ﾓGot them Watts niggas with me, OFTB / They got some hash took the stash left the rest for meﾔ ﾖ from “To Live and Die in LA” by 2Pac
On July 12, 2011 the previously unreleased 1997 O.F.T.B. (Operation From The Bottom) raw and uncut album, ﾓDamn Near Deadﾔ, will be formally released from the Death Row Records vaults. WIDEawake Entertainment Group, Inc., the company who acquired the Death Row Records assets, will distribute the project worldwide, in both physical and digital formats through E1 Distribution.
Kevin “Flipside” White and Ronald “Low M.B.” Watkins grew up in the Nickerson Gardens projects in Watts, CA witnessing first-hand the harsh realities of life. Coming up from the bottom, they were signed early on in their career to Big Beat Records were they had released then their only album entitled ﾓStraight Up Wattsﾔ in 1992 with the hit single ﾓSlanginﾒ Dope.ﾔ
Signed to Death Row Records during the mid-90ﾒs, the group made several appearances on key projects for the label, such as the double-platinum soundtracks to films like Above The Rim (ﾓCrack ﾒEmﾔ), Murder Was The Case (ﾓHot Oneﾔ) and Gang Related (ﾓKeep Your Eyes Openﾔ), as well as the gold-selling Gridlock’d soundtrack (ﾓBody And Soulﾔ). Alongside some of the greatest names the music industry has ever known like Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, 2Pac, and Snoop Dogg, O.F.T.B. were making their mark at the legendary west coast label.
Through steady, friendly competition with label mates like Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Lady of Rage and others, the veteran Watts group was ready to unleash their unbridled, rugged group project to the masses. Originally set for release in 1997, ﾓDamn Near Deadﾔ will be a 13-track set and will feature appearances from Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, MC Hammer, Jewell, Brian G, Sand Man, TKO and others. The tracklist for ﾓDamn Near Deadﾔ is as follows:
1). Thinkinﾒ About That Murder – Produced by: TKO/Chico White, & OFTB
2). Hot One -Produced by: Bryan G & OFTB
3). Damn Near Dead -Produced by: Sandman & OFTB
4). Gun a n***a Down – Produced by Brian Gallow & OFTB
5). N***as Going Down – Produced by: Brian Gallow & OFTB
6). That Was Then This Is Now. Feat. Snoop Dogg & Kurupt – Produced by: OFTB
7). Crack Emﾒ Remix – Produced by: OFTB
8). Who Got The Hits – Produced by: OFTB
9). What Should I Do – Produced by: TKO/Tony White & OFTB
10). Girl Ainﾒt Got No Time – Produced by: OFTB
11). Penitentiary Bound – Produced by: Brian Gallow & OFTB
12). Check Ya Hood – Produced by Sandman & OFTB
13). So Long Feat. M.C. Hammer – Produced by Johnny J & OFTB
Stay tuned to Dubcnn for more on O.F.T.B., Damn Near Dead, and Death Row Records!
