Lil Yo - Youngsta's On A Come Up is one of the most sought after cassette tapes in Memphis rap. The album is impossible to find especially with the original cover still in place. Many copies that still are in existence have no cover intact. The album sells for astronomical prices when sold online by hundreds and thousands of dollars.
The dark atmosphere, his triplet flows, snap music, and gangsta sound are what make this album great and enjoyable to listen to. The best songs on the album are "Creepin" and "On My Way To Texas”. Lil Yo had a dope killer rap flow on this tape with his triplet flows as he was spitting heat. DJ Sound and Kingpin Skinny Pimp produced this legendary album on the local production label called Gimi Sum Productions. The sounds of snap music and gangsta rap are truly dope.
For those who did not know, Lil Yo is Yo Gotti. Yes, Lil Yo and Yo Gotti are the same people despite what some people believe or have you believe/think. It’s Yo Gotti before he became Yo Gotti.
Yo Gotti started rapping under the name Lil Yo in 1995 and had recorded this album in 1996 when he was 15 years old. This album was released on cassette only in Memphis, Tennessee on a local production label called Gimi Sum Productions. He was leagues ahead of his time the way he mastered triplet flows in his raps. He was the dopest teenage rapper out of Ridge Crest in Memphis, Tennessee at one point. Crazy how Lil Yo went from this to Unplugged. Hard to believe this is Yo Gotti.
People say Lil Yo was biting Three 6 Mafia, Tommy Wright III, Gangsta Pat, Lil Gin, Kingpin Skinny Pimp, and whoever else from Memphis. That is false as it’s a Memphis flow period. The Memphis flow is what he uses in his raps with the fast pace of triplet flows. People have compared him to xxxtentcion interestingly enough.
Many Memphis rap fans seem to favor Yo Gotti’s older style of rapping from when he went by Lil Yo than his new style of rapping as a national artist. Many Memphis rap fans like Yo Gotti better when he was a local artist especially old heads. They wish they would hear him rap like this now because he lost his Memphis flow and beats when he became a national artist. Old heads and haters consider Yo Gotti to be garbage now. People seem to like or dislike Yo Gotti these days in terms of popularity. Either way, people should respect his hustle as he has a family to feed. Times and situations change. That is why he changed his name, his beats, and flow.
Creepin is one of the dopest songs on the album that is still a classic to this day. The song has that dark grim gangsta rap vibe that was trending in the Memphis underground during that time. The song Creepin is one of his best works on this album and of all time. This song will take you on a trip down memory lane.
He killed this song by mastering triplet flows in his rapping by rapping 3x times fast. That is a true Memphis flow. He was way ahead of his time with this song. The production of Creepin was inspired heavily by the horror film Psycho which is why you can hear a mixture of horrorcore rap, snap music, soundtrack, and gangsta rap.
Creepin has been sampled in new school rap songs such as Bodyguard - Fatal and Lil Ramsey - Magnolia. The most notable example of Creepin being sampled in a new school rap song is Bodyguard - Fatal. A vocal sample from Creepin can be heard at the 0:38 duration mark. The other samples that are included on there are start to kick in after the 0:38 duration mark plays.
On My Way To Texas is a classic. The song has that dark grim gangsta rap vibe with those raw beats produced by Kingpin Skinny Pimp and DJ Sound. On My Way To Texas is similar to Creepin. Lil Yo also uses triplet flows here. People say Lil Yo was biting Three 6 Mafia and Tommy Wright III. That is false as it’s a Memphis flow period. His raps are brutal either way.
Now the sample used on this song used is from Geto Boys - No Nuts No Glory. That is where the lyrics “been selling out the same dopehouse since the age of 16" come from. That song has been sampled a countless number of times. The Geto Boys also had an influence on Memphis rap and snap music. That is where the scary tune sample comes from also. That is why this song has got that Houston-Memphis vibe.
On My Way To Texas has a strong influence of 8-Ball & MJG. Lil Yo was inspired by the sound, style, and influence of 8-Ball & MJG that was trending and becoming popular in Memphis at that time when he wrote this song. That is why the 8-Ball & MJG influence is heavy and strong on the song On My Way To Texas. The production was inspired heavily by the horror film Psycho which is why you can hear a mixture of horrorcore rap, snap music, soundtrack, and gangsta rap.
Not only was he influenced by 8-Ball & MJG. He was also influenced by Three 6 Mafia. One can tell Lil Yo was obviously influenced by Three 6 Mafia when he wrote and recorded On My Way To Texas. Ironically he used to talk shit about Three 6 Mafia back in the 90s. As for his feud with Three 6 Mafia, he had beef with Three 6 Mafia and was arguing with them at that time over who was the better rapper. He did not want join Three 6 Mafia after that beef/feud.
Wicked Hearted uses a small layer of beats and a single bass line which plays only a few musical notes. The song is about how Lil Yo is a cold hearted wicked person. Lil Yo is the first person to rap and Mr. Yack is the second person to rap.
Wicked Hearted was heavily influenced by the Geto Boys and MC Eiht as this song samples clips of their songs. The song Wicked Hearted samples Geto Boys - Be Down and MC Eiht - Def Wish III. The vocal sample of “I’m taking my nine” comes from MC Eiht - Def Wish III. Many people have wondered where that vocal sample came from. Not many people know this but Memphis rap was heavily influenced by Geto Boys with horrorcore oriented gangsta rap sound and edge. Geto Boys also had an influence on rappers such as Lil Yo and MC Mack.
Amazing Murder is a horror film inspired gangsta rap song which uses a sample from the movie Natural Born Killers. His raps about a brutal murder that took place in Memphis, Tennessee. Lil Yo and Lil T went the hardest on this song with their verses.
Now what stands out about this song is the sample that is used. The sample at the beginning of Amazing Murder is from the movie Natural Born Killers. The sample comes from the sub climax of the film which opens with the journalist interviewing Mickey Knox. That is also where the song begins. Actor roles for the characters are as follows: Robert Downey Jr plays the journalist character. Woody Harrelson played the character Mickey Knox in Natural Born Killers.
The case of this murder is an unsolved mystery. Everyone is wondering who killed Ted. Ted was an innocent citizen who wound up dead as he was murdered. He was murdered in the projects. There are no leads to any suspects. Ted was 21 years old when he died.
His family is constantly going to court. Tears were shed. There is nothing sadder than hearing tears of sorrow. The funeral was so sad. This brother had plenty of knowledge, edumacation, and skills.
Already 3 days later and someone else wound up dead in the same projects. It's the same old shit everywhere we look. Death and destruction. Killing over nothing. Everybody is suspicious. Wondering who is committing these murders. They found another person on the curbs already. Detectives have no evidence. So who could it be? Your guess is as good as mine.
The song Ridge Crest is about an apartment complex called Ridge Crest Apartments. Ridge Crest is a classic song which has that old school Memphis sound with the dark vibe, thick beats, and eerie sound. Now this verse is raw. “I don’t go to high school cuz I go to school high" Nobody out of Ridge Crest was as raw as Lil Yo was. If only he was still this way.
The title track, Youngstas On A Come Up, are about how young black males are coming up and earning that cash by committing crimes. People do what is absolutely necessary for them to do in these streets. Throughout the song he commits multiples time flows about crimes all over the city of Memphis, Tennessee. The gist of Youngstas On A Come Up is mainly about teenagers doing crime(s). Lil Yo uses the triplet flows when he raps in the song.
I rate this album 5/5*****!!
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