RegalMag.com publisher Todd A. Smith (left) poses with Rap-a-Lot Records founder J. Prince (right) at a book signing at The Church Without Walls in Houston in 2018 (Photo courtesy of Regal Media Group).
When James Prince, also known as J. Prince, launched Rap-a-Lot Records in Houston in 1986, he needed to have enormous vision and faith because no one in the city had done what he set out to do.
He started the label to keep his brother Thelton (Sir Rap-a-Lot) and other Houston youngsters off the streets.
But what he ultimately did was kick in the door for not just H-Town, but the entire Dirty South rap scene.
While the label gets a lot of love for the Geto Boys’ breakthrough single “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” in 1991, the label had no shortage of iconic singles thanks to talent like Devin the Dude, Bun B, Pimp C, Z-Ro and Scarface.
Forty years after the label’s first single, “Car Freak” by the Ghetto Boys, the legacy of the Rap-a-Lot army is still just as strong as it was during the 1990s and early 2000s.
To celebrate four decades of excellence, RegalMag.com ranks the top singles released on Rap-a-Lot Records.
- “This is For The Convicts” by Convicts—While Geto Boys’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” received major nationwide radio play in 1991, “This is For The Convicts” received major radio play in Houston, which made the group just as iconic to young hip-hop heads in the city. The song introduced fans to the dope lyrics of Big Mike and Lord 3-2. And who can forget that catchy opening about sitting in the Harris County jail?
- “Nolia Clap” by UTP—Cash Money Records and Rap-a-Lot Records had a family-like relationship back in the day. When Jas Prince discovered Drake, J. Prince advised his son to link up with Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money to give him the platform that a talent like that needed to reach pop success. And when Juvenile started UTP Records, he teamed up with Rap-a-Lot to release one of the most iconic Down South rap records of all time, “Nolia Clap.” You could not be in a club in Houston back then and not hear that record and see people clapping to the track.
- “Havin Thangs” by Big Mike featuring Pimp C—The beat. Pimp’s iconic hook. Big Mike’s lyricism and swag. How could they lose? They did not. Young rap fans might not know how much Big Mike was respected in hip-hop circles in the 1990s. Suge Knight wanted him and Lord 3-2 for Death Row Records. J. Prince wanted him for the Geto Boys when Willie D departed. And the critics wanted his music as much as they wanted music from Nas, Redman and The Notorious B.I.G., as the New Orleans-born rapper was nominated for the Source Awards Lyricist of the Year in the same year as the aforementioned East Coast legends.
- “I’m Throwed” by Bun B featuring Pimp C, Young Jeezy, Z-Ro and Jay Z—When J. Prince heard “Something Good” by UGK on the Houston radio in 1992, he drove to Port Arthur, Texas with the quickness to sign the trill emcees. Although they had already signed to BigTyme Recordz/Jive Records, J developed a real friendship with those brothers. Therefore, when UGK members Bun B and Pimp C wanted to release solo albums, they joined forces with Rap-a-Lot. One of the hottest songs on Bun’s “Trill” album featured some of the most charismatic and iconic rappers ever and became a fan favorite long before the song was released as a single.
- “Clean Up Man”—by Willie D featuring Jhiame—Willie D of the Geto Boys had a solid solo career. But he had a certified banger with “Clean Up Man” in 1992, a year after leaving the Geto Boys. With a Betty Wright sample, Willie D built on his “Gangsta of Love” persona to let the ladies know that he would do whatever their man was not capable of doing for them. A year after the Geto Boys set the nation on fire with their breakthrough single, Willie D capitalized on his nationwide fame to add another hit to his solo catalog.
- “Playa Playa” by Big Mike—Big Mike proved he was up to the challenge of replacing Willie D in the Geto Boys on the group’s 1992 album, “Till Death Do Us Part.” Two years later, he showed he was just as much of a player as the man he replaced in Rap-a-Lot’s flagship group. Big Mike was so cold that he got more gifts from someone else’s girl than her actual man got from her.
- “Smile” by Scarface and 2Pac—Scarface and 2Pac had a close friendship. That is not surprising because both were very deep, intelligent and lyrically talented. It only made sense for them to collaborate in the studio. In the song that dropped after 2Pac’s death, he gave some of the biggest jewels of his career. In the song, he told people that if they believed, then they could achieve, just look at him. No matter how rough times may get, just smile and keep pushing because it gets greater later.
- “Po Pimp” by Do or Die featuring Twista and Johnny P.—When this joint hit the Houston radio and listeners learned that Do or Die was signed to Rap-a-Lot Records, many thought Houston had another iconic group to brag about. Although Houstonians still bragged because Do or Die was signed to the home team, the boys represented Chicago, and their breakout hit featured one of the coldest emcees to come out of the “Windy City” in Twista. Willie D and Big Mike had spit game before. But no one from Rap-a-Lot had ever spit game like the game spit on “Po Pimp.” The song was also inspirational for wannabe players who did not have much money.
- “Mo City Don” by Z-Ro—“Mo City Don” is not the biggest song to come from the Rap-a-Lot army. But it is the song that gets Houstonians the most lit. To think that Z-Ro created one of the most iconic Houston rap songs from a freestyle makes it that much more remarkable. But the song has fans far from the “Bayou City.” A video recently surfaced of LeBron James getting “crunk” off the song as it played at the Toyota Center during a game between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
- “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” by Geto Boys—The Geto Boys and Rap-a-Lot Records turned a corner with the “Grip It On That Other Level” album in 1989. But the boys who represented Houston’s Fifth Ward did not launch into outer space until 1991 with “Mind Playing Tricks On Me.” Seemingly, every youngster in the country knew the lyrics to all four verses. And if a Houstonian traveled out of town, people from other places expected them to know every lyric, or their Houston credibility was immediately questioned.
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