Listen to any track from Master P’s The Ghettos Tryin’ to Kill Me! and you can tell that the man knows how to choose beats that are appropriate to the message he’s trying to convey. However, there was one song in particular that stood out to me—Larry Dee Henderson’s work on Hands of A Dead Man, the 14th track on the album.
Introducing Gangsta Rap
Master P founded No Limit Records in 1994, while simultaneously starting his iconic career in professional basketball. P quickly discovered that his true passion lied in music. He then set out to perfect the emerging sound of Gangsta Rap. His first successful album, The Ghettos Tryin’ to Kill Me! (1994), featured the track Hands of a Dead Man, which was produced by legendary producer Larry “Dee” Henderson.
Backstory on Hands of A Dead Man
This song is track 14 from Master P’s album titled The Ghettos Tryin to Kill Me!, and features Big Nate and Del Gilbeaux on the hook. This track is a hard gangsta rap song that tells you exactly how Master P feels about the game: Have you ever held the hands of a dead man? Master also speaks on raising his kids in a tough environment, as well as the ills of the street drug game. He ends with an inspirational message for listeners, telling them to be themselves and never change for anyone else.
Setting up the beat
Before you jump right into creating your track, it’s important to understand what you’re working with. That might mean understanding who it is that you want to work with (that is, who will perform on your track), or it might mean learning how those performers create their sounds. In Master P’s Hands of a Dead Man, producer Larry Dee Henderson shows off his mastery. Taking an acoustic guitar and layering it on top of some drums and other percussion, he constructs a beat that serves as a powerful foundation for Master P to rattle off his bars. This also serves as an example for anyone hoping to learn about production: You don’t have to have access to expensive equipment and fancy computers.
Breaking down the beat
This track is a hard gangsta rap song and will take you back to an era where artists would rhyme about their real life experiences. The beat sounds like something straight out of 1993, which may not be so surprising when you learn that it was produced by Larry Dee Henderson, who crafted beats for many other 90’s hip hop and gangsta rap legends. The fact that Master P was able to drop a hot 16 over a dope sample, with some additional rhymes from Big Nate and Del Gilbeaux on the hook is definitely worth noting. I think it’s time we start talking about what role Larry Dee Henderson played in making so many classic records in hip hop history.
Hearing It For The First Time
The ’90s is still arguably one of hip-hop’s most influential decades. While so many have gone to make some impact in today’s industry, there are quite a few who remain out there pushing things forward. Take for example, Master P’s Hands Of A Dead Man from his The Ghettos Tryin To Kill Me! album released in 1994. The song features Big Nate and Del Gilbeaux on vocals for a hard gangsta rap record that gives you that true down south 90’s feeling. The production work on it is done by a man named Larry Dee Henderson, who has built his name with successful productions across multiple genres over time.
Production Techniques
Let’s take a look at Master P’s Hands of a Dead Man for some interesting production techniques. The track was produced by Larry “Dee” Henderson, who is known for thunderous booming sounds, and eerie street synths over live instruments. They helped form a sound that was prevalent in Southern Hip Hop during those years, and this sound can still be heard in todays music.
Backstory on Del Gilbeaux
Del Gilbeaux is a hard name to find these days, but if you listen to the track “Hands of A Dead Man”, you will hear that intoxicating hook. The sounds mesmerize you and truly take you right where Master P’s mind was as he was rapping these gritty lyrics. “Have you ever held the hands of a Dead Man” gets repeated many times over for a masterful warning about the true ending for many in the game.
Backstory on Big Nate
“You gotta sleep with one eye open and one eye closed fool”, says Big Nate to Master P. Not only is this a universal warning for those living the live of a G, many will resonate to the depth of these 12 heart wrenching words. Big Nate tells P that he has to be careful and watch his surroundings as this is his first trip to lock up. The husky voice that Big Nate brings to the track drops these lessons so heavy to the young hustler, and serves as a reminder to old g’s.
