Sorry this didn’t come earlier, but my computer keeps being overrun by the Blue Screen of Death. I’m really sick of that.
Anyway, I find No Limit Records is the butt of many jokes about the mid-’90s. I mean, there were plenty of good reasons to do that. Lots of bad records, but that’s the be expected when artists are turning out 26-track albums every nine months or so.
However, there was some serious heat put out by that label, so I’m going to try to name 25 of those songs. There’s a good chance I’ll have to stop sooner, though.
Important caveat–only doing records made on No Limit. No stuff from Mystikal’s first record, but definitely the good stuff from when Snoop was on the Tank (Bitch Please, namely). So let’s roll.
Make Em Say Uhhh. I hear this was a big hit across the country. I have to say it like that because I lived in Atlanta during ’97, so everything No Limit was a hit. This was an unequivocal banger, though. The song that finally made people admit that some of the stuff off the Tank was hot. However, dunking on an 8-foot rim in the video was embarrassing, especially considering that P is actually pretty tall.
Akickdoe!. Featuring UGK. You’ll find that No Limit/UGK collabos were always winners. This from C-Murder’s surprisingly good record, Life or Death.
The Man RIght Chea. Good cut from Mystikal. Big problem–sounds too much like “Here I Go,” but isn’t nearly as good.
No Limit Soldiers. One major part of the No Limit branding formula was to lead each album off with a song proclaiming loyalty to the Tank. This was probably the best one. Sad part–Itaught myself to play the beat on a piano. I don’t play piano.
You Don’t Wanna Go to War With a Soldier. See the above formula, but from Mia X’s strong Unlady Like. Too bad I can’t remember too many other songs off that one. And I wasn’t wild about “The Party Don’t Stop,” so I ain’t puttin’ it on this list.
Where You From. That goddam Skull Duggery. This is a classic, and anyone that doesn’t agree is lying.
Fuck Dem Niggaz. Originally on Snoop’s No Limit Top Dogg, but so good that P put it on C-Murder’s second record when the label began to flounder. Featured the drastically underrated Magic. Speaking of Magic…
Freaky. Magic gave us a really, really good sex record with this one.
Hot Boys and Hot Girls. Featuring many of the usual suspects, but people forget Mac’s blazin’ verse on this one. Don’t expect another one for a long time. I’m pretty sure he’s still in jail for a murder that there’s serious evidence that he didn’t commit.
Bitch Please. Another from No Limit Top Dogg. People don’t think of it as a No Limit record because it was produced by Dre and features Xzibit, but it showed that P did have some savvy. After pumping Snoop into his assembly line, he realized that he couldn’t market Snoop the same way. He let Snoop put out a Snoop record instead of a No Limit joint, and this was the song that showed that P had a better handle on things than most of us realized.
How You Do Dat. Well, this isn’t really a No Limit record. The story goes that Young Bleed already recorded and, I believe, released this song when P came calling and wanted to put it on the soundtrack to “I’m Bout It.” Bleed said he’d only do so if he got a one album deal. He got the deal, went gold and was never heard from again. How far did he fall? I got a snippet tape from his second album when I was in college, and the cat that gave it to me looked really familiar. After thinking, I realized who handed it to me–Young Bleed.
Pick a song from Mr. Serv-On. It’s been forever since I heard his record, so I can’t say a song in particular. However, the record was off the chains. For real.
Freak Hoes. Another that could have made the list of songs I’m ashamed for liking. However, it makes the girls bounce they asses and touch they knees with they elbows.
It Ain’t My Fault. It’s taking everything in me to acknowledge that Silkk Da Shocker did anything good. But htis one is good, and he was on it. Not sure he had a lick to do with making it good, but he’s on the song.
Ice Cream Man. NOT!!!! Biter alert!!! Ask the Luniz about this one. What up, Dame!
Hoody Hoo. NOT!!! Biter alert!!! Ask OutKast about this one. The biting was so bad that Big Boi called P out on stage at the Birthday Bash in Atlanta about that. I argue that was the day the No Limit empire officially crumbled into the sea.
The Mercedes Album Cover. They put a picture of her bending over with her ass facing the camera in every album they had for about two years. The record SUCKED. However, anyone that remembers No Limit remembers this album.
Shake it Like a Dog. Kane and Abel’s best cut, perhaps the most Un-cut video before Ludacris’ “P-Poppin.” The song actually wasn’t released on No Limit, but I’m pretty sure it was recorded during that time.
For the N.O. From the tragically slept on Fiend.
Ain’t No Limit. Okay, stuff off Mystikal’s Unpredictable is hard to put on this list because it wasn’t produced by Beats by the Pound (it was an album done as a joint venture between No Limit and Jive). However, nobody can front on “A-I-N-T-N-O-L-I-M-I-T!…”
Swamp Nigga. For real, TRU 2 Da Game was off the chains. Interestingly, it was sold as a double but was shorter than many No Limit single discs.
‘Bout It ’95. That synthesizer on “‘Bout It” was legendarily added when KLC’s daughter played around with his equipment, prompting him to spank her…but go back and work with what she’d done. It’s incredible. And it’s better than the version done on Ice Cream Man. But gracious, why did Cam’Ron decide to even though this? He just messed it up. He just messed it up.
Break Em Off Something. Yeah, this is the winner. The beat kills. P’s first bar is part of the Southern canon. Pimp C rips it. And my goodness, Bun B. “You can call on the cavalry/reinforcements/and the local PD/they gettin somewhere if they see me/my nigga, that’s how these G’s be/we three/Me, C and Master P/sippin on gin and kiwi…” Whoo!
Stoppin at 23. Harder than I thought, but there was a lot good from No Limit. There was just more bad. That wouldn’t have been a problem if P would have put out albums of traditional length instead of just putting so much stuff on there HOPING that one song would make someone buy the album.
But that’s the list. Interesting mail call on Monday.