Brownside

Brownside
Origin	South Los Angeles, California
Genres	Hip hop, Gangsta rap, Chicano rap
Years active	1993–present
Labels	East Town Records (current) Ruthless Records, Relativity Records, Fellon Records, Triple X Records, PR Records (former)
Members	Wicked Klever Trouble
Past members	Danger (deceased) Toker (deceased) Fello (deceased)
Website	brownside13.com

Brownside is a Mexican American Hip-Hop group from South Central Los Angeles founded by American rapper Eazy-E. The original members of the group consisted of Toker, Fello, Wicked and Danger with Trouble and Klever joining the group later on. Klever is the also the baby brother of Toker. Originally, Eazy-E had signed Brownside to Ruthless Records in hope to create a Chicano rap version of his former group N.W.A.

Brownside's main image was that they aren't 'Rappers Trying to Be Gangsters', They are 'Gangsters Trying to Be Rappers'. Toker made that statement on a live radio interview with Julio G from radio station KBRN.

Three of the members have passed away from the group which included Fello, Toker and Danger.

History

Beginnings of the group

In 1993 Eazy-E identified and recruited South Los Angeles Chicano rappers Toker and Wicked from the streets, forming the group Brownside as part of his Ruthless Records roster. Eazy-E's vision wanted to adapt the unfiltered, Compton-rooted aggression of N.W.A. to the experience, aiming to create a Chicano equivalent that highlighted Mexican American street life, rivalries, and resilience without weakening its rawness. During the 1990's, tensions between ethnic groups in South Central Los Angeles were always high, but not for the usual reasons. Blacks and Mexicans often were in conflict due to the business imperatives of gang organizations, Eazy-E signed Brownside to Ruthless Records with the intent of bridging African Amercian and Latino gang elements, leveraging the group's genuine ties to South LA's hazardous environment to foster unity and expand the label's influence beyond its core demographic.

Toker was introduced to Eazy-E via Robert Lieberman who had heard a demo cassette and began making a great relationship with him. The cassette included the song "Gang Related". Eazy-E had hoped to rise into Mexican American rap in California. Brownside began using "SUREÑO" slang in their lyrics, including their album covers. During 1994, they were signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records label and released their Debut single Gang Related in 1994.

They also had an early recording with Eazy-E in 1993-1994 entitled Eastside Drama which was not released at the time. Fello, who was one of the original members of the group and Toker's brother was murdered in 1992 before he could fully participle in the group's recordings.

After Eazy-E's Death

After Eazy-E's passing in March 1995, Brownside encountered significant instability at Ruthless Records, making the group depart from label amidst ongoing management disputes and internal family conflicts that hampered artist support and releases. This shifted them to move to other labels like Rumble Records for subsequent projects. Their debut album Eastside Drama released in early 1997 and was recorded at the G-Spot Studio in El Monte, California with the Hip-Hop producer Tony G. Their Debut album featured songs by the group that included G-Funk characteristics mixed their rawness. The project emerged amidst Ruthless Records efforts to sustain momentum in West Coast scene by promoting affiliated acts rooted in Chicano Street culture, with Brownside positioned as a N.W.A inspired counterpart emphasizing Eastside Los Angeles experiences. Recorded prior to Eazy-E's passing but delayed for posthumous integration, the album solidified the duo of Toker and Wicked as voices of South Central authenticity, leveraging Eazy-E's earlier endorsement and production involvement on select tracks. Many tracks on their debut album mentioned passed away members like Fello and Danger including Eazy-E.

The album's breakthrough stemmed from its street-level sound in the increasing Chicano rap subgenre, amplified by Ruthless's distribution and Brownside's prior singles like the "Gang Related," single which built anticipation despite limited national listeners. Sales and visibility were propelled by word-of-mouth in Eastside communities and associations with former Ruthless people, setting Brownside as a staple for natural depictions of Trece gang life amidst broader West Coast rivalries. Though, commercial success remained quiet compared to other acts.

Payback and further events

Brownside released their 2nd album Payback during 1999. Payback continued their gangsta rap theme focused on Chicano Street life. the album only got modest distribution because of limited label backing. Payback sustained visibility through appearances on Chicano rap compilations and underground mixtapes, helping preserve their core audience.

By the early 2000s, label disputes and with Pieces of promotion curtailed mainstream opportunities, forcing Brownside to only markets within Southern California and broader Mexican American communities. Their output relied on independent promotion, which included scattered singles and features that maintained a dedicated underground following loyal to their Sureño-infused stories. This period underscored the causal barriers of post-Ruthless autonomy, reduced marketing budgets and distribution networks/Companies, yet the group's persistence fostered enduring a basic appearance without broader industry validation.

The Take Over and Other events

During the early 2000s, Brownside released their 3rd studio album The Take Over which was also a Follow-up on their Payback album. Brownside's group output became less frequent, marked by extended periods of dormancy interrupted by independent efforts and member pursuits. Toker and Wicked began focused on scattered singles and collaborations throughout the 2000s. Toker's began his solo recordings and Wicked's contributions to projects like his 2003 album Mr. Bald & Brown. These endeavors reflected a shift toward self-produced work outside major labels, influenced by the group's departure from Ruthless Records ties after Eazy-E's 1995 death and associate Danger's murder. The group also released their 4th album Trece Razones (13 Reasons) in 2008.

Brownside began working on their 4th double-disc album Bangin Story'z released on May 27, 2016, consisting of 26 tracks under East Town Records, the album had one single M.W.A.

Professional trajectory began losing momentum during 2010 due to escalating personal and external pressures, including gang-related violence and legal entanglements. Toker faced repeated incarcerations linked to legal activities, such as a 2015 LAPD arrest caused by a video depicting gun violence, which highlighted a point of artistic expression and risks. Wicked maintained lower visibility, prioritizing selective features over sustained group commitments. These interruptions, compounded by industry shifts away from gangsta rap's commercial peak, contributed to prolonged inactivity.

The group's effective disbandment was made clear after Toker's murder on October 10, 2018, in Rosarito, Baja California, where he was shot approximately 30 times by people posing as police, reportedly over debts tied to cartel connections. This tragedy, following a pattern of violence that claimed Danger earlier, left Brownside's future not exactly known, with Wicked's subsequent solo output signaling no immediate reformation.

Passed away members

Gilbert "Toker" Izquierdo was born in 1967. was murdered suddenly on October the 10th, 2018 in Rosarito, Mexico. He was 51 at the time of his Death. Toker met Eazy-E with the two developing a very close friendship up until Eazy-E's unfortunate death in 1995. It is said that towards the end of Eazy-E's life he was attracted to Chicano rap in California and thought it was better to break into the market with.

Carlos "Danger" Martinez was murdered in a drive-by shooting in 1996. He is mentioned in many different tracks with the song Rest in Peace being dedicated to him.

Fello is the brother of Toker. Fello was killed in San Bernardino in 1992, preventing his participation in any studio work and shaping the group's early theme around loss and survival themes drawn directly from their surroundings.

Discography

• Brownside (1993)
• Eastside Drama (1997)
• Payback (1999)
• The Take Over (2006)
• Trece Razones (13 Reasons) (2008)
• Bangin Story'z (2016)