Though still young, Marcelo wasn't new to the rap game when Master P sent him to the studio to record Brick Livin. He had originally released an underground record with one of the pioneering Southern bounce producers Devious D, titled P' Poppa. Following the local success of this record, Marcelo left for New York and performed some shows at the Apollo before eventually returning to the South just as the area began to become a hotbed for up-and-coming rap labels such as No Limit, Cash Money, and Suave House. Like almost every other ambitious rapper in the South at this time, Marcelo quickly started his own label with his business partner, Doe Doe, and released the first Tuff Guys compilation independently.
Eventually, this record fell into the hands of Master P, who liked what he heard and signed Marcelo to No Limit. One must keep in mind that this took place around the same time that No Limit began to struggle in the face of immense competition from other labels such as Cash Money that were eclipsing the one unprecedented success of Master P's label. This mutually beneficial collaboration between the two resulted in Brick Livin, an album that once again drew attention towards No Limit. The album brought together Marcelo's Tuff Guys camp with some of the No Limit camp along with some of the South's best producers, resulting in a fresh update of traditional Southern rap motifs. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi