Fo Clips – Just Be Thankful is a forgotten Compton soul rap classic. This brother was really about making it in this world with his music. He covers inner city topics on this album such as drugs, gang violence, education, and sex throughout the whole album. Soulful tunes and laid back beats are produced by Ronnie “Marlon” Phillips (Ronnie Ron) [R.I.P.], Leroy Dukes, Rashon Dukes, and Tweedy Bird Loc.
Fo Clips was a rapper from Compton, California that didn’t have a chance to make it. Unfortunately, his fame was short-lived as Fo Clips was a member of the Kelly Park Compton Crips despite being neutral on both sides was killed in a drive-by when he was in a phone booth on the date of October 25, 1998. Rumor has it that he was shot by members of his own Crip gang. A group of 5 members shot at him.
For those who didn’t know his first major label (vanity label) appearance was on Bloods & Crips – Bangin’ On Wax in 1993. The song was Piru Love with Bloody Mary (better known as Nini X) [R.I.P.], Lil Stretch (of Young Soldierz and Tha Relativez), Big WY (then known as Red Ragg of Young Soldierz and Tha Relativez), Lil Leak (then known as CK who is Redrum 781’s little brother), Redrum781, and Big Stretch. Fo Clips went under the name Young Malcom when he did the vocals for this and Wish You Were Here in 1994.
He was on Tweedy Bird Loc’s album No Holds Barred in 1994. Fo Clips was on songs such as Album Bitch, Tweedy For President, Dub Sack, I’m Calling You a Bitch, the title track Walk That Walk, Outta Here, Girls I’ve Done Fucc Before, Keep On Walkin’, My Dicc Still Prejudiced, Gangsta Tweed, I Got My Strap, Fucc Miami, Ya’ll Can’t Fucc With Us, the lame track Street Jokes, Dangerous Is The Shit, and Shout Out.
The title track, Just Be Thankful, is a cover version of a song by the name same written by William DeVaughn. The song teaches people to be thankful for what they’ve got. Be thankful for what you’ve got. Listen to the hardcore G-Funk beats as the song lingers along with the rest of the album.
The song begins with the sample of William DeVaughn – Be Thankful which went, “Diamond in the back, sunroof top/Diggin’ the scene with a gangsta lean/Oooooh”.
At 18 years old, Fo Clips is fresh out of school with no job occupation which leaves him to do nothing but to hang on the corner with his homies and record music. Times were getting hard and he didn’t have no car. He wanted to make money the right way. He did not want to engage in anything illegal to make money. That’s why he wouldn’t sell dope even if his pockets on low.
This shows he wanted to make money the right way. Most people who don’t want to make money the legit way turn to the streets, Fo don’t want to do dirty. He wonders if he can succeed in the music business with these lyrics. “Can I succeed?/Music indeed/Puttin’ hits down, waitin’ on royalties/Can it get better? It feels like forever/Still thank the Lord, he opened these doors”
But he is livin’ life positively. No gangsta white walls but he still stand tall. Givin’ his all to all of y’all. Thank God for what he has, even if he don’t have.
Isn’t this a trip how life goes on and on without you knowin’ that you gone? That’s why we are givin’ parties. Compton Majestics keep it stompin’ in Compton, California. It feels good. Fo Clips thanks the Almighty for these ends. He is now living in a plush pad and is smoking a fat one. He put himself in the ragtop 64 Cadillac and put his mother in a Mercedes Benz.
Fo Clips is looking at himself as a role model now. A young black male who came up from Compton, California. Doing the best that he can to survive. He didn’t have much in his life but he still had his life. He had to make a choice to get up and get something. He was once mad at the world and wasn’t thankful for nothing.
I’m not sure exactly what you can do. But whatever you do, pursue and keep your peace. And God with you. This goes out to the east side and west side. True ridas and new ridas. Get off your ass and pass y’all lighters. And help with what you do have even if you don’t have. Help others even if you don’t have the resources to help.
Don’t get him wrong. He’s got love for his parents to the fullest. But he’s got dreams of makin’ it in music. He pursued it, and now he’s off them ghetto streets. The ghetto still shall rest in him. The reason why is because he can’t forget where he came. Compton, the city where we dip on gold thangs. He’s thinkin’ back on the past. A BG didn’t have much but he got up off his ass. Now he’s thankful for what he has because he didn’t have it.
Fo Clips encouraged people to pursue their dreams in a positive manner and to help others even if they don’t have the resources with these lyrics.
I’m not sure exactly what you can do
But whatever you do, pursue and keep your peace and God with you
This goes out to the east side, west side
True ridas, new ridas
Get off your ass and pass y’all lighters
And help with what you do have, even if you don’t have
These lyrics explained why Fo Clips was ignoring what his father was telling him. “Pops in my ear, but I’m hard, ain’t hearin’/Ain’t puttin’ paper in my pockets so I wasn’t listenin’”
Don’t get me wrong, I got love for moms and pops to the fullest
But I got dreams of makin’ it in music
Pursued it, and now I’m so caught off them ghetto streets
Include that the ghetto still shall rest in me
The reason why, because I can’t forget where I came
Compton, the city where we dip on gold thangs
I’m thinkin’ back on the past
Damn, a BG didn’t have, but I got up off my ass
Now I’m thankful for what I have
Cause I didn’t have it…
Hold On explains how Fo Clips is just another young brother in the streets trying to hold on and not lose grip of his sanity.
Fo Clips is just another young brother in the streets trying hold on. He is far from the top So you know he’s gotta stay strong. He got kicked out the house at a young age. Peer pressure from his homies made a nutcase. So he soothes his soul for a fat sack of indo. Creeps to the back then he busts himself a slow-no. Wondering why did he get treated like this. Peep this. It gets deeper and deeper.
Now being real is the only way you can deal with Fo Clips. Now he’s sucka free. Keep away from those that talk what they don’t know. But they can’t back it up. So pack that mess on a shelf because you’re unhappy with yourself. He can’t help if that’s the way the cards were dealt. Some people are just so strange when they start making ends and then they wanna change. This is a messed up society. That’s why we gotta hold on
Fo Clips addresses many issues about the Compton life style in the song Compton Street Lights. That is what the song is about mainly.
Fo Clips devises a plan to trust these suckers until he bucks these suckers. These fools he is jackin’ are hella pros. He hits the 40 .oz kinda slowly as he is a Tuesday tipsy partner. And he hit the streets at night pumped up because brothers get killed and these streets pack pumps. Fo Clips is rippin’ up thangs. This ain’t no joke.
Y’all know the spot, house nothin’ but gold and paper. Many BGs in their Broughams already on Daytonas. Now tell me. How does it feel to be jacked by a BG? Kinda quick like and kinda smoothly?
And who knows when he will creep through the door with that .44 of his. Peep the shells as they bounce off that .44 barrel as he is on a straight up come up. Fo Clips is not deserving of this paper that he is taking when he runs up. So feel the heat. Fake brothers get done up. Bodies fallin’ in the Compton street lights. You gotta get yours (money) before you get got. People feel no pity in this Hub City
These lyrics explain why the black people of Compton, California are divided. “Gotta take your grip, that’s how my peoples learnt/This how we ridin’, ‘cause we divided/Bodies is fallin’ in the Compton street lights, y’all know what I’m talkin’”
His peoples is done in. What can Fo Clips do? Nothing but fall in. He needs a strap to give a cluck some yay for a Mac-10. So he hits the spot where it’s hot at. Makes sure everything was all cool. Next he grabs the safe full of cash. That’s how a BG rolls. He is headed back to the Compton with the fat knot now. They can’t stop him now because he is another BG ridin’ in the street tight. You get bucked and you get took in the street nights. So pass the blunt for some good luck.
50 G’s ($50,000 dollars was the lick. So he just needed that Mac-10 His mother is stressing because her baby done made it through another night in the Compton street lights.
You get shot on the block with no glock that ain’t cocked. Ain’t no questions in this. He’ll fill your ass full of lead. Fo Clips is grabbing everything green including grenades and M16s. He can’t forget nothing. He grabs the full diamond rings. Hitting corners quick. Can’t no fool hittin’ licks mess with this. He’ll leave you straight in a chalk line and swept off your feet with this Tech-9. Can’t stand in no county line so with this nine.
He knows the system ain’t worth it. We are all strugglin’ to get rich. He’s spittin’ with Fo’ Clips. Give it up to this ghetto clip. Fool don’t take it personal because he’s just hustlin. It wouldn’t have to be this way if we weren’t struggling and he’s just lovin’ it. So give it up to Fo Clips.
I rate this album 5/5*****!!
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