Mr. Scarface Is Back

“Mr. Scarface Is Back” is the debut studio album by Scarface, released on October 8, 1991, through Rap-A-Lot Records and Priority Records.

The story

Scarface cut his first solo record while still a member of the Geto Boys. The album was issued in explicit and clean editions, with the clean version dropping two explicit tracks. Two singles supported it: “Mr. Scarface” in 1991 and “A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die” in 1992, both of which made minor chart appearances.

Sound and production

Production is credited to Crazy C and Scarface himself, and the twelve-track, roughly 45-minute album sits squarely in gangsta rap territory. Critics read it differently: Trouser Press felt it traded the Geto Boys’ horror for humor and heavy boasting, while Robert Christgau singled out “I’m Dead” as a highlight. Other outlets were warmer, with Entertainment Weekly awarding it a B+ and RapReviews an 8 out of 10.

Legacy

The album reached No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and it hit No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. The RIAA certified it gold on April 23, 1993. It established Scarface as a solo artist ahead of “The World Is Yours” in 1993, and in 2009 the Houston Press ranked it sixth on its list of the 25 best Houston rap albums.

Released October 8, 1991. More from hip hop in 1991.