No rap group (save, perhaps, N.W.A) has stirred more controversy or provoked more heated debate than the 2 Live Crew. The furor over the graphic sexual content of their X-rated party rhymes -- specifically their 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be -- was a major catalyst in making rap music a flash point for controversy and an easily visible... [+] Read More

No rap group (save, perhaps, N.W.A) has stirred more controversy or provoked more heated debate than the 2 Live Crew. The furor over the graphic sexual content of their X-rated party rhymes -- specifically their 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be -- was a major catalyst in making rap music a flash point for controversy and an easily visible target for self-appointed moral guardians. The fierce attacks on the group's First Amendment rights put many of their defenders in an awkward position -- passionately supporting their freedom of speech on the one hand, but often finding little artistic merit in their music. And they were indeed crude and coarse, and frequently misogynistic by most standards; even if they fit squarely into a tradition of raunchy, sexually explicit black comedy (Redd Foxx, Rudy Ray Moore, Blowfly, etc.), many critics and intellectuals found their view of sex repellently juvenile, even ugly (and if they found it funny, it was hard to say so publicly). Despite (or, more likely, because of) that fact, the 2 Live Crew were fairly popular even before all the uproar and benefited greatly at first from all the publicity, although later on the novelty perhaps wore off due to overexposure. Regardless of whether one enjoys their sense of humor, to focus only on the controversy ignores the 2 Live Crew's musical contributions. They were responsible for popularizing the booming, hard-driving sound of Miami bass music, and they were the founding fathers of a populist, dance-oriented rap subgenre that relied on simple, explicit chants and up-tempo rump-shaking grooves, appropriately dubbed "booty rap."

Despite their inextricable link to Miami, the 2 Live Crew actually started out in California, with a membership of Fresh Kid Ice (born Chris Wong Won in Trinidad), DJ Mr. Mixx (born David Hobbs), and Amazing V. The trio released their debut single, "Revelation," in 1985 and its popularity in Florida led the group -- sans Amazing V -- to move to Miami, and after second single "What I Like," they were joined by Brother Marquis (born Mark Ross). They scored a record deal with local impresario Luke Skyywalker (born Luther Campbell in Miami), who initially served as their manager, and then joined the group as a performer and bandleader. With Campbell came a big part of the group's on-record taste for sleaze, and accordingly their 1986 debut album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, featured songs like "We Want Some Pussy" and "Throw the D" (as in dick). It became a word-of-mouth success, eventually going gold. Even at this early stage, obscenity was an issue; in 1987, a Florida record store clerk was acquitted of felony charges after selling the album to a 14-year-old girl. Campbell hit upon the idea of selling "clean" and "dirty" versions of the group's albums so that younger fans would have a less explicit alternative. 1987's Move Somethin' was the first album released in this format, and it became an even bigger underground hit than its predecessor thanks to notorious cuts like "One and One," an X-rated retelling of the Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night" (which established the Crew's penchant for blatantly copped samples). In 1988, a record store in Alabama was fined for selling a copy of Move Somethin' to an undercover cop (a conviction later overturned on appeal), setting the stage for the Crew's home state to declare war.

As Nasty as They Wanna Be was released in 1989 and became the group's biggest hit yet; the single "Me So Horny" even climbed into the Top 40 despite virtually nonexistent airplay. Word spread even farther about the group's unadulterated raunchiness, attracting the attention of the ultraconservative watchdog group the American Family Association, who weren't satisfied with the album's parental advisory warning sticker. AFA supporter Jack Thompson, a lawyer and religious activist, convinced Florida governor Bob Martinez to open an inquiry into whether As Nasty as They Wanna Be violated Florida obscenity laws. The state prosecutor determined that action had to be taken on the local, not state, level, and thus in early 1990 Broward County sheriff Nick Navarro obtained a copy of the album and secured a ruling from County Circuit Court Judge Mel Grossman that there was probable cause that the album was legally obscene. Navarro warned record stores around the county that selling the album might subject them to prosecution, and the 2 Live Crew filed suit alleging that Navarro had unconstitutionally overstepped his bounds. In June, District Court Judge Jose Gonzalez ruled that As Nasty as They Wanna Be was legally obscene, and therefore illegal to sell. Record retailer Charles Freeman was arrested two days later for selling the album to an undercover cop, and the three rapping members of the 2 Live Crew were arrested on obscenity charges for performing material from the record in a local club. They were acquitted a few months afterward, thanks in part to expert testimony from Duke professor Henry Louis Gates, and Freeman's conviction was later overturned on appeal.

Meanwhile, As Nasty as They Wanna Be had become the forbidden fruit of choice for teenage boys across the country, selling over two million copies. Several other incidents were reported around the country involving record store owners being arrested for selling the album. The publicity also attracted the attention of George Lucas, who successfully sued Campbell for trademark infringement over his stage and label name, Luke Skyywalker; he subsequently shortened both to Luke. Capitalizing on the media frenzy, Campbell struck a distribution deal with Atlantic and put together a semipolitical album called Banned in the U.S.A., after securing rights for the title track from Bruce Springsteen; it was billed to Luke Featuring 2 Live Crew. It sold like hotcakes on first release, and the title single became the group's second Top 40 hit. In 1991, the group released the first full-length live rap album ever, Live in Concert, as well as the official follow-up to As Nasty as They Wanna Be, Sports Weekend. They sold disappointingly, especially considering the group's recent notoriety, and proved to be the last albums they would record together as a quartet. To compound matters, Luke Records was successfully sued for 1,600,000 million dollars in royalties by MC Shy D.

In 1992, the Court of Appeals in Atlanta overturned Jose Gonzalez's ruling that As Nasty as They Wanna Be was legally obscene. At issue was Gonzalez's refusal to heed expert testimony (he'd pronounced himself fit to judge community standards of decency, since he'd lived in the community for 30 years), as well as the fact that the burden of proof of obscenity should have rested with Sheriff Navarro, who submitted nothing besides a copy of the album as evidence. The appeals court's decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the 2 Live Crew were drifting apart. Luke and Fresh Kid Ice both released solo albums (I Got Shit on My Mind and The Chinaman, respectively), and original Crew members Ice and Mr. Mixx teamed up as the Rock on Crew for Deal With This. Luke continued his solo career over the rest of the '90s.

In 1994, Luke, Fresh Kid Ice, and new rapper Verb (born Larry Dobson) regrouped as the New 2 Live Crew, issuing the album Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4. The same year, the group found itself back in court yet again, this time over a lawsuit by the publishers of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman." They charged 2 Live Crew with plagiarism for recording a parody of the song on As Clean as They Wanna Be, alleging that the reinterpretation tarnished the image of the original. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that parody constituted fair use and found in favor of the group. The New 2 Live Crew didn't last long as Luke chose to concentrate on his solo career. In 1995, Luke Records filed for bankruptcy, as Campbell was beset by creditors and expenses; both he and the remaining 2 Live Crew wound up on Lil' Joe, a label founded by his ex-business partner Joe Weinberger. In 1996, Fresh Kid Ice, Brother Marquis, and Mr. Mixx re-formed the 2 Live Crew without Campbell and released Shake a Lil' Somethin'. Brother Marquis departed afterward, and down to the two original California members, the 2 Live Crew issued The Real One in 1998. Luke, meanwhile, continued to record steadily, as well as releasing several compilation albums showcasing new South Florida talent. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

An anomaly within the generally misogynist late-'90s Dirty South rap scene, Gangsta Boo won substantial acclaim among audiences without sacrificing her pride. As a member of Memphis, TN, hardcore rap group Three 6 Mafia, she had held her own; it wasn't until her debut album, though, that she really started garnering an unprecedented amount of... [+] Read More

An anomaly within the generally misogynist late-'90s Dirty South rap scene, Gangsta Boo won substantial acclaim among audiences without sacrificing her pride. As a member of Memphis, TN, hardcore rap group Three 6 Mafia, she had held her own; it wasn't until her debut album, though, that she really started garnering an unprecedented amount of attention. Under the wings of Three 6 Mafia leaders Juicy "J" and DJ Paul's production, Enquiring Minds found Gangsta Boo confronting the lyrical issues that hardcore female rappers such as Lil' Kim have to address: sexual politics, money hungry stereotypes, proving that a female can be hardcore, and so on. Then after the success of this album, she played an important role in the success of Three 6 Mafia's When the Smoke Clears in 2000. She has also appeared as a member of Tear da Club Up Thugs and Hypnotize Camp Posse. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide [-] Hide

One of the few successful rap groups from the South in the early '90s, Poison Clan played an important role in the development of the Dirty South movement that would arise late in the decade. The group began as a 2 Live Crew-sponsored group on Luke Records and came to an end when the group's driving force, JT Money, went on to a more successful... [+] Read More

One of the few successful rap groups from the South in the early '90s, Poison Clan played an important role in the development of the Dirty South movement that would arise late in the decade. The group began as a 2 Live Crew-sponsored group on Luke Records and came to an end when the group's driving force, JT Money, went on to a more successful solo career after a business-related dispute with Luke. In retrospect, though Poison Clan struggled to gain notoriety outside of Miami in the '90s, the group's style of sleazy, club-orientated, bass-driven rap provided the template for the late-'90s Dirty South movement.

Originally, Poison Clan was a duo featuring Debonaire and J.T. Money as featured on 2 Low Life Muthas (1990). The two Miami rappers had impressed Luke enough for him to sign them to his then-fledging label, Luke Records, and have Mr. Mixx, 2 Live Crew's DJ, produce the album. 2 Low Life Muthas became a modest sensation in the South with its blend of dirty rap, gangsta rap, and Miami bass. It was Poison Clan's second album, Poisonous Mentality (1992), and its big hit, "Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya," that expanded the group's reach outside of the South. Furthermore, Poisonous Mentality found J.T. Money taking over as Poison Clan's driving force -- though Poison Clan paraded itself as a collective, it was actually more of a solo project.

Successive albums -- Ruff Town Behavior (1993) and Strait Zooism (1995) -- had moderate success, but none had songs that were as popular with national audiences as "Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya." By this point in the mid-'90s, 2 Live Crew and, in particular, Luke, had fallen off the map, resulting in tensions between Luke and J.T. Money, allegedly over unpaid royalties -- as the story so often goes. And it wasn't a surprise, then, when J.T. Money parted ways with Luke and embarked on a solo career that got off to a great start in 1999 with "Who Dat." That same year, Luke released The Best of J.T. Money & Poison Clan, which collected the best moments from Poison Clan's five-year run. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Although the 2 Live Crew's debut album, 2 Live Is What We Are, went gold and sold more than 500,000 copies in the U.S., the LP wasn't without its detractors. Some New York hip-hoppers argued that Luther Campbell and his associates were pandering to the lowest common denominator, and everyone from church groups to feminists argued that their... [+] Read More

Although the 2 Live Crew's debut album, 2 Live Is What We Are, went gold and sold more than 500,000 copies in the U.S., the LP wasn't without its detractors. Some New York hip-hoppers argued that Luther Campbell and his associates were pandering to the lowest common denominator, and everyone from church groups to feminists argued that their X-rated booty rhymes were nothing more than pornography with a beat. But the Crew's fans didn't care what their critics had to say, which is why their second album, Move Somthin', was also a big seller. Anyone who found 2 Live Is What We Are offensive was unlikely to be converted by Move Somthin'; booty rhymes like "HBC," "One and One" (an X-rated interpretation of the Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night") and "S&M" are as crude and sexually explicit as anything on the group's previous album. "S&M," as its title indicates, is an ode to kinky sex. The 2 Live Crew was hardly the first group to address the subject of bondage and sado-masochism -- back in 1967, the Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs" was among the kinkier rock songs of its day. Some of the Ohio Players' pre-Mercury album covers employed S&M/bondage imagery, and the 1980s heavy metal band Bitch had a female lead vocalist who loved to sing about the pleasures of being a whip-toting dominatrix. But kinky sex hasn't been a prominent subject in hip-hop, and "S&M" is unusually kinky for rap. Of course, the Crew didn't need to rap about whips and chains to offend people; even without "S&M," this LP would have been X-rated. Move Somthin' was trashed by the Crew's critics, but those who aren't offended by X-rated humor will find it to be a thoroughly entertaining sophomore effort. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

After hitting the brick wall of Ruff Town Behavior, J.T. Money severed his ties with Luther Campbell, citing shady business practices and promotional neglect. So he took his anything-but-PC Poison Clan over to Warlock and released Strait Zooism in 1995. J.T. had yet to leave Miami completely behind (that would come a few years later), as he... [+] Read More

After hitting the brick wall of Ruff Town Behavior, J.T. Money severed his ties with Luther Campbell, citing shady business practices and promotional neglect. So he took his anything-but-PC Poison Clan over to Warlock and released Strait Zooism in 1995. J.T. had yet to leave Miami completely behind (that would come a few years later), as he continued to work with producer Mike "Fresh" McCray. However, the production on this album is downright crisp-sounding when compared to earlier Poison Clan albums, and on most of the tracks, J.T. delivers his lyrics in an uncharacteristically gruff, raspy manner (if anything, it could've been a record from the West Coast -- right on down to the Funkadelic swipe in "Something About Them Bitches"). At times, he sounds as if he's more concerned with breaking from his past than anything else, but this really isn't a problem if you keep his previous records out of the context. J.T.'s new but temporary situation seems to have fostered an album with more life to it than its mediocre predecessor, but it still seems like just another Poison Clan record. Thankfully, J.T. would revitalize himself after heading to Atlanta and going solo in name. [A clean version was released, with all obscenities removed from the original recording.] ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The first proper Three 6 Mafia solo album, Gangsta Boo's Enquiring Minds quickly elevated her to celebrity status among Three 6 Mafia's cult audience, and also garnered her substantial respect from both her broader set of fans and from the Southern rap scene as well. In all honesty, it's a fairly standard affair for producers Juicy J and DJ... [+] Read More

The first proper Three 6 Mafia solo album, Gangsta Boo's Enquiring Minds quickly elevated her to celebrity status among Three 6 Mafia's cult audience, and also garnered her substantial respect from both her broader set of fans and from the Southern rap scene as well. In all honesty, it's a fairly standard affair for producers Juicy J and DJ Paul, who had their duties down to assembly line efficiency at this point in late 1998, churning out multiple records a year. Yet the fact that Gangsta Boo is a female MC in a genre that tends to hold a rather misogynist stance against women and also tends to be overly lacking in female MCs is indeed notable. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A year after N.W.A. and Too Short significantly raised the bar for sexually explicit rap in 1988 with Straight Outta Compton and Born to Mack, respectively, the 2 Live Crew go one step further, to outright pornography, with As Nasty as They Wanna Be. The Miami foursome are certainly no strangers to sexually explicit rap, as they'd already... [+] Read More

A year after N.W.A. and Too Short significantly raised the bar for sexually explicit rap in 1988 with Straight Outta Compton and Born to Mack, respectively, the 2 Live Crew go one step further, to outright pornography, with As Nasty as They Wanna Be. The Miami foursome are certainly no strangers to sexually explicit rap, as they'd already released a pair of albums, 2 Live Crew Is What We Are (1986) and Move Somethin' (1987), with their fair share of dirty rhymes, particularly on songs like "Throw the 'D'," "Move Somethin'," and "Do Wah Ditty Ditty." The 2 Live Crew had been more humorous than literal then, though, whereas here on As Nasty as They Wanna Be they are precisely that -- not so much humorous as nasty. You furthermore have to wonder who the group are referencing as "they." You'd presume Luke and company are referencing nasty women in general, though it's just as likely they're thinking of their fans, who had grown proportionately to the degree of evident nastiness. It's perhaps not coincidental, then, that for their third album the 2 Live Crew offer their most evidently nasty one to date, where the majority of the 18 songs are directly about recreational sex and the minority are about partying, rather than the other way around, as on their previous albums. The album opener, "Me So Horny," perhaps summarizes the album's mood best, in title as much as in substance, and other songs like "D.K. Almighty" (aka "Dick Almighty"), "C'Mon Babe" ("...f*ck me!"), and "If You Believe in Having Sex" ("...say hell yeah!") need little introduction. Elsewhere, the few non-directly sexual songs like "Fraternity Record," "Mega Mixx III," and "Coolin'" highlight Mr. Mixx, the group's impressive DJ, but are nonetheless pushed to the end of the 18-song album and understandably less immediate. It'd be easy to brush aside As Nasty as They Wanna Be as commonplace exploitation (or pornography, depending on your attitude) if only it wasn't so masterfully conceived. Like them or not, the 2 Live Crew have pieced together a brilliant album that's as rich in sophomoric merriment, animalistic voyeurism, and sampledelic soundscapes as in good old-fashioned perversity. A million and one teenage boys (and perhaps a few lighthearted adults) will gawk at Luke's "Seven Bizzos" and giggle at his "Dirty Nursery Rhymes" for years to come, and while the novelty of hearing porno rhymes over "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" samples may perhaps diminish with time, there's still something very special about As Nasty as They Wanna Be that goes far beyond guilty pleasure. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide [-] Hide