Scarface, at 55, opens up about the complex and often painful history of the Geto Boys, revealing internal conflicts, mental health struggles, and the impact of industry pressures. From their formation in Houston to iconic albums and controversies, the group's story is one of brotherhood strained by business, personal trauma, and tragedy, culminating in the death of Bushwick Bill and the fractured legacy they left behind.
The Geto Boys, a pioneering rap group from Houston, Texas, are known for their raw, horrorcore style and influential music. However, behind the scenes, their story is far more complex and darker than their music suggested. At 55, Scarface, one of the group's key members, has finally opened up about the internal struggles, personal tragedies, and industry pressures that shaped the group.
The story begins in 1986 with James Prince, founder of Rap-a-Lot Records, who envisioned a Southern rap group that could command national attention. The original lineup included Raheem, the Sire Jukebox, and Sir Rap-a-Lot (Prince's brother). Despite Prince's dedication, their debut album Making Trouble (1988) failed commercially and critically.
Prince responded by changing the lineup, keeping only Richard Shaw, aka Little Billy, who became Bushwick Bill. He recruited Willie D, a solo artist with a boxing background, and Scarface (Brad Jordan), a younger artist from South Acres. This new lineup was initially meant to be temporary but became one of the most influential in rap history.
In 1989, the group released Grip It on That Other Level, which was a stark contrast to their debut. Scarface's dark, paranoid lyricism, Willie D's aggression, and Bushwick Bill's unique delivery made the album a success, selling over 500,000 copies independently. The album was later retroactively awarded five mics by The Source magazine.
Rick Rubin signed the group to Def American in 1990, but Geffen Records refused to distribute the album due to its graphic content. Rubin then took it to Warner Brothers, where the self-titled Geto Boys album was released. The group became embroiled in censorship battles, aligning themselves with 2 Live Crew in a fight for First Amendment rights.
On June 19, 1991, Bushwick Bill, under the influence of alcohol and PCP, attempted to end his life by involving his girlfriend in a shooting. He was shot in the eye, a bullet lodged in his brain, and was declared dead at the scene before miraculously reviving in the morgue.
Less than a month later, the group released We Can't Be Stopped with a now-iconic album cover showing Bill in a hospital gurney. The album went platinum and featured "Mind Playing Tricks on Me," a song that became their highest-charting single and a hip-hop classic. The song was inspired by Scarface's own struggles with severe depression and paranoia.
Despite their success, tensions grew within the group, largely due to disputes with Rap-a-Lot Records over royalties and contracts. Willie D left in 1992, replaced by Big Mike, and the group's dynamic shifted, with Scarface taking a more dominant role.
Bushwick Bill's solo career flourished, but the group's cohesion weakened. When Willie D returned in 1996 for The Resurrection, the members often recorded separately, and the chemistry was more manufactured than genuine.
In 1998, Bill left over contractual disputes and later sued Rap-a-Lot, claiming mistreatment. The group became more of a business arrangement than a brotherhood.
The group's final album, The Foundation (2005), charted well but marked the end of their active collaboration. Willie D's 2009 arrest and prison sentence further strained relationships. A 2015 Kickstarter campaign for a final album failed, with members blaming each other publicly.
In 2019, Bushwick Bill was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. Scarface and Willie D organized a reunion tour to support him, but Bill pulled out, accusing his bandmates of exploiting his illness. He passed away on June 9, 2019, at 52.
Willie D did not attend Bill's funeral, openly stating their mutual dislike and long-standing conflicts. Scarface has carried the emotional weight of the group's history, including his own battles with depression and serious health issues, which were alleviated by a kidney transplant from his son in 2021.
The true secret behind the Geto Boys is that they were never a unified group in the way fans imagined. They were three men bound and divided by a record label that profited from their tension. The death of Bushwick Bill marked the end of any possibility of true brotherhood, buried under decades of contracts, controversies, and silence.
The Geto Boys' legacy is one of groundbreaking music shadowed by personal pain and fractured relationships, a story that Scarface has now courageously shared with the world.
