I don’t know a whole lot about 40 Thevz. I do know (despite the group name) that they were a two-man group from Compton, California, comprised of the brothers Henry and Malieek Straughter, who went under the rap aliases of P.S. and Leek Ratt (worst moniker candidate), respectively. I also know they had a song with Coolio (rip) on the The Jerky Boys Movie Soundtrack in 1995 (“Dial A Jam”). They would later make a handful of appearances on Coolio’s third solo album, My Soul, released in August of ‘97. But before all that, Brothers Straughter would get a deal with Mercury, releasing their debut album, Honor Amongst Thevz, in June of 1997.

In the liner notes, 40 Thevz attempt to explain the meaning behind the group name and album title: “There are multiple types of Thevz that date back to B.C. Man has been stealing other people’s property and possessions for centuries. We are the elite of all criminals. A group with individual specialties with an honor amongst us. We’ve stolen our minds back from the corrupt way of thinking because ‘Joe Blow’ has been programmed. True Thevz will never surrender or submit to society, for society is transparent. Thevz practice deception. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled on the world was to make the world think he didn’t exist. Most Thevz are forced into this way of life, while others are born kleptos. Eventually, it manifested into a profession. Some thevz can be violent, but most rather go unnoticed. There’s a thief in every family. We come in all shades, sizes, and colors. Taking from the greedy, and breaking bread with the needy. From Compton to Tahiti…”

After reading that scatteredbrained soliloquy, I have no idea what to expect from this album. Coolio serves as Honor Amongst Thevz executive producer, and the legendary Stan The Guitar Man lends his musicianship to a handful of songs. Hopefully, those are positive signs.

It’s Alright – After a quick snippet of a military march chant, the listener’s earlobes are greeted by live James Brown “Living In America” style horns, slippery guitar licks, and a thick bass line for Brothers Straughter to give their first affirmation of the album, which you get to hear during the hook (“It’s alright…alright yeah…’cause Imma get mine…when it’s my time”). The patient duo encourages the listener to dream, discuss avoiding hood traps laid for black men, and talk about why they chose rap over crime (“Cause they passin’ out time” and “sittin’ niggas down and they ain’t never gettin’ out”). The grand instrumentation was cool, but it overpowers 40 Thevz vocals, making them sound small.

Mad Doggin – “Mad Doggin” is what we called ice grillin’ in the Midwest in the nineties. It’s basically when someone stares someone else down with aggression. 40 Thevz addresses those who practice the habit and issue a warning to perpetrators with bad intentions: “I don’t really wanna have to blast nobody, so don’t be staring at me like you’re planning to rob me.” P.S. and Leek Ratt’s rhymes were decent, but the hook is cheesy, and the instrumentation (that loosely interpolates a portion of One Way’s funk classic “Cutie Pie”) sounds like a stock DJ Quik instrumental.

Tennis Shoe Pimpin – Our hosts use this record to pledge their allegiance to rockin’ tennis shoes and shit on those who chose to wear hard bottoms: “Now what you gon’ do/when they come to get you/when your ass is stuck in a suit and dress shoes?/You just might slip/catch one to the lip/cause there ain’t no traction in those Stacey (Adams) wing tips.” The hook and the instrumentation borrow from Kurtis Blow’s “Christmas Rappin’.” Stan The Guitar Man makes his first of several contributions to HAT, but even his marvelous musicianship can’t save this corny remake of a song that hasn’t aged well in its own right.

One For The Money – Coolio lends his platinum voice and joins P.S. and Leek for this cautionary tale about gold-digging women. They use their homeboy Ronald as the example in this story of lust, deception, and double murder. That last sentence makes the story sound pretty dark, but 40 Thevz and Coolio make the violent content sound more lighthearted than it should (probably because some of their bars leading up to the climax made me chuckle). I dug the semi-somber instrumentation (Stan’s understated licks sound wet) and the well-played Ras Kass vocal sample for the hook.

Never Gonna Get Nowhere – P.S. and Leek use this song to speak on the importance of unity in the Black community. Cool message and passable bars, but Stan’s slick wah-wah guitar licks are the highlight of this record.

Let My Mind Be Free – Vic C’s credited for the breezy backdrop, and Stan The Guitar Man laces it with discreet wah-wahs and a subduedly funky bassline. 40 Thevz are joined by Shorte as the trio discuss punk ass niggas, petty hoes, and using mics like scepters in their search for peace of mind (Shoutout to Shorte for the “scepter” line. It’s a word you haven’t heard too many rappers use in songs). Well done, fellas.

Thank God For The Children – P.S. and Leek are joined by Spidaman on this heartwarming dedication to our future. Over beautifully solemn instrumentation, the three fathers show appreciation for their seeds and vow to give them everything they didn’t have growing up as kids. 40 Thevz guest, Spidaman, delivers the song’s most insightful bars: “I done been to prison, and my pops done been to prison, and his pops done been to prison, so where that leave my children? I’m tryna break the cycle that can break up my families, all these kids growin’ up in homes without no daddies. I had to stop…and take a look at what I helped give life to and thank God.” What a powerful record.

All I Wanna Do – P.S. teams up with Malika for this battle of the sexes duet. P keeps it real by letting her know he’s just looking for a bed buddy, and she lets him know she needs his time and something more serious. At some point in life, most guys have shared P.S.’s perspective, and most girls have probably been in Malika’s shoes. The verses and hook were effective and relatable, and Hank and Sleepy score the back and forth with an irresistible funk groove punctuated by stank funk guitar licks. This completes a fire two-piece combo.

Crazy Love – Sleepy filler that left me feeling crazy empty.

Get Away – Our hosts live up to their group name on this one. P.S., Leek Ratt, and Spidaman go on a robbery spree over semi-ominous instrumentation while Johnnae Edwards and an uncredited male voice co-sign the threesome’s thievery on the hook. So much for reform and breaking the criminal cycle that has plagued their families for generations.

What Would I Be – P.S. sits this one out and lets his bro go dolo. Leek reminisces about his rough upbringing and past life of crime in hopes of keeping someone else from going down the same road. But the hook (crooned by Kenneth Blue) sounds like it’s celebrating his gangsterism, which kind of contradicts Leek’s message. The song was mid, but I dug Chris Fletcher’s rock guitar riffs.

I Like It – Did these negroes really sample KC & The Sunshine Band’s “That’s The Way (I Like It)”? Next…

Fly Away – This was interesting. Ernest and David Straughter (I’d be willing to bet they’re related to 40 Thevz) interpolate the Commodores’ “Zoom” for the backdrop, then bring in The Dramatics to sing the Commodores’ hook from the same song. It’s weird hearing a legendary group sing another legendary group’s song, especially when they’re from the same era. They would have been better off letting an unestablished singer, like Kenneth Blue (who joins The Dramatics on the chorus), sing it with other nobodies. But even if Kenneth Blue and The Nobodies sang the hook, this song would still sound cheap and cheezy.

Group Therapy – Cute song title for a cipher session. 40 Thevz bring back Malika and Spidaman to join them on this crew joint. No one embarrassed themselves, but none of the emcees wowed me with their performances either. I wonder why Coolio didn’t get on this one. It would have been nice to hear him rhyming over Wino’s cool instrumental and Stan The Guitar Man’s funky g-licks.

All I Wanna Do (P.S. Version) – 40 Thevz ends the evening by bringing back the album’s strongest track, which, according to the back of the CD panel, is only available on CD. This mix deletes Malika’s verse and replaces it with a new verse from P.S. Other than that, it plays just like the original.

I mentioned during the opening of this write-up that I wasn’t familiar with 40 Thevz or their music before this review. So, as we all do, I inadvertently judged the book (or the album) by its cover (long before I read the ridiculous explanation for their group name in the liner notes). The group name and the white “I’m bout to do a bank heist” face paint they’re adorned in on the album cover led me to believe this would be your typical gangsta rap album. But I should have paid closer attention to the album title.

On Honor Amongst Thevz, P.S. and Leek Ratt do show remanence of their gangsta/criminal side, but it’s mostly looking back as reformed hoodlums. But don’t get it twisted. The hood remains in the lum. They share old scars and war stories (some of their war stories were current), celebrate their gangsta attire (creased khakis and air ones), aren’t ready to commit to one woman, and if you test them, they might convert back to their old gangsta ways. On the flip side, they’re also doting fathers with a conscious side, and most of their content is filled with cautionary tales, calls to action, and positive messaging, making Brothers Straughter well-rounded, likable dudes.

Likable as 40 Thevz may be, there are still limits to their rhyming abilities. P.S. is the more charismatic and polished of the two, but neither are super lyrical, and at times on HAT, they sound sloppy and get lost in the musical sauce. Much stronger than the emceeing is the production that maintains a cohesive West Coast nineties sound with plenty of live instrumentation that adds an extra layer of musicality. But even with the magnificent guitar play from the legendary Stan The Guitar Man on a chunk of the album, less than half of the records are worth going back to.

Honor Amongst Thevz isn’t a horrible album, but it would have worked better as an EP. With that said, thank you, 40 Thevz, for the musical jewels I discovered in “Thank God For The Children” and “All I Wanna Do.”

-Deedub
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