Back in the Days

Back in the Days is the first full-length album by I.M.P., the Ill Mannered Posse, released in 1993 by In-A-Minute Records. Led by Cougnut, the crew came out of San Francisco’s Lakeview and Ocean View neighborhoods.

The story

Cougnut formed I.M.P. in 1989, and the group put out the EPs No Prisoners and I.M.P. Dogs before this album. The lineup included C. Fresh, DJ Ill Chill, Hitman Stinge, MC Louie Lou, Rob V and Stingy, and a young Dre Dog, later known as Andre Nickatina, passed through the crew around this time.

Sound and production

Cougnut produced the record himself, with The Enhancer on keys and engineering and T.C. mixing. Tracks like “Merciless” and “Goin Out Like a Gangsta” pair hard Frisco lyricism with smoky, keyboard-driven funk.

Legacy

Cougnut died in a car accident in Daly City in 2001. His records with I.M.P. remain touchstones for San Francisco rap fans and collectors.