Monday, March 9, 2015

Mixerr Album Reviews #523

This is Michael Mixerr. Today I will review the BWP - Life's A Bytch album from 1993 that dropped on No Face and Columbia Records. Mark Sexx and Lyndah had written most of this album. BWP is Bytches Wit Problems.


This album was something else entirely! The uncensored approach which BWP had offered made them entirely different from other female rap groups that were dope fresh at that time. In some of their songs, BWP even came out harder than HWA did! BWP made HWA sound like Vanity 6. The female rap group BWP had became well known for their sexual explicit lyrics raps.

Niggas Eat More is about niggas who eat more pussy than other. Females perform acts such as cunnilingus, anilingus, and of course the well-known sexual position act called facesitting performed on this song. Quite oddly, no mentions of masturbation or specifically rim jobs were referenced. The female rap duo had gained personal pleasure from this unusual form of erotic humiliation.

Caught Up is about being caught up in the moment. You are so involved with what you are doing or what is going on in a very specific moment. Such brash decisions are made quickly in this song. The fellas of course are going to be caught up. The BWP duo acts irrational in this case. Which is not too surprising. 

Paid By Rock is about drug dealing with crack cocaine. Dope sales and clienteles got everyone selling crack cocaine. Ain't no shorts in the drug game.The fellas are on a late night creep. Fatal thoughts of dying young while in the process of selling crack cocaine are a common risk in the drug game. Drug cartels are serving a gram of cocaine a day to drug dealers and keepin' it G.


Now I will talk about the reasons why this Life's A Bytch album did not get a proper retail release into music stores.
The main reason was due to the resurfacing and restructuring of Columbia Records that was happening at that time, this Life's A Bytch album did not get released as a retail album but rather as a promotional album instead. Sony had bought out Columbia to restructure the record label. Possibly less than 2,000 copies were ever pressed at that. This album did not get released as a retail album but rather as a promotional album instead due to the resurfacing and restructuring of Columbia Records that was happening at that time.

One reason could be due to the face that BWP was facing contractual problems with Columbia Records when the executive managers told BWP to tune down their raps debating sexuality. Lyndah did not want to comply with Columbia Records business standards and music standards for BWP. Which lead BWP to be hit and charged with obscenity charges by local authorities.

Another reason was the Life’s A Bytch album was banned only to be later confiscated by the infamous NYPD law enforcement agency on obscenity charges before it even hit the stores! New York Times did many numerous news coverage stories on BWP for their newspaper. PRMC had made a huge big stink about BWP as well which probably a factor to the Life's A Bytch album leading it to get banned. Yes the Life’s A Bytch album was banned! BWP was hit and charged with obscenity charges by local authorities.

It's kind of ironic considering the stuff that was permitted such as graphic violence, obnoxious gynophobia, and misogyny raps. To think such extreme content with explicit material WASN'T allowed back in those days. [The followup album called  Life’s a Bytch was shelved days before its release date. B.Y.T.C.H.E.S. became Life's A Bytch similar to how Eargasm turned into Necessary Roughness by The Lady of Rage.]


BWP never got the credit they deserved when it came to paving the way for female rappers such as Choice, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Lady J, Nini X, Tammi Holt, Rye Rye, Remy Ma, Amil, and others.  The uncensored approach had made BWP sound way ahead of their own time in retrospect. Bytches Wit Problems was the most rawest female rap group next to HWA and Ghetto Girlz. After 1993 BWP disbanded as a rap group.

Too bad BWP never got a second chance. If Sony had not bought out Columbia Records at that time, none of this would have happened. Columbia Records was being hypocritical by making producer Mark Sexx delete some songs off the Life's A Bytch. It's 12 tracks of misandry raps.
If BWP had released Life's A Bytch and B.Y.T.C.H.E.S. as a third and last album, there would be no telling what would have happened.

I rate this album, Life's A Bytch, 5/5*****!

9 comments:

  1. Hi do you know where i can locate a copy of this?

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    1. I am sorry. I do not know where one could obtain a copy of this album right here.

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  2. Hello, my name is Lyndah from Bytches with Problems. I sure would like a copy of this album. 120 Ardmore Avenue Ardmore, PA 19003

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    1. Hi, Lyndah. Sorry for the late reply. I've had a busy week. I regret to inform you that I do not own a copy of BWP - Life's A Bytch album.

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  3. I wrote all those songs, despite what it says on the album. Mark Skeete put his name on the publishing and Russell took 25 percent of the publishing. But I wrote all those songs and have nothing to show for it. Also, how did you get a hold of this album? Please can you make me a copy. I am who I say I am and I sent my address in the last reply. my number is 610 649 8136. thank you so much. Lyndah McCaskill

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    1. Hi, Lyndah. Sorry for the late reply. I've had a busy week.

      I regret to inform you that I do not own a copy of BWP - Life's A Bytch album. I found out about it from AllMusic, New York Times, and MICHAEL BENABIB. Sorry you have nothing to show. I will text you shortly.

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  4. I also wrote a book titled, "For Every Tear Shed!" I would love for you to review it. Lyndah

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  5. I would also love a copy of this album if anyone can figure out how to find one. Ive been searching for it for years. Please let me know if you can figure out how to get a copy, even if its just digital or burned. You can contact me at Rev.crumbsnatcher@gmail.com

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