Steve 'Flash' Juon“The motherfuckin’ Posse y’all niggaz scared of, hoe!!!”
You won’t even get past the intro of “Body Parts” without the Prophet Posse “Talkin’ Shit” by their own admission. This was a 1998 spinoff of the already successful Three 6 Mafia, with the admitted goal of expanding the group’s brand by giving more of their family and friends the limelight. The entire album is produced by DJ Paul and Juicy J, so it certainly sounds and feels like a Mafia record in all but name. Long time Three 6 fans would already have this record and if they didn’t they’d certainly recognize the majority of rappers on it — Project Pat, Crunchy Black, K-Rock (RIP), Lord Infamous (RIP), Koopsta Knicca (RIP) and Gangsta Boo (RIP) to name a few. Honestly I had to stop for a moment when I thought about just how many members of this project are no longer with us.
The title “Body Parts” should also clue in the unfamiliar as to what’s going on here. The Mafia had dabbled successfully in occult, horrorcore and dark themes in their music. The group even called themselves “Triple Six Mafia” at the start, and perhaps realizing that name might get them more attention than they wanted from the Bible Belt, they softened the name a bit for marketing reasons. Personally I never found it offensive. All that matters to me is the music. Do the beats thump? Do the artists have charisma? Are the lyrics dope? We can answer yes to at least two of those questions.
Songs like “Smoked Out, Loced Out” are peak examples of the Prophet Posse formula. With an eerie whistling synth background, drums so crispy they could have come from “St. Anger,” and an endless variety of different emcees contributing a verse, Boo’s rebuke telling listeners “don’t player hate, congratulate” feels apt. This is the kind of over-the-top gothic rap that gained the Mafia their fanbase. The more people decried their imagery, the more their popularity grew. It’s a variation of the same formula that propelled 2 Live Crew to mainstream success. Trying to ban or censor music is only going to make it even more desirable, and both the Mafia and their Posse dared people to try.
“Drinkin’ n Thinkin'” is another highlight, featuring Indo G and K-Rock tag teaming a surprisingly hypnotic instrumental with rapid fire bars, while Lord Infamous provides the hook to tie it all together. It sounds like Chicago’s own Do Or Die for all the right reasons and for me it’s a can’t miss track on this CD. “Bitches On My Jock” might seem like an overly misogynistic song, but having Gangsta Boo appear on it provides the necessary counterpoint, playing men just as much as they are trying to play women. It might not be a healthy way to conduct relations but at least it’s equal opportunity exploitation. The track provides a Memphis style G-funk that makes it all go down smoothly.
I did say there were three questions to answer earlier in this review, and this is where I have to honestly note the chief deficits of “Body Parts” to you. 20 tracks are spread out over close to one hour of music, and frankly that’s a little too much the formula to enjoy. While the inclusion of Flint, Michigan’s own Dayton Family in this Memphis based compilation was a surprise, “Bout the South” feels like a weird unnecessary crossover attempt that doesn’t click. I would prefer not to speak too harshly of the deceased, but even while alive I wasn’t afraid to say rappers like Lord Infamous had a limited appeal based largely on their Mafia affiliation. There was a glass ceiling both musically and lyrically they couldn’t break through.
There’s a reason Juicy J and DJ Paul became the best known artists out of the whole extended family. Neither are sterling emcees but what they lacked verbally they more than made up for with charisma and production — DEFINITELY production. The two try to shepherd the Prophet Posse across the finish line with those skills, and to some degree they achieved their goals. This album has its fans and may even be a cult classic to some. For me it swings too wildly between the highs and lows to truly become an all-time great. At the least there are some worthwhile moments that still make it worth a listen.