Customer Reviews

Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hiphop

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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.

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.

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!

I just have to say that "You Must Learn" is one of the most intelligent, educational songs of all-time, not just hip-hop. I was driving at night and I was listening to that song and it just struck me at how amazingly dope it was. It was like listening to the history of the world in just 3 minutes. Not to mention that the beat was funky as hell. This album is completely worth it just for that ONE song. I'm not lying to you.

BDP threw a sweet curve with this classic. A great album all the way thru. I think this was the last Album where everything from top to bottom was just great and fresh creatively done. I like the other that followed especially sex and violence but this was the last classic to me of BDP. Interestingly enough this album featured his then sister in law Harmony who went on to do a solo album featuring Pound Cake do yall remember that? and of course his then wife now ex Ms. Melody i actually liked Ms. Melody's flow He did a great job with her i especially love the record she did called Live on Stage. What i am saying is this album spun off some great creativity.(period) Now let me go check for some old Ice-T classics.

This is where KRS-One starts to fall prey to didacticism, but he has relevant points to make, and the rapping is surprisingly nimble given all the information he's trying to pack in. "Who Protects Us from You?" is a bouncy anti-police-brutality rap, and KRS closes the album with the point that "World Peace" can only be achieved through a pragmatic, aggressive struggle for equality. Although Ghetto Music has a few signs that KRS is starting to take himself a little too seriously, overall it's another excellent effort and the last truly great BDP album.

KRS-ONE has now proven for 20+ years that he knows how to make great, timeless, and flawless music. This "Ghetto Music: The Blueprint Of Hip-Hop" album which dropped in '89 is no exception to the high standards of a legendary career, you just can't go wrong with songs like "The Blueprint", "Jack Of Spades", "You Must Learn", "Hip Hop Rules", and "Ghetto Music", mcs take note, this is the blueprint.

This is a straight up banging album; with live instruments throughout, the music is crisp and thick with rhythm.

Standout cuts: Jah Rules; Jack of Spades; Why is That; World Peace; Who Protects us from You?

Bandleader KRS-One flaunts his reggae influence more than ever with this album. Definitely worth picking up, especially those seeking an "alternative" to wackness... Long live the Blastmaster!

This album is first BDP album that I can't say is a complete classic..however there is classic material on this album (Why Is That, You Must Learn, Who Protects Us From You, Hip Hop Rulez), but I felt that Ghetto Music, and World Peace sound wise were to much of a departure of what came before it. The album doesn't feel as tightly knit as other BDP work..but no question, this is still a highly enjoyable album

Ghetto Music--
Released in the summer of 1989, Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop was the third studio album from Boogie Down Productions. The music is crisp and thick with rhythm. Sonically, Ghetto Music is slightly less up-tempo than both Criminal Minded and By All Means Necessary. KRS-One flaunts his reggae influence more than ever with this album, and even incorporates more live instruments on several songs.

Standout cuts include "Jah Rules" with a nice sung chorus by group member Harmony; "Jack of Spades" gives the lowdown on Keenan Ivory Wayans' vigilante hero from I'm Gonna Get You Sucka; "Why is That" re-imagines Biblical characters with an Afrocentric view and criticizes America's public education systems; "Who Protects us from You?" admonishes police brutality: "So do not kick my door down and tie me up while my wife cooks the stew; `cause you were put here to protect us, but who protects us from you?"

The most surreal narrative is "Bo! Bo! Bo!": KRS One's lyrics find himself being rousted by police while on his morning jog; the confrontation turns ugly, and before he knows it, he's taking on several cops in a shootout, blacks out, then wakes up in a bookstore that apparently doubles as a headquarters for militants. "World Peace" is a good closer to the album, with KRS advising banner-waving types that they need to be more aggressive if they really want to achieve their goals. A re-release should include any available bonus material, including the superior remix to "You Must Learn".