Rbg: Revolutionary But Gangsta

Dead Prez | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 30, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0001MDPOK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,494 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I Don't Forget Where U Came From

2. Walk Like a Warrior

3. I Have a Dream, Too

4. D.O.W.N.

5. Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)

6. W-4

7. Radio Freq

8. Fucked Up

9. 50 in the Clip

10. Way of Life

11. Don't Forget Where U Goin'

12. Hell Yeah (Pimp the System) [Remix]

13. Silent 1

14. Silent 2

15. Silent 3

16. Silent 4

17. Silent 5

18. Silent 6

19. Silent 7

20. Bonus Track 1

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My J-O-B is Just Like a Plantation, February 12, 2005

By 

TastyBabySyndrome "Matthew Lewis, author of M... ("Daddy Dagon's Daycare" - Proud Sponsor of the Little Tendril Baseball Team, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rbg: Revolutionary But Gangsta (Audio CD)

Social (and, in some ideological fashions, extreme socialist) statements are something I appreciate when it comes to music, and something I consume and keep consuming because I figure it encourages people to express their angst with the way things are and to demand change. In a way it's a form of social rebel, giving money to promote a message of "each one, teach one," and what could be better than spitting in the face of the mainstream media and saying that they can keep the doggy treats they call music to themselves? That's why I still buy specific types of rap despite the lull it's had in creativity, and its one of the reasons I keep consuming Dead Prez.

With Let's Get Free, Dead Prez expressed the situational violence that's promoted by judicial blindness and economic disparity, and their later releases they've continued to spit in the face of "the system." That makes them something interesting in the "rap game," and one that doesn't suffer from all the archetypal degeneration that constantly pulls rap down and makes it a beast without a pulse. I like the fact that its rather violent in the structure of its themes, saying that it won't promote a flag that enslaved its people, and that it has a point to becoming a "soldier." I like the talks about the social imperatives birthed by not having money, what working for minimum wage is and how being a number on a W-4 form and spending your life in someone's uniform is slavery redefined, and how society needs to be refashioned. The methods prescribed are hard, too, and a type of radical self-expression that tries to call attention to the things this type of system can breed. "If you'll gonna ball, play the game like it should be played. Can you dribble a grenade to save your life? Then you'll never be free." That's extreme remodeling of an oppressive machine, to be sure, and one that says that freedom is severely lacking.

I have to note that this album is an acquired taste and isn't as easily accessible as Let's Get Free was, but it still has something to say. The message herein is more radical than earlier ones that were promoted, and I have to say that I like that trend. Songs like "D.O.W.N" and "Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)" got me right off the bat, with messages about making money by using any system available and spitting in the face of the same system that promoted slavery. Its rare to find such blatant messages talking about ripping the system with theft and violence that isn't citizen-on-citizen, but that's a lot of the theme herein. And I like what "W-4" had to say on institutional organization, "Walk Like a Warrior" because it spoke bluntly about what change really means, and "I Have a Dream, Too" because of its message about the police and how the tables can be turned really quickly if rights continue to be trotted upon.

I honestly hope the words in works like these aren't wasted within the "bumpin," and that people actually listen to what's being said because the message is a powerful one. It says that society can be horror depending on where you live in the social strata, and that we own and aren't owned.

Know yourself and know your enemy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give it a second chance..., June 5, 2004

By 

Goza N. Parks "willing_to_listen" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rbg: Revolutionary But Gangsta (Audio CD)

I've read all the reviews and I can relate to everything that has been said. When I first bought the CD, I was so excited to hear it because, like every other DP fan, I had obviously been waiting for it to drop. I was disappointed at first because it wasn't on the same level as Let's Get Free and even Get Free or Die Trying. I let it sit for about a month and a half and came back for it. This time, I was ready and this CD really touched me. I find this to be a beautiful release. It had to grow on me, but when it did, I was near tears listening to it. I got the privilege of seeing them on Memorial Day and the concert was too live!! They explained the difference in the content of this CD from their previous albums. They were trying to reach a different crowd, not just the "conscious" hip hop crowd, but the rest of the hood like the "gangbangers" and those who would not normally be educated on the political issues of today. They wanted those people who may not naturally be drawn to buy a DP album to try something new. This CD wasn't necessarily for those who already know what's, but for those in desperate need of having their eyes opened. Please try this album again with a more open mind. I know the songs are short and that it is censored, but try to see what they are trying to achieve through this album. Love.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars RED BLACK & GREEN, April 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Rbg: Revolutionary But Gangsta (Audio CD)

I love this album. It definitely makes me think about the state of our nation and what we might need to do if the situation doesn't improve. I recommend this album only to those who are willing to hear the harshness of the truth and who are willing to truly hear the music and not take everything they say at face value.