What's the word folks?! I definitely appreciate the love and feedback I've been getting with theese "label love" sal;utes, and for what it's worth, it's very fun to make. The feedback and occasional debates about what albums belonged, what didn't, which label was the best, and others make this whole thing worthwhile for me. This next post might be a little polarizing. To many purists, No Limit Records was nothing more than a bunch of hustlers turned wanna be rappers that made less than impactful hip-hop, however to others, No Limit was as big of a label and had as much force as any label in the mid to late nineites. With Percy "Master P" Miller at the helm, this label slowly became a lebel that was practically promised to go gold, even with no radio play. It was one of the most successful labels and was an indie label to be reckoned with. With that, let's begin.
15. Snoop Dogg- Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told
After the disappointing sales of his sophomore album on the struggling Deathrow Records, The Doggfather, Snoop was in big need of a change. Both of labels and of atmosphere. In comes Master P, who had reached out to Snoop to be a part of the family, and the result was his No Limit debut (thirs album overrall), Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told. Although not the groundbreaking classic Doggystyle was, it was a slight step up from The Doggfather. With the majority of the production handled by residential beatmakers, Beats By The Pound, this was a slightly different sound for him, but nonetheless it sounded like a more content Snoop. His singles of "Still A G Thang" and "Woof" made decent radio spins and officially proclaimed him as part of the biggest label in the game at that time.
14. Various Artists- I Got The Hook-Up OST
Master P's most commercially successful film also provided a very entertaining soundtrack to accompany it. Performances from the whole No Limit army, along with the likes of heavyweights like Jay-Z, Bone Thugs N Harmony, and Ice Cube, made for some decent cuts like "What The Game Made Me","Ghetto Vet", and the craziness of the late Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mystikal on "Who Rock This". The soundtrack did well commercially as well, pulling in platinum numbers, thus officially showing the No Limit crossover appeal.
13. Snoop Dogg- Tha Last Meal
On what would be his last No Limit album, Big Snoop Dogg went back to the formula that made him a worldwide star to begin with: incredible tracks with flair and hunger over superb G-funk production. much like his prior smash album, No Limit Top Dogg (see later), he gets up with the almighty Doctor on a few tracks, while still managing to show love to the No Limit in-house team, primarily KLC. This was hit after hit on this album, and it reaffirmed that after one or two slight missteps, the Dogg was back in charge.
12. Master P- MP Da Last Don
At this point in '98, Master P is already a worldwide name, and No Limit is simply on top along with Bad Boy and Roc-A-Fella at this time. Everything P touched turned to gold or platinum, and MP Da Last Don was no different. This double album set was filled with classic No limit cuts of partying, exposing scandlaous women, misogyany, street stories, and reminiscing on dead homies and loved ones. Of course, the radio and the club were nuts over the monster posse cut "Hot Boys & Girls", but other cuts like the surprising Bone Thugs-N-Harmony collabo "Til We Dead & Gone" and the Snoop-assisted "Mama Raised Me" hit just as hard. One of the better albums within his discography, this album sold over four million units, thus making it the biggest album of his career, and among the most heralded.
11. Kane & Abel- The 7 Sins
No Limit's only twin act, Kane & Abel, had a cult following within No Limit, and their album, The 7 Sins, was a haunting and occasionally macabre piece of work. While they came into their own on their follow-up album, Am I My Brother's Keeper? (see later), this album showed that they were great storytellers and as evidenced by cuts like "Black Jesus" and "Gangstafied", these guys bled the bloody streets of N'Awlins.
10. Snoop Dogg- No Limit Top Dogg
Ah! The return to the old Snoop. That's exactly what we got with this album. Seeing that he needed to go back to his G-funk roots, he reunited with Dr. Dre, and got up with other heavyweights like DJ Quik and Battlecat to have an album that hit almost as hard as his game-changing debut, Doggystyle. Most known for the anthemic "Down For My Niggaz" with C-Murder and the late Magic and the Dre-crafted, Xzibit assisted "Bitch Please", this album was a fantastic return to the Snoop we knew and the Snoop that was becoming a legend at this time. No shortage of hits here, and this album still stands among his best albums to date.
9. Mia X- Unlady Like
An often overlooked piece of the No Limit tank was the "baddest mama of the click", Mia X. Holding her own alongside the rest of the testosterone within the crew, Mia had to rep the ladies, and that she did with Unlady Like. Deeply personal and very poignant, we get a trip through the mind of a sister, friend, and mother, as she details heartache, hope, and occasional revenge. Nowadays, Mia is fighting another battle with her fight against breast cancer. While we all think about and pray for her recovery, let's not forget just how excellent this album was, and how she proved her worth for the ladies during this time.
8. Kane & Abel- Am I My Brother's Keeper
Capitalizing off the building success of No Limit, plus their own acclaim with their prior album, the aforementioned 7 Sins, Kane & Abel returned with Am I My Brother's Keeper, which sounded more polished and more accessible. Still maintaining the No Limit sound and aura, this album put them more into peoples mouths with the single "Time After Time", but other cuts like the dark "Stress", "Only God Knows", and "Betta Kill Me" all hold their own on the album as well. The album resulted in their first and only gold plaque.
7. Silkk The Shocker- Charge It 2 Da Game
Master P's youngest brother was already known by his work with TRU and his prior solo album, The Shocker. This rapid-fire emcee was on the verge of bubbling over into the same gold and platinum area as his older brother. This became evident on Charge It 2 Da Game. While he got the radio open with the SOS Band-recycled collab with P and even Destiny's Child "Just Be Straight With Me" and the mega crossover hit with Mystikal "It Ain't My Fault", Silkk showed he was more than just Master P's little bro, and was more than capable on holding his own with cuts like the hilarious "Let Me Hit It", the venomous "Who Can I Trust", and the big time posse cut "I'm a Soldier", where he arguably has the standout verse. The album resulted in his first solo platinum plaque and it ended up becoming his best album.
6. Mr. Serv-On- Life Insurance
An unsung hero of the No Limit army was Mr. Serv-On. Considered one of the more slept-on acts of No limit, Serv-On was a pretty dope lyrical talent, and was arguably as raw as anyone in the whole crew in terms of content and imagery with his storytelling. His debut, Life Insurance, is one of the single most gritty and vivid albums to come from the camp. Although he had a slight buzz with his single "My Best Friend", it was the other cuts on this album that really made this album a standout. Cuts like "Die Rich", "Heaven Is So Close", and "Tryin' To Make It Out Da Ghetto" are full of poignant and personal imagery that wasn't fully heard during the rise of the label. A definite must hear.
5. Mystikal- Unpredictable
If there was a better fit for the No Limit camp during their rise, I would like for you to present him to me. Already establishing a following based on his very impressive underground debut, Mind Of Mystikal, Mystikal joined the army and quickly started work on his second album overall, Unpredictable. An immediate hit, the album took Mystikal into platinum territory with the single "Ain't No Limit" as well as anthems like "The Man Right Chea" and "Still Smokin'". If cuts like these weren't enough, you can't escape the deeply personal rage contained within the true life narrative of "Murda 2". Considered a No Limit classic, Mystikal's career was starting to take off based on this album.
4. Various Artists- I'm Bout It OST
Master P's first movie was a straight to VHS (before DVD) movie entitled I'm Bout It, which was subsequently an autobiography of his life in the streets and his efforts to start No Limit. The album was, and still is, considered a hood classic, and the soundtrack was a dead even match. Practically flawless, this was one of the better soundtracks to emerge during this time. Standouts include the chilling Brotha Lynch Hung contribution "Situation On Dirty", the Gambino Family's "Why They Wanna See Me Dead", and especially the personal Steady Mobb'n cut "If I Could Change". More known for the anthemic Young Bleed cut "How You Do That", this soundtrack bumped, and showed the talents of every one featured.
3. Master P- Ice Cream Man
The album that put No Limit on a bigger platform. Steadily growing in buzz and popularity in the South with prior albums, 99 Wayz To Die, The Ghetto's Tryin' To Kill Me, Mama's Bad Boy, and Get Away Clean, this was his first official taste of platinum, primarily based off the title track and the mega smash "Bout It Bout It Pt. 2". The quintessential Master P album, stardom was on the way later, but this was the first glimpse into his star power.
2. TRU- Tru 2 Da Game
The supergroup of Master P, and his brothers Silkk The Shocker and C-Murder, were known as TRU, or The Real Untouchables. Their debut album, True, was regionally a buzzworthy album, but it was their follow-up album that made a ton of noise. One of the most essential No Limit albums within the entire No Limit discography, Tru 2 Da Game was draped in what they were made of: vivid rhymes and occasionally sadistic imagery. A mixture of everything gangsta (drugs, misogyny, and violence), this was a staple for a all No Limit albums during this particular time. A double album will little to no filler, just straight classic No limit, this album made it to double platinum units, and No Limit had officially reached the suburbs.
1. Master P- Ghetto D
The staple of No Limit. The album that officially made them worldwide stars. Following up the platinum success of Ice Cream Man and the double platinum success of his group album with TRU, Master P dropped an album that didn't shy away from what brought him to the dance. With Ghetto D, the signature No Limit sound was fully in play, and with that, Master P became a crossover pop star, while not abandoning his roots. Enough to sell another two million, there were wall to wall hits here. Everything from the O'Jays-sampled "I Miss My Homies", the delightful "Bourbons & Lacs", and the all-time No Limit anthem "Make 'Em Say Ughh!" to the spoofs of "Captain Kirk" made this album the most well-rounded and most known No Limit album of them all.
Honorable Mentions
TRU-True
Various Artists- Down South Hustlas Vol. 1
Mystikal- Ghetto Fabulous
C-Murder- Life Or Death
Fiend- There's One In Every Family
Steady Mobb'n- Pre-Meditated Drama
Mac- Shell Shocked
Prime Suspects- Guilty Til Proven Innocent
Silkk The Shocker- Made Man
Skull Druggery- These Wicked Streets
TRU- Da Crime Family
Master P- 99 Wayz To Die
As you can see, No Limit was indeed an army to itself, but they managed to acquire a legion of followers throughout the way. While there was no album that would be considered a genre changer, there were plenty of albums that served as a new layer for southern hip-hop, and they forever set their legacy as one of the most talked about labels in the game during the late nineties. Salute to No Limit Records.
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