Ratchet City

Just when you thought that the storm from Shreveport, Louisiana was almost over and hip hop was about to return to normal suddenly in come Lava House's latest creation Ratchet City, flooding dance floors and airwaves across the nation with their explosive hit "Pass Me Sum Wata."



Based in Shreveport Louisiana, Lava House is one of the hottest independent labels down South. The label has a history of moving units independently since its inception in 99. In fact their best known albums Ratchatified in the Ghetto and United We Stand Divided We Fall featuring Lil Boosie sold over 30,000 units each. United We Stand, Divided We Fall was the record that contained the regional hit "Do the Ratchet," featuring RC's Mandigo, and Angie Locc along with Lil Boosie. Once the song took off Lil Boosie later redid the record with Webbie. The record played a significant role in launching Lil Boosie's career and introduced the rest of the South to the Ratchet movement. But make no mistake about it the Ratchet movement started in Shreveport and was brought to the forefront by the Lava House crew.



"Ratchet is the way we live," says Mandigo (pronounced; Man-de-go) Lava House executive and leader of ratchet City. "Ratchet is when you can't pay your light bill or you're gas bill is overdue or you're behind on your rent or car note. Ratchet is eating grits and wieners instead of steak and eggs. It's about our style, our speech, our swag. It's our struggle."



A major reason to the rapid spread of Ratchet movement is the music and the man who created it. Ratchet music was created by Lava House's in-house producer the legendary producer Phunk Dawg, the man behind the rise of both Lil Boosie and Hurricane Chris. Not only did he produce "Do the Ratchet" many of Lil Boosie's underground records that later came to define the sound that Boosie is currently riding to the top of the charts. Likewise for another Ratchet movement artist, Hurricane Chris who is enjoying tremendous success with the Phunk Dawg masterpiece’s "A Bay Bay & The Hand Clap" And now hot off the heels of his success with "A Bay Bay" Phunk Dawg drops another heater with Ratchet City's debut single "Pass Me Sum Wata."



Composed of Mandigo (AKA the Ratchet King), Angie Locc, Big Poppa, Untamed Mayne and in- house producer Phunk Dawg, Ratchet City is one of the most dynamic groups to emerge from Louisiana since the Hot Boys. Before the single "Pass Me Sum Water" hit the air wave members of Ratchet City were making noise on the street. Angie Locc is featured along side Boosie, Birdman, the Game and Jadakiss on the remix of Hurricane Chris's "A Bay Bay." Big Poppa is also featured on the underground video of Chris' song "The Work Out," as well as Hurricane Chris’ new single “ Hand Clap”. All of this has lead to the anticipation of Ratchet City's single. "Pass Me Sum Wata" has an incredible beat accented by a striking drum pattern and a gust of rhythmic strings mixed with good old fashion 70s funk. Add hot lyrics by Angie Loc, Untamed Mayne, Big Poppa and newcomer Junior Pimp along with a hot catchy hook from Mandigo and you have a certified banger! As they say in Shreveport: "What it is, is what it is!"