CHRONICLED BY PROFESSOR BLACK PACINO
Those who have seen the movie Paid In Full and study street-lore know the true story of Azie Faison, Rich Porter and Alpo Martinez. In the late 80′s, the three cohorts were raking in the dough as Harlem’s most notorious drug kingpins. Their once-powerful empire splintered when Azie was shot seven times in a botched robbery attempt and Alpo was jailed after murdering Porter, a man he once considered a friend.
Azie survived the hail of gunfire and disavowed his life of crime. In 1989, a year before Richard Porter was killed, Azie formed a rap group called MobStyle with his associates Gangster Lou, Pretty Tone Capone and Whip Wop. The word “gangsta” is some made-up, superficial Hip-Hop shit. The members of MobStyle, however, were bona-fide gangsters with heavy street reputations. Check out the cult-classic 1995 HBO documentary Lock Up: The Prisoners of Riker’s Island and you’ll find an unscripted moment with Gangster Lou chillin’ in a holding pen, shouting out MobStyle. In the streets of Harlem, Pretty Tone Capone had even the hardest niggas shook… and with good reason. He was known as a wild muthafucka; this was reflected in the maniacal way he shouted ad-libs and spit rhymes.
Although they were too underground and too damn real to receive their props, they’re basically the first East Coast gangster rap group. Their debut album was named The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and it was released by an indie label called Grove Street Records. MobStyle were very vocal in their dislike for N.W.A., who were extremely popular nation-wide at the time. MobStyle considered them phony long before it was discovered that Ice Cube went to college for architecture and Dre wore make-up and sequins.
Eazy-E threw a jab at MobStyle on N.W.A.’s joint, “Real Niggaz.” (“Back, the good the bad the ugly, see?/A lil’ streetwise nigga you know me/Rollin’ with some real niggaz playing for keeps/but you muthafuckas know who run the streets…”) After all, legend has it that Pretty Tone Capone set it on N.W.A. when they performed at The Apollo theater in Harlem. A tsunami of goons flooded the stage and the boys from Compton fled.
Since Rich Porter was still alive and Alpo was a free man when The Good, The Bad, The Ugly was recorded, their names come up often on the album, in both shout-outs and lyrics. It’s obvious they all dealt with each other. These references hold a lot more weight than Rick Ross mentioning Manuel Noriega or other “gangsta” rappers who name-drop kingpins they’ve never met. MobStyle’s debut album is full of (pardon the pun) dope beats and hard-as-hell, realistic lyrics. Each member had a distinct style and Gangsta Lou, who had a tight flow, played MC Ren to Tone Capone’s Ice Cube (they’d hate that comparison, I’m sure).
With his unruly bark, gold-toothed lisp and blackjack-to-the-skull rhymes, Pretty Tone Capone stood out on The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Tone released an independent single called “Case Dismissed” which was a smash on the streets. In fact, he earned a solo deal from Rick Rubin’s Def American Records (re-named American Records), the same label that released the Geto Boys first major album. He dropped a hot single in 1992 called “Can’t Talk Too Long on the Telephone.” Perhaps because he kept one foot in the fast life and scared the hell out of industry folks, Tone’s rap career did not pan out how it should have. That’s a shame because Mr. Capone had skills and showed a lot of promise. On each record his already-wicked lyrics got progressively better.
Harlem is my second home and back in the day I met Tone Capone on 127th Street & St. Nick through a mutual friend. After hearing so much crazy shit about him, it was a pleasant surprise when Tone shook my hand and was genuinely humbled that I loved his music. We chopped it up for quite a bit on that corner and he was a really cool dude, at least outwardly. The gooned-out hood legends that I’ve met in-person are some of the most reserved and polite folks ever. Guess that’s because they have nothing to prove.
MobStyle would go on to release two more albums without Pretty Tone Capone. Azie dropped a solo album full of cautionary tales as well. But The Good, The Bad, The Ugly will always remain one of the best and most slept upon Rap LPs of all-time.
Below, you will find a few songs from MobStyle’s debut album, as well as Pretty Tone’s “Case Dismissed.” “Big Nigga” captures a mood and was recorded for iced-out hustlers cruising the hood in their BMWs. Also included is Azie’s anti-crack song, “The Pipe.” Keep in mind that the album is rare and these joints were recorded from vinyl, so they sound a bit dusty. If anyone can get me another copy of The God, The Bad, The Ugly let me know. I lost mine and I’ll pay top dollar for it.
In honor of MobStyle, I will now pop a bottle of old-school Moët White Star and salute their Great Moment in both Hip-Hop and Gangster History.
Links of interest:
AZIE & ALPO MARTINEZ INTERVIEW FROM F.E.D.S. MAGAZINE
…dope article fam you really went in on this one!
I appreciate that, homie. I had to do it.
Can’t leave stuff like this to XXL, Allhiphop & the other so-called “Hip-Hop experts.” They’d never get around to it.
Gotta tell U . You find some of the best stuff from the past. Brings back memories from the old days.
Yeah, cuz we came up through that shit & watched it unfold in real time.
Rap is the only music genre & perhaps the only art form period that has ZERO respect for its past. That’s too bad, ‘cuz it’s tough for art forms like that to thrive. I don’t mind playin’ historian, though. I’d rather listen to MobStyle than this soft-ass shit that passes as rap these days.
baby you dont even know how much of this i remember…… damn this is treat for a hip hop historian such as myself…..real hip hop historians lived this era…..
you know i am a sucker for delivery so i loved pretty tone because of his lisp…. wow throwback indeed
Pretty Tone was my favorite MobStyler too. Fierce delivery.
And he was real cool in-person. Like you said before,
“why is it that the goonest and gangsterest niggas i know always are so soft spoken????”
Glad you felt this blast from the past, boo. This one is strictly for the real.
Thanks for doing this post. One of my older cousins is exactly like you. he grew up with this and was in the streets to know about Azie, Rich Porter, and Alpo. He put me on to Azie’s group MobStyle. Being only 19, I would have no clue who these people were. I’ve even been digging crates looking for an old Mobstyle record or tape. My cousin is lucky enough to have and original of Game of Death. but good shit
Thanks, homie. It’s refreshing to see a young dude so enthused about gangster rap history. MobStyle is definitely a vintage group worth checkin out. Their realness only enhances the music. Your cousin can tell you some stories, I’m sure. The movie “Paid In Full” was just a portion of the tale.
Glad you rolled through, Littl3Black. You’re always welcome ’round here.
I’m originally from new york city, and remember when that album dropped and went out an bought the cassette, and played it to death. The lyrics ring true coming from them cause they were living what they were saying. If you still want the album, i converted the tape to mp3 files so i could listen it on my ipod.
Brother Freddie Orange is there any way you can send me a link for the good the bad and the ugly? Ii have been looking for it for years. Patientfirstmail@yahoo.com
HELL YEAH!
Send your contact info to kilo_ki@yahoo.com & I’ll get in touch. Or if you happen to post it up somewhere online, send me a link & I’ll download it.
For the longest, I’ve been looking for that album. I’mma check out Black Star DVD on Lenox in Harlem… they may have it. But if not, I’d appreciate a copy, my dude.
Yeah, my homie bought the vinyl of “Good Bad Ugly” & I made a cassette. Like you, I played the shit outta that tape. Too bad I can’t find it now. My man ain’t even got the vinyl no more. It’s a rare find.
Thanks for visiting The Spizzy, Mr. Orange. Drop by & hang out anytime.
I remember a solo joint tone made back like in 92 called crack the mack…a top 5 anti drug song to me, also 1991′s mobstyle what’s happening brother. Those joints will stand the hands of time.
“Crack the Mack?” I didn’t hear that one. Now I’m gonna have to go & dig for it. Thanks, Mr. Steele. Sharing is caring.
Yeah, these songs… like many from that era… are timeless. Not like the McDonalized, microwavable, just-add-water shit that gets so much burn now. Those joints get stale in 10 minutes, like the bread they serve in jail.
i want to order all the mobstye albums
I would like to purchase the Good,the bad,the ugly cass but having a hard time locating it please if you can help me with were to look for CD or cass
i got the album but on recorded tape tho. they were slept on and i still listen to their album
the pipe & big nigga was my favorite on the album. i don’t think anybody was sampling phil collins back then on their songs, hot
NOW THAT’S “GANSTER SHIT” TO DA FULLEST WANNA GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE REAL BIG NIGAHS FROM DA HEART OF IT ALL MANHATTAN KEEPS ON MAKIN IT AZIE/GANSTER LOU/TONE CAPONE/WHIP WHOP MY MAN FIFTY GRAND 145th st (BOGUARDZ)??????
This is a good piece. I never knew Gangster Lou was part of MobStyle
Yo I still rock this on my walkman, 20 years later got the cassette and will play it til it pops.
I NEED THIS ON COMPACT DISC… I have been looking for this tape since “91″. Me and my cousin use to play this shit to death can somebody send me a link or something so i can get it at patientfirstmail@yahoo.com. My cousin is deceased now but the memories live on… BTW that MF told me “a young nigga at the time” that the tape cost 100 dollars is that true or false…lol
My bad… the good the bad and the ugly is what i need if someone can help me out.
Hottest article ever. I try to tell heads about REAL gangster rap. Keep doing your thing fam you have my full support