Mixerr Album Reviews #638

This is Michael Mixerr. Tonight I will review Papa Chuk - The Badlands

The Badlands album covers all topics in Hip Hop/Rap such as isolation, poverty, racism, police brutality, gangs, guns, sex, drugs, prostitution, revolution, and just having a good time. No filler tracks! Every track knocks.

For example, he attacks social problems such as isolation on Desolate One, child abuse on Lord Have Mercy, underage prostitution on Show Some ID, and the problems of African Americans face today on Niggahs Will Be Niggahs. Trunk of Funk is trunk music. Flip The Shit, Down N' Dirty (which Champ MC is on), and Desert Dog are party tracks. IAB is a very revolutionary track. Runaway is too.

The production was done by the locally known DJ Cassanova from the ATX. Production was also done by Kevin Moore, Amelia Moore, Double D of Wreckshop Records, Tony Dofat, Doug Lazy, O.C. Rodriguez, Scratch God, Shetero Henderson, and Bernie Bismark.
There are a few guest emcee appearances from Champ MC, Butch Cassidy, Neil Young, and the local cats from The Texas Posse. Heck, even O.C. Rodriguez and DJ Cassanova got mentioned!


For those who don't know, Papa Chuk (born Charles Roberts), was born in Oakland and moved to Houston at age 9. From that point, he went back and forth to his mom's house in Houston while he went to school in Austin. That's how he was regionally known in both Austin and Houston. He was popular there from 1992 to 1995.

Papa Chuk is one of the founders of what was called the Sector A Movement (some were members of Texas Posse) with Big, Quince One, and X-Man who went on to work with Dallas Austin of TLC fame.

You might remember his raw and gritty flows on the Funky Science/Texas Roughneck single/EP in 1992 with DJ Cassanova that came of Houston/Austin in the Early 90s. In the mid 90s he got shot when it wasn't cool to get shot. When 2Pac got shot, people started thinking it was cool to get shot. Now we have all these wanna-be studio gangsters. That's another story.

Papa Chuk has that Rudeboy & Reggae Jamaican accent that KRS-One, Biz Markie, Mad Lion, Redman, Lady Apache, and Little Indian had. It's really cool! Maybe that was one of the reasons the album didn't sell so well in the market. Papa Chuk sounded like he was from Jamaica or New York instead of Texas as the Geto Boys, Scarface, Nemesis, Ron C, Choice, and Point Blank did.

The Badlands was one of the most underrated albums of 1994 in the Austin Hip Hop/Rap scene. Unfortunately this is his only album. This album is a must have for any Hip Hop/Rap fan! The Badlands was one of the most underrated albums of 1994 in Hip Hop/Rap scene especially in Austin and Houston.
Hands down!! This album is great trunk music!

I rate this album, The Badlands, 5/5*****!!