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Everyone grows up…even rappers. Pioneering female MC Queen Latifah shows a newfound level of maturity on The Dana Owens Album.A set of standards the rapper/actress decided to cover, the album features a host of jazz classics and R&B favorites.

Latifah is at her seductive best when playing the sultry siren on Al Green's "Simply Beautiful." With a little help from Green himself, Latifah's vocals slide over the warm, organ-drenched instrumental. The result is one that works today as well as it would have several years ago. Similarly, the big band-backed "Baby Get Lost" swings with bluesy groove that is pure nostalgia.

However, it's when Latifah mines more standard fare that the album seems to hita snag. Fans of James Moody's "Moody's Mood for Love" may want to skip Latifah's version as it misses the subtle perfection of the original. Her rendition of "I Put a Spell On You" doesn't falter, but it's not impressive either. It ends up being the kind of performance that finds you constantly waiting for more but never getting it. The same can be said for her cover of the Mamas & The Papas' "California Dreamin'."

That said, with Latifah's recent critically acclaimed turn in the film Chicago the timing for this album couldn't have been better. And with help from legendary producer Arif Mardin (Aretha Franklin), The Dana Owens Album is an interesting and impressive new chapter in the star's diverse career. --Rashaun Hall

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Hear an exclusive audio stream of Queen Latifah’s "What Is This Thing Called Love."

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The joke of Licensed to Ill's cover--that the Beasties could crash their jet into the side of a mountain and keep on tickin'--serves as a good metaphor for a career that even some of their 1986 admirers thought might be over after the one-time-only shock of this full-length debut. That thousands of funk-junkie wannabes have since failed at re-creating its groove, breaking-the-law vibe, and ear-splitting mix of rock and rap is an even better joke. And funniest of all is the record itself, which packs dexterous boasts, aural puns, and lots and lots of yelling into a disc that can still be listened to with as much pleasure as it gave in '86. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (167)

Still Illin'
It's hard to believe, but sometimes true that what goes around, comes around. I saw the Beasties on stage in London in September 1986 (with Run DMC and LL Cool J) shortly after this album came out (they were last on the bill and played only three songs, including "Slow and Low" and "Fight For Your Right"). The prevailing opinion at the time was that "Licensed To Ill" was one of the most obnoxious releases in the history of music. But what a party! The Beastie Boys seemed like a one-hit wonder when they changed record labels and took three years to release their follow up (Paul's Boutique), plus the fact these white boys were being universally panned by most of the rap community. But the Boys must be having the last laugh, and listening to this album again, it still sounds good. I am amazed at all the kids that weren't even born in '86 are discovering this record, which attests to the band's endurance, although the band owes a lot to Rick Rubin, their producer who meshed the Boys' brashness with great sound samples. As a parent I can say that, based on the feedback I've read here, if you are trying to decide on a music purchase for your teenager, this may do the trick.

One of the most influential and essential albums of all time
I listen to a lot of different music, ranging from Slayer to Sublime, and have never really been much of a fan of rap or rap-rock. But before there were bands like Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, there were the Beastie Boys, and "Licensed to Ill" is the album that catapaulted the three Brooklyn white rappers to phenominal success. Mixing hard rock riffs and furious raps, this album contains the classic party anthem "Fight For Your Right", along with radio staples "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" (featuring Slayer's Kerry King on guitar) and "Brass Monkey". "Rhymin & Stealin" and "She's Crafty" find the group sampling Led Zeppelin, while "Girls" and "Paul Revere" are hilarious. Produced by legendary producer Rick Rubin (Slayer, Danzig, Red Hot Chili Peppers), the Beastie Boys have pretty much disowned all their older material, which is a shame considering how excellent this album is, and how fresh it still sounds nearly 20 years after it's release.

its awsome a few of the songs not so good
its awsome like (fight for your right) but just a few sucked but i did not hate the fact i bought it i love it still i think its a good product here at amazon so i recomend it to all of you

Debut album that packs a punch
No one expected the Beastie Boys to last as long as they have, and that is part of this album's appeal. Who would have thought way back in 1986 that these white boys who practically yelled and screamed over tracks that masterfully blended rock and rap would still be topping the charts nearly 20 years later?

The then-novel concept of rock-rap is courtesy of the genius of producer Rick Rubin. He really knows how to craft a song full of hooks. The beats on this album are so massive they practically burst out of your stereo. Every song has a hook that digs itself into your brain and stays put. The best example of this would be "Paul Revere", an undeniably entertaining and catchy classic.

This wouldn't be much of an album though if it was only a producer who makes it worth listening to. Mike D., Adrock, and MCA have a great chemistry and work very well together. They are so confident and playful it's impossible not to have as good a time as they're having. They even know how to pull off the silliest of rhymes (check out "Girls" for proof).

This is a fantastic album. I just got it last week and I have been listening to it over and over ever since. If you are a fan of good, dumb fun, then I highly recommend this CD. Sure, it may appear to be a lot of screaming and yelling, but why complain when it's done so well? There are so many good songs here, including the big hit "Fight For Your Right" (which has held up very well over the years). I give this album my highest recommendation.

Bratty little SOBs with a fine CD.
People like to complain about this album: it's stupid, it's immature, it's sexist, blah, blah, blah. Well of course it is. It's supposed to be. And it succeeds spectacularly! Have a sense of humor people. Okay, on to the album itself: a fantastic blend of rock and rap (Thank you Rick Rubin, for such a concept!), with the perfect trio of smart ass punks, ya know the ones who came close to getting beat up everday at school but managed to smooth talk themselves out of harm's way? These are the guys. The rhymes are silly, but for the love of all that is good and holy, who can stand another thug reppin' his hood (when you know he grew up in the 'burbs of Jersey), talkin' 'bout his ho's and his ice without the slightest trace of irony? Rap is not known for its sense of humor. Licensed to Ill rescues it from drowning in it's own sense of self-importance and then manages to sneak a few sucker punches in on it's own. Great album, great rhymes, great beats. Long live Paul Revere! ... Read more

Album Description

2002 reissue of 1988 gangsta rap classic includes fourbonus tracks, 'Express Yourself' (Extended Mix), 'BonusBeats', 'Straight Outta Compton' (Extended Mix) & 'AB----12 AB----'. EMI. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Record That Started It All
NWA started gangsta rap, they have bumping beats by Dre and Yella and hardcore gangsta lyrics by Eazy Ren and Ice Cube. You gotta get this album here. It features the street anthem Straight Outta Compton and other dope tracks. NWA's best recording ever put together.

The Real Info on NWA
Nearly anyone who knows anything about hip-hop should already be familiar with this album, but here are a few things you may not know. NWA didn't start with "Straight Outta Compton" or with the album "NWA and the Posse". NWA were the kings of the maxi-single. Maxi-singles were 12 inch records with more than the normal 2 songs. Their first one was the Eazy-E maxi-single with "Boyz in tha Hood", "Fat Girl" and "LA is the Place" in 1987. Then came the "Panic Zone", "Dope Man", "8 Ball" maxi, credited to NWA. The picture on that cover was used for the "NWA and the Posse" album, which for some reason, contained the radio version of "8 Ball" instead of the street version. Next came another Eazy-E maxi with "Eazy Duz It", "Ruthless Villian", "Radio", and "Compton's N Tha House", which was only issued on the cassette version as a bonus track. This maxi introduced MC Ren, who stepped in while Ice Cube was away at college. Cube returned for the next NWA maxi with "Gangsta Gangsta", "Something Like That", "Quiet on tha Set", and "Something 2 Dance 2". After all of these maxi-singles, they released the Eazy-E album "Eazy Duz It", followed by the NWA album "Straight Outta Compton". The sixth person on the "Compton" album cover is not The DOC as some have stated, it's Arabian Prince. He was featured on "Something 2 Dance 2", but apparently left the group during the course of recording the album. Since "Something 2 Dance 2" is arguably the weakest song on the album, and is the only song he recorded with the group, it was not a great loss. The bonus tracks on this remastered cd come from the maxi-single released after the album. These were the groups final recordings with Ice Cube. A year later they returned with their final maxi-single "100 Miles and Runnin" which contained the title cut, "Just Don't Bite It", "Sa Prize (Part 2)","Real Ni---z", and "Kamurshol"-a plug for their next forthcoming album released the following year. Those songs are bonus tracks on the remastered version of "Ni---z 4 Life", which musically speaking at least, is better than "Straight Outta Compton" so cop that one too!

The Pinnacle of Gangsta Rap
If you want Gangsta rap look no further than this masterpiece. The songs are violent, hateful, masogonistic, entrenching stereotypes,a nd every other thing that could be potentially viewed as a negative charecteristic. Everything that is bad is featured on this album, however for some reason this album does not either offend or disgust me the least bit. On this album are the obvious clasics: F*ck the Police, Gangsta Gangsta, Straight outta Compton, and a few others. These songs alone are the reason why this album is worth the few bucks that you shall pay for it. Furthermore the new version has a few extra tracks including the ultra masogonistic a B*tch is a B*tch, which however is a classic song and is also a display of some twisted truth.
Furthermore everything on this album is presented honestly and openly. Though it is obvious that Ice Cube doesn't kill Cops for no reason daily, the song does display honesty in the sense that it shows the problems of frusturations faced by people everyday.
High Recommened; Buy It

To answer some guy's question...
There is no dr. ren... Dre, ren, cube, eazy, yella, and probably the doc, the docs solo album is dope , with production by dre.

What You Don't Know?
Man this her is true dope on wax. It started all this gangsta s@#%, Timeless, A Classic.... By the way for the tardy,numb, dumbs; the 6th dude on the cover is the Arabian Prince. Trust that, cuff that, love that. You've now been laced. ... Read more

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After the out-of-nowhere success of Licensed to Ill, the Beasties had to prove they were more than one-album wonders, and they hit it out of the park with this follow-up. The Boys' lyrics are a hysterical deluge of cultural allusion (Ponce De Leon, Sadaharu Oh, and Love Connection's Chuck Woolery all get name-dropped), compressed wordplay, and adenoidal snottiness, but the real stars are the Dust Brothers, whose production is a hip-hop landmark. Their music tracks sound like the history of rock and funk radio boiled down to a pure concentrate--monster jams built out of thousands of unexpected samples (Johnny Cash! The Sweet!). It's a killer party album, kinetic and dense, and it never slows down. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (166)

Are there other albums? I hadn't noticed.
Paul's Boutique is sublime. The Beasties have combined side-splitting humor with groovy sampling with amazing ryhmes to producve the greatest album ever. It opens with a dedication to (who else) all the girls, then a manic drum solo leads you into shake your rump. Shake your rump is decent, but simply can't compare with the next track, Jonny Ryall, with its sweet blues riff and humorous depiction of a New York City bum. The other standouts are the sounds of science, with a slow-to-fast tempo change that really makes it two songs, Hey Ladies, which describes the bboys' exploits with the fair sex, and my personal favorite, eggman. Eggman combines the base and bongos from Curtis Mayfield's Superfly, the theme of psycho, and some amazing rhymes. For example: Which came first: the chicken or the egg? I egged the chicken, and then I ate his leg. In the interests of saving time I won't effuse about the rest of the tracks, except to say that this is the best work the boys have ever done, and it's the best work anyone will ever do. A sample from Beastie-Boy Bouillabase sums it up: It's a trip, it's got a funky beat, and I can bug out to it.

An absolute masterpiece
Every time I listen to this album (and that would be almost every day) I can't help but be awed by one simple thought: by all conventional rules of music, this album is not supposed to work. How many of you could add rhymes like "Tom Thumb/Tom Cushman/or Tom Foolery/date women on TV with the help of Chuck Woolery" over samples of the Commodores AND a cowbell? Can you drop Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff" into a rockabilly groove about a homeless guy? I didn't think so, and it's a testament to the talent of the Beastie Boys and the Dust Brothers that this album not works so well, but that it works at all.

Lyrically, this is probably the most inventive album I've ever heard, as the Beasties will rap about ANYTHING. Pop-culture references include "The Brady Bunch", "The Flintstones", Donald Trump, Humpty Dumpty, Houdini, Ben Franklin, Ponce De Leon, Jack Kerouac, Vincent Van Gogh, Rapunzel, and "Amazing Grace", among others. They're simply hilarious. However, the real highlight of the album is the music, which is unbelievably rich and creative. "Paul's Boutique" contains a mind-numbing **400+** samples, including: Johnny Cash, the Ramones, the Beatles, Isaac Hayes, the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Chic, Public Enemy, Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley, the theme from "Psycho", Sly Stone, Alice Cooper, James Brown, and so many more. The samples are layered and used so creatively that they're never simply theft; instead, they create something new out of something old.

"Paul's Boutique" is not just one of the best rap albums of all time, or one of the best "alternative" albums of all time, or one of the best dance albums of all time. It is one of the best albums ever, period. If you don't own it, it needs to be the next CD you buy.

the album that kicked off the 70s revival
I first heard Paul's Boutique in 1988 after coming back from London. There, a 1970s fashion craze was sharing the stage with acid house, acid jazz, etc. The Beastie Boys were the first to put something out like this in the states.

I love the city street scene on the cover, the dirty sound that smacks of vinyl records and 8 track tapes. Each track is dense with references to pop culture and samples and snippets from everywhere, I don't know how much of the sound is Beastie Boys and how much the Dust Brothers, but it all comes together.

The snot nosed kid sound of Licensed to Ill is still here, looking for a piece of ass and a window to break. Hey Ladies is a fine example of the good natured fun, slightly malicious and politically incorrect. Likewise with Car Thief, but there is a kind of warped record sound that makes it all sound a bit ominous. In the lyrics, there are stirrings of deeper things to come such as A Year and a Day which are gonna lead into the Buddhist chanting and philosophizing in Check Your Head. Most of all it is funny as hell and has an excellent groove from start to finish.

If you buy one Beastie Boys CD this is the one.

whose masterpiece?
the dust brothers? or the beasties?

either way, it's the greatest rap album of all time, hands down. so take that, snoop.

and not only is it the greatest rap album of all time, it's the prototype of beck's mid-90s masterpiece odelay. not bad for a couple whitey nerds from the big apple.

Essential
You don't have to be a BB fan to enjoy this CD. It truly exemplifies musical talent, at a time in the industy when there was freedom of sampling. These guys put together a really incredible compilation of words and sound. A must have in everyone's collection. Just listen! ... Read more

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The very epitome of "been there, done that," LL Cool J also has the distinction of having originated (or, at least, being the most proficient at) half a dozen rap styles. On the hits collection All World, all the phases are represented: he was "hard as hell" on 1986's "Rock the Bells" and again on 1991's "Mama Said Knock You Out"; on 1987's "I Need Love," he was the painfully sappy precursor to Boyz II Men, but he had the formula down pat for 1990's "Around the Way Girl" (and then he went sappy again on 1995's "Hey Lover," a collaboration with the Boyz); and 1988's "Going Back to Cali" found him stylin'. He's had his ups and downs and managed to produce only a couple of truly killer albums, but LL's first dozen years show that he's left his stamp on nearly every facet of the hip-hop world. --Randy Silver ... Read more

Reviews (37)

This album will "crush you like a jelly bean".
In receiving this album you'll be blessed with 16 classic rap tracks from probably the greatest of all time. It starts off with "I Can't Live Without My Radio", the first track off LL's debut "Radio". THEN you get the most famous line of old school rap:"LL Cool J is hard as HELL!" It really takes you back. LL goes hard on tracks like "I'm Bad", and on 1990's "Mama Said Knock You Out". He takes on Kool Moe Dee with the diss-fest "Jack the Ripper" and "Jinglin', Baby", where he tells Dee to "pass the wine cooler you big black....". Of course, no LL album is complete without the slow, affectionate songs dedicated to the ladies. The first is "I Need Love", his first hit to top the charts, then comes "Around the Way Girl", which is possibly the best hip-hop ballad of all time. Then, big L chills with the classic "Going Back to Cali" and then on the upbeat "Boomin' System", all jams full of life today. This album will be played over and over again, mainly for the variety you get. The only downside is that 1989's "I'm That Type of Guy" is missing, and it is sorely missed. But songs like "Big Ole' Butt" and "Back Seat" make up for the egotism displayed on that track. Don't miss it. Crank "Mama Said Knock You Out" and then decide who's the G.O.A.T. LL's been through more bull than any other rapper, and "All World" is just a start of what is to come.

GOAT? Maybe.
In 1987, I was nine years old and this older kid that I knew gave me a bunch of 45s that he had. One of them changed my life forever. The record was by this guy named LL Cool J and the song was "I'm Bad." It was the first time I'd ever heard a hip hop record and I've been hooked (obsessed?) for the past 15 years.

Uncle L has gone through several incarnations and I really don't like anything that he's done since MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT (except for the brief period when the lion was re-awakened by Canibus) but fortunately all the classics are here: "Radio," "Rock the Bells," "Mama Said Knock You Out," and of course "I'm Bad" showcase the self-proclaimed baddest rapper in the history of rap itself, while he still speaks to the ladies with "I Need Love," "Jingling Baby," "Around the Way Girl" and depending on how you look at it, "Big Ole..."

Yeah, LL Cool J in 2002 isn't the same that was LL Cool J in 1991, but nothing great lasts forever. But his work changed my life and I can always relive that with this.

Pretty Good......But
One of LL's strongest suits is that he could take on all comers in the rap game, step his game up whenever and crush 'em (see Canibus). However, one diss record in particular got left of this compilation which was more deserving than "Jack The Ripper", and that was "Till The Break of Dawn" originally on the House Party 2 soundtrack. That record pretty muched sealed Kool Moe Dee's fate and put Ice-T in his place for even thinking he had enough lyrical skill to battle LL. Of course, since this LP came out in '97, I guess we'll have to wait for the song 4,3,2,1 as well as the ultimate diss that ruined Canibus's brief career on his G.O.A.T. LP. However, the remix for "Rock the Bells" is one of the most vicious singles ever released in hip hop and should have been put on this cd as well as the remix for "Doin it". I guess you can't have everything I suppose. But it's an okay compilation.

DYNAMITE ALBUM OF LL's HITS!!!!!
I went and got this album when it came out in '96! Very dynamic album of his hits! He was RUN-D.M.C's stiff competition from 1985-1988, but he had his own agenda in rap. The '85 songs are still raw, the '87 music is still mesmerizing, the one '88 offering is still blistering, the '90s songs were all unique. He proved that rappers could do ballads and still keep their uptempo hardness with I Need Love. I saw him in concert last year and he really tore it up. Excellent revolving lights swirling behind him and his DJ was hot. He had the crowd on its feet too! He is a testament to longevity in rap and most of today's competition needs to use him as a model for their ongoing success. His songs are diverse and he's always challenging himself too with his songs. This is a dynamite album for its 73 minutes--he selected the right and best songs for this collection!!!!!

THE WORLD OF LL.COOL J.
I LOVE THIS CD I LOVE LL COOL J. I LIKED HIM DURING THE 1980'S AND EARLY 1990'S HE DEFINITELY HAS MAD SKILLS I LOVE JUST ABOUT EVERY SONG ON THIS ALBUM . BACK IN THE 1980'S HE WAS ALL OF THAT . I LIKED HIS MUSIC AND I ESPECIALLY LOVE HIS LIPS HE OWNS A SET OF SEXY LIPS ; NOT TO MENTION A HOT BODY AND HE HAS SKILLS TO GO ALONG WITH IT. I USED TO LIKE TO SEE HIM WITH HIS KANGOL, HIS THICK ROPE CHAIN, HIS GOLD RING THAT WENT ON ALL FIVE FINGERS, HIS ADIDAS SWEAT SUITS, AND HIS ADIDAS TENNIS SHOES W/ FAT LACES."OH MY GOODNESS!!!! MY FAVORITE IS GOING BACK TO CALI I LOVE ALL OF THIS MUSIC LL.IS ALL OF THAT MY GOODNESS HE STILL LOOKS GOOD AND STILL CAN SING WELL !!!

MY FAVORITES ARE : GOING BACK TO CALI, RADIO, I NEED LOVE , AND ,MANY OTHERS. THEREFORE IF YOU ARE A LL.COOL J FAN OR IF YOU WERE ONE BACK IN THE 1980'S THEN THEREFORE I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU BUY THIS CD!!!!!! ... Read more

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After he gained legendary status rapping on Doug E. Fresh's "La Di Da Di," it was only a matter of time before the world would clutch British-born Ricky Walters to its heart. Rick had already fancied himself a rabid storyteller (and a mighty good one) on Fresh's track "The Show," and Great Adventures became Slick Rick's novella. Not content with one perspective, Slick Rick often employed tag-team rhyming with himself as his own partner ("Mona Lisa," "Teacher Teacher"). His cautionary tales ("Hey Young World," "Children's Story," "Teenage Love") work much better than his freaky tales ("Treat Her Like a Prostitute," "Indian Girl"). Still, it doesn't take a musicologist to appreciate the complex rhyme schemes and scenarios of "The Moment I Feared," "Children's Story," and "Mona Lisa," and his slight accent heightened his distinctiveness. Despite lukewarm response to his follow-up--as well as a stint in the pokey--Slick Rick will always be remembered for his Great Adventures, an essential B-boy document. --Todd Inoue ... Read more

Reviews (43)

THE BEST "STORYTELLING" RAP ALBUM
Ooh-wee! This record is THAT good. This is one of those classics that is described as "timeless". Probably no one was, is, and will be a better griot than the infectious and intriguing Slick Rick. Check out socially-conscious songs like the reggae-flavored, child-advice-driven "Hey Young World" and "Children's Story", the latter in which he tells the tragic cop-chasing story of a teenage criminal, with that trademark humor, although he reminds us of the seriousness of the matter: "...don't you dare laugh". Then there are the songs in which he just gets dirty and humorous. In "Treat Her Like A Prostitute", Slick Rick gives three examples to support his theory on heterosexual relationships: Be cautious of your mate. Then there's "Indian Story", a cativating, highly hilarious tale of a fictional, sexual relationship between Davy Crockett and a Native American damsel, although Slick stops it from being perfect at the end by bad stereotyping. And in "Kit (What's The Scoop?)", Slick is caught up in a conspiracy to cause his fall from the hip-hop throne, although he ends up victorious "'cause [he's] the king of this"...In fact there is no single weak cut in this LP; the weakest one is probably "Teenage Love" in which the Ruler makes a little-bit-above-average effort to talk about love. Sure, he ain't no LL, but this record is hot as hell; one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Buy it, pop it in, and enjoy.

Great '80s hip-hop
The Adventures of Slick Rick was his debut and is a great old-school hip-hop album. This album is a good balance of both hip-hop and more laid back songs bordering on R&B. Slick Rick's lyrics and his British accent are very distinctive to some of his hip-hop counterparts. Some of the lyrics are downright hysterical, particularly on the lewd and crude "Treat Her Like A Prostitute" and "Indian Girl (An Adult Story)". There's also other strong tracks here like "The Moment I Feared", "Mona Lisa", and the inspirational "Hey Young World". The best tracks are two hip-hop classics. "The Ruler's Back", with its melodic horns and laid-back delivery, and "Children's Story", with its chilling lyrics and melody, are two of the best hip-hop songs ever. The only misstep on the album would have to be "Teenage Love", a slower R&B ballad, which seems out of place with the rest of the album. The other tracks on the album are pretty decent. Definitely worth checking out, especially for "The Ruler's Back" and "Children's Story".

Essential Classic
One of, if not the best, hiphop albums EVER. If you call yourself a rap fan and dont have this, then your opinion is garbage, because every TRUE rap fan/hiphop head HAS THIS. NO EXCEPTIONS. IF YOU DONT HAVE IT, YOU ARE A POP FAN (Feminem, She-12, 50cent, ja rule, jay-z, lil jon, ETC). To put it in a more simple way for those hipPOP $h!t d%cks, without The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, you ARE NOT A RAP FAN. YOUR A PRETENDER. And if you go out and get it now, you still aint a rap fan, coz its taken you 16 years to get it.

Anyway, this album goes down as probably the best, if not it is one of. His storytelling is hilarious, every song has awesome lyrics, and the beats are TOP-NOTCH. Just listen to this album and you will see how every rapper these days bite slick rick. Even rappers from the mid-90's stole some of his lines. For example, Biggie Smalls "Hypnotize", the chorus is straight up taken from Slick Rick's classic La-di Da-di w/ Doug E. Fresh. Anyway this is absolutely essential to own, best songs would have to be all the songs. They are all GUARANTEED CLASSICS. But my favorite would be Indian Girl - The storytelling is incredible and the lyrics are HILARIOUS. My other favorites are Children's Story, another song with fantastic storytelling, and Let's Get Crazy - another incredible song, the beat is off the hook.

Forget all these other rappers, eminem, jay-z, ja rule, d12, lil jon, all these MTV and radio d!ckr!ders. Look at TRUE hiphop, not this modern bull$h!t POP garbage. You will be blown away by The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick.

One of the last legendary MC's to be respected...
I was only 11 when I first bought this on a cassette and remember playing it to death that the tape was so worned out that you could hear static in the background from so much usage. What is there to say about this word salad MC/story teller? For starters, being a London-native and then facing possible deportation charges presently, Slick Rick got his break from Doug E. Fresh and the rest was history. In this album you will notice that this is one of the first rap albums to be put with the PARENTAL ADVISORY sticker on.

From the classic bedtime story 'Children's Story', to the adolescent-conscience song 'Hey Young World', Slick Rick has proved to be versatile and yet stong with his message to my generation (Generation X) and for the next generations to come. 'Teenage Love' is a classic ballad of love lost and how we used to yearn for that special someone to be true to us. If you love stories that involves violence (for example, Biggie Smalls stories of blazing and killing people) 'The Moment I Feared' is a classic story that put us right in his world to see what he was doing before he was big!

I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone kid out there that loves stories and can appreciate TRUE hip-hop that really meant something. Not to be dissin' all the other great MC's like 2Pac, Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls, and Eminem to name a few. But these were the real deal that was all about love and respect. And for any TRUE HIP-HOPPER that loves classic rap at its best!

The BLUEPRINT for STORYTELLING!!!!
NO ONE who listens to any form of hip hop can deny Slick Rick's strength when it comes to storytelling. It wouldn't be a form of any type if The Ruler didn't set the stage for it all. With the release of his debut album in 88, he did it with SUPREME finesse, like no other BEFORE him and certainly AFTER him(maybe with Nas, Jay-Z, Kool G.Rap, and others). This album truly defines what storytelling in hip hop is supposed to be like. Here's the review:

Album Highlights: EVERY song on this album is BRILLIANT, nuff said.

Production: Thumbs up, most people to this day don't have any clue that some of the beats on this album was handled by Public Enemy's own Bomb Squad.

Lyrics and Subject Matter: Thumbs way, way up. Like I said, Slick Rick set the blueprint for storytelling in hip hop.

Originality: Thumbs up, no one, other that Kool G. Rap, was coming with such profound storytelling in hip hop in 88.

The Last Word: ANOTHER landmark moment in hip hop. It was pregnant with landmark moments in 88. This is album is EXCELLENT in every sense of word, and you owe it to yourself to own this album. A STRONG RECOMMENDATION from me. If you like hip hop in ALL of its true glory and form, this album is for you. ... Read more

Reviews (70)

Get this one for sure.
Since everyone in the entire world is stupid except me, and Paul's Boutique was NOT the commercial blockbuster smash that the Beastie Boys' record company had hoped, the boys went back into the studio and thought, "Well, we gotta try SOMETHING new. Otherwise we'll get dropped again and it'll be over for good." So they started playing their own instrunents, something that hadn't been done in rap EVER (at least I can't think of anything off the top of my head that sounds like this). Yes you get several awesome wonderful fuzzed-out riff rockers like "Finger Lickin' Good" and the two MTV megahits "So Whatcha Want," and "Pass The Mic." HOWEVER, you also get some lazy "dub" and "funk" instrumentals like "Lighten Up." Now I know that these instrumentals offer a nice break between the rockers, but the fact remains that there are simply too many of 'em. I also don't really like the Sly Stone cover. But it's only like two minutes long, so as soon as you get sick of it, it's gone.

Coolest sample on the album: RIGHT THERE at the end of "Finger Lickin' Good" the Beastie Boys rap about something and end it with "stuff," and then Bob Dylan's voice comes out of nowhere and sings "I'm goin' back to New York City I do believe I've had enough" (from "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"). A great moment.

When they were good...
Now that the Beastie Boys are a trio of aging activists, it's time to look back at their career in a retrospective manner. Check Your Head is easily their most diverse and accessible album. One song that stands out as an example to their multiple talents is Gratitude. It's a catchy, funky little rock song with a punk attitude, and it has about as much to do with rap as my grandmother. The first time I heard this album in completion, I was trying to guess what kind of music the next song would be. I was wrong half of the time. There's even some old school hardcore punk from the Boys' earlier days. It took a long for something to replace this album in my stereo. I was addicted to the bumping guitar chunk of "So Watcha' Want?", the mixed bag of bass lines on "Pass The Mic", and Adrock's rhymes on "The Maestro". Sad to say, we may never see these days again. The Beastie's are out there playing the political game now, forgetting that there are lots of fans over here that remember the days when they could make you "Shake Your Rump". I heard about their new album coming out, and honestly, I don't even want to hear it. I'd rather have them be remembered for this masterpiece instead of some anti-Bush soapbox album. Check Your Head will never be regarded as one of the top Hip Hop albums of all time, but it should definitely be known as one of the top albums of all time period.

Check Your Collection
"Check Your Head" by the Beastie Boys is their 3rd full length LP, released in '92. Songs like "Jimmy James" "Pass the Mic" "Gratitude" and "So What'cha Want" really make this album stand out. The rhyming is good, the beats are catchy, and when they play their own instruments, King Ad Rock, Mike D and MCA play them well. The song "Gratitude" is possibly the best song lyrically on this album as well as a funky bassline and powerful guitar chords and words from Ad Rock. A very good song, a very good album. Pick this one up, you won't be let down.

Uh-mazing!
I love this CD. Seriously, it has it all: some great funk, heavy bass, a little bit of hardcore, mixin' it up with distorted vocals, great instrumentals, well I could just go on for forever really. Paul's Boutique showcased the boys range in the field of hip hop (Said range being off the charts and unparalleled.), while Check Your Head is a great (if scaled down) blend of that amazing range, their own prowess with instruments and some pulsating funk. LOVE. IT. Also, there is an emergence of a social conscience via MCA that becomes more prevalent as time goes by.

Hat trick!
The first three Beastie Boys CDs were solid masterpieces. I can't decide which of the three is the best--LICENSED TO ILL, PAUL'S BOUTIQUE or, this, CHECK YOUR HEAD. Does it really matter? They're all marvels of funk, rock, and hiphop. What set this CD apart were the jazzy sections, played by the boys themselves (with some critical help on keyboards). For more than a decade, this CD has earned a permanent spot on my tray, and has quite easily held its place on my "What ten albums would I want if I were stuck on an island (preferrably Manhattan island)?" list.

My personal favorites are "So What'chu Want?", "Pass the Mic" and "Something's Got to Give". One of the shining moments to me, as for several other reviewers, is hearing Dylan's voice singing "I'm going back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough" on "Finger-Licking Good". Which brings me to one other observation: The Beastie Boys are to New York as The Beach Boys were to California. CHECK YOUR HEAD, like all other Beastie CDs, is a tribute to their hometown, and they projected an image of it that is uniquely theirs. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The hiatus is back off, again, for the Beastie Boys, and music lovers will bob their heads with insuppressible glee. With its Nice & Smooth impersonations and shout outs to Brooklyn's Albee Square Mall, To the 5 Boroughs, their first album in six years, harkens the return of the trio to the city that made them who they are today. It's an up-tempo yet surprisingly homogenous assemblage of vintage electro-style party beats, and it's a strictly Beastie affair: the Boys co-wrote and produced each track themselves, which means that it sports none of the sonic fripperies and quirky collaborations that distinguished previous classics such as Paul's Boutique. Finally jelling after two years of on-again, off-again recording, To the 5 Boroughs will appeal to those fans old enough to remember the Licensed to Ill tour. Those old-schoolers are sure to appreciate the album's mostly off-the-cuff lyrics and minimal-to-the-extreme musical landscape--even if its stripped-down sound may leave others longing for the days when the Boys were California dreamin'. --Rebecca Levine ... Read more

Reviews (389)

To the 5 Bur... oh, these lyrics suck!
Let's just say, some of the beats on this album are outstanding, the already released single "Ch-Check it Out", "Right Right Now Now", "We Got The", and "That's It, That's All" are some stand outs. The problem, though, is that the Beastie Boys are rapping over these beats.

Basically, there are two problems with the lyrics. We have the Beastie Boys current "left-wing, political hellraisers (although still politically correct!)" lyrics... if you heard their free internet release last year, you know what I'm talking about. The second problem? Lack of originality. The Beastie Boys keep referencing the same damn things, making their lyrics seem less and less fresh with each outing. Where's the clever wordplay? Seem's the Boys are content to rehash their old references, and have completely replaced all their witty wordplay with crappy politically correct messages.

I liked 'em more when Mike D's name was Clarence... the new Beastie Boys would say "Hey **** You" to that, then back track and say they love all people of all races and sexual preferences and that war is wrong. Thanks, but I'll pass.

Bottom Line:
Only the beats save the CD,

Beastie Are Back
This is a classic Beastie Boys CD. The sound is a mix between their old stuff (like License to Ill) and then their newer stuff (Hello Nasty). As hard as it is to rank their CDs, this is surely a keeper. For the Beastie Boys to be able to stay on top of the game for as long as they have, and keep coming up with new, fresh sounds while staying true to their roots and themselves, makes these guys amazing. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who likes the Beastie Boys or their style of music.

And I don't even like rap
Ok, I have to start by saying that I am pretty open to different musical flavors, but it's not like I'm going to by a Ludacris album or something. I'm a heavy metal guy that back when I was about 8 years old got Licensed to Ill on LP. Yes I had old fashioned records when I was a kid. Back then the Beasties seemed kind of rock & rap and it was cool. Around the same time Run DMC did their thing with Aerosmith. My friends and I loved Beasties and Run DMC and also listened to Metallica and Megadeth. Weird combination.

I started thinking about the Beasties again years back when I saw Intergalactic on MTV. I thought to myself "I'm not supposed to like this anymore, but I can't help it." They're just great musicians. They have a sense of humor that is great. I love the sounds that they create as well as the way their three very different vocals combine into a tight weave that is very cool to listen to.

So a couple years ago I picked up the Sounds of Science figuring it would probably be the last album I'd buy, but it had all the hits that I liked as a kid and Sabotage and Intergalactic. It ended up growing on me, especially all the ones I had never heard. Remember, I went from Licensed to Ill straight to Intergalactic on MTV. Now, I picked up this album, and yes, I,Metalhead, am hooked on it. It's been in my cd player for three days now. This goes to show that the Beastie Boys have an appeal beyond typical rap fans.

My favorite songs on the album are Check it Out and An Open Letter to NYC. So if you don't think rap is for you and you think you should only listen to what you usually listen to, just listen to some samples of this album. You'll like what you're missing.

it takes time to build
My first few reactions after listening to the beasties cd was 'too old school- outdated;' and 'kinda boring beats' and 'too political'. But, I kept thinking this is the M.F. Beastie Boys, so I gave it a few more try's.

After listening to it over and over and over the better and catchier it gets. Its one of those CD's where the more you listen to it, the better it gets. Its an awesome CD and you can tell they put a lot of time into their lyrics (rhyming, rythem, and pitch); I love this CD and I refuse to remove it from my CD player. Old school stuff like this, with a sort-of new electronical-space sound is wayyyy better than the s..t most rappers are coming out with today. We get a taste of the 'real' Beastie Boys in this CD, along with the fun B.B. stuff too.
I recommend reading the lyrics and trying to rap/sing with them. Its way fun.

Beastie Boy Consistency
Like some other reviewers I will have to agree that this is not their best album. What I will say is that it is no less enjoyable than any if the others. When I first heard the single "Ch- Check it out ", I had mixed opinions on how this album would sound, but I knew that I would enjoy it simply because it is by the Boys. After I bought the album and read the lyrics, I immediately heard the difference in this album. Primarily, there is much more profanity than there was on hello nasty. (Which I must add was thier worst album). This album has amazing beats that are repetative, but very delightful even after the fourteeth time I listened to the album. As I ride in my car, I find myself laughing out loud to some of the lyrics as simple as they are. It is in my opinion that these guys are getting older, but unlike 13 years ago are not taking the "Hard" approach to hip-hop, simply having fun, and enjoying what they do while laughing at themselves. In one song MCA is rhyming about a sandwich,"I'd like a lettuce, tomato and muenster on rye. All this cheese is gonna make me cry. Gorgonzola, provolone, don't even get me started on this microphone." WTF? I listened carefully and just started laughing and imagined how funny it must have been to hear that while recording. There are some songs where they take the political approach, but at least they have opinions unlike so many other people in this country. And they have a right to state there views in any way they can. Think about it, hundreds of songs that they have rhymed over and sometimes there are other things to talk about, unless you would like to hear them rhyme about bling or bitches, wait... they did that 18 years ago and they have gotten past that... Right?. Here is a question for the pessimistic; What would you like to hear them rhyme about?....? Anyway, I am not trying to sell anyone on this album, but I certainly am enjoying it. As for you guys that are getting older like me and sit back and listen to Check Your Head, reflecting on how cool you were back then, and wish you could time warp to that era by another Beastie Boys album such as that.... Get Over It! It will never happen again, you are CHANGING and so are they.That album was a classic and should remain unique and not copied or supplemented. These guys changed music 15 years ago, they have done their job now there job is to do nothing, but give us the same reliable consistency of music that they have given us for years. This album is rough and hard and unlike hello nasty doesn't sound like they are going to retire anytime soon.

Listen, by this album if you are a Beastie Boys fan and if you do not enjoy it, keep it simply because it is a Beastie boys album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's not quite the first rap record, or the best, but Rapper's Delight--15 glorious minutes of the bass line from Chic's "Good Times," with a New Jersey crew spieling goofy routines about Superman and bad food on top--is one king hell of a party-starter. After that, they could have filled the rest of the disc with crowd noise and gotten away with it, but the Sugarhill Gang had a bunch of other party-jam hits, notably the almost-as-indelible "Apache" and "8th Wonder." Those songs show up here too, along with some entertaining non-hits and "Showdown," their rap-off with the Furious Five. What they're saying isn't really the point; the point is to move the crowd, and they're still hip-hop's greatest entertainers. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Own a piece of music history with this album
Rapper's Delight is the best rap song I've ever heard, bar none. You simply don't hear rhymes like these anymore. It was a simpler and more innocent world back then, when compared to the issues they put on record these days. I only wish that more songs like this existed today. The remaining tracks are OK. An important album to own, because it's the first commercial rap song ever to made the charts. What amazes me more is the fact that how much ground this group broke and how little credit they received. They deserved a lot more. A recommended album for casual listeners and fans alike.

pretty good greatest hits collection
the reason this cd gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because I bought this cd thinking i was gonna get the full 15 minute version of rappers delight, which i didnt, so i was greatly disappointed in that. Other then that, this cd if filled with a bumch of feel good rap songs from back in the day. tracks 1 and 2 are the best in my opinion, but there arent really any BAD songs on the whole cd, seeing how it is a greatest hits cd. If your not a huge fan of sugarhill gang, just soneone looking for some good ald school rap, then go get sugarhill gangs first greatest hits cd, but if your a big sugarhill gnag fan, like me, then go pick up there first greatest hits cd and this one.

Best of the Rap Pioneers
The Sugarhill Gang were the first true Rap Artists. "Rapper's Delight", the first charted Hit emerging from the reshaped music scene, replacing the dying Disco Era, and sticking around for much longer than the predicted "6 month fad". Several MAJOR hits are in this package, all full length (7 minutes or more) versions. My personal favorite is the twangy remake of the 60's Surf Instrumental "Apache", flavored with excellent rap vocals. Fans of the Rap Music Genre will be "delighted". The price is definitely an easy sell. Good luck finding the original 12 inch Maxi Singles this cheap (if at all). The Originals are almost always the BEST. Sugarhill Gang proves the theory. Highly recommended!*****

BADBOYKILLA IS RIGHT
We gotta have respect for the Old School. Groups like The Sugar Hill Gang and A Tribe Called Quest and Run DMC basically created rap. Nelly... Nelly is Pretty good, so is Jay Z, but Project Pat? This Generation of kids and pplz are only listenin to commercial rap. For example, P. Diddy was better when he was Puff Daddy. Now Hes all bout the bling bling. Tupac... TUPAC IS THE BEST. An awesome rapper and a lyrical mastermind... you cant top that. and you cant top OLD SCHOOL... So next time you read a review, dont read a review dissin the Original Hip-Hoppers... oh yea, one more group... THE FUGEES... THE SCORE IS A LYRICAL MASTERPEICE... BUY IT!

Super Pimp is an idiot
It's idiots like Super Pimp you shouldn't listen to. It's idiots like Super Pimp who just don't appreciate where rap started. It's idiots like Super Pimp who don't even deserve to listen to rap music, real rap or crap music. Super Pimp is the prime example of what I ALWAYS talk about when I review a REAL RAP album- an idiot who listens to CRAP music. The Sugarhill Gang started this whole hip-hop thing, which means no matter what, you HAVE to have respect for these guys.

I just couldn't believe this idiot's review on these guys when I read the reviews. It really amazes me that this person, claiming he started listening to rap when gangsta rap started, actually has the guts to go out and give lip to the ones who truly started it all. And the CDs he listed that are "better" than this is just APPAULING! WHO IN THE RIGHT MIND WOULD SAY THAT GAY-Z and NELLY ARE BETTER THAN THE ONES WHO STARTED IT ALL?? Super Pimp, unless you weren't dropped on your head when you were a baby, you're the world's most stupidest idiot. By the sounds of things, you have absolutely NO IDEA what rap REALLY is. You claim that you started listening to rap when gangsta rap came out, yet I didn't see a single gangsta rap album on that list. You call Nelly and Gay-Z "gangsta rap"? Please, that's an insult! Project Pat, who the f*ck is Project Pat? Must be another stupid idiot who just doesn't understand rap music.

"This is the kind of rap that you should avoid"... Tell me fool, why is it that Sugarhill Gang gets HIGHER points for their CDs than Nelly and Gay-Z compared? BECAUSE THEY ARE BETTER THAN THEM! You are just the prime example why you shouldn't even be listening to rap music. Well of course the beats are dull, it was made back in to 70's, you stupid idiot! You seem to think you know everything about rap music when you don't know a single god-damn thing! It's boring and stupid because you cannot appreciate where rap started, which is sad really. You're a total idiot, don't even bother reviewing REAL RAP albums when you don't know what you're talking about. And believe me, you DO NOT know what you're talking about.

People, don't listen to idiots like Super Pimp. It's people like him who don't deserve to listen to rap music. The Sugarhill Gang are truly legends- they started it all. This CD is a classic, gathering their many hits. And believe me, you'll enjoy this timeless classic rather than those stupid things that belong in the trash by Gay-Z, Nelly or any worthless rapper for that matter. Stick with listening REAL RAP music, the rap coming out today is total trash and is the reason why people are calling rap "crap". Super Pimp, think before you speak ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

By 1994 the Beasties had settled into their cultural role as the grand arbiters of cool, and Ill Communication is pretty much a catalog of coolness: live funk, a bit of hardcore, ingenious samples of obscure records, keyboards by analogue master Money Mark, guest shots by Q-Tip and Biz Markie, MCA's cop-show metal number "Sabotage," and the inevitable cascade of witty old-school rhymes. But it's also a surprisingly mature record from a band that had, after all, been at it for 12 years already. The original jazz-funk instrumentals hold their own with the group's favorite sample sources. Their voices are modestly buried in the mix, and they've tempered their old snottiness with lyrical compassion: check out "Bodhisattva Vow," a salute to Buddhist spirituality. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (90)

I would give it 10 stars if I could...
The Beastie Boys cannot be limited to just one type of music. "Rap" simply does this great band absolutely no justice. If you are new to the b-boys, GET THIS CD! Sure shot, Tough guy, Root Down, Sabotage, Freak Freak, Get it togeter, Flute Loop, Do it, Heart Attack Man, EVERY single song is awesome. The b-boys have it all, hardcore rock with sabotage, Funky rhythyms with Freak freak, punkish H.A.M., and pure rap like get it together and do it. Even the instrumentals are great with the crazy violin and all. These MCs are the best ever, and Ill communication is their best cd by far. I like the new flavor in Hello Nasty, afterall bands do evolve, especially the b-boys, and i like the old school stuff like license to ill. Paul's B is good too. But this Cd is definitely worth every penny, 20 tracks that flow smoothly and keep the energy from Sure shot all the way to Transitions, the b-boys have truly found themselves with this must-have album. Adrock, Mike D, and MCA will always be the best.

Dopeness
This is probably one of the Beastie Boys' most well-known albums. It's not their greatest, but it's excellent and provides some of the Beasties' best moments. Ill Communication doesn't really depart from its predecesor Check Your Head. Rather, it continues the direction the Boys were going with Check Your Head. However, Ill still sounds different from ...Head. It's a little more sample-based, features fewer instrumental tracks, and is a little less lo-fi so to speak. "Sure Shot" is a classic, "Sabatoge" is as energetic as it was back then, and "Get It Together" features Q-Tip when ATCQ was still alive and well. The instrumental tracks such as "Ricky's Theme" and "Sabrosa" are also very good. The one problem with the album is that there's a little too much distortion on some the Boys' vocals on some of the vocal tracks. But otherwise, Ill Communication is practically flawless. If you're a fan or even if you're not a fan, get this album. Just don't expect an album of "Sabatoge"'s like some people did back then.

Great, great, great, great album
Again, the Beastie Boys are phenomenal. Continuing with the "yes we play our own instruments and we're pretty damn good at it too" trend that Check Your Head introduced, the Beasties tear it up on Ill Communication. (Not to mention make the best video second to Thriller with their single Sabotage) I can see why the Beasties don't have incredible radio airplay success, their style is too diverse, not only within an album, but within one song. However, this diversity is never confusing or unsure, even when it is within an individual song. The only thing that is confusing is how they come up with their sounds and ideas. No, not confusing. Just incredible. Anyways, I love Sure Shot, Sabotage, Root Down, and the interesting Bodhisavatta Vow. (MCA continues his spiritual growth and implements it in the Beastie's sound without sounding pretentious or snide, a difficult feature.) So there it is. Buy the friggin' album already!

The Beasties at their most eclectic
On Ill Communication, the Beastie Boys continued the direction of their previous album Check Your Head, growing from strictly a rap group to a band that had its own distinctive sound. Once again they played their own instruments on many of the tracks and continued to expand their musical palette. While the vocal tracks are not as consistently strong as their first three albums, it's the eclecticism that makes this a great album that becomes more rewarding with repeated listens.

There are several excellent tracks here with some of the vocal tracks such as "Root Down", "Sure Shot", "Get It Together", which features Q-Tip, and the hit single "Sabotage" being among their best rap songs. On these tracks, they continue to shine lyrically using their trademark old school references, especially on "Sure Shot." But just as they've matured musically, one only need to listen to the lyrics on "Bodhisattva You", in which MCA speaks of his Buiddhist faith, to see that the band has matured lyrically as well. The tracks "Heart Attack Man" and "Tough Guy" show the band recalling their early punk roots. However, it's the instrumentals here such as the jungle rhythms of "Shabala" and "Bobo On The Corner", the chaotic "Futterman's Rule", the warped "Eugene's Lament", and the slow jazz of "Ricky's Theme" that make the album a cohesive whole. The tracks "Sabrosa", "B-Boys Makin'With The Freak Freak", "Flute Loop", and the solemn album closer "Transitions" are also very good. Further illustrating the mood and diversity of the album is that the vocals are often distorted and dominated in the mix by the music, especially on the second half of the album. All told, this is the sound of a band evolving, a band that continues to challenge themselves with each release. Highly recommended.

WHERE DO I START?
THESE GUYS WERE GOOD WHEN THEY CAME OUT, BUT THIS ALBUM WAS BY FAR THE BEST. NO TRACK WAS UNLISTENABLE, AND AT LEAST 50-100 LISTENS SINCE I BOUGHT THIS AT THE TIME OF RELEASE, IS HOW MUCH I HAVE LISTENED TO THIS. I MEAN I HAVE 450 CD'S OR AROUND THAT NUMBER, SO TO PLAY IT THAT MUCH, MEANS IT IS GOOD, AND THIS IS GOOD.

5 STARS MINIMUM ... Read more

Amazon.com

This debut album, basically a collection of early singles ("Eric B. Is President," "I Know You Got Soul," the title track), is the motherlode of late-'80s New York rap--assured, serious, and hugely influential. Rakim, a rapper's rapper, is the Chow Yun-Fat of hip-hop: cool as steel, absolutely calm, absolutely deadly. His verbal wit and rhythmic gift go hand-in-hand. He flows like a waterfall, playing around the beat, leaping from one ingenious phrase to another, letting the words do all the work. And Eric B.? He comes up with some straightforward but effective backing tracks (he favors James Brown grooves), scratches on a couple of block-rocking instrumentals, and makes room for the master to do his thing. --Douglas Wolk ... Read more

Reviews (48)

I AIN'T NO JOKE 1987
THIS ALBUM IS FULL OF RHYMES,DJ CUTS,AND BEATS.PAID IN FULL IS THE ALBUM THAT TAKES YOU INTO THE WORLD OF HIP HOP MUSIC YOU NEVER HEARD
BEFORE.RAKIM (RHYMER,MC,AND POET) WHO IS THE MAN OF RAP MUSIC.
'ERIC B IS ON THE CUT' WAS ABOUT THE SKILLS OF ERIC B.IF YOU LISTED TO IT NOW IT WILL TAKE YOU BACK.

Definantly worth 5 Mics
This is one of the most reveared albums in hip hop history and it is the debut by a good DJ and a excellent MC this was so big in 1987 along with others like Boogie Down Productions-Criminal Minded and Public Enemy-Yo bum rush the show.This album is recommended to any fan of music this is the duo at there best.
1.I aint no joke-A classic single by the Duo 10/10
2.Eric B.is on the cut-A mix song by Eric B this is good
3.My Melody-Increddible ripping of the mic by Rakim 10/10
4.I Know you got soul-The third classic on here 10/10
5.Move the crowd-just short of classic status still great 10/10
6.Paid in Full-4th classic cut on here 10/10
7.As the rhyme goes on-yet another great rip 10/10
9.Eric B.is President-1st single for them is classic 10/10
There are numerous classic songs on here strongly recomended
Lyrics 10/10 Production 9/10 X Factor 10/10 Style 10/10 Voice10
Music 10/10 Innovative 10/10 Classic 10/10 Guest 10/10 Blends10
Overall=99 wich just miss 5 Mic classics but still is classic

Its that good
Its the best and its probably one of the few albums from that era that stands the test of time. I still listen to it today. I Know You Got Soul is one of the greatest songs ever. If your into rap and are young, educate yourself and get this. Rakim in his prime would rip Feminem in three.

Hip - Hop at its best
Before paid in full dropped, Hip Hop and fat shoe laces were in fashion and each stood as good a chance as the other to remain in vogue. Some talented acts like Run - DMC, the Fat Boys, Whodini and LL.Cool.J kept Hip Hop on the radar scope but rap as a staple genre was nowhere near being a fixture in our culture. But then came the summer of 1986 and Hip-Hop was about to be hit with a bombs shell. Now what could be so ground breaking you ask and I'll tell you. We heard Rakim! for the first time and we knew the game hade changed forever. His flow was in fact, just like the waters of the Nile; cool, deep, and flowing north against the grain of every MC out there at the time and all since. Rakim's flow seemed somehow ahead of its time yet familiar, as if he'd always been there, from the ancient Pyramids to suede Pumas, and all the while he had us whistling his "Melody". This album cemented hip hop in our culture and yes Rakim still remains the standard by which all great MC's are measured. That makes Paid in Full arguably one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Just keep in mind that this Disc is almost 20 years old but if you need to know where modern Hp-Hop Started its right here on this Disc. So for all you young cats out there listen and learn.

just to clear it up
rakim produced most of the stuff on the eric b and rakim albums, not eric b. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

classic ...rap
... luke and his boys wrote the rap book about sexually lyrics, this is like all of 2 live crew's cd's this is legendary for this is the cd that caused controversy, there is plenty of music just as obscene as this, i say take everybody to court on this. luke don't stop,if madonna can kiss women, ... you know the deal.

number 1 ever
i got these cd 12 years ago it is the BEST RAP album ever luke and the boys really made music history wit these one all the songs on here are awesome get this record for your wife she will love it cant wait for lukes new cd

The Eddie Murphy's Of Rap Live!
These guys were vulgar to be sure but their music had surprising soul and humor and was more fun than a lot of rap music of today! Not recommended for children though! DEFINITELY AN ADULTS ONLY PARTY!

THE WAY IT SHOULD BE DONE.
This must be one of my favorite old school rap cds of all time.The beats are really good and rapping flows with the raw lyrics.Not many rap groups could be as good as this group.I would recommend this to any fan of real rap and not fake sell out rap like 50 cent and eminem.

Classic Hip Hop
In '89, Broward County just didn't get it--fortunately, the courts did, and the 2 Live lawsuit got laughed out of court. It's listed as a rap record, but you could easily find it in the comedy section if you looked hard enough.

This isn't offensive--but what it is is some of the best rhymes, and best scratching this side of Eric B. & Rakim since... well, it still holds up. I was bumpin' "Me So Horny" the other night, and everybody got their freak flag out. When a 14 year old rap song still works after all this time, that says more than I ever could.

The follow-up "Banned In The U.S.A." isn't nearly as good, but it's better than the edited version of "Nasty...". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Can LL still make a case for being the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time)? Well, let's just say that this position is becoming more difficult to defend. Enlisting the talents of Timbaland to sonically sculpt most of his 11th record is a wise move. The hook-driven jump-off "Headsprung" fits perfectly into its current urban-music landscape. Conceptually, "Move Somethin'" reveals that LL can still flip nouveau rap flows when called upon. The problem is that LL Cool J long ago decided to stop being "hard as hell," instead allowing his R&B-rapper persona to creep in further. Thus, a lot of this release, much like his most recent previous efforts, is filled with offensively boring love songs. Even with R. Kelly dropping by and Timbaland delivering fantastic synthesizer blasts, LL's boasts of getting better with age simply do not hold up. The great ones never know when to throw in the towel--or at least slow down the output--and only LL diehards will lick their lips to this one. --Dalton Higgins ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

American bands have never gotten in the habit of their British counterparts, who tend to release lots of extended singles filled out with not-meant-for-prime-time experimentations. If the Beasties had gotten into that habit, this would be their B-side compendium: a dozen instrumental tracks showing off their groovier side, complete with plenty of wah peddle on the guitar and prominence given to frequent Beastie collaborators "Money" Mark Nishita (keyboards) and Eric Bobo (percussion). It's tough to believe that the same band is responsible for this and the Aglio e Olio EP, but it goes a long way in explaining how they've remained viable for so long. --Randy Silver ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Instrumental Masters
When I first heard the Beasties, I didnt much like their voices. Then a friend put me onto "The In Sound From Way Out", a totally instrumental compilation of songs from their various studio albums. I was blown away buy the talent of this trio and their obvious mastery of a whole range of instruments and sounds. All three Beasties can play a multitude of different instruments and they combine beautifully together to give really funky pieces that you cannot get sick of.

This is a teriffic album and made me appreciate the true musical talent these guys poses and allowed me to get into their other tunes too. Now I am a Beastie fan, owning most of their stuff and diggin there style. These guys are not just mere rappers, but very talented musicians and composers to boot. Every track is worthwhile as they showcase their abilities on a range of different instruments, producing different musical styles with a distinctive groovy, funky feel. You wont be disappointed!

Beastie boys prove themselves to be more, than just rappers
An Album that was released only in France via their Beastie Boys club, finally gets to play to a wider audience. This is a purely instrumental album that culls some of the dynamic instrumentation & Stylistic diversity found on the Beastie's albums (especially "Paul's Boutique" & "Check your Head" albums). In actual fact, there's very little in the way of traditional Hip-Hop to be found here, as Gritty Funk and loose soul grooves make up much of the running order here. If most Hip-Hop acts could put together something as Elaborately funky or as jazzily sophisticated as "Namaste", "Groove Holmes" or "Rickys Theme" more people would seek out instrumental versions of their favourite albums. This bear in mind is all the more impressive by the fact that the beastie boys actually play their own instruments (one would assume with the help of session players). For people that like funk/ Groovy Soul or actually occasionally purchase instrumental albums, this purchase is a no brainer....because it's a fantastically realised album showing the beastie boys albums were built on a strong sonic foundation. For those unsure (like I was for a brief period before contemplating buying this) dig out your old beastie boys records (more specifically "Paul's Boutique / Check your Head"),and listen to some of your favourite tracks.....could you handle listening to them without the vocals???, your answer should make the decision as to whether or not to buy the album much easier.

Ummm, save your money
I'm a huge proponent of the Beastie's but was disappointed by this lackluster effort. I was under the impression that the instrumentals included on the cd were extended versions of past efforts, but I was mistaken. The instrumentals were just taken from their respective cds and plopped all on one disc. If you're reading this review, you're on the internet, and I'm sure that you have a cd burner. Save yourself some money, and just burn all the instrumentals from the Beastie's cds yourself. Five Boroughs had better be off the chain, but I have mad faith that they'll represent and make me forget all about this rip off of a product.

indeed this is a good album, but not the best
for the beastie boys fan, this is a must have. you will have numerous instrumental tracks that follow the beastie's funkier more chilled out side. this is quite a good album to just hang out to. nothing hyper here at all. this album will NOT get your party crazy, but a worthwhile listen nonetheless.

The other thing the Beasties do really well.........
...is write and play groovy instrumental music. The material on this disc is diverse, ranging from funky (in that 70's porno vibe kinda way) to latin-fluenced (in a good way, not the Ricky Martin way) to sleepy sitar grooves. All in all it's really chilled out collection of hip (can't stress that enough) easy listen' tunes. If this sounds even remotely like what your looking for, I think you'l be pleased. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Just insert names of current politicians to update!
Excellent distillation of late 70's output from Gil Scott-Heron, the missing link between the beat poets/jazzbos of the 50's and 60's and the rap/hip hop artists of the 70's onward. I'm not quite sure where all this superfluous debate as to whether or not he is a "prophet" came from, but it detracts from the simple fact that Heron is a gifted musician/lyricist who speaks from his heart, as all the music on this CD demonstrates. The selections range from the "political" ("Whitey On The Moon", "The Revolution..." expanding on the themes Scott-Heron had explored in his earlier work with The Last Poets) to uplifting and life-affirming ("Lady Day & John Coltrane") and poignant slices of life (the beautifully moving "Pieces Of A Man", with a heartbreaking vocal from Scott-Heron and sublime stand-up bass work from Ron Carter). Scott-Heron continues to release worthy music, but this is the best one-disc collection available so far for a good overview of his most enduring work.

Phophetic pre-cursor to rap and ghetto life.
When listening to a record of such high quality it is easy to understand why many rap/hip-hop masters (KRS-one, P.E. etc.) often cite Gil Scott-Heron as a main influence of their work. After hearing this record just once it will provide you with a dimension of music that will always remain inside you!

This Might Not Be the Album You Want
I purchased this album because I am a fan of the Last Poets. Upon listening to the samples provided by Amazon.com, I thought I was getting an album that would contain very similar content to the Last Poets: some great politically charged poetry, perhaps accompanied by some funky beats. However, when I listened to the whole CD, I was disappointed to find out that the vast majority of the tracks sound the most like "Get Out of the Ghetto Blues." If more of the tracks had the sound of the title track, this would be a five-star album, in my opinion. True, Scott-Heron has a lot of great social commentary throughout the album, but not in the form I had hoped for. I would take the Last Poets' album "This Is Madness" over this particular Scott-Heron album.

Great CD.
I love this CD. Gil Scott Heron is brilliant. I particularly like "Whitey on the Moon" and "The Revolution Will Not be Televised." The message is still socially relevant today.

One of the great protest records, and avant-garde to boot!
This is a unique and forward-thinking collection from the Godfather of Hip-Hop, Gil Scott-Heron. This record, produced by the jazz great Bob Thiele, is provocative, melodic, and urgent at the same time. Many of the tracks are nice, jazzy, hopeful jaunts ("When You Are Who You Are," "I Think I'll Call It Morning"). Many are ahead-of-their-time hip-hop joints (the title track, "Whitey on the Moon," "Brother"). Yet the most powerful tracks are the mournful ballads ("Did You Hear What They Said?," "Home Is Where The Hatred Is"). The entire album evokes all of the joys, pains and petitions of the black community. The work of Common, Mos Def, The Roots and Public Enemy, among others, contain clear echoes of Gil Scott-Heron's impressive work on this record.

Imagine "Nation of Millions," "Songs in the Key of Life" and "A Love Supreme" wrapped in one, and this record would fit the bill. Buy it. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Moments To Remember
I remember the Moments well, I remember hearing "Love On A Two Way Street" for the first time on the radio, I remember buying the 45 and playing the grooves out of it. These guys can really belt out a soulful ballad and make you relate to what they're singing about. I remember when a song came out called "You Must Be A Special Lady" by Ray, Goodman and Brown, I knew there was a reason why I liked it so much, these guys were the Moments. You want really smooth soul, buy this disc by the Moments.

Moments to remember
The sensuous, soulful music of this Jersey trio best known for their "Love On A Two-Way Street" punctuated the charts in the late 60's and early 70's. After changing labels, the group members became Ray, Goodman and Brown and had a brief resurgence in popularity in 1980 with "Special Lady". In this 18-track collection from Rhino, are gathered their charted hits plus other singles and an album cut along with a Harry Ray solo track from his post-R,G and B era. As such it represents a decent overview of the Moments' Stang-label recordings and is accompanied by a comprehensive musical history of the group in the liner notes. Sound quality is adequate considering the less than state-of-the-art recording equipment used for their earlier tunes. The first three tracks are in mono with the remaining ones in stereo. Overall, a well-constructed package and recommended for fans of the Moments' smooth soul performances. For those interested in the later Ray, Goodman and Brown-era recordings, there is a Millennium collection now available that replaces the out-of-print greatest hits CD and serves as a worthwhile adjunct to this compilation.

essential soul music
The Moments are truly one of the greatest soul groups of all time and this compilation proves it. The sweet soul trio's hits are all here; "Love on a Two Way Street", "Sexy Mama", "Not on the Outside", "Look at Me(I'm In Love)", etc. Even some of the lesser known songs are noteworthy("Come Away With Me" is one such a beautiful song)and worth checking out. If you are a fan of the Stylistics, Delfonics, or a fan of the Philly soul sound, these boys from Jersey will not disappoint.

Astonishing!!!!
This is a teriffic cd I remember when I was coming up and I was a little girl and we lived with my grandmother I remember hearing these songs on the radio these songs brings back memories to where as when I hear some of these songs I just want to cry; Because it reminds me of some good times that I had wwith my family a lot of them are all gone now but this is a good album and these songs really bring back memories these fellas really could sing they had the voice ,talent, and the lyrics and this is an astounding cd if you like classic old skool then buy this cd it will have you reminiscing down memory lane. My favorites are: sexy mama, not on the outside, love on a two-way street, and many others this is a very nice cd to listen to and really do like it . This cd makes me think of my grandparents when I used to alway be over my grandmother's house because we always played music!!!!

ken
This disk contains the best of the Moments including the incomparable "I Do" (with the famous "Ooh Bay-Bay, Oh-ho Bay-Bay) and "A Lovely Way She Loves (with that fantastic vocal ending)." All of the early tunes (except for "Not on the Outside") had Billy Brown on lead. No one sounds like him and he can really hit some serious high notes (he still has it, by the way). Unfortunately, the disk does not contain the under-appreciated "Somebody Loves You Baby.) Still, it is a great smooth soul album from a great smooth soul group. By the way, for all you serious Moments fans, check out [website]. Let them know that there are people out there who appreciate their work. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

The most misunderstood/underrated rap supergroup in history!
Don't believe for a second that the FAT BOYS were just a gimmick or a "one hit wonder" due to their hit "WIPEOUT".

The FAT BOYS were so much more -- mentored by Kurtis Blow and centered around Buff the Human Beat Box, the FAT BOYS:

1) Represented a time when it was okay for hip hop to be about having fun and accepting yourself;

2) Are credited with creating the art of Beatboxing (yes this is definitely disputible!);

3) Were talented rappers who always came off with great rhymes, quality songs, and were so seriously underrated that most people these days don't even know what they are missing.

You should really not hesitate to get this release if you in any way, shape or form, consider yourself a fan of REAL hip-hop.

Leave your brains at the door-It's all about fun
Like Austin Powers, Freddie and the Dreamers, and the Three Stooges (with Curly), do not rate this CD by normal, serious critical standards. This is all about FUN and LAUGHS from something so OUTRAGEOUSLY bad that it's GOOD! The Human Beat Box, for those of us who remember, had a wild sound that defies written description. The HBB, along with Kool Rock Ski and Prince Markie Dee (I can't believe I remember these names!) use this to great effect in songs like "Can You Feel It," "Fat Boys," my favorite "Don't Be Stupid," and "Wipe Out!" This is rap strictly for the sake of having a good time, something that is rarely heard these days. Yes folks, this music is good and stupid as it was meant to be, so don't rate this with the same standards as you would with Natalie Cole.

Breakdancing, baby!
Back in the mid-80s I was caught up in the breakdancing craze, showing my skillz at the skating rink every Friday night. :) While they may seem like a joke now, I assure you that the Fat Boys were a serious hit in that time frame. People all over my junior high school were rapping Fat Boy lyrics or, more often, imitating the Human Beat Box. Listening to the first half of this disc really takes me back to the days when I was perfecting that new variant on the backspin or the worm so I could wow the crowds next Friday, and for that alone it's worth the price. :)

Huahuhuahahahahapppp
The Fat Boys are back

And you know they can never be Whackk.

The underated group.
The Fat Boys are THE underated group of all time. Kool Roc Ski and Prince Markie Dee are two of the top 30 MC's of all time and compliment each other perfectly.Beatbox wizard Buff (2nd beatboxer ever after the Doug E Fresh) who can hold a beat better than Rahzel is amazing in lots of tracks, but most notably in 'The Human Beat Box' and 'Jail House Rap'. Buff, aka Darrylin Robinson tragicly died of cancer in 1995 of cancer aged 28 just as The Fat Boys where preparing a renunion album. The first 7 tracks proves that the Fat Boys made some of the best music of all time. The next 8 tracks are also or superb quality but there are 3 or 4 tracks on this album which sound a bit R & B ish. I hope they re release The Fat Boys early Cd's as thet are classics. They would make alot of money re releasing them and I'm sure Prince Markie and Kool Roc would be delighted if Rhino decided to re release them. In the mean time, pick this album up as it as 14 to 15 classic tracks that should be sampled. So spread the word about the Fat Boys and remember 'BUFF'. R.I.P. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As celebrated as Afrika Bambaataa has been, until now his musichas remained scattered across disparate collections. That's what makesLooking for the Perfect Beat such a welcome release. Collecting11 of Bam's sides on one CD, the album neatly summarizes his seminalstudio recordings, beginning with both versions of 1980's true-schoolgrail, "Zulu Nation Throwdown," and ending with 1985's "Funk You." Thetracks are all restored to their uncut full-length 12-inch mixes. Thehighly influential Arthur-Baker productions "Planet Rock," "Looking forthe Perfect Beat," "Renegades of Funk," and "Frantic Situation" are themain draws here. But don't sleep on "Unity Pt. 1" from 1984's fierymeeting between James Brown andBam. A completist might wish for "Death Mix," and while a set like thisdemands liner notes, there are none to be had. But, for now, thank thefunk gods the void has been filled. --Jeff Chang ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Starts slow, but ends hot!
To my taste, this CD is back-loaded with hits. The first couple of tracks are OK but the rapping doesn't reach the potential of the music. When it comes to the last few, however, "Who do you think you're funkin' with" being the best example, you may not be able to keep your jaw from dropping. I honestly do not think that these tracks (with the Sugar Hill Gang backing up) have ever been surpassed in the hip-hop genre. They are so dense and complicated and incredibly arranged.

Disclaimer, however: I saw this band live in 1988 and it changed my life. I am so happy to have this album finally to refresh my memories of that amazing night.

Authentic Hip Hop!!!!
This is an awesome cd every single song on this cd is great and I really do enjoy whenever you want to listen to some real hip-hop purchase this cd it contains the trademark hit"Planet Rock"
I really do like this album it is a very nice cd to listen to I really do enjoy it every track on this cd is good I wonder why I only heard the planet rock song maybe I was too young to know what I was listening to but this is is a real treat and I would truly recommend any hip-hop fan to purchase this cd!!!!

High School/College Days
This CD reminds me of my old high school and college days. This purchase was definitely worth it. KEEP LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT AND IT WILL HELP YOU REACH YOUR PEEK!

Matter of taste
If you hate computerized, high techno type music, then this ain't for you. However, there are the early rap classics "Zulu Nation Throwdown" which truly captures the feeling of how early rappers sounded on the streets and playgrounds before hip hop hit it big and "Jazzy Sensation" with it's singalong lyrics and funky takeoff on Gwen McCrae's "Funky Sensation." However, once Bam got hooked on Kwaftwerk and high-tecno Eurobands, well.... it was very popular at the time, but haters of techno should beware!

The real roots of hip-hop
I've waited for a compilation of Bam's hit sides since they were still fresh. There's not a wack track in the bunch.

The music is not only amazing, but artistically forward. While the rest of the burgeoning hip-hop nation was just rhyming over looped disco tracks, Bam borrowed from Stockhausen and put the music miles ahead of its competition artistically. The idiom of hip-hop, or any pop music, has rarely been so avant garde.

Also, extra props are due as these sides commemorate an era when hip-hop and rock were just part of the same game, with either side able to dance to the other.

Run-DMC get all the props from the early 80s, and they do deserve it, but Afrika Bambatta was a real revolutionary. Any hip-hop record today can trace its roots back to Bam. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Innovative and one of the top 5 greatest albums
For 1987, this album is way ahead of its time. I notice that most people say that the diss songs on this record are the best, and while they are good, the intelligent and clever songs (Poetry, Elementary, Criminal Minded) far outshine. To this day ive hardly heard any rapper explain his purpose ("Dont want to be elected as the king of a record/just respected/and viewed as the man with the solution/an artist of the 80's that has left his contribution")and admit reality (many people hate me/many people love me/some are far below me and you know theres some above me) like KRS. It also seems like he took lyrics and length of the rhyme way longer and more advanced than previous rappers (check the 2 minute rhyme at the end of the last song). The beats from Scott La Rock which at first sound very basic grow on you after a few listens, when you start to see them as a whole. They are reggae influenced and sound hard as hell. If you are going to get one BDP album, get this one. One of the top 5 albums of all time.

Best Song=Criminal Minded

KRS debuts with a BANG!!!!
It was 1987 and Krs-One was just getting started. When Criminal Minded first dropped, it was something TRULY different for hip hop, as you had the very first self-proclaimed teacher known as Krs-One. This album is SO revelant, that everytime Krs grabs the mic, you just have to listen to him, because what he says and how he says is something to behold. Here's the review:

Album Highlights: Criminal Minded, 9MM Goes Bang, South Bronx, The Bridge Is Over(the blueprint for dis records), and Poetry.

Production: Thumbs up. Scott La Rock and Krs work the boards on this one.

Lyrics and Subject Matter: Thumbs up.

Originality: Thumbs up.

The Last Word: Saying this album is DOPE isn't enough to justify things. It's a CLASSIC album, featuring Krs in his prime. He, like so many others, only got BETTER as the years went on. And you think wack rappers like Nelly tried to battle this guy. Overall, I strongly recommend this album.

Party people in the place to be KRS-One attacks!
"Yes my name is KRS, my brother is rasta, let me pause...and now a word from our sponsor." This album is a true hip-hop Classic in every sense of the word, as much as Run DMC, the Beastie Boys and Wu-Tang's first albums are. Solid beats and fantastic rhymes make this album one of the most influential to ever come out. What rapper hasn't heard this album a million times and influenced them in the slightest way? What this album did to hip-hop is the equivalent of what The Beatles did with Sgt. Pepper's and to rock'n roll: groundbreaking. I think if Criminal Minded didn't exist hip-hop and rap would have been drastically different today. It's up to you to decide whether that's good or not, but besides all the crap that most rappers put out these days that essentially gets bogged down in bragging and boasting about clothes, money, women and guns, Criminal Minded was the first and most creative to shine a light on a rougher style of hip-hop that wasn't just about entertaining a crowd. I recommend getting the extended CD version with the instrumentals at the end, which might be the only version available. Why not have these classic beats included as bonus cuts?

"The bridge is over, the bridge is over..."

This is hip hop
New school heads (25 and under) need to purchase this CD to realize the influence it has on today's music. You will hear some beats that you didn't realize where already made "re-popular" in the 80's through BDP's sampling of James Brown and others. You can't be a true hip hop head unless you understand where it all came from. This was one of the original "Blueprints".

One of the best rap albums of all time
KRS-One's first album (along with Scott LaRock) was no doubt his finest. He was SO tight on the mic and he made other rappers look stupid. The track "The Bridge is Over" was one of the first hip hop diss tracks and it's cool to hear how diss tracks were back in the 80s.Anyways, this is an essential hip hop album, it's up to you whether you want the instumentals also which are included on this version, but at least buy some type of copy of this album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Is there a rap fan out there who didn't like "The Message"? It took rap in an entirely new direction: while others were content to ride the "Double Dutch Bus" down to the disco, the Furious Five spoke out about social decay. The chorus of "The Message" ("Don't push me, 'cause I'm close to the edge / I'm trying not to lose my head / Sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under") describes the effect of Reaganomics in ways that Dan Rather never could. Of course, Grandmaster Flash and company weren't against partying. In fact, they cut some of the best party tracks in the genre's history ("Freedom," "The Birthday Party"), along with some battle raps ("Step Off," "Showdown") to complete the package. Copyright restrictions probably kept the beat-edit classic "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" off the track listing. Still, one glaring omission isn't reason enough not to pick this up. --Todd Inoue ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Hard-Hittin
Grandmaster Flash&The Furious Five give it up on this set.White Lines is very Direct.The Words&Music hit you straight up.then of COurse The Message.Which is Not Only one OF The Greatest Rap Songs of All-Time but also one of The Greatest Songs Written Ever Period! the Words,Vibe&Feeling Speak of The Street Un-Cut.The Video Especially.you don't get anymore Street than the Video.Very Raw&Un-Cut.The Music track hasn't been Touched Since in Rap.That Groove is still Solid it's a Timeless Beat.These Brothers are True Rap Pioneers.they Broke The Door Down.

Melle Mel is a Genuis!!!
Oh my god! How could I have overlooked this group for so long? I mean, I'm a true, PURE hip-hop fan from back in the days and I grew up with most of the songs on this CD (the Message, White Lines, New York New York, and Beat Street) and since I have been about 10, I've known that Grandmaster Flash was one of the founding members of hip-hop. But only in my adulthood was I able to really listen and UNDERSTAND the lyrics these brothers spit. When people talk about classics in hip-hop and the great lyricists, they go back only as far as Rakim and KRS-One. But yo, look further, man. Melle Mel was the one who influenced Rakim and you can tell on songs like the Message and especially Beat Street. His words were truly poetry as well as hard and gritty. Even at the beginning of hip-hop, all of today's elements were there: complex lyrics, dazzling cadences, hard-core bang-ya-head-in beats, and real, street rhymes. Not the thug-posturing [stuff] we got today, but Mel, Cowboy, Scorpio...these cats examined in a very real way what it means to be poor and black in this country and didn't flinch from their observations. In that, they continue the great line of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Gill-Scott Heron and the like. Even if you're not politically concsious...even if you're a pure hip-hop head like myself, you'll enjoy these fly rhymes the same way you enjoy Rakim, Kook G. Rap, Brand Nubians, Nasty Nas and all the other classic ill rhyme-slayers. If you've heard these songs a million times when you were younger. Don't sleep. Listen to them again and hear what the brothers are saying. You might be pleasantly surpised like me. Peace!

Melle Mel the ultimate mc
I was just trying to think of the greatest mc possible to create. I was thinking that I'd want KRS-ONE's intellect, Rakim's rhyming ability, Tupac's soul, Biggie's sense of humor and a unique and amazing delivery. While I was trying to think of what such an mc would be like and who the dj would have to be, I remembered something. This MC had already been created and he was pared with perhaps the greatest dj of all time. All these characteristics are not only present in melle mel but have stemmed from him. Just as Grandmaster Flash is the father of all hip hop djing, melle mel is the father of rapping. The creation of hip hop as we know it stems from grandmaster flash and the furious five, if you love hip hop the least you can do is buy one of their cds. And remember, "a child is born with no state of mind, blind to the ways of mankind God is smiling on you but he's frowning too because only god knows what you're gonna do"

i'm old school
We hear a lot about G.M.F and the furious five, but i'll tell you what they were the best combo of dj's and rappers ever. I was born in the south bronx so i know first hand. But the one thing i need to know is why dosen't anyone have "grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five's On the strength that was on elektra records when they all came back together before keith cowboy passed (rest in peace) they made a record called "fly girl" that to this day is one of the hottest smooth rap records ever NEW Yorks 107.5 wbls fm used to run the record i have it on cassette (not good enough) i also have the asin holla at kleetis61@aol.com

Hip! Hop at its finest!!!!
First, of all this is an awesome cd and I would truly recommend anyone who likes classic hip hop to buy this album to remember how awesome Melle Mel really was and is still da bomb today this whole album contains solid hits such as: The Message , The Message II-Survival, and The anthem from beat street these songs alone gives him a 100 star rating I would truly recommend anyone who likes hip-hop or classic hip hop!!!!! ... Read more