Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hiphop

Boogie Down Productions | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 28, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jive
• ASIN: B0000004V6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,903 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Old School
  • #92 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > East Coast

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Propaganda? Sure...great hip hop? Definitely..., September 12, 2005

By 

Greg Brady "columbusboy" (Capital City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hiphop (Audio CD)

A phrase I've seen a time or two in reference to James Brown and Little Richard suggests that they can be forgiven their egotism because their music lives up to the boasts. That thought came to mind after ingesting this CD from "The Teacher" KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions.

Those who suggest this disc is musical propaganda are correct. Kris Parker's general message here is that the police are not to be trusted, the educational system is failing to pass on the achievements of black Americans of the past and of African culture, and that sometimes a black man's only friend is his firearm. He uses an intense vocal delivery while musically smooth rhythms take some of the edge off the bitter pill. Reggae flavors turn up often, being most pronounced (ironically enough) on "Hip Hop Rules". The group also make time for a nod to the beat box sound in "Breath Control".

HIGHLIGHTS:
The scratched hook of "Jack of Spades" is relentless. Ever wonder where the origins of "throw your hands in the air" were? Check the rhyme...Parker's sister Pamela "Harmony" Scott turns in a nicely soulful vocal on spiritual paean "Jah Rulez". ("What can they do?/What can they say?/They can't live without your love/another day...") "Who Protects us from You?" aims at police brutality, questioning whether the quality of protection varies by class. ("It seems that when you walk the ghetto/You walk with your own point of view...") "You Must Learn" indicts the educational establishment's failure to teach about the achievements of forebears like Benjamin Banneker (creator of the almanac) and Granville Woods (inventor of the walkie-talkie). It's not just young blacks who miss out here. ("When one doesn't know about the other one's culture/Ignorance swoops down like a vulture..") Gangsta rap template "Bo! Bo! Bo!" is catchy, if not more than a little disingenuous on a disc that also includes "World Peace" and the logo of the "Stop the Violence" movement.

LOWS:
"World Peace" is simultaneously musically catchy and lyrically vapid. "If we really want world peace/and we want it right now/We must make up our mind to take it.." is the answer according to Parker but that doesn't take into account the fact that many world conflicts are based in deep seated religious or ethnic divisions that won't go away just because of "positivity".

BOTTOM LINE:
You have to take some of the "education" here with a grain of salt. But there can be no doubt at all about KRS' skill on the mic. He absolutely defines the foundations of old school hip-hop and this album is one of rap's cornerstones. Recommended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So good that my best friend stole it from me in 1990, December 5, 2001

By 

Kevin Parrish Claussen (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hiphop (Audio CD)

I actually got turned on to this by Michael Stipe of R.e.m. who praised it in Rollin Stone. As a white boy who owned very little hip hop, this album rocked my world and taught me that hip hop could be as socially relevant as punk rock. KRS-1 is the (...) because he criticizes big hip hop stars and their materialistic life. He also raises questions about Biblical figures, challenging their depictions as white people. "Jack Of Spades" is incredible all these years later.

There's no stupidity on this record. Most commercial hip hop is pretty empty and stupid, so check out this record if you want to see where the "edutainment" kicked off.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Always, KRS-ONE's knowledge OVERFLOWETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, March 14, 2002

By 

Mr. Charmlin Howard, Jr. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hiphop (Audio CD)

I have recently introduced myself to the music of KRS-ONE, moreso, re-introduced myself. My wife and I just moved and I was going through some boxes and found one of his earlier albums - the one with, "Why is That?", and "You Must Learn" on it. In my estimation, KRS-ONE is the BEST RAPPER out there. Not only are his beats and production SLAMMIN'!, his knowledge and message is deeper than the deep blue sea. And for those of you who diss him, and claim that the knowledge he's droppin' is propaganda, I have one question for you: CAN YOU SUFFICIENTLY AND THOROUGHLY DISPROVE AND REFUTE HIM? I pretty much doubt it. May the Edutainment NEVER CEASE!