San Antonio, Texas rapper L-Dog gets intuitive and very deep on this album about dealing with the sad realities and sad truth of life. The album has a mood of sadness. He deals with the problems in the form of rap music. The presence and lyrical delivery on this album are outstanding. The sounds of gangsta rap meet southern rap on this album as is the case on all of his other albums. It’s a touch of reality rap with a slice of life. L-Dog has material that everyone can relate to. This album has songs catered to everyone young and old. He has songs for the hustlers, players, females, and children. L-Dog never fails to disappoint.
This album (The Sad Truth), My Struggle, Da World Iz Yourz, and Street Therapy are his realest albums to date. Don’t get me wrong. The Sad Truth is his realest album to date. In fact, The Sad Truth and My Struggle are his realist albums to date. The Sad Truth album mirrors similarities to his 2001 album My Struggle. This album definitely went under the radar! It's a shame it did. Get this album if you haven't!
The producers on this album are L-Dog and donron. donron is the main producer. donron produced a majority of the album as he did with all the other L-Dog albums as donron (donron210) is and was the in-house producer for Do-Moe Records. donron is an OG from San Antonio. L-Dog is a rapper from San Antonio, Texas who has been in the game since 2000 and is & was an OG.
The Sad Truth is the first album from San Antonio rapper L-Dog. In fact, The Sad Truth is the debut album from L-Dog that was released on his independent label Do-Moe Records in the year 2000 that came out in CD format as all his other albums did.
There are differences between the 2 versions of The Sad Truth albums. The between The Sad Truth and Da Sad Truth is the artwork and graphic design. Now both editions were designed by Geto Grafix. The L-Dog – Da Sad Truth album has two lions on the front cover and the L-Dog – Da Sad Truth album’s front cover does not. Front cover for the L-Dog – Da Sad Truth album has L-Dog standing in yellow sportswear behind a white backdrop.There is a difference in artwork for the 2 versions of The Sad Truth albums. The Sad Truth has 20 tracks and Da Sad Truth has 19 tracks.
Da Sad Truth is the street version of The Sad Truth. The real street version. The Sad Truth does not have the other bonus track. The L-Dog – Da Sad Truth album has the catalogue label ending in 00002. L-Dog – The Sad Truth album has the catalogue label ending in 09356.
L-Dog things aren’t not the same on Intro (Ain’t No Moe). He asks “Hello. Is there somebody out there that can feel me?”. He tells us the beginning of the end is here. Judgment day in the year 2000. Soon the celestial mood follows a lone acoustic guitar playing in the background. Suddenly the acoustic guitar gets cut off and L-Dog says, “Feel me.” at the 1:08 mark in the song. Those two words echo back.
L-Dog pops back up at the 1:13 mark. L-Dog is a nigga seeing light through the eyes of a mad man. Feeling the pressure of the ghetto running through his slave veins. He is talented but focusing on the wrong things. Not knowing how to fight with his mind. He rambles on the about the sacrifices he’s made for his insanity.
donron produced and sung on the song I’m Dat Nigga. donron is the person singing the hook you hear during the beginning. The song was recorded and written in 1999. This was his most memorable song from 2000. L-Dog and donron pay homage and tribute to Curtis Mayfield on I’m Dat Nigga.
I’m Dat Nigga samples Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman. Notice the lyrics, “I’m your Mama/I'm your Daddy/I'm that nigga/In the alley” Does that ring a bell?
L-Dog kicks off the song with some playa shitNormally he’s laid back, but he’s hype tonight. He can flow without flaw. L-Dog’s the nigga people love to hate. The one that your parents despise. Motherfuckers think he’s sick. But L-Dog is not new to this rap game as he has been in for 10 years. You might remember him from back in the days. That unknown gangsta down in Memphis, Tennessee.
Domestic Situations deals with domestic violence. There is a violent theme present here hence the track title and elements of violence. Details do get graphic, gruesome, and gory in nature. References to murder are made. Domestic Situations is about a how a situation between a man and his lady can turn into domestic violence. The suspense and drama get very deep. This is not for the kids. This is for the grown folks.
He also deals with the struggle in his life. His life is not without struggle. He vents out his frustration about violence in his life. Overall domestic situations with violence.
Have you ever seen a situation between a man and his lady? They started off so strong but then ended up weak and shady. Everybody is putting their nose where it really don’t belong. How could happy smiles turn to frowns? She said, “How did we let it come to this?” A domestic situation plagued with domestic violence. This life is not without struggle.
Everything is getting worse. Both sides are accusing each other of cheating and playing. Girl, he ain’t nothing but a pimp. In a state of drunkenness, fighting begins. Thus resulting swinging, biting, and punches. The whole house is tore up. It’s a domestic situation plagued with domestic violence.
After all the fighting from years that have passed, you’re getting of age and starting to have regrets. You realize you grew up too quick. Now you want to reverse all the drama and shit. You regret acting real childish by being wild. It went from verbal abuse to physical abuse. Both sides are pointing the finger when they’ve got themselves to blame. The saddest part to all of this is that it gets passed down to our children.
Da Suspence has a theme of suspense. The mood is foreboding. The suspense and drama get very deep very quickly on Da Suspence hence the theme of suspense. Overall such suspense is very rigid. An element of violence and drama are added to the mix of Da Suspence.
L-Dog met this fine young bitch at a club one night. He put it down and took her home to ensure she was the right woman for him. She had every thug in the club in a daze when she passed by. Them big soft round kitties and a heart shaped ass. Dimples on both cheeks and brown eyes that will melt your skin. Bowlegged like a cowgirl. She ain’t got no friends. Is it all too good to be true?
L-Dog is fly as a mack. “What the hell does she want with you?” is what L-Dog is asking himself. They kicked for about 3 or 4 months. He still ain’t fucked this bitch. Is this bitch a psycho virgin or she sick? The suspense is driving him up the wall. His mother tried to tell him. But his hard headedness cause him to be dense as a brick. He’s too curious.
She came over to L-Dog’s house at 3 AM in the morning. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was horny. She made herself at home. He unzipped her pants with his hand. He worked his dick onto her mouth. He has never had head like this before. She stood over him and took her clothes off slowly. His dick is hard as a rock. Suddenly she stalled. L-Dog continued to pull down her panties. She had a dick and 2 balls. Aw! Now he’s about to kill that bitch. She turned out to be a transvestite.
L-Dog takes us down memory as he reminisces about his past on Reminiscen. donron is the one singing the hook.: “Where did all the love go?” Both L-Dog and donron wonder where did all the love go on Reminiscen. Reminiscen samples Black Reign - Jus' A Grain Of Tha Same Cocaine. Notice the sad piano playing in the chorus.
However L-Dog’s voice has a lower tone as he and donron appear to be taking a smoke break through Reminiscen track. L-Dog was high when he wrote this song as he was reminiscing about the good times in his past.
Do you ever sit and think about how fast time flies? Or try to drown out the drama and think about the good times instead? Such as when you took your first drink and your first piece of ass. Or when you took you first piece of grass, first hit of grass, or first time riding you bicycle. Everybody’s mama tripping out about how you’re growing up too fast.
What about your first love where ya’ll were rebelling together? When you were trying to learn to love without hurting each other. The homies in the hood were getting jealous about that, but it was still all good as they still had your back.
L-Dog remembers the days of living on Sky Way in Memphis, Tennessee. Sitting on the porch with a blunt and a torch. 9 times out of 10 listening to G.D. speak. The higher they got, the more they agreed on. Wicked T would sell beats. Musically things were unique when that nigga would get to flowing and producing beats. Wicked T was unique. His loud stereo system got the neighbors complaining.
Didn’t have a care in the world, but they were still maintaining. Everybody showing love as they are just trying to stay afloat. No need for hating each other since we were in the same boat. Things started changing later on. You know how that goes. But ain’t nothing wrong with a memory or memories.
donron sings the chorus/hook which is “Where did all the love go?/Reminiscen” .
The lyrics “I guess you say we didn’t know what we have/too busy thinking about where we lived is a thing of the past” is about how L-Dog didn’t realize how good he had it and how good things were. He took these things for granted and so did his peers. He remembers hitting switches in his car with just him and his baby. Peeping out them jealous bitches which stared at them crazy. A candy paint colored car and high beams painted the whole town gold. The candy paint colors of his car shined through town. For those who don’t know what candy paint is, copy the term “candy paint” onto an online search engine.
Oh shit. There come them hoes (police). Hurry up and giver me my ticket or whatever it is. So I can flip down third with the rest of the kids. He remembers his girls brother sitting on Dayton rims (on D’s) living lovely and not ugly. Things can change over time and start looking ugly.
Everybody is feeling like they are on top of the world. “Big Deuce, what are we?” asked Bam Bam and Little Tony. L-Dog is clique tight kicking it from morning to night. Watching the BG’s (baby gangsters) mimicking OG’s (original gangsters) and picking fights.
The nigga from the North Side of Memphis, Tennessee named Gold D was another one of L-Dog’s past memories. He was always into something. Niggas hated on his gold teeth.
L-Dog is reminiscing. His niggas are trippin’ on him be cause he’s always high. He has to get up in your face to be truly on your mind. Don’t let that bullshit start. Now all the good times are gone. When L-Dog calls the phone, nobody is home.
Somebody’s Watching is a cover of the 1980s pop hit Maxwell - Somebody’s Watching. The sounds of pop music meet grimey gangsta rap. When L-Dog sings, his voice is similar to First Degree The DE. Listen when he sings the hook.
Who’s that looking in L-Dog’s window? He grabs his strap. Every time he blinked, nobody was there. L-Dog reached to pinch himself but this time it wasn’t a nightmare. Maybe his mind is just playing tricks on him. His mind is starting to wonder in a lot of different ways. Was this about something L-Dog done in the past? Was it someone trying to kill his ass?
One day, L-Dog took his kids out to play. Who the fuck is that truck L-Dog has seen for 3 days straight? Just looking at him with a smile. It is not the police as L-Dog did not leave a trace. He always feels like somebody is watching him. Watching him wherever he goes.
Mind Of A Junky was a song recorded and written by L-Dog himself in 1999. That is why some of his vocals are slightly unbalanced. His vocals fade away from the left speaker channel.
The song Mind Of A Junky describes what goes on in the mind of a drug addict. The song takes place in the mindset of a drug addict. Junkies do drugs because they feel unloved and unwanted. That is what the lyrics “because nobody loves me” mean. They search for a way to escape their own reality. It’s so ugly. Junkies ache for more than a blunt and a 40 oz. They seek comfort in getting high on drugs.
Junkies steal money from people as they have none themselves. A perpetual cycle of sadness are what junkies face. Sleeplessness is another issue they often face. Family and friends often cut off contact with junkies.
Cry Later is a tale of how 2 friends dabbled into drugs, got into trouble, and how friendships were torn apart by egos. Personalities clash as egos cause their friendship to end. Drugs cause people to get into trouble. It’s a smile now, cry later type of song.
The story is about a person L-Dog used to know. This person grew up in an area he loved so much. He didn’t have to deal with all that gangbangin’ and stuff. He went to a private school and wanted to be tough. Smoking in the bathroom yelling out “Nigga what?”. He had a best friend living in the same neighborhood. Never been out to the ghetto, but he would if he could.
One day he came to school with a Ziplock bag. His friend asked “Where did you get that shit?” and he replied "My dad." . “Do you want some of this shit?”, he asked. “I thought we was down.” The friend replied, “I am down. But I just didn’t know we had this shit on this side of town.” Surprise, surprise. Open up your eyes. Recognize when you live your life as lies.
(Whether the bag was marijuana, mushrooms, or some other type of drug is up to the listener. L-Dog does not specify exactly what drug the person brought to school in a Ziplock bag. The specific drug is unclear.)
He went to class and his teacher said, “Aw, baby. You leaving so quick.” By the next period, he was looking for his friend. “Man, give me a little bit more of that shit” said his best friend. He grinned and hit it again. You all know how this is going to end. If you don’t, listen up, because it’s kind of fucked up. But it’s real.
About 6 months down the line they are still smoking and sniffing. They ain’t thinking about quitting anytime soon. His friend started to change. He doesn’t hit it like he used to. “This time we need some money. This shit ain’t free.”, he said. “I thought you get it from your dad”, the friend said. His father caught him using the drug. “How much you got?”, the person asks. His friend got turned out of his money and burned out. Stealing from his mother is what he does next. His friend doesn’t realize he’s burned out. He’s been acting a little funny lately. Again. Surprise, surprise.
It’s been 2 years and his partner came up. He is 19 and riding a candy paint BMW. “Where is my money, you stupid freak? Where did we go wrong? I though we were better than this.”, his friend snapped.
This is where things take a turn for the worse in this song. friend got kicked out of his house because he didn’t want to go to school. He’s junked out and bummy while his homie is prospering. His friend is successful while he is not.
By that time, he was noticing the change. His friend was becoming a bum and his friend was becoming the don. He had all the clothes, hoes, and friends (“so called” friends). His friend has got all the foes and powder. Even his family knows his friend does drugs.
One night, his friend got high and wanted revenge. He went out to the ghetto and bought a Mac 10. Then he went looking for his friend. He crawled into the backseat of his car. Here he comes walking out of a motel with some freak. He rode with them all the way across town. Upon catching him, he tells the friend to drive to the nearest creek. He tells him, “If you reach for your strap, you’re gonna hear your neck crack.” . A ditch was already dug. Time was not wasted as he was pumped with slugs (bullets).
He went back to the spot where the junkies be. He tried crack cocaine for the first time and his mind was blown instantly. Now he put the Mac 10 to his chin and started thinking about his friend. He squeezed the trigger.
At the 4:08 mark in Cry Later where L-Dog sings a haunting yet chilling short 3 second rendition of Amazing Grace. He sings, “Amazing Game/How sweet” . After that, a couple layers of laughter can be heard as the song comes toward the end.
L-Dog and producer donron experiment with the chopped and screwed sub-genre in rap music popularized by DJ Screw and DJ Michael “5000” Watts on Slow Motion. Slow Motion is a screwed track. All screw heads will enjoy this track. Slow Motion stands out from the rest of The Sad Truth album. I don’t know if it’s the weed, liquor, or just life.
L-Dog and producer donron experiment with the chopped and screwed sub-genre in rap music again on the song Made N Da USA. Notice how the lyrics are repeated several times during the chorus and hook. Sometimes throughout various parts of the song.
L-Dog and donron take us on another level of the game on the song Anotha Level. It’s about the money and the fame. Street fame. Money, power, and respect is the key to open doors. Anotha Level is laced with heavy bass and low-fi electronic music produced by donron.
Killa Beez is a perfect for the hustlas on these streets. It has grimey G-Funk sound that you can only find in gangsta rap.
Only In America was recorded in 1997. L-Dog discusses the things that only happen to black people in America on Only In America. Such as the “crabs in a bucket” mentality.
Mob With Me is a duo cut with L-Dog and Big Luso. Big Luso raps for a majority of the two minute long track copying Twista’s fast rapid flow. He copies Twista when he raps. L-Dog doesn’t rap as much on this song as he with all of his other songs.
Take notice of the high treble setting that is used on Don’t Stop. Don’t Stop stands out from the rest of The Sad Truth album by using high treble. The high treble echoing through the chorus. It don’t stop because L-Dog is trying to get to the top. Don’t Stop samples One Way - Don’t Stop Ever Loving Me.
Shutem Down is a No Limit style rap song where doodooism meets New Orleans bounce. Bass and guitars meet bounce rap. The beats are similar to beats you hear produced from KLC, Mo B Dick, Medicine Men, or Beats By The Pound. The tempo is very upbeat and fast.
Bounce is a bonus track that was produced by L-Dog and donron. Although it was donron that mainly produced Bounce. L-Dog has an eccentric tone in his trembling vocals on the Bounce track. Lyrics are in such sync with his high tone. Clearly Bounce is a duo cut.
Let It Burn is a song for all the weed smokers out there. The song is quite similar to Mind Of A Junky, Mob Wit Me, Cry Later, and Reminiscen.
*Da Sad Turn was L-Dog’s debut album which was recorded in 1999. Although some songs indicate they were recorded earlier than 1999 due to their musical style.
*donron is also known as donron210 and donor.
I rate this album 5/5*****!!
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