One of the earliest examples of gangsta rap from San Diego, California is Gangsta Ern - 2 The Hard Way which is a “hood tape” which circulated on cassette around the Southcrest neighborhood in 1989. He represented the streets of Southeast San Diego to the fullest during that time. On this cassette were 3 songs which were Nation of Drugs, Dope Fiend, and Homicide Without Time.
All of the songs have a theme of drugs and crime. Songs such as Nation of Drugs and Dope Fiend warn listeners about the dangers of consuming and using drugs. Both songs serve as cautionary tales which tell listeners not to use drugs. Dope Fiend explains to the listeners to what the effects of using drugs can do to your health and personality. Drugs can change your personality completely. Homicide Without Time is an aggressive street savvy track about commit homicide without doing time. Homicide Without Time molds old school rap into a gangsta sound. You can expect to hear dope lyrics on this album. Old school rap meets gangsta rap on this album.
The whole album was basically a Gangsta Ern and Pokey album as Pokey rapped on all three songs on this cassette. Today he is viewed as a Daygo legend. R.I.P. Gangsta Ern.
Dope Fiend was a rap song written based on a true story about one of Gangsta Ern’s homeboys becoming hooked on drugs and turning into a dope fiend. The song is similar to Jazzie Redd - I’m A Dope Fiend in terms of subject matter. The song featured Gangsta Ern and Pokey (OG Poke Doke/Poke Doke).
Gangsta Ern asks his homeboy, “Why do you want to live like this? ” Gangsta Ern tells him, “You can’t answer this question because you’re high.” He sees that he is a dope fiend the broke with no money and has gone completely downhill.
Gangsta Ern asked his homeboy about his drug habit. He told him a lie. He told Gangsta Ern he would stop smoking way back in July. That was a lie because he had a base pipe to do freebase with. Gangsta Ern told him not to touch the pipe but he did that anyway. He tried to tell him what the dope would to him but he just kept smoking away. Now he’s run out of money. So he ends up working for a drug dealer and he ain’t making shit. All he really cares about doing that hit of cocaine.
He always talks about the things he never did and talks about all the record he broke when he was just a kid. The way he lost everything makes Gangsta Ern sad. He had cars, bitches, and a pushed out pad.
Now he is grown and on his own. Based out and spaced out. He lost his house. He used to earn money but now he robs. A weekly paycheck was something he used to ear but he lost his job. His rib cage is showing as he’s had nothing to eat. You can see that he is barefoot. Ain’t combed his hair or brushed his teeth.
Police captured him as he violated his probation. He was in a jail cell for a couple of weeks. His homeboy said he went to jail to rehabilitate. Every day while he was serving time, he was still thinking about smoking. All along he was laughing and smoking with his cellmates. He told his cellies he will never come back.
Now he is back on the streets doing the same thing again. He has a crack pipe in his socks and dope in his hands. Gangsta Ern will never understand how his homeboy does drugs. Fresh out of jail and going back to do the same things again. He had a second chance but he blew it. Cocaine has destroyed his brain. Insane is what his state is now. He’s now another dope fiend.
His homeboy got caught a second time for parole violation. Only this time he served more time in jail. What was the crime? Drug possession.
Homicide Without Time is one of the more negative songs off the album. Homicide Without Time is an aggressive song about committing murder and doing a homicide without serving time. The song molds old school rap into a gangsta sound. The song uses a vocal sample from Slick Rick - The Ruler’s Back which says, “living in the South Side jam”. The song is an Early recording by the late Gangsta Ern. Now this song is known for the classic substantial lyrics “Murder’s the crime/Homicide without time/That’s the only thing that’s on my mind”.
The song was a duet which featured Gangsta Ern and Pokey (OG Poke Doke/Poke Doke). They frequently collaborated in the late 80s.
Homicide Without Time samples Slick Rick - The Ruler’s Back, James Brown - Sex Machine, and Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx.
The song starts off with a heavy drum beat and the vocal sample from Slick Rick - The Ruler’s Back which says, “living in the South Side jam” over vinyl cuts. A sampled guitar track plays afterwards.
Murder’s the crime. Homicide without time. That’s the only thing that’s Gangsta Ern’s mind. He doesn’t choke when goes to smoke. Either he blasts his ass or slices his throat. It’s no one else business but his. After handling his business, he goes to bust some cold rhymes.
Poke Doke keeps one eye open when he’s asleep. He stays strapped with a .9 millimeter in his lap 24/7. Police keep following him. Police say he committed a first degree murder. That shit is crazy as it’s all nonsense. Some fool got smoked (killed) in self-defense. Murder’s the crime. Homicide without time. That’s the only thing that’s his mind.
To kill somebody is not really hard. Pull the trigger in disregard. His life didn’t mean shit. He’s dead. Gangsta Ern is alive. That’s it. He would hate to have a bitch because if he touches her it would be all about murder. It’s 2 the hard way. If you fuck with the South, they’ll spray with an uzi.
You’ll go to jail if you do something wrong. Be sure to have money for bail. You don’t want to spend 10 years in a cell with a punk motherfucker straight roasting to hell. Poke Doke tells the listeners to stay away from jail as jail is not the place to be. He has money and bitches. He’s chillen. Murder’s the crime. Homicide without time. That’s the only thing that’s his mind.
Gangsta Ern only thinks about taking another persons life. Talk some shit and Gangsta Ern will blast your ass or kill you. Him and Poke Doke are straight out brazy. At the end of the song is where Poke Doke tells the listeners not to get caught up in crime and to stay home.
Nation of Drugs showcases their political awareness about the war on drugs and the crack epidemic of the 1980s. He calls out politicians and the governments for being hypocrites by not stopping the drug war. Nation of Drugs samples Zapp - More Bounce To The Ounce and Public Enemy - Night of the Living Baseheads.
The drug problem started overseas when the government started getting into the drug business. Then-president G. Bush said he needed billions of dollars to fight this drug crisis. Poke Doke tells listeners not to buy into the drug war or the president. The penalties are stiff for all drug addicts.
He calls out the government for favoring the rich in these lyrics, “Why do poor black addicts go to prison?/When rich white addicts go to clinic” He is calling out the government for being racist and classist at the same time as the government favors rich people. The government often locks black people up for crimes more than white people. Poke Doke calls out Nancy Reagan for her famous speech “Say no to drugs.” for being ineffective. We all know how that worked out. That didn’t work as things only got worse overtime. All we got is blood, death, and more people in jail.
Gangsta Ern says, “Little kids are selling drugs to stay alive while politicians are in the closet getting high.” All of the drugs are still getting through border checkpoints. Judges and lawyers are getting paid off too. They are dealing tons of drugs that come from overseas from the cartels.
Poke Doke asks how President G. Bush can stop this drug crisis as all his family members are on drugs. Bush kept on making all these speeches while denying the drug crisis. But Poke Doke is not fooled by this. He shows political consciousness and awareness on this song with Gangsta Ern.
I rate this album 5/5*****!!
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