Down and Dirty Click - Only Gangsta is an album that has a mixture of gangsta rap and gumbo funk. Think gangster funk of the 90s. All 11 songs were mastered by Ricé and Mike B out of Houston, Texas. However Ricé only did a couple of songs as there were other producers involved with the production for this album.
Down and Dirty Click - Only Gangsta was an album that was released on San Antonio, Texas label Commerce Street Records in 1999 on CD format. Sean Tompkins was the man responsible for releasing the album on his label. The album wasn’t doing very good as that album had a limited run of 3,000 units. Limited distribution and legal drama is what hampered this album from reaching full potential.
Now the graphic design and artwork was done by Pen N Pixel. Sean did all his covers through the services of Pen N Pixel back then. The record wasn’t finished at the time. The artwork was done before their album was finished. Sean designed covers for the whole year at one time. So he would have 5 covers for inserts even before any of the albums were recorded.
What is interesting about the DDC album is the story behind this album.
Down and Dirty Click was a rap group from Wheatley Courts in San Antonio, Texas interested in recording 2 rap albums for the Commerce Street Records label. They chose to get signed to Commerce Street Records.
Recording process for the Down and Dirty Click - Only Gangsta album lasted 2 years from 1996-1998. The studio Sean Tompkins was using for the recording the Down and Dirty Click - Only Gangsta album was a hole in the wall place. The owner and engineer had also booked some sessions with another local rap group during that time.
One night they robbed and killed the engineer. The form of the engineer’s death was a death by stabbing. That local rap group stole a bunch a bunch of material including 9 songs for the Down and Dirty Click - Only Gangsta album. The album was not finished at that time as only 9 songs were recorded. Members of that other rap group got caught by police for the murder of the engineer.
Down and Dirty Click had a radio single which had the same name as the working title for their album and a buzz in San Antonio as a group.
Now the album was supposed to be released by Commerce Street Records in August 1998. However that did not happen because San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) held the DAT tapes for their album as evidence in a capital murder case of the engineer. The masters from Ricé’s studio were also were held as evidence.
Their DAT tapes being held as evidence is what prevented their album from being released for at least a year until 1999 when SAPD returned the DATs over to Sean Tompkins and Ricé after the case was over.
After the case was over, Sean had someone mix and digitally master their album after getting the DATs back. Ricé was involved with mastering a small portion of their songs. Skip Wayne and Mike B were the ones mixed the rest of their songs.
However Ricé only produced a couple of songs. This is because he thought when the engineer got killed, he started thinking it could happen to him. So he basically quit doing music production in 1999. Although he continued doing production for Commerce Street Records, Lil Sin, PKO, and other San Antonio artists again in 2000 until retiring in 2003. That is the reason why Ricé was not hands on with this Commerce Street Records album.
Down and Dirty Click had a radio single and a buzz as a group in San Antonio. Their DAT tapes being held as evidence is what hampered the success of their album. The album was eventually released in 1999. However the album was only pressed up in a limited run and did not sell very well.
All three members split up in 1999 and Sean Tompkins has not heard from them since. No second album was ever recorded. Now all 3 members are serving life sentences in prison for their crimes they have committed outside of recording songs.
Only Gangsta was the underground single that gave Down and Dirty Click a buzz in San Antonio, Texas. In fact, Sean Tompkins helped Only Gangsta get some radio play. Him promoting this song is what gave Down and Dirty Click a buzz in San Antonio. The song was recorded in 1997 and used on the Runnin’ Blind compilation.
Only Gangsta was produced by Ricé and 17 Freeze aka Skip Wayne played the funky guitar. Pint Gispson is the female who is singing.
Only Gangsta tells us that we aren’t the only people caught up in this life of crime. We aren’t the only ones trying to have fun under the sun. Tomorrow is not promised. What little time we have is borrowed and compromised.
The DAT tape for Only Gangsta was used as evidence in a capital murder case. San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) held the single DAT tape as evidence for a year until they returned the DAT tapes for the album to Sean Tompkins and Ricé.
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.
Run But Can`t Hide is one of the two songs Ricé produced for the DDC album. This song was recorded and produced in 1997 at Music Box Studios.
I rate this album 5/5*****!
*Down and Dirty Click is also known as Down Dirty Click, Down and Dirty Clique, and Down Dirty Clique.
*All 3 members split up in 1999.
*All 3 members are currently serving life sentences in prison.
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