On this date in Hip Hop history, Houston’s iconic trio the Geto Boys released their most defining project, We Can’t Be Stopped, through J. Prince’s Rap-A-Lot Records.
The album cover, featuring a raw image of Bushwick Bill being wheeled through a hospital after a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the eye, instantly became one of the most unforgettable visuals in rap history. With the chilling reality of that moment and the undeniable success of their breakout single “Mind Playin’ Tricks On Me” dominating radio, the group’s third studio effort made a thunderous impact on both the culture and the charts.
The 14-track project didn’t just push boundaries. It broke them. Gritty, unfiltered, and emotionally charged, We Can’t Be Stopped redefined Southern rap and set the stage for deeper storytelling in Hip Hop. Less than a year after its release, the album went platinum, solidifying Geto Boys as household names and paving the way for Scarface to drop his solo debut Mr. Scarface Is Back just a few months later.
Rest in peace to the late, great Bushwick Bill and New Jersey-born DJ Ready Red, one of the group’s original architects who departed during the album’s recording. Eternal salute to Scarface and Willie D for crafting one of the most important records in Hip Hop history that still resonates decades later.