By All Means Necessary

Boogie Down Productions

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jive
• ASIN: B0000004UM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,474 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #16 in	Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Old School
  #86 in	Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > East Coast

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
After Scott La Rock's death, KRS-One (a.k.a. Kris Parker) carried on the BDP name with this mammoth album and its uneasy balance between violence and nonviolence, jazz beats and hard-core hip-hop, the pride of boasting and the pride of the teacher he was trying to become. It leads off with KRS's declaration of "My Philosophy"--as philosophy, it was a little inconsistent, but at least it was something, and "Stop the Violence" cuts deep both as philosophy and as a superheavy reggae groove. Kris is funny, too--"Jimmy" introduced a deathless euphemism to the language--but he's mostly concerned here with demonstrating his supremacy ("I'm Still #1"), memorializing his partner, and charting his own growth from a maverick to a leader. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Class is in session. I hope you're taking notes., May 23, 2005

By	Alan Pounds "Minnesota Hip-Hop Fiend" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I can't believe I slept on this record up until a week ago. The only other BDP record I had before this one was 1987's "Criminal Minded," which is one of the most brilliant, and groundbreaking albums ever made. But I'm beginning to think that KRS-One's sophomore effort "By All Means Necessary" is just as influential. The murder of DJ Scott La Rock had a profound effect on KRS-One, which is very apparent in his engrossing lyrical flow. This record feels more personal, and much more concise. And in the eyes of many critics, including myself, this is KRS-One's finest moment.

Until now, I never knew that I've heard KRS-One's vocals sampled on so many other hip-hop albums I own. Not only samples, but covered choruses, signature time flows, and of course, the beats. Every emcee has been vastly influenced by KRS-One; underground and mainstream. Check out the first song, "My Philosophy". If you're an avid hip-hop listener, you've probably heard these lines sampled many times, "Right up to your face and diss you" or "It's not about a salary, it's all about reality". Check out that cut-up Deep Purple riff ("Smoke On The Water") on "Ya Slippin", along with the familiar sample "Bring it back that old New York rap". I was also shocked by the chorus on "Stop The Violence" - "1,2,3, The crew is called BDP, and if you want to go to the tip-top, stop the violence in hip-hop, wyahhhh", or the how about the cover of that chorus by Mos Def & Talib Kweli (Black Star) - "1,2,3, Mos Def & Talib Kweli, we came to rock it on to the tip-top, best alliance in hip-hop, wyahhhh". The "Teacher" is also in full effect on songs like "Illegal Business". The often sampled "I'm Still No. 1" is also one of my favorites (It's hard to deny that he's the best). I also enjoyed "Jimmy" quite a bit, where we here a reference to one of my personal favorite Jungle Brothers tunes, "Jimbrowski".

All in all, I'm ashamed that I referred to myself as a hip-hop fan before I got a hold of this record. It's so good it's sick. You can bet that I'll be checking out his solo career after after hearing this example of hip-hop perfection.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KRS One DEFINITELY Thinks Very Deeply. . ., August 8, 1999

By A Customer

Words cannot fully describe the intensity, beauty, and raw flavor of this classic from the Bronx B-Boy elite, otherwise known as KRS ONE. The album is the epitome of what makes Hip Hop music so vital today. Considering the circumstances behind the making of this particular BDP release, the crew has definitely channeled the negativity to make a positive statement for Hip Hop culture. It still sounds as fresh as it did when it was first released back in the day. Unlike many of today's Hip Hop releases (who the f**k really needs to hear a double album's worth of wack ish?), "No Means. . ." is straight to the point with consistently dope cuts. The headz should already have a copy of this album, but if you haven't heard about it. . . pick this ish up! Peace. . .

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hell I Liked It and I'm A Hillbilly White Boy!, April 21, 2006

By	The Reverend Terry Rice "Trust Me!" - See all my reviews

I remember gettnig a copy of this when I was a kid from a friend.. It was one of the first tastes of rap I had really gotten.. my HANK WILLIAMS culture had never really embraced anything different other than the usual STRAY CATS and the CARS of the 80s... but this was pretty damn cool..

I got copies of this cassette, THE FAT BOYS, WHODINI and then later got into TON' LOC etc...

but I remember this one was cool and easy to chill out and listen to..

so yeah.. RAP MUSIC has changed big time since what I'd call OLD SCHOOL but you still need to check this out!