Life of a Kid in the Ghetto

Life of a Kid in the Ghetto
Studio album by Ed O.G & Da Bulldogs
Released	March 5, 1991
Recorded	April 1990 - February 1991
Studio	Power Play Studios (Long Island, New York City)
Genre	Hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Golden age hip hop, Conscious hip hop
Length	44:22
Label	PWL America / Mercury / PolyGram Records
Producer	Joe Mansfield, Special K, Teddy Ted

Ed O.G & Da Bulldogs chronology
Next	Roxbury 02119 (1993)

Life of a Kid in the Ghetto is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Ed O.G & Da Bulldogs, released in March 5, 1991 by PWL America Records, Mercury Records and PolyGram. Recording sessions took place at Power Play Studios in Long Island City, New York from April 1990 to February 1991. It features guest appearances by Ace & Quan, Pure Blend & Def Jef.

The album debuted at #166 on the Billboard 200 and #21 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Life of a Kid in the Ghetto released the three singles: "Bug-A-Boo" (which peaked at #25 on the Hot Rap Songs), "I Got to Have It" (which peaked at #83 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #1 on the Hot Rap Songs) and "Be a Father to Your Child" (which peaked at #58 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #5 on the Hot Rap Songs chart).

Track listing

All songs produced by Joe Mansfield, Special K and Teddy Ted. All songs written by E. Anderson, except for "Speak Upon It", which is written by E. Anderson, Ace & Quan and J. Fortson.

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Time
1.	"I'm Different"	Ed O.G	4:15
2.	"Speak Upon It"	Ed O.G, Ace & Quan, Def Jef	5:00
3.	"Feel Like a Nut"	Ed O.G	3:29
4.	"I Got to Have It"	Ed O.G	3:24
5.	"She Said It Was Great"	Ed O.G	3:45
6.	"Dedicated to the Right Wingers"	Ed O.G	3:25
7.	"Gotta Have Money (If You Ain't Got Money, You Ain't Got Jack)"	Ed O.G	4:08
8.	"Let Me Tickle Your Fancy"	Ed O.G, Pure Blend	3:38
9.	"Be a Father to Your Child"	Ed O.G	3:42
10.	"Stop (Think for a Moment)"	Ed O.G	2:59
11.	"Bug-A-Boo"	Ed O.G	3:13
12.	"Life of a Kid in the Ghetto"	Ed O.G	3:24

Notes

• Track 8 features keys performed by Horace Fly.

Samples

I'm Different

• "Ain't No Half Steppin'" by Big Daddy Kane
• "The Bridge" by MC Shan
• "There It Is" by James Brown
• "Think" by James Brown
• "Nothing But the Best" by The S.O.S. Band

Speak Upon It

• "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by Isaac Hayes
• "Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers

Feel Like a Nut

• "Uptown" by The Chambers Brothers
• "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" by Bob James
• "Storm King" by Bob James

I Got to Have It

• "Singing a Song for My Mother" by Hamilton Bohannon
• "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I'll Get It Myself)" by James Brown

She Said It Was Great

• "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" by Bob James
• "Haboglabotribin'" by Bernard Wright
• "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
• "The Moment I Feared" by Slick Rick

Dedicated to the Right Wingers

• "Dr. Funkenstein" by Parliament
• "Papa Was Too" by Joe Tex
• "Sands of Time" by The S.O.S. Band

Gotta Have Money (If You Ain't Got Money, You Ain't Got Jack)

• "Trying to Make a Fool of Me" by The Delfonics
• "Vapors" by Biz Markie

Let Me Tickle Your Fancy

• "Your Love" by James Brown
• "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground

Be a Father to Your Child

• "Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers
• "Searching" by Roy Ayers Ubiquity

Stop (Think For a Moment)

• "Swept for You Baby" by The Sylvers
• "Hydra" by Grover Washington, Jr.
• "Manifest" by Gang Starr

Bug-A-Boo

• "Don't Let Love Get You Down" by Archie Bell & the Drells

Life of a Kid in the Ghetto

• "Knucklehead" by Grover Washington, Jr.
• "The Big Payback" by EPMD

Credits

• Mixed by: Teddy Tedd (track 2-4, 6, 8-12, Dee Jay Doc (track 1, 5, 7).
• Engineer: Ivan "Doc" Rodriquez.
• Engineer (assistant): Everett "Bizz-e" Ramos, Peter L. Jorge.
• Styling: Orrin Manning, James Taylor Dream Hair Studio.
• Photography & Art Direction: Glen E. Friedman.
• Mastered by: Tom Coyne.

Album liner notes

ED O.G THANKS: God (Allah) for blessing me with the talent, 'cause without him, none of this would be possible. Thanks to my mother for putting up with all my shit. To all my family, I love you all. To my father, rest in peace. To Special K. & Teddy Tedd for hooking me up. Special Thanks to the Bulldogs, who are T-Nyne, Smooth Ice Gee, DJ Cruz, Black, Bulletproof Brett, Slim Dog, Shawn Booker, Lorenzo, Bruzer, Mo Tyrone, Money 1, Muff K. Diamond, Dream Nefra, et.c., and my man Joe with the funky-ass beats. Thanks to Cambridge, Mass. and J.L. Harley.

Peace to the Source, Go Go Dave, JJ the Sultan, Kenny Mac, Gurky, Kethey E the Guru, DJ Premier of Gang Starr, all my n*!#%s around the way, Stop the Violence, and thanks to Magnus and Leon Wilson. I would also like to thank Def Jef, Soul Brothers, DJ Eric Vaughan, Ace & Quan, "The collegreen flemina," peace to Ivan "Doc" Rodriquez, Everett, Scott, Power Play, Two Kings & a Cypher, Horace Fly, Fish, Pure Blend, Roxbury and all the Boston groups, R.S.O., Gang Starr Posse, Disco P., Shawn Pete, Choice, TDS Mob, Big Chuck, Tough Rhythm Dance Troop, Eddie the Hip Hop Dance, DJ Nestle Quick, R. Jam, New Edition, BBD, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, New Kids on the Block, Perfect Gentlemen, the Superiors, Harold Mad Mixx (WILD), Rusty Jamison, Big Woe, WRBB. Last but not least, all my homegirls, Larell, Adrien, Julie, Stephanie, Jackie, Stacy, Nikki, Bre, Tomorrow, Allsha, Peaches, Tangra, MyMy, Lorna, Miriam and everybody on Tremont Avenue. RIP Hector, Lee, Tom, and Tiffany. No thanks John Gerri, Curl Johnson and his partner Larry Curls, Jay Ellis. A choo choo train and his son, George Carente, Steve Barry and to all the suckers who wouldn't take us to the studio, I hope you all know myya myya nuts. Orite now!

AWESOME TWO SPECIAL THANKS:
THE INDUSTRY: Sugar Dice, Brian Chin, Jerry Bloodrock, Robert Hill, Anna Lugo, Steve Salem, Heidi Smith, Charlie Casanova, Fred Munao, Russell Simmons, Will Socolov, Wes Johnson, Rob Murray, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Philip Asbury, Joe Grey, Mike Halley, Rick Rubin, Bill Stephney, Hank and Keith Shocklee, Platinum Vibe, Bob Currie, Cherle Sheppard, Ted Currier, Shock, Kookie Gonzalez, Tonya Cepeda, Craig Davis, Troy Shelton, Daryl Musgrove, Tish Hammock, Bill Moore, Girky, Ray Ponce, Troy White, Troy Torain, Charles Staller, William Hamilton, Donald Broadnax, Clyde Bradshaw (Jamaica), Nasty Nes, Monica Lynch, Tom Silverman, Rodd Houston, Heaver (Jive London), Vincent Davis, Dave Funkenklein, Haak Islam, Manny Diaz, Roland Russell, Marthe Reynolds, Bill Leibowitz, Carl Clay and Tom Manning.

RADIO, T.V. AND VIDEO: Mr. Magic, Jazzy, Supreme Team, Afrika Islam, Red Alert, Chuck Chillout, Marley Marl, Dr. Dre, Ed Lover, Lady B., Mimi Brown, Keith and Karen Richards, L.D.G., CKUT 90.3 FM Montreal Canada, G. Keith Alexander, Wax Master Torey, Steve Fournier, Tim Westwood (Capital Radio London), Dave Pearce (Radio London), Jeff Foss (WRHJ), Thaddius Robinson, Steve Adams (WBAU), Lance Hayes, Jeff Fox, Frankie Crocker, Timmy Regisford, Sergio Dean, Lamar Renee, Niecy Colon, Maye James, Vaughn Harper, Diane Champaign, Pablo Guzman, Hal Jackson, Beth Yenni, Fred Buggs (WBLS), Chris Cullen (89.1), Gary Byrd, Claude Talt, Mark Riley, James Mitchell, Carl Ferguson, Jackie Bunch, Lloyd Strayhorn (WLIB), Ralph McDaniels, Lionel Martin, Classic Concepts, Vandy C., Bill Blast and Ted Demme.

THE RECORDING ARTISTS: Public Enemy, Afrika Bambaataa and the Mighty Zulu Nation, Latifah, the Flavor Unit, DJ Mark, Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Heavy D. & the Boyz, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, Nice and Smooth, Def Jef, Professor Griff, Ice T, Darlene, Rock Master Scott and the Dynamic Three, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Hurby Luv Bug, Divine Sounds, King Sun, DJ Ace&Quan, Sugar Ray and Stranger D., Double XX Posse, Jimmy Mack, Bobby Brown, Bell Biv Devoe, Luther Vandross, Cutmaster DC, Al B. Sure!, Dell (from Ice Cube and the Lench Mob), Luke Skywalker, 2 Live Crew, Too Short, Boogie Boys, Just Ice, KRS-1, Ms. Melodie, UTFO, X-Clan, Kid-n-Play, Salt-N-Pepa, Stetsasonic, Ultramagnetic, Rich Nice, Chubb Rock, Howie Tee, Treacherous Three, Fearless Four, Guy Vaughn, David Sanchez and Def Con 4, Donnie Walhberg and New Kids on the Block, D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, D-Nice, Willie D, Oran "Juice" Jones, A.J. Scratch, Sweet Tee, Kurtis Blow, Spoonie Gee, The Aleems, Sparky D. and Spyder D., Rob Base, Ohio Players, Vanessa Williams, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Full Force, Sly and Robbie (Jamaica), Scott La Rock, C.D. III, Tony Terry, Elise Jack (the original Roxanne), LL Cool J, Fab Five Freddy, Cookie Crew, Mantronix, 2 Kings plus a Cypher, Cool Chip, Sweet Sensation and T.K.A. And most importantly, thanks to ED O.G. & DA BULLDOGS and Joe Mansfield.

ENGINEERS AND ASSISTANTS: Ivan "Doc" Rodriguez, DeWayne "D-Square" Sumal, Norberto Cotto, Rob Sutton, Anton Pukshans, Everett "Bizz-E" Ramos, Peter Jorge, Alex Armitage, Chris Conway, John Papadopo, Safey, Chuck Valle, Rodrigo Curbe, Power Play Staff, Tony Arfi, Cary.

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND JOURNALISTS: Harry Allen the Hiphop Activist and Media Assassin, Kate Ferguson, Gerrie Summers, Earnest Paniccioll, Chris Ross, Jackie Paul, Ronnie Wright, Belinda Tolliver and Shelly.

PROMOTERS: Darryl Brooks, G Street Express, Arthur Armstrong, Pete Allen, Jessica Roseblum, Ed Joyner and Sam the Beast from the East and Lionel B.

DEEJAYS AND CLUBS: Super Sal, Roman Ricardo, Clark Kent, Mike and Steven Goldberg, Ghetto Style D.J., Evil E, Henry G (the Spinmasters), Greg Mack and Funk Master Flex.

ALSO... Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, May may All, Spike Lee, Eric Payne, National Urban League, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Eddie Murphy, Charlie Murphy, Uncle Ray, Kaseem KGL Washington, Donald B. Redding, Sammy Lee, Eddie F., Bingham, Irving Cassiano, the Jackson Family, Joe, Tito, Jermaine, Jackie, Randy and Rebbie.

FAMILY: Gloria Whiting, Theodore Whiting, Myrtle Whiting and the whole Whiting Family. Willie Bonners, Janet Bonners and Bonners Family, Poplove.

IN MEMORY OF: Butter, Trouble T-Roy, Scott La Rock, Cowboy, Benjamin Bonham, Sr., Theodore Roosevelt Whiting, Watson Bodkin, B-Doggs, David Peaslee, Bob Bodkin, and this album is dedicated to Donald Whiting & Nola Marie Mansfield.