Description
Straight Up Watts, the debut studio album by Los Angeles-based rap group O.F.T.B. (Operation From The Bottom), was released on November 20, 1992, by Big Beat Records. The album showcases the group’s Gangsta rap style and offers a raw, unfiltered look at life in the streets of Watts, California.
The album opens with “Criminal At Large,” setting the stage for a collection of tracks that delve deep into the realities of life in the projects. Songs like “Watt’s Life” and “The Land I Roam” paint a vivid picture of the environment that shaped the group’s music. “Slangin’ Dope” tackles the issue of drug dealing, while “I Ain’t From Compton” distinguishes O.F.T.B.’s identity from the more well-known Compton scene.
Tracks such as “From Jackin’ To Rappin'” and “On In The Projects” further emphasize the group’s gritty, unapologetic style. “Ride Dat Monkey” and “Poverty Sticken” explore the challenges of life in poverty, and “Don’t F–k Wit My Bizness” serves as a stern warning to those who might cross the group.
The album also features the thought-provoking “Blacks Divided By Tracks,” addressing racial divisions in society, and “Not For The Pop Charts,” a defiant statement of O.F.T.B.’s commitment to authenticity. The album closes with the group’s eponymous track, “OFTB,” solidifying their presence in the world of Gangsta rap.
Straight Up Watts is a raw, unfiltered look at the lives of those who call Watts home. With powerful lyrics and hard-hitting beats, O.F.T.B. made a strong statement with their debut album, and it remains a must-listen for fans of West Coast Hip Hop.
