Geffen Won’t Distribute Rap Album

Geffen Records announced Wednesday that it will not distribute the debut album by Houston rap group the Geto Boys because of offensive content.

“The extent of which the Geto Boys album glamorizes and possibly endorses violence, racism and misogyny compels us to encourage Def American to select a distributor with a greater affinity for this musical expression,” the Los Angeles-based company said in a statement.

The album was scheduled to be released next week by Geffen under a distribution agreement with Def American Records, whose roster also includes controversial comedian Andrew Dice Clay. The latter’s albums were released through Geffen.

Though the Geffen statement said Def American is free to find another distributor for the Geto Boys album, Def American head Rick Rubin said in a separate statement that he has no plans at the moment to look for another distributor.

“I am obviously shocked and disturbed by Geffen’s decision,” he said. “I am very proud of this record and would have liked for people to have had the opportunity to hear and judge it for themselves.”

Among the songs on the album is “Mind of a Lunatic,” a detailed, first-person account of the handiwork of a sadistic rapist-murderer.

The Geto Boys record had originally been scheduled for release this week, but was pushed back after the Digital Audio Disc Corp. pressing plant in Terre Haute, Ind., which presses all Geffen releases, had refused to manufacture the album.