Above The Law

Part of the post-<a href="spotify:artist:4EnEZVjo3w1cwcQYePccay">N.W.A</a> explosion of California gangsta rap, Above the Law came out of the eastern Los Angeles suburb of Pomona; leader <a href="spotify:artist:5zzbUtGK3M7oAGRDD0vTY6">Cold 187um</a>, aka <a href="spotify:artist:13k7ezoM83thvwbYkdyP6e">Big Hutch</a> (born <a href="spotify:artist:13k7ezoM83thvwbYkdyP6e">Gregory Hutchinson</a>), was joined by KMG the Illustrator (born Kevin Dulley), Go Mack (born Arthur Goodman), and DJ Total K-Oss (born Anthony Stewart). Mixing '70s vintage funk and soul samples with live instrumentation (<a href="spotify:artist:13k7ezoM83thvwbYkdyP6e">Hutchinson</a> had studied jazz while in school), the group signed with <a href="spotify:artist:7B4hKK0S9QYnaoqa9OuwgX">Eazy-E</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ruthless+Records%22">Ruthless Records</a> and issued its debut album, Livin' Like Hustlers, in 1990; split into violence- and sex-themed sides, it was co-produced by <a href="spotify:artist:6DPYiyq5kWVQS4RGwxzPC7">Dr. Dre</a> (prior to <a href="spotify:artist:4EnEZVjo3w1cwcQYePccay">N.W.A</a>'s rancorous breakup) and received well in gangsta circles. The Vocally Pimpin' EP appeared in 1991, and the full-length follow-up, Black Mafia Life, was released in 1993.

Go Mack left the group shortly thereafter, and Above the Law stuck with the trio format for their last <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ruthless%22">Ruthless</a> album, 1994's Uncle Sam's Curse, which featured greater contributions from KMG. Following <a href="spotify:artist:7B4hKK0S9QYnaoqa9OuwgX">Eazy-E</a>'s tragically sudden death, Above the Law left <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ruthless%22">Ruthless</a> for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Tommy+Boy%22">Tommy Boy</a>, debuting in 1996 with Time Will Reveal; although the lyrics stuck with the group's well-worn gangsta themes, it demonstrated that <a href="spotify:artist:13k7ezoM83thvwbYkdyP6e">Big Hutch</a>'s skills as a G-funk producer were becoming ever more polished. Released in 1998, Legends kept the West Coast gangsta flame burning, but proved to be their last release on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Tommy+Boy%22">Tommy Boy</a>; they formed their own label, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22West+World%22">West World</a>, and struck a distribution deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Street+Solid%22">Street Solid</a> for 1999's Forever: Rich Thugs. The same year, <a href="spotify:artist:13k7ezoM83thvwbYkdyP6e">Big Hutch</a> released his solo debut, Executive Decisions.

In 2000, <a href="spotify:artist:13k7ezoM83thvwbYkdyP6e">Big Hutch</a> was recruited by Suge Knight to become the new house producer and musical director at <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Death+Row+Records%22">Death Row Records</a>, making it the new home of Above the Law as well. They recorded a new album called Diary of a Drug Dealer, but the release dates were continually pushed back while <a href="spotify:artist:13k7ezoM83thvwbYkdyP6e">Big Hutch</a> worked on production assignments, including the debut album by <a href="spotify:artist:6fFfnKGVI6X3lkCr8Qw1g1">Crooked I</a>; amid all the album delays, rumors began to circulate about the group's breakup. The album would finally arrived in 2009 as a digital download, on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Beatology%22">Beatology</a> label, and under the title Sex, Money & Music. In July of 2012 it was announced that KMG had passed away, although there was no mention of his cause of death. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi