Mixerr Album Reviews #2,174

Mr. Joshay - Playas Life is a beautiful hidden mellow gangsta rap treasure produced by Texas music genius and producer Ricé. Fans of rap will surely enjoy this album.

Mr. Joshay - Playas Life was an album filled with songs from the vault that have never been heard before which Mr. Joshay recorded from 1996 to 2000. Ricé put the album together with the very first songs that Mr. Joshay ever recorded. Ricé was the one responsible for getting his album released. He was behind the album all along.

Not many people know this but this album was Ricé’s project and not necessarily Mr. Joshay’s. Mr. Joshay did not care too much if his second album was released or not. He says these songs were just songs from the vault. He is glad that the album was released anyway. Mr. Joshay was still developing his sound when he recorded these songs. Nino of PKO helped produce a couple of these songs. He even rapped in a couple of the songs.

The album was produced at Ricé’s Music Box Studios when it was located in his trailer at Westhill Mobile Home & RV Park on Pinn Road in Southwest San Antonio. Ricé’s production style is double bass and double guitars on top of high quality sound. Ricé is known for his smooth production. That is what you can hear all over this album.

Now this album was supposed to be released on BLVD Records (Boulevard Records) in 2000 but wasn’t because BLVD Records got shut down by the IRS for tax evasion.

The album was released on CD in 2006 on Commerce Street Records and re-released in 2016 on the Japan-based label II TIGHT LLC. That label was responsible for releasing Mr. Joshay’s albums. Mr. Joshay represented Commerce Street to the fullest back the 90s and 00s. He was their up and coming artist of the century for that time.

Now this album has been traded for thousands of yen 円 in Japan due to II TIGHT LLC repressing this album twice in 2016.

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.


Funk meets rap on the funky rap song Diggy Down. Ricé and Mr. Joshay make it funky with the sound that is provided. The sound is similar to Mtume. Diggy Down is a song about Mr. Joshay’s neighborhood.

Mr. Joshay is from this hood which people call Diggy Down. Mr. Joshay was coming up funky from the start. He came up funky from the start as his neighborhood was funky. Now he’s got the fever for the flava. His rhymes are deep like a creek.

Mr. Joshay is staying down but keeping his composure. Mr. Joshay is staying down for his neighborhood. He gets around from the underground. He’s got the juice if you’re thirsty. So don’t be dissuaded by anything else that gets negative in life. This is the flava of drink that you are surely gonna enjoy.

Now he’s got the fever for the flava. Nothing can save ya.


Throw Dem Thangz is a song about his Cadillac and fighting.

Mr. Joshay is burning rubber on his loced out Cadillac. That is his gangsta ride. Laying low like a mack. He has the sunroof down so the air blows. He also has the window on the driver side down. Riding off into the sunset is what he does best. Mr. Joshay is in his Cadillac burning rubber through the jungle.

Also don’t be scared to throw dem thangz if you can fight. Don’t scared to throw a couple of blows. You can expect a couple of blows when fighting. So throw dem thangz.

The song has that funk soul sound. Ricé and Mr. Joshay were inspired by the funky soulful sounds of Mtume which is why Throw Dem Thangz samples Mtume - Hip Dip Skippedabeat.


Wicked Crazy World represents the wickedness and craziness that goes on in this world. The theme is almost similar to the song Gang Story. Lyrics to the song represent the insanity of life on the streets. It’s enough to make you lose your mind and worry.

Inside Looking Out takes us through the viewpoints and perspectives of an inmate in jail. The song features Nino of PKO. Sometimes you don’t know what to do when you’re on the inside looking out especially when you’re in jail or prison. That is when things are hard. There’s no more caddy or freedom when you’re in jail or prison.

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

*[This is Mr. Joshay’s second album.]
*[Commerce St. Records is also known as Commerce Street Records.]