Damu Ridas — Damu Ridas

In 1995 gangsta rap is still going strong throughout California, some kids go from the streets to the recording studios managing to sell a million copies by releasing three albums. After the release of the sequel to "Bangin' on Wax" in 1994, Bloods & Crips split up, the Bloods becoming Damu Ridas and the Crips becoming Nationwide Rip Ridaz.

In 1995 Damu Ridas released a new album for the ultra-saturated market of the gangsta rap scene. Production is entrusted to Tweedy Bird Loc, D. Fingaz, Leroy Dukes and Ron Phillips. The performers on this album are Bruce Anthony "B-Brazy" Parrish Jr. (on 10 out of 14 tracks), Bobby "Lil Hawk" Williams (8), Pimp D (6), Ramone "Peanut 2" McKissick (6), Spyder (6) and OG Mad Eye (3). With the notable exception of B-Brazy, who later became one of the Bloods' best-known rappers, all the other guys were part of the supergroup Bloods & Crips, recording songs for the group's two albums.

Lil Laniak 2 and Tip Toe are considered members of the group Damu Ridas even if they are not present in the album: Tip Toe would have a verse in the title track, but the version in which he is present is censored and the rapper is not part of the second version of the song, in which OG Mad Eye is also excluded and the two are replaced by Pimp D and Peanut 2. As well as the Bloods & Crips and Young Soldierz albums released between 1993 and 1994, this release is also published by Dangerous Records and Pump Records, distributed by Warlock. Unlike other efforts, it gets less attention, which is partly due to the low quality of the product. The beats are poor, the rapping is average, there are no cuts that stand out from the others.

At the time of writing all the performers have died violent deaths: B-Brazy is killed in a shooting in 2003, Peanut 2 is killed in a shooting a month after this CD's release, Lil Laniak is not on the record because he is killed in a shooting in 1995, Tip Toe is killed in a shooting, Spyder is killed in a shooting in 2000, OG Mad Eye is killed. After 2000, Lil' Hawk ends up in prison serving 25 years to life due to his alleged involvement in an unsolved murder case.