Mixerr Album Reviews #2,172

The Runnin’ Blind compilation was a tight compilation which featured rap artists from all over San Antonio, Texas. The album had also featured gangs from different sets and sides of the rag. Each song is pure fire from front to back with no tracks worth skipping.

Ricé and Sean Tompkins produced one tight ass compilation album. The album was produced at Ricé’s Music Box Studios back when it was located in his trailer at Westhill Mobile Home & RV Park on Pinn Road in Southwest San Antonio. Ricé produced over half the album. That is why you can hear his sound all over the album.

Sean Tompkins served as the executive producer for the whole album and pulled songs that others performed and featured on from other albums. Sean Tompkins was responsible for releasing the album on his own label which was Commerce St. Records. That label was responsible for releasing Mr. Joshay’s albums.

The Runnin’ Blind compilation was released on Commerce St. Records in 1997 on CD and cassette format. There was no vinyl release. The Runnin’ Blind compilation was mainly sold at Commerce Street Records when the storefront was located inside of the old Windsor Park Mall in San Antonio, Texas. The Runnin’ Blind compilation was also released and distributed through Southwest Wholesale. More than 10,000 units of Runnin’ Blind were pressed. That is the reason you can easily find this album on Amazon, eBay, GEMM, Yahoo Auctions, etc.

Not too many people know this but Commerce St. Records was located inside of the old Windsor Park Mall in San Antonio, Texas. The address for Commerce St. Records was 7900 North IH-35, Suite L-5, San Antonio, TX 78218.


King 13 began the compilation with a piano laced opener called Naked Soul. The piano is what keeps the mood mellow sort of in a strange way. The feeling is both mellow and intense.

The song takes us through the views of a gangsta. King 13 laces the mic with such fiery and aggression in his lyrics. This is not surprising since this is gangsta rap. Every song King 13 raps on is fire! That is a fact. His presence is huge for this song.


Now Lil Paul was all over the title track Runnin’ Blind more than Lil Sin despite Lil Sin being featured on the song. This is more of a Lil Paul song. Lil Paul is part of ETG (East Terrace Gang) along with Scoot and Lil Short who were featured on other songs on this compilation. Runnin’ blind with two 9’s is that ish.

The song has a dark eerie vibe with chilling whistles and bells. You can feel a Wild West vibe and sound due to the whistles you hear in the background as you listen to the song. Volume of the shakers have been reduced significantly. Ricé does a wonderful job with arranging the bells and whistles as always.

Runnin’ blind with two 9’s are the words which give this song Wild West mentality, sound, and vibe. Runnin’ blind with two 9’s is that ish.


You and Your Nine was put on the Runnin’ Blind compilation by Sean Tompkins because the album was short on tracks. That was all Sean’s idea. He put You and Your Nine on the Runnin Blind compilation first before later including the album on Mr. Joshay’s 21 Crunk St album in 1998. Label mates Dirty Red and King 13 make an appearance. Mr. Joshay represented Commerce Street to the fullest.

Sean Tompkins co-produced You and Your Nine and Ricé did the instrumentation arrangements. The song has a smooth but brooding sound of uncertainty. Things get kind of eerie due to the tone and sound. Still this song is regarded as old school San Antonio hip hop/rap at its finest.

King 13 the freestyle king graces the track first.

You bastards always talk about murderous shit. Gotta get your gat and your click because ya’ll can’t squabble it. Those same people are the same ones who go to the pen and end up being the first ones to get raped. Sucking dick and getting fucked like a bitch. Ain’t made to run on these streets. You grab your heat from under the drivers seat of your vehicle because your boxing game is weak. That ass gets beat and teeth are split. All this to avoid grief.

Bitch made to the core. Doing driveby shootings are easier than fighting. People who are cowards do driveby shootings because they can’t fight. We all gotta die in due time. Be true to yourself.

King 13 is strong in the rap game as he is the freestyle king of San Antonio rap/hip hop. He is flipping the flow with niggas that ain’t gonna last. King 13 was known for flipping flows in his rap back in the 90s.

Dirty Red raps on the second verse.

Dirty Red dedicates his hate to pussy packing niggaz bumping they gums about some beef shit. That could have been done a long time ago. Boxing ain’t the thang for them to do. They are bitch made to the core as King 13 said. Grabbing a fully automatic weapon is part of retaliating and causing static. Such mannerism is considered cold blooded to the bone.

Bumping Al Green and watching Al Capone. The name ain’t nothing but the skin tone. Dirty Red takes people on going head first. It hurts to see a player ball. These haters are looking for the next player to gank.

Mr. Joshay raps at the very end of this song.

Come fly with this young black villain. Look into his eyes and you’ll spot the killers at night. Young villains who stacking they scrilla. Young villains blast any motherfucker on sight. Like that. These niggaz don’t be playing in Texas.

Mr. Joshay tells people not to hesitate to shoot at him if they plan on doing so. Don’t waste his time if you ain’t finna pull the trigger. The song is aimed at the weak and fake people. Those type of people are quick to grab their guns instead of actually fight. They don’t last long as they are not made to run on these streets. You might as well shoot yourself.


SCG - 3 Shotz is suspense filled gangsta rap track that is filled with street drama. The sound effects are perfect as they fit in appropriately with the mood and vibe. SCG is part of Lil Sin’s SoufField click and Santee’s PRC label.

SCG is trapped in the game. He is pulling that strap and is not holding back, loc. He don’t give a fuck about the laws. Fuck them haters. Haters tried to kill him. SCG represents the SCG Click from the South Side of San Antonio. He has ties with the East Side though.

Fuck them haters. Haters tried to kill him. He caught someone slipping. Another murder and another homicide is in progress. He don’t a fuck about another person’s death. That .9 millimeter shows no love as he pulls the hammer back. The sets doesn’t have any love for fakers. Better watch out.

Now 3 Shotz was recorded a studio on Nolan Street which was a bail bonds office and not at Ricé’s Music Box Studios. Jason Collins was supposed to be on SCG, Sir Knox, Lady Pimp, and Pimp C. However Jason Collins locked up. So the engineer and producer had to scrap the verse he laid. Lady Pimp got Jason’s verse and spot instead. SCG and Sir Knox did most of the rapping anyway.


Lil Short of ETG (East Terrace Gang) takes control of the song Short Rida as he explains the hustles and struggles of his life. Every day is a struggle when you are a hustler like Lil Short. The song was dedicated to those a part of the East Terrace Gang. Ricé produced the song.

Guess who’s back? The nigga who pulled a jack and did a year and a half in jail. That would be Lil Short of ETG. He has to get his. He’s jacking for keeps. It’s an everyday struggle for him. That is why he hustles and is a hustler. He goes from hitting them jack to selling them packs. They are Bout It, Bout It in the city of SA like Master P. San Antonio is city where you have to hustle. Lil Short won’t settle for less until people tell him he is the best. Lil Short is a straight rida coming from the East Side neighborhood of East Terrace.

Lil Short is putting it down like he’s supposed to. A straight 27 soulja blowing on that doja. People stare at the return of the straight rida. A shop on East Commerce Street is where he shoots at police. He won’t stop until player haters drop. He is looking for ice. He is a ghetto star you can see at the clubs. There ain’t no love in this dirty game. Looking out for rivals, enemies, and law enforcement is something a hustler must deal with.

Lil Short was a victim of the ghetto as he was raised in the East Terrace housing projects. He had to become a rida at the age of 3. He had to become a rida to keep his family fed and taken care of. He had to compete with others in these wicked streets. That is not easy at all. He thanks God for not being dead yet because he grew up fast.

Tomorrow is not promised. What little time he has is borrowed and compromised. Lil Short will ride for ETG until he dies. He will kill if he has to.

    
No Matter What is about how the music business and life in general has changed. Use your brain and the game will be good to you. The game will be good to you if you let it. The song has one of the coldest beats ever heard and is layered with heavy double bass guitars. The drum programming is superb.

Now what’s interesting about the song No Matter What with Lil Sin and Nino of P.K.O. is that Lil Sin used lyrics from his song The Game Done Changed from his 1998 album Who Got Yo Back. Notice these lyrics? “But it’s hard to see who’s out to cross you in your path/I done ran with thug niggaz, drug dealers, and lots of killaz on the block/My eyes are on you fuck niggaz?”

Lil Sin has the world in the palm of his hands. But it’s hard to see who’s out to cross you in your path. He’s ran with thug niggaz, drug dealers, and lots of killaz on the block. He had to change the crowd of people he associated himself with. His eyes are on these fuck niggaz who are trying to kill him for the people he associates himself with. One easy spot on the block is where Lil Sin is slanging.

Lil Sin is having things that younger G’s are hating him for. They are simply jealous of the material possessions he has. He’s changed his ways because fancy things have gotten to him. It’s gotten to the point where shady people have been watching. In order to maintain you have to use your fucking brain. Shady people will get to your money if you let them take it. Use your brain and the game will be good to you. Game will be good to you if you let it.

Nino will put his steel chrome up against your dome. You’re gonna feel the wrath from the blast. Watch your ass! SA fools are putting it down. Smoking pounds of weed on the East Side of SA-Town. Nino will fuck around and pull your card. Nino has the water and Lil Sin has them kilos. Nino is that fool others love to hate.


Sweet-P put a gangsta rap spin on the Rose Royce classic Love Don’t Live Here Anymore and turned that into You Can't Slang Here. You Can't Slang Here is about how Sweet-P will murder outside dealers and hustlers who attempt to control the drug trade on his street. Endo, Big Tiny, and Ricé produced the song. LAMM on Burnet! What ya’ll know about that?

If you’re not from this hood or from this street, you can’t slang here anymore. You can’t sell your dope here anymore. You can’t sell your drugs here anymore. If you’re not from street, you can’t hang here anymore.

These fools try to come into Sweet-P’s hood and short stop (short change) the drug trade in his neighborhood. If they keep on doing that then they will surely get murdered. Sweet-P won’t let that happen. He could understand if these hunters and dealers were paying rent to one of his dope houses. But they haven’t paid him any money.

Sweet-P is that player slanging dope on Burnet Road in Lockwood Park. He controls Burnet Street. He don’t give a damn about these haters. Task Force won’t get away with his cash because he won’t let that happen either.


Lil Paul, Scoot, and Lil Short of ETG (East Terrace Gang) made one killer classic with the song Five For Twenty. Five For Twenty was the hood anthem for East Terrace back then. Now Ricé produced some killer infectious bells and grooves on Five For Twenty. That is a fact. Lil Short of ETG shows haters no pity with his rap lyrics.

I rate this album 5/5*****!!