Top Authority - Livin’ To Die

Album - Rated G - 1995 Label - TRAK Records Top Authority is a hardcore gangsta rap group from Flint, Michigan, USA. The group became popular with their single “93 (Things Ain’t How They Should Be)“ in 1993 from the debut album Something To Blaze To on TRAK Records. Something To Blaze To reached #21 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart in April 1994. The “rolling g-funk trio“ (as allmusic describe members Shotgun, Dalo and Flex) followed up with Rated G for Wrap Records in 1995. It featured scratches from DJ Aladdin and reached #16 on the Top R&B Albums chart. allmusic considers 1997’s Top Authority Uncut (The New Year) to be their best release. It peaked at #21, with the single “World War III“ charting at #37 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles. In 2009 Top Authority returned with their fourth album, kush music, on which MC Breed and Do or Die make guest appearances. Top Authority was one of the first rap groups from Flint, Michigan to release an album nationwide. Bootleg, a member of the slightly later Flint group The Dayton Family, told Murderdog magazine, “We grew up together, same hood. We’d be together every day. That’s family.“ He lists them as leading lights in Flint music, along with acts like Ready for the World and MC Breed. Rapper Chilla Pertilla defined Northern hip hop to Murderdog as “Eminem, Twista, Bone, Breed, Dayton Family, Top Authority, Esham, and ICP“.