One of the most infamous rappers in the business, Sacramento's X-Raided dropped his classic debut, Psycho Active, back in 1992. Produced by Brotha Lynch Hung, it was a near-perfect example of ultra-hardcore murder rap, overflowing with blood-drenched rhymes and graphic stories of casual chaos. Shortly after its release, he was convicted of gang-related homicide. Both his music and the album cover (him holding a pistol) were presented as evidence in court, and he was sentenced to 31 years to life. Despite being incarcerated, he has managed to record an astonishing 20 albums from prison, using a combination of telephones, smuggled equipment, and high-tech postproduction trickery. Although mainstream tastes have moved away from gangsta rap toward techno beats, Auto-Tuned vocals, and tight pants, X-Raided continues to do what he knows best: rhyming mostly about murder and mayhem over dark, horror movie–style production. Check out "Scatterbrain" and "Reason of the Siccness."
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