The Plainsman Press - South Plains College

Amelia Gonzales, staff writer

Notorious Goodfellas bring struggles of streets to listener’s ears

The young and inspiring group, Notorious Goodfellas, has endured the struggles of street life and yet have managed to release five albums under their own record label.

The group consists of six different artists, including, Young Mexican P, Caravaggio, Trip-Gotti, Stee-lo, G-Bone, and Lil-Yo, They also currently feature R&B singer B, along with a female rap artist, Nina Ross.

The Goodfellas originated nearly a decade ago with group members Caravaggio, Young Mexican P, and Trip-Gotti. These three men met during their junior high school days. Unlike many, they did not live the lives that society has instilled the norm. Street violence in the area they grew up in played a vital factor in the way they spent much of their childhood.

These factors are shared with their listeners through their lyrics.

The original group name was Shades of Grey. With poor equipment and with little finances available, Shades of Grey was forced to use what little they had to try to establish a name for themselves. Unfortunately, the group was young and inexperienced in the music business. They eventually broke away from one another, and a new image was in the making.

New talent later began to open the doors for opportunity. The group matured, and was now able to find the means necessary to purchase high-technology equipment. In 1999, under the name Notorious Goodfellas, they were able to establish their own independent record label, known as NG Records.

The group released their first underground record in 2000 entitled “The Unforgiven”. The following year they released another album titled “24/7”. The Goodfellas began receiving recognition not only in the surrounding areas of Lubbock, but also Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, parts of New Mexico, California, Colorado, and Nevada. The overwhelming success has provided them with the funds to release even more albums such as “Trip-Gotti Consequences and Repercussions”, “Caravaggio Renaissance”, and most recently the self-titled album “Notorious Goodfellas.”

Each of the individuals in the group has his own style, a unique way of expressing lives in their lyrics. They work hard as a team, bringing originality and individualism to the stage.

Young Mexican P explains that his life has given him a lifetime of topics to share through his music. Since the time he was in elementary school, he has had a passionate love for music. Fear of performing for others held him back from his inspiring dream for years. His interest first appeared to be rock, and like the others in the group, once hip-hop became mainstream, Y.M.P. knew he would be unstoppable.

There were many days that his recording sessions with a karaoke machine would take him into the early morning hours of the following day. Practice and confidence gave him the idea to follow his dream of succeeding in the music business. He decided he would invest whatever money he could in purchasing recording equipment.

With the reactions of the crowds in places where the group performed, he realized the hard work and dedication would one-day pay off.

Y.M.P.’s lyrics mainly are based around his life. Many of the lyrics explain the things he saw growing up around gang violence, drug abuse, parental neglect, and teenage pregnancy. He explains that the lyrics relate to so many kids, not just locally but all over the world. Through his music, he is able to show these kids that they are not alone, and through their own talents, they too will be able to share their lives with others.

“ My lyrics come from my heart, and they mean a lot to me,” Y.M.P. says.

Y.M.P. also has strong pride in his culture. The pride he holds within has given him even more reason to share his talent through music and art with others. He explains that no matter what song or project he is working on, he places a piece of culture, in his work. The stage name he chose to go by expresses his culture while the letter P stands for the word persistence, his attitude toward life in general.

Though he has passionate feelings toward his music, Y.M.P. places his family above all. He hopes that one day his music will allow him to provide for his family. He wants to be able to give them all that they did not have as he was growing up.

Although opportunities to break away from the group may arise, he has no intentions of ever leaving them behind.

“Though I am in it for the money, my dreams are bigger, and if I sold out for the money, then I sold out from my dreams,” says Y.M.P.

Caravaggio, the main producer of the music, explains that he began trying to rap about positive things in society rather than the harsher aspects so many people object to. As time progressed, he realized that every time he wrote about something that meant something to him personally, whether it was harsh or not, he was able to express himself much better.

Caravaggio also began in music with an interest in rock bands and later showed even greater interest in pop music with the arrival of “Boys II Men” and early 1990 rap groups. He began using tape recorders to record himself, and later started recording beats, taking parts of songs and looping them on cassette decks. He explains that even today he feels that it is important to instill the essence of old school rap or hip-hop because so many forget where it originated. At the same time, he agrees that each individual’s lyrics should be original, and it is necessary to stay different.

“It has never been important for me to make it big,” says Caravaggio. “The important thing for me is for people to feel my lyrics, and if I get through to even one person I am satisfied with what I have done.”

As he entered high school, he began releasing solo tapes that he had created at home. It was then that his nephew, Trip-Gotti, introduced him to what would eventually become known as Notorious Goodfellas.

During the time that the Goodfellas were establishing a name, Stee-Lo was showing off his talent at parties and gatherings through the form of free styling. It would not be until 2002 that he would join the group.

Stee-Lo’s inspirations came from what is known as oldie music, such as Bob Marley. When now deceased rapper Tu Pac Shakur came into the rap industry, Stee-Lo’s visions changed. He then wholeheartedly devoted his time toward recording rap music.

He explains that his style differs from other rappers in that he is versatile. He can rap fast or slow, using styles from the East Coast or the West Coast, or even what is known as the “dirty South.” His lyrics use pieces of English as well as Spanish.

The majority of his lyrics focus on specific encounters in his life. Many of these encounters include growing up in a broken home, and the violence and dangers of drug trafficking. He takes the hardships of his life and hopes that people do not judge him for what he has been through, but that they understand the struggle to change and the courage to share.

“I only hope that the people that listen to my music feel me for me,” says Stee-Lo.

Stee-Lo has committed himself to stay with the group. Chances of signing on with a major record label come second. He has put the group first.

“We all are one, although there are six of us,” says Stee-Lo.

G-Bone, one of the younger members of the group, says that he grew up around the music business. His father was involved with music, and G-Bone was introduced to a microphone at an early age. Both he and his father worked side by side as he learned how to record and produce music. His early inspirations not only include his father, but also artists from the record label No Limit.

G-bone explains that his lyrics tend to be too harsh for radio play and are geared more toward, the people in the streets who comprehend what messages he is relaying. Though he understands that there are critics, he feels that his music is reality; it does not matter if people judge it or refuse to listen to it, as long as he remains “real” the entire time.

“A person can guarantee that if I said something in my lyrics, I meant it,” says G-Bone.

Through the years, the Notorious Goodfellas have featured more than a dozen solo R&B artists and a few female rap artists. NG Records has helped record artists such as the group Top Notch, Nina Ross, B, and Michelle Redd. The group is working on a compilation album, hoping to include all of the rap and hip-hop artists in this area.

The newest addition to the NG Records label is Nina Ross. Like the other artists in the group, Nina Ross is also a stage name. Nina Ross has only been in the music industry for a couple of months, performing for the first time on April 1.

Nina Ross admits that she had always been too shy to perform in front of anyone. She explains that she rapped only as a hobby and never expected to go public. After meeting Caravaggio and completing two tracks, she joined the NG Records family.

Like the other members, Nina Ross has also had to deal with hardships throughout her life. With the support and guidance of the group, she has been able to overcome many of the obstacles in her life and follow through with her dreams. She has the motivation and determination to place everything she has into what she can give her audiences.

“I’m doing it to see what happens,” says Nina Ross. “The money can’t hurt, but I just want to get it out there.”

All members of the Notorious Goodfellas have been able to take the struggles of the street and turn them into their own form of art. They hope to only take footsteps forward and to improve under their own record label.

Their main objective is for others to understand where they have come from, and how they hope to succeed.

All records released under NG Records can be found at Hastings and Ralph’s Records. The Notorious Goodfellas also can be found at www.myspace/notoriousgoodfellas.com.