Constipated Monkey

Kurious, Kurious | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 18, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000028W8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,905 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Spell It wit a J (Yes, Yes Jorge)

2. Top Notch

3. I'm Kurious

4. Uptown Shit

5. Leave Ya' with This

6. Fresh Out the Box

7. Walk Like a Duck

8. Tear Shit Up

9. Baby Bust It

10. Nikoll

11. What's the Real

12. Jorge of the Projects

Editorial Reviews

Originally released in 1994, this CD is widely regarded by many hip-hop fans as one of the most overlooked albums in Hip-Hop history! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Classic from the CM Crew, January 29, 2002

By 

Travis McFetridge (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Constipated Monkey (Audio CD)

Kurious' debut album "A Constipated Monkey" represents another slept on classic album from the CM crew. Like Kurious' crew members KMD, his album was slept on by some in 94, but loved by many hip hop heads, at a time when hip-hop focused on a variety of different types of lyrical styles and funk and jazz samples. Tracks like "Uptown S**t" and "Walk Like a Duck" have incredible funky bass lines, as Jorge blesses the mic with his smooth jazzy voice. "Leave Ya With This" is a standout track, which Jorge dedicates to fallen member Subroc of KMD. The heartfelt lyrics and Jorge's longing to one day return to the essence to see his friend, can make anyone who lost someone relate. The melodic horn sample on the hook adds to the melancholy track. Of course the classic cut on this album, "I'm Kurious" has one of the most melodic beats ever put to wax. This cut will have you pressing repeat on your CD player. "Nikole" find Kurious rapping about a girl who has played him, and though mentally he suffers, he is over it and looks back in retrospect. Finally, "What's The Real" has a funky beat as Jorge and Hieroglyphics crew member Casual share lyrical verses together! What more could you ask for? The Beatnuts again on this album display their producing skills, as well as Lord Sear. It is hard nowadays to get your hands on this album, however no Hip Hop head can do without!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Manhattan Valley's finest, March 4, 2005

By 

Conscious Mon "S. Herman" (Washington Heights, NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Constipated Monkey (Audio CD)

Oh man talk about a slept on album? Son, it should be a crime how slept on this album was, and still is, when it came out in '94! Not only did his album get slept on but Kurious then faded into obscurity. He showed up here n there, specially with MF DOOM, but ahhh man if you don't count this as one of the best hip hop debuts ever then it's a wrap! Kurious Jorge, a half Cuban, half Boricua mc from Manhattan Valley, the small Latin ghetto sandwhiched between Central Park and Upper West side. He first came out with some local NY hits like "Uptown Sh*t" and "Walk Like a duck." He was a top Latin mc before, waaaay before, the Latin hype. Ditto for producers in residence for this album The Beatnuts. their production has always been crazy but on Kurious's joint they just bananas! The opening cut "Spell it wit a J" listen to mthat track today, and damn if it aint better than anything out right now. This came out in '94 and I've been had it in my list with other 94 classics like "Illmatic" and "Hard to Earn." Sadly...Kurious never got his shine and the ol neighborhood is gentrifying quickly, they even re named "Rock Steady Park!!" aka Happy Warrior Playground! It'd be good if you like early 90's classic Ny hip hop to invest in this.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spell it with a J, and not with a G, February 1, 2008

By 

ctrx ('bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks...) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Constipated Monkey (Audio CD)

I finally got the chance to buy my sought-after copy of this album when Amalgram Digital re-released it in 2007. The half-Cuban, half-Puerto Rican, Bronx-raised rapper Kurious released "A Constipated Monkey" in 1994, the year widely considered the best in hip hop history. So much of what was great about rap in '94 is in full effect here. Kurious is the blueprint of a mid-90s East Coast MC. He's neither an oustanding lyricist nor socially relevant, but he is a clever rapper with a commanding delivery and entertaining performance. Given his performance on "A Constipated Monkey," it's surprising that he didn't have a more eventful rap career. He has more than enough funny punchlines, and his Latin flair makes him unique. That said, "A Constipated Monkey" is very much a group effort. Production comes from four parties: The Beatnuts handling the bulk, with Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich, the SD50s (aka the Stimulated Dummies), and Bosco Money of Downtown Science each contributing (as well as the Groove Merchantz on a bonus track). This is an outstanding team of producers that provides a focused sound that lives up to their top billing. The beats are lively and appealing, almost every one boasting a potent horn sample, vivrant bass and hard drum kicks. Pete Nice and Bobbito Garcia are credited as two executive producers, and the music captures the essence of East Coast hip hop in 1994. Part of what makes this album so enjoyable is the intangibles. Most tracks feature a guest MC, and many of his Constipated Monkeys crew go uncredited. However, they provide some of the best moments on the album; the French-speaking rapper Lucien on "Top Notch" will surely bring smiles to the listener's face. Other more recognizable guests include MF Grimm, Sadat X of Brand Nubian, Casual of Hieroglyphics, and Psycho Les of the Beatnuts. With top-notch beats, a good MC, and a product that's greater than the sum of its parts, "A Constipated Monkey" is a winner and a highly recommended LP.

The album opens with two looping Beatnuts productions, "Spell It Wit a J (Yes Yes Jorge)" and "Top Notch," both thick with trumpet sampling. Jorge introduces himself as a likable Bronx MC with a little Hispanic flavor. Psycho Les lends a verse to the latter track, as does the aforementioned Lucien. The best track is the ultra-melodic "I'm Kurious." Prime Minister Pete Nice (formerly of 3rd Bass) and Daddy Rich lend a phenomenal beat with excellent sampling, and the recording sounds perfect. Jorge's verses are well-written and thoughtful, and his voice echoes and weaves through the beat wonderfully. The posse-cut anthem "Uptown S..." is great, and "Leave Ya With This" and the upbeat "Fresh Out the Box" also vibe well. The first single, "Walk Like a Duck," is quite memorable, followed by the solid "Tear S... Up," which uses a nice Biz Markie sample, and the MF Grimm collabo "Baby Bust It." "Nikole" is an endearing song about lost love with fun production by Bosco Money, and the unlikely duo of Casual and Kurious provide a classy highlight in "What's the Real." The bouncy "Jorge of the Projects" closes the tracklist. The 2007 re-release contains two bonus tracks. The first is a gem, a Sadat X collaboration called "Mansion and a Yacht," where both rappers bring their humorous best, and the second is a remix of "I'm Kurious."

"A Constipated Monkey" is not a perfect album, nor does it break any new ground, but it stands among some of the better hip hop releases during the landmark year that was 1994. Fans of the Beatnuts, Alkaholiks, D.I.T.C., and like-minded East Coast acts should not hesitate to pick up this re-release. As part of his deal with Amalgram, Kurious not only agreed to re-release his debut, but in the liner notes he promises a new LP in 2008. Until then, pick up "A Constipated Monkey" if you haven't and enjoy one of the more slept-on releases of '94.