Above the Law’s Livin’ Like Hustlers came out at a time when West Coast gangsta rap was beginning to establish itself as a major force in hip-hop. Signed to Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records, they were part of the same musical circle as N.W.A, but they brought something a little different to the sound that would eventually develop into G-funk.

The production is a big part of what makes the album interesting. Above the Law’s Cold 187um was a central figure in creating the group’s sound, working alongside Dr. Dre and Laylaw, with Eazy-E serving as executive producer.

There is plenty of the harder, more confrontational sound associated with early West Coast gangsta rap, but there’s also a much funkier and more adventurous musical approach. The album draws from a wide range of funk, soul, jazz, and psychedelic music, using samples in ways that give the tracks their own personalities. Rather than simply putting a beat underneath the rhymes, the group builds songs around interesting combinations of sounds, grooves, and musical references.

That variety becomes apparent almost immediately. “Murder Rap” has the familiar cadence and delivery of late-80s and early-90s hip-hop, but the construction of the beat is much more inventive. The track incorporates the distinctive siren sound from Quincy Jones’ “Ironside” theme, along with all sorts of little musical elements that come together to create a memorable hook.

“Untouchable” takes things in another direction, with a fantastic funky, jazzy groove built around samples from Young-Holt Unlimited’s version of “Light My Fire,” Quincy Jones’ “Ironside,” and James Brown’s “Funky Drummer.” The horns give it an almost 60s feel, while the rapping has that classic early-90s cadence. There’s plenty of bravado in the song, but also an underlying tension. The hustler lifestyle is presented as a constant struggle to maintain your position, which works as a metaphor for the rap business, where establishing yourself and proving you’re the best is treated with almost the same life-or-death intensity.

The album also has a lot of personality. There are humorous touches throughout, including little radio-style interludes and mock advertisements that make it feel like you’re tuning into a station broadcasting from the world of Above the Law.

The title track, “Livin’ Like Hustlers,” settles into a much more relaxed groove after the energy of “Untouchable.” The horns and funk samples give it a great slow-rolling feel, and it’s another example of the group’s ability to change the mood without losing its identity. “Another Execution” continues that laid-back approach, built around a funky sample from Lyn Collins’ “Do Your Thing.” There’s an interesting shift in the cadence around the chorus that almost takes on a Jamaican dancehall quality. The lyrics turn everyday frustrations into wildly exaggerated acts of violence, giving the song an almost darkly comic quality. It’s a fantasy of responding to every inconvenience with absolute force, which makes for an interesting contrast with the relaxed music underneath it.

“Menace to Society” picks up the pace again, with a harder, percussion-driven beat and a funky combination of guitar and keyboards. There’s a lot happening in the production, with several samples layered together to create a busy, energetic track. The street-life imagery becomes a metaphor for protecting their sound and making it clear that Above the Law intends to do things their own way, on their own terms.

“Ballin’” slows things down again, settling into a smooth, almost sensual groove built around a sample from Cameo’s “Why Have I Lost You.” The relaxed vocal delivery fits the music perfectly. “Flow On (Move Me No Mountain)” takes that approach even further, with a dreamy, almost psychedelic sound built around Love Unlimited’s “Move Me No Mountain.” What I particularly like is the way Cold 187um and KMG work together vocally. Rather than simply trading verses, they overlap and weave their lines together, almost like a duet.

“Freedom of Speech” is another highlight, with an aggressive, immediate vocal delivery riding over a terrific backing track built around samples from James Brown and Vicki Anderson. While the song might initially sound like a defense of the group’s right to use profanity, it’s really about the censorship of ideas. Above the Law want to rap about their lives, and that includes the violence, oppression, and struggles they see around them. Taking the profanity out of the songs doesn’t change what they’re saying, and it certainly doesn’t make those subjects any more comfortable for the people who would rather not hear about them.

It makes me think of Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, because the underlying argument is similar: people want to make uncomfortable messages more palatable rather than confront what they’re actually saying. Sometimes the language is uncomfortable because the reality being described is uncomfortable, and sanitizing the message only makes it easier to ignore.

The album closes with “The Last Song,” an extended posse cut that brings together Above the Law and members of the wider Ruthless family, including Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. It’s a big group effort, with everybody getting a turn over a fantastic backing track that’s funky, soulful, and just a little spacey. It’s a really fun way to end the album, putting its best foot forward with a big, confident, unapologetic finish.

Livin’ Like Hustlers has much more going on than you might expect if you approach it simply as another early-90s gangsta rap album. There are certainly plenty of the genre’s familiar hallmarks, including the sexualization of women, references to gang violence, and the drug trade. The album also indulges in the kind of bravado and aggression that made the genre controversial. But I hear a recurring connection between the hustler mentality and the competitive world of rap and the music industry at large.

The result is an album that feels more thoughtful and ambitious than its reputation might suggest. Even when it leans into the genre’s more familiar themes, there’s a sense that Above the Law are establishing an identity and carving out their own place in hip-hop.

Livin’ Like Hustlers deserves to be remembered as more than a footnote in the history of Ruthless Records or simply a precursor to Dr. Dre’s The Chronic. Above the Law were helping develop a sound that would become much more prominent over the next few years.

There’s a lot of creativity here, both musically and lyrically, and I think it’s an album that deserves considerably more mainstream attention than it sometimes gets.

Verdict: Good

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