90’s often gets overlooked.

The Hot Boys were the gangsta rap equivalent to what the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync were at the time. They were young. They were reckless. And most of all, they didn’t give a f*ck. The quartet of Juvenile (the group’s star at the time), B.G., Turk and a-then very young Lil Wayne ushered in the Cash Money era with white tees, tattoos, “bling-bling” and had a large stake in the “southern takeover”  of Hip-Hop. Their 1999 album Guerilla Warfare showcased arrogance and street savvy which ultimately supervened as entertainment.

The defiant, yet equally appealing “Boys At War” was never a single, but ranked as one of the album’s highlights. This Mannie Fresh produced gem exposed the New Orleans way of life to an entire country who was previously unfamiliar to the rough, eye-for-an-eye dealings the city reluctantly embodied. And they all did it with their distinct styles – Juve’s bouncy flow, B.G.’s nasally infectious sound, Wayne’s squeaky ride-or-die mentality and Turk’s pistol play resulting in an almost eerie premonition.

DL: Hot Boy$ – “Boys At War”

0 responses to “Catalog Catch Up: Hot Boy$ – “Boys At War””

  1. Midwest Godfather says:

    Dem niggaz were the shit back in the late 90’s and the 2000’s. Blazin’ up the streets wit’ songs like, “I Need a Hot Girl”, “Bling Bling” and more shit that dey had that was poppin’. Yo, get ready 4 a reunion in 2011.