Mixerr Album Reviews #2,316

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, Skip Wayne, Sir Knox, 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. Rice produced the songs Only Gangsta and Run But Can`t Hide. Mike B produced 2 songs and Skip Wayne (then known as 17 Freeze) produced 3 songs.

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 or selling well as that album had a limited run of 3,000 units. That’s why this album is so hard to find anywhere. 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. Down and Dirty Click already had buzz going as they were getting radio play due to a radio single called Only Gangsta which was the same name as the working title for their album. Down and Dirty Click already had a buzz in San Antonio as a group.

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. Once Down and Dirty Click were done recording at the studio, an unknown local group were booked for a studio session afterwards.

One night the other rap group robbed and killed the engineer in death by stabbing. The engineer was stabbed to death by one of the group members. That local rap group stole a bunch a bunch of material including 9 songs for the Down and Dirty Click - Only Gangsta album. That album was not finished at that time as only 9 songs were recorded. These 9 songs were put onto a handful of ADAT tapes. Members of that other rap group got caught by police for the murder of the engineer.

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 for at least a year.

A capital murder case was filed against Down and Dirty Click for the murder of time engineer sometime in October 1998. However Down and Dirty Click was found innocent in a year after in 1999. Their DAT tapes being held as evidence is what prevented their album from being released. That was 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. Ricé was only involved with mastering a small portion of their songs. Skip Wayne and Mike B were the ones mixed the rest of their songs. A total of 11 songs were used on the finished version and retail edition of the album. The album was eventually released in 1999. That is why the album was only pressed up in a limited run and did not sell very well. Their DAT tapes being held as evidence is what hampered the success of their album.

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.


Here are the reasons why Ricé was not as hands on with this Commerce Street Records album as he was with their other albums and why he produced a couple of songs for Down and Dirty Click.

Ricé was working at the studio during that time while being an in-house producer for BLVD Records, Youngsta Records, and Commerce Street Records. He was producing a couple of songs for Down and Dirty Click at that time.

However Ricé only produced a couple of songs for Down and Dirty Click. This is because he thought when the engineer got killed by the other rap group, he started thinking it could happen to him. So he basically quit doing music production in 1999. The murder incident caused Ricé to retire from music. That is the reason why Ricé was not hands on with this Commerce Street Records album. Although he continued doing production for Commerce Street Records, Lil Sin, PKO, and other San Antonio artists again in 2000 until retiring in 2006.

Plus he was producing for other artists at the time such as Nino, Lil Sin, PFK, Dyce, Mr. Marlin, Southern Kumphert, S.M.P., King 13, Ant Loc, PFG, and Deant-G. So he could be as hands on producing this album.



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. Only Gangsta was the buzz single. The song was recorded in 1997 and used on the Runnin’ Blind compilation. Only Gangsta was produced by Ricé. Ricé was the one who played the funky guitar. Stephanie Pint Gispson is the female who is singing.

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.

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.

It’s hard to shake off the stress in your brain. It is hard living in these streets of despair. Scrubs and haters know nothing about coming up in the game of life. Players be tripping off the same old thing by talking about what they did. Then they are suddenly on the run. It really don’t make no sense. Is it over a trick or robbery that players be tripping off the same old thing. It’s really a shame that buster and haters don’t know the game. The game is life or death in these streets. Dealing with misery, pain, and death. Those are the ugly sides of the grime realities of street life.


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 when it was located at Pinn Road in Southwest San Antonio. Ricé had his hands on this one here. However he was producing for other artists at the time.

Not many people know this but the song Run But Can`t Hide is one of their more rarer songs that people outside of San Antonio don’t know much about.


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, and Lady Pimp. 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.


*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.

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