Houston's Fifth Ward gave hip-hop one of its darkest, most paranoid anthems through the Geto Boys.
Mind Playing Tricks on Me (Screwed)
Geto Boys
MOODS · dark · paranoid · gritty · intense · confrontational · streetwise · unsettling · raw
The Geto Boys formed in Houston in 1987 under Rap-A-Lot Records founder James Prince, evolving through several lineups before settling on the classic trio of Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill. They became one of the first hip-hop groups from the South to achieve national popularity, pioneering the gangsta rap style by chronicling the real and fictional struggles of marginalized urban life.
Their 1991 album We Can't Be Stopped went platinum on the strength of "Mind Playing Tricks on Me," a paranoid, fear-laced track that reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains their highest-charting single. Rolling Stone later ranked it the fifth greatest hip-hop song of all time, while Pitchfork praised it for proving Texas rappers could do dark better than either coast. The group's unflinching storytelling and Southern perspective helped open doors for future hip-hop acts from the region.
Played 3 times on WOKE-1.