At my middle school in the midwest, far enough away from New York and California when Ghetto D came out in 1997, No Limit was the alpha and omega of hip-hop. Master P dropped the video for “Make Em Say Ugh” and it was a wrap for everyone else. For the next two or three years, pen & pixel-adorned CDs by Mercedes, Mystikal, Kane & Abel and the rest of the crew were prized possessions in the school cafeteria. With the nation shaken by the tragic deaths of 2Pac and Biggie, P snatched the rap game while no one was looking and brought it down south. But P’s college years in the Bay Area are responsible for the unique dimension exhibited in the sound of No Limit. An objective listen reveals more similarities to Too Short, E-40 or Spice 1 than UGK, Geto Boys or even fellow Louisianians Juvenile and the Hot Boyz. P’s got plenty of crew love on Ghetto D (or Ghetto Dope, as it was originally called before a last-minute name change by shook label execs); he earnestly claims “I Miss My Homies” on track 3, and looking at the rest of the tracklist, you’re inclined to believe him. With Silkk The Shocker mumbling on eleven tracks, and Mia X, C-Murder and Fiend each garnering a handful of features each, Ghetto D plays more like a label compilation than a proper Master P solo record. Best tracks: “Burbans And Lacs,” “Stop Hatin,” “Plan B,” “Captain Kirk,” “Tryin To Do Somethin” (which I’m only just now realizing is an interpolation of the Isleys’ “For The Love Of You,” which makes it even better), “Pass Me Da Green,” and of course, “Make Em Say Ugh.” 20th Anniversary double vinyl pressing housed in full color pic sleeve with printed insert. Recommended. 20th anniversary edition double vinyl pressing first time in full-color picture sleeve music label: Priority Records 1997 / 2017 reviewed by TRU detective 10/2017.
