Biography
The McCants brothers—James, Sam, Chris, and Leroy—originated in Ohio even though they performed as the Chicago Gangsters. Their recordings spanned robust funk and disco alongside gentle, polished soul ballads. After securing a foothold with the Gold Plate imprint, they assumed the Chicago Gangsters name and partnered with the prolific composer-arranger Richard Evans plus several of Chicago’s leading session players. Their first album, Blind Over You, appeared in 1975 and included the hard-driving funk cut “Gangster Boogie” as well as a modest hit version of “I Choose You,” the love theme Willie Hutch had written for the film The Mack. The title track from their 1976 follow-up, Gangster Love, also charted modestly and became the label’s first 12-inch single. In 1977 the group issued “I’m an Outlaw,” their final Gold Plate release; one year later they recorded “Windy City Boogie” for RCA. After dropping “Chicago” from their billing, the Gangsters moved to Heat and delivered the 1979 album Life Is Not Easy Without You. They remained active into the early 1980s before disbanding. Breakbeat collectors and hip-hop producers later mined “Gangster Boogie” extensively for samples, most visibly on L.L. Cool J’s hit “Mama Said Knock You Out,” and the debut album was eventually reissued under the title Gangster Boogie.
Albums
