Ruthless by Law is the second studio album by American hip hop group RBL Posse. It was released on November 15, 1994 via In-A-Minute Records. Recording sessions took place at Bayview Productions in Richmond, California. Production was handled by Cellski, The Enhancer, and RBL Posse, with Tony Jackson serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Cellski and Herm. The album peaked at number 197 on the Billboard 200, number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number three on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States.

Ruthless by Law
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 15, 1994
Recorded1993–94
StudioBayview Productions (Richmond, CA)
Genre
Length1:01:08
LabelIn-A-Minute
Producer
RBL Posse chronology
A Lesson to Be Learned
(1992)
Ruthless by Law
(1994)
An Eye for an Eye
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

It is the group's last album featuring member Mr. Cee as he was shot nine times and killed near his home on Harbor Road on New Year's Day 1996. It was their final project for In-A-Minute Records label.

In 2014, it was placed at number 49 on Vibe magazine ’94 Week: The 50 Best Rap Albums Of 1994 list.[2]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Bounce to This" (featuring Cellski)
  • Christopher Matthews
  • Hubert "Kyle" Church III
  • Marcel Wade
Cellski5:14
2."Blue Bird"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
3:48
3."I Got My Nine"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
RBL Posse5:51
4."FunkDaFied"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
RBL Posse3:14
5."Listen to My Creep"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
  • Ricky Herd
RBL Posse3:17
6."The Sound"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
Cellski3:24
7."M.N.O.H.P."
  • Church III
  • Matthews
  • Wade
  • Herd
RBL Posse5:07
8."Livin That Life"
  • Church III
  • Matthews
  • Cellski
  • The Enhancer
6:07
9."Niggas on the Jock"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
RBL Posse3:14
10."Feels Good to Be a Gangsta"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
  • RBL Posse
  • Cellski[c]
3:48
11."Pass the Zigzags"
  • Herd
  • Matthews
  • Church III
RBL Posse5:10
12."Smoke a Blunt"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
RBL Posse3:48
13."Dedication (Bitch or a Hoe)"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
RBL Posse3:31
14."Still Ain't Learned"
  • Matthews
  • Church III
RBL Posse3:50
15."Herm Outro (The Message)" (featuring Herm)Andre Herm LewisThe Enhancer1:45
Total length:1:01:08
Notes
  • ^[c] signifies a co-producer.

Personnel

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  • Christopher "Black-C" Matthews – vocals, keyboards (tracks: 2, 4, 7, 9, 11–13), producer, mixing
  • Kyle "Mr. Cee" Church – vocals, keyboards (tracks: 5, 12, 14), producer, mixing
  • Ricky "Hitman" Herd – vocals (tracks: 5, 7, 11)
  • Marcel "Cellski" Wade – vocals (tracks: 1, 7), keyboards & producer (tracks: 1, 6, 8), co-producer (track 10)
  • Andre "Herm" Lewis – vocals (track 15)
  • Don "The Enhancer" Marsh – keyboards (tracks: 1–5, 7, 9, 11–15), producer (tracks: 8, 15), co-producer (track 2), mixing
  • Dravail – backing vocals (tracks: 4, 11, 13)
  • Andre "Baba" Mathews – backing vocals (track 11)
  • Audrey Jones – backing vocals (track 11)
  • Tomie "T.C." Witherspoon – mixing
  • Ken Lee – mastering
  • Tony Jackson – executive producer
  • Victor Hall – photography, layout

Charts

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Chart (1994) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[3] 197
US Top R&B Albums (Billboard)[4] 23
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[5] 3

References

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  1. ^ Bush, John. "RBL Posse - Ruthless by Law Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  2. ^ Weinstein, Max (September 17, 2014). "'94 Week: The 50 Best Rap Albums Of 1994". VIBE. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. December 3, 1994. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  4. ^ "Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 48. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 26, 1994. p. 20. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  5. ^ "Heatseekers Album Chart". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 49. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 3, 1994. p. 21. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
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