Happy Birthday, Bushwick Bill!

Today, Dec.8 is the birthday of Houston rapper and Geto Boys member Bushwick Bill, who now turns 52. Though he was born in Jamaica, Richard Stephen Shaw, better known as Bushwick Bill, grew up in the South and joined the already formed group the Geto Boys in 1986.

When original members Sir Rap-A-Lot and Raheem left the group, remaining original, The Sire Jukebox, added DJ Ready Red, Prince Johnny C and Bushwick Bill, who at the time, was a back-up dancer going by the name of Little Bill.

The Geto Boys dropped their debut album Making Trouble in 1988 and at that point in time, they were known for their horror-core style of lyrics, rapping about shocking subjects like misogyny, gore and necrophilia. After that, the Houston rap crew switched out members once again to include Scarface and Willie D along with Bill and DJ Ready Red.

Though their debut wasn't a huge success, the reworked Geto Boys released their next album Grip It! On That Other Level in 1989, which fared much better, peaking at No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. Despite that album's performance, it wasn't until the 90s when the group went down to a trio that they dropped the platinum-selling We Can't Be Stopped and 'Till Death Do Us Part. That's when the Geto Boys became one of rap's most dangerous groups.

The famous cover art of We Can't Be Stopped depicts Bushwick Bill being wheeled through the hospital the night he ended up being shot in the eye in 1991.

Aside from the Geto Boys, Bushwick Bill has dropped six solo albums, the most successful of which was his solo debut, Little Big Man, in 1992. A few years back, it was reported that the Geto Boys would be reuniting and touring within the near future.

Happy Birthday, Bushwick Bill!

See 60 Hip-Hop Albums Turning 20 in 2018