Top 15 Geto Boys Songs
Although gangsta rap’s controversial themes didn’t hinder its mainstream success in the ’90s, the Geto Boys faced challenges in gaining widespread exposure due to the extreme nature of their content. Their 1990 major-label debut encountered significant pushback from Geffen, who refused to distribute the album, citing a track that delved into necrophilia and murder as crossing a line. To bypass this obstacle, Rap-A-Lot Records, the group’s label, collaborated with producer Rick Rubin, who secured an alternative distributor and released the album under his Def American label.
This controversy, which predated similar censorship battles faced by artists like Ice-T and 2 Live Crew by two years, ultimately brought the Geto Boys substantial attention. Their subsequent album, We Can’t Be Stopped, went platinum, but by 1993, tensions within the trio—comprising Scarface, Willie D., and Bushwick Bill—began to surface. After each member pursued solo projects in the mid-’90s, the Geto Boys came back together in 1996 to produce one of their most acclaimed works, The Resurrection.
For this list, we’ve chosen our top 15 Geto Boys tracks. Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
15. City Under Siege (1990)
“Now let’s go back to the past / The motherf*cker who needs to be tried is Ronald Reagan’s a*s / Appointed Bush to the C.I.A / That sh** was cold / Put Noriega on the payroll / All of a sudden sh** changed / Right after ’88 (Yeah, yeah, yeah) / Hm – ain’t that strange? / Some think I’m goin too far / But if you wanna go to war, I take you to war…”
This track, featured on The Geto Boys’ remix album, showcases Rick Rubin’s production skills. The 1990 album offers revamped versions of songs originally found on Grip It! On That Other Level (1989), along with a reimagined version of “Assassins” from their 1988 debut Making Trouble.
The Geto Boys also introduced two new tracks: “Fuck Em” and “City Under Siege.” In “City Under Siege,” the Geto Boys connect the dots between street-level drug trade and government corruption, while also confronting police brutality. A powerful track.
14. We Can’t Be Stopped (1991)
“Let’s talk about a scandal / The album Geffen found too hot to handle / F*cked up the minds of you and yours / The last LP from the Geto Boys / Can you believe those hypocrites / Would distribute Guns n Roses but not our sh** / And they say we’re a racist act / Ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black…”
The opening track of the Geto Boys’ third album hits hard right from the start. The song addresses their fallout with Geffen Records, which dropped them after the uproar caused by their previous album Grip It! On That Other Level. The Geto Boys make it clear, however, that they won’t be silenced.
13. Straight Gangstaism (1993)
“Seven years old, I’m lookin up to the gangstas in the hood / Cause to me and my cousins, yeah, they represented good / Even when we played cops and robbers on the block / Nobody wanted to play the cop, dig it…”
While the 1993 album Till Death Do Us Part lacked the intense energy that Willie D brought to the Geto Boys, Big Mike stepped in as a solid replacement. On this track, Big Mike teams up with his Convicts partner 3-2 to create a smooth, laid-back Southern track that perfectly captures the region’s signature sound.
12. Do It Like A G.O. (1989)
“I’m back like a rebel ‘making trouble’ / I’m an Assassin, kickin a*s on the double / No motherf*cker alive’s gonna stop me / So f*ck you and your godd*mn posse…”
Released shortly after Straight Outta Compton, the Geto Boys’ second album Grip It! On That Other Level matched N.W.A.’s groundbreaking work in both controversy and quality, though it never achieved the same level of acclaim.
Grip It! On That Other Level featured top-notch production, primarily from DJ Ready Red, and provocative lyrical content. By this time, the Geto Boys had solidified their status as one of the most notorious and influential Hip Hop groups of their era.
The album’s sole single, “Do It Like A G.O.”, remains a powerful and enduring favorite among fans.
11. Crooked Officer (1993)
“Mr. Officer, crooked officer / I wanna put your a*s in a coffin, sir / Cause you done f*cked with n****s like myself for too long / It’s time to grab my motherf*cking nine and get it on…
The Geto Boys addressed police brutality with a more extreme stance than N.W.A. did in “Fuck Tha Police.” This track can be seen as a forerunner to Ice-T’s notorious “Cop Killer,” with Big Mike’s provocative chorus clearly expressing the group’s views on how to respond to racial profiling and police violence against young black men.
The video’s introduction clarifies that the focus is on corrupt officers rather than law enforcement as a whole—highlighting their disdain for “killer cops” rather than endorsing violence against all police.
10. Yes Yes Y’all (2005)
“I’m the original, the author of this G-sh** / You n****s pitiful, cause y’all be on some weak sh** / Me I’m a n**** from the gutter motherf*cker / If rap wasn’t payin I’d hit the street cause I’m a hustler…”
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