Mixerr Album Reviews #1,233

This is Michael Mixerr. Today I will review PKO - No Pain, No Gain.

No Pain, No Gain was released on CD & cassette by Youngsta Records outta San Antonio, Texas back in the year of 1996. Midwest Records outta Dallas, Texas was responsible for distribution of this PKO albums and all other Youngsta Records products on CD, cassette, and vinyl. You can tell Midwest Records was responsible for distribution just by looking at their specialized "Parental Advisory" sticker label on the front cover of this PKO album.

There is a notable change in the sound of production for this PKO album.  Listen closely and you will notice a huge change in the production sound. The huge changes are the bass reduction and treble reduction. The production is rather low tech sound than the usual "state of the art" high tech production normally used by DJ Snake and Nino. The bass reduction is what will get PKO fans the most. For instance, there is not as many drums and bass influences in the tracks as there was on the 1994 album by PKO called The Good, The Bad, The Mafia. The change in production is quite noticeable.

Those who contributed to the production were Magic Mark, Nino, K-Ski, K-Sam, Ty (Tyrone Samples), Phil Menchaca, DJ Snake of Nemesis, Pinhead, and DJ DMD. Their is an absence of DJ AK and Ricé as both of them do not contribute to production for this PKO album. Curl Earl was not included on this PKO album as he was incarcerated at the time. (Nor did Curl Earl contribute.) Ricé did not contribute to the production of No Pain, No Gain with his signature production sound & style of drums & bass.

DJ Snake produced a majority of this PKO album as with all their other albums included in their lengthy discography from over the years. His sound is all over this album with his production style of processed beats & drums. His beats are indeed all over this album as he was serving as the sole producer in said time period.

Not only was there a notable change in the production sound for this PKO album here, PKO had a different lineup in members for their 1996 album. Members Junior Boy (Jr. Boy), Ricé, DJ AK, and Curl Earl (Pearl Earl bka Smith Simmons) were not on this album. Kottonmouth and Killa J (now Blo-Fly) were included in the PKO lineup for this PKO album. Kottonmouth was all over this album. Killa J is included on a handful of tracks.


Date W/Death is a Kottonmouth solo cut with Tracie Russell in the background vocals. An element of spooky horrorcore rap meets gangsta rap on Date W/Death. At the beginning of Date W/Death, you can feel an eerie spooky vibe in both sound and production. Nino and DJ Snake have rather remarkable production skills. The processed beats also help give off an eerie vibe.

Kottonmouth educates all in his audience including the listeners that death is inevitable no matter the time or place. As humans we all have a date with death. Death has no preference as death waits for no one. Death is the theme for this track hence the sorrowful mourning theme. Incidentally, Kottonmouth gets educational.


No Pain, No Gain is the title for this PKO album which also serves as the posse cut. No Pain, No Gain is about the struggle (struggles of life). Kottonmouth is all over the posse cut as well. K-Ski contributes 2 verses to the track. K-Ski raps on the third verse. Nino is included on the second verse. Kottonmouth kicks off the first verse. No Pain, No Gain samples Betty Wright - No Pain, No Gain. Soul meets rap here.

K-Ski discusses how living life in a single parent household can be considered a struggle. Her mother works extremely hard at a full time job leaving K-Ski to render care to her siblings. Her family lived with a father. There was not a father figure present in their household. There was no food on the shelf. Her family was living in poverty at the time during her childhood.

Nino details his past life of being a hoodlum. Nino being a hoodlum was a pastime for him. He had no father figure in his life during childhood. Stereotypes did not effect his life or get the best of him.


Blo Blo is the first track out of 10 on this PKO album which is a posse cut. The production style is remarkably different. Listen closely and you notice the volume is rather low, there is a huge bass reduction implemented, beats are slowed down, and there is a slight reduction inside the treble. Production for Blo Blo is low tech rather than the usual high tech production. The bass reduction is what will get PKO fans the most. Beats were produced by DJ Snake. Nino controls most of the track though. Killa J is on Blo Blo.

Real Like Dat is a Killa J/Nino duo. DJ DMD produced the beats for Real Like Dat. Killa J and Nino are all over the track. Listen to the raw beats and you can feel the roughness from the streets on Real Like Dat. Real Like Dat might be too rough, rugged, and raw for some to handle.

Kottonmouth calls out all fakers, posers, wannabes, snitches, and hoes by pulling their hoe cards on Ain't Geez. Ain't Geez is a  Kottonmouth/Killa J duo. Kottonmouth came real back in 1996 by not holding back his true emotions or feelings as he always does. Ain't Geez is gangsta rap at its finest. Ain't Geez is another cut by the one and only by Kottonmouth. Ain't Geez is only for true G's.

Rap meets funk on Youngsta Funk also where G-Rap and G-Funk are combined. Youngsta Funk is a PKO/Youngsta Records posse cut. K-Ski and Tracie Russell are included on this posse cut. DJ Snake and Ty (Tyrone Sample) produced Youngsta Funk. Youngsta Funk included samples from the Gridlocked version of Lady of Rage - Afro Puffs. The samples are what makes the track incredible. Youngsta Funk is a remarkable posse cut.

Where's Tha Luv? is another PKO posse cut. Kottonmouth is on the 1st and 3rd verse. G-Rap at its finest. Tracie Russell is featured on this cut. Can U Relate is a rough and raw solo cut by Kottonmouth. Yes it's another Kottonmouth solo cut. The heavy bass lines sample Brotha Lynch Hung - 24 Deep.


No Pain, No Gain is a long forgotten classic album from the San Antonio Rap scene that has gotten overlooked over the years. Many rap fans slept on this classic album by PKO. Classic cuts included on this album were Where's Tha Luv?, No Pain, No Gain, Ain't Geez, and Youngsta Funk. Half of this PKO album is filled with posse cuts and solo cuts. Half posse cuts and half solo cuts. Posse cuts and solo cuts are what make rap albums great and incredible.

If Magic Mark had not got indicted for murder and Curl Ear not been incarcerated, then Youngsta Records could have pushed this album further with more promotion. More promotion is what this album needed.  Promotional effort for this album was not all that great. The absence of DJ AK, Ricé, and Curl Earl is what set this album back.

1996 was not a good year for gangsta rap or PKO as rap music was facing a shift in change in part to cultural influences by shifting from gangsta rap to pop rap. Rap music was facing a shift in cultural changes and musical style at the time. No Pain, No Gain is Texas Rap at its finest. Not to mention gangsta rap.


*[1996 was the same year 2Pac was murdered at a nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada. His death resulted the change of rap music. Gangsta rap died with 2Pac.]
*[Pinhead is C-Lo from Fort Worth, Texas. Killa J is Blo-Fly from Dallas, Texas. Blo-Fly went by the name Killa J on this PKO album.]
*[No Pain, No Gain was the last release on Youngsta Records minus the PKO Greatest Hits albums.]
*[This album would be marked as the last album DJ Snake would produce for Youngsta Records.]

I rate this album, No Pain, No Gain, 5/5*****!