Album Notes

The Bay Area has boasted such pimps, players, and hustlers such as Too Short, E-40, MC Hammer, and Digital Underground. These artists have shaped the nation’s cultural landscape over the years, influencing styles and attitudes. The Bay has trademarked a more jovial and playful vibe, but is by no means less intense than New York or Los Angeles. Bubbling beneath the surface are gifted lyricists and seasoned storytellers who champion the Bay Area underground. One of the most noteworthy and well loved is Ruthless By Law, better known amongst their fans following as RBL Posse, Black “C” and Mr. Cee.

Black “C” met Mr. Cee in 1991 through a mutual friend who knew Mr. Cee could rap and was trying to get put on as a solo artist. Black “C” at the time was mainly the beat maker and only rapped when the artists would not show up at the studio to lay vocals on the new tracks he’d create. Black “C” recalls first meeting his partner “ He came to my studio for the first time and we clicked right then, instant chemistry, he stayed at my studio for two weeks working on some solo stuff but his voice wasn’t strong enough to carry a whole album by his self and I also was working on some songs but couldn’t finish the songs so we decided to collaborate on a few songs and that right there started RBL, I had the voice and muscle he had the stage presence and lyrics”.

The 1992 debut (A Lesson To Be Learned) from Black “C” and the late Mr. Cee gained them fans far beyond their turf Harbor Road (housing projects in San Francisco’s Hunter’s Point district) with the hit “Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed” a song that would help pioneer hip-hop’s hemp explosion selling well over 300,000 units with no major distribution. In 1994 they came back even harder and hungry with their self-titled album (Ruthless By Law) that contained hits such as “Bounce To This” and “Bluebird” it to sold over 300,000 units as well. In 1996 Mr. Cee was murdered on the very block where the two first met-the same block Black “C” defended with his life for so many years, even losing an eye to the cause. That inspired the 1997 release on Bigbeat/Atlantic records titled (An Eye For An Eye) that contained the hit “How We Comin” that featured Mystikal and Big Lurch and sold over 200,000 units. RBL laid low after the fallout with Atlantic records and came back in 2000 with a collection of collaborations and remixes titled (Bootlegs & Bay Shit!) an out the trunk release that sold over 20,000 units and counting.

Then in 2001, RBL came back wit a vengeance hitting us with the fifth album (Hostile Takeover) that introduced The RightWay Malitia the next generation offspring of RBL with the hit “The Vapors”. Formerly a “soldier” from the Harbor Road Block, Black “C” is now a full-time rapper, producer and label owner, working on a host of projects including his new release "The City Of Gods",and also a Documentary based on RBL Posse.