5th Ward Boyz

5th Ward Boyz is an American southern hip hop trio, based out of Houston, Texas.Their name is derived from Houston's Fifth Ward.The group signed to Rap-A-Lot Records following the Geto Boys' popularity on the label. The group originally consisted of Andre "007" Barnes and Eric "E-Rock" Taylor, with Richard "Lo Life" Nash joining the group following his release from prison for their second album, Gangsta Funk.They have been influenced by Dr. Dre, Funkadelic, N.W.A, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Compton's Most Wanted. The group was signed to Rap-a-Lot Records in 1993, 7 years after the label started.