(From Grip It! On That Other Level, Rap-A-Lot, 1989) So rather than attempting to document every album he’s ever been associated with, this guide seeks to highlight some of the best music from Scarface’s various phases: his proto-horrocore gangsta rap as part of the Geto Boys, his gothic southern funk with N.O Joe and Mike Dean, his outreaches to New York and LA with alongside those regions’ stars, and his late-period triumphs at Def Jam. With a career stretching into its fourth decade and a label that hasn’t shied away from releasing outtakes in search of a quick buck, Scarface’s discography is far from user friendly. He’s also an extremely underrated musician with a longstanding love of classic rock, and he’s co-produced a shocking number of hit records – though you’ll rarely hear him brag about it. His music is universally respected, and you’ll find Scarface fans everywhere from the hood to Hollywood thanks to his ability to juxtapose street rap specifics with universal truths: love, sadness, betrayal, paranoia, and above all, death. He put Houston on the map years before Southern hip-hop became a mainstream concern, linking up with North Houston’s Rap-A-Lot records in an era when the fashion, drugs and gangs cleaved his city in half. Whether solo or as part of legendary gangsta rap act Geto Boys, Scarface has written everything from macabre shock rap to political missives, from Top 10 chart hits to deep cuts about depression, from West Coast funk to East Coast boom bap. So it’s to Brad Jordan’s credit that he’s not only carved out his own identity under the alias but is now the first person rap fans think of when you mention the name. You can’t just move weight, commit violence or command attention – you’ve got to live up to the impossibly high standards set by Al Capone and Tony Montana, gangsters genuine and fictional that have captured the popular imagination for decades.
The name Scarface comes loaded with expectation.
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