Possibly no other group in hip-hop music has made such an impact on how it is crafted, its culture, and on the music itself than Boogie Down Productions. There is so much history, so many milestones, so many inventions, so many firsts from KRS and company that it would take an entire essay to name. Since the group's debut, they have always defined the purest of hip-hop elements. In 1987, they struck hard upon the planet with Criminal Minded, their classic debut. Besides eliminating MC Shan in competition, BDP gave us a great mix of battle lyrics, head-bobbing jams, humor, and social consciousness. Very few other groups or artists have been this influential in getting people into the hip-hop culture and all of its forms. In 1988, they released the sequel, the equally classic By All Means Neccessary. After two hit albums, what else is left for KRS-One to touch? Simple, the hip-hop culture itself. KRS-One and crew crafts yet another masterpiece with 1989's Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop.



Track List & Rating

1. The Style You Haven't Done Yet (*****)
2. Why Is That? (*****)
3. The Blueprint (****)
4. Jack Of Spades (*****)
5. Jah Rulez (****)
6. Breath Control (*****)
7. Who Protects Us From You? (*****)
8. You Must Learn (*****)
9. Hip Hop Rules (*****)
10. Bo! Bo! Bo! (*****)
11. Gimme, Dat, (Woy) (****)
12. Ghetto Music (*****)
13. World Peace (*****)




Ghetto Music opens with "The Style You Haven't Done Yet", which is the typical Boogie Down Productions braggadiocio we're all accustomed to. The instrumental is a very light-hearted styled beat, with some funky guitars, drums, and a bit of bass. KRS-One raps a braggadiocio rap, loaded with very witty and clever punchlines about BDP's dominance in hip-hop music and their triumphant return. This is only an intro, and we get much better on "Why Is That?". This track features the familiar, low-key piano organ sample used in the Jermaine Dupri track "Welcome to Atlanta". However, this track isn't like that commercial bullsh*t... this is Boogie Down Productions at its finest. KRS-One turns on his psychological juices, storytelling tales about the black's importance in history, going back to the Bible for references. KRS-One makes very intelligent, and in my opinion, truthful statements about how history has been changed by the white population and eliminate the importance of black history. KRS-One gives the track a teaching feel, sort of prophetic and intelligent, as he lays down a variety of intelligent reasons as to the changes in the history books. He touches on the book of Genesis and Exodus from the Bible, as well as a few other Biblical stories. This track bares many similarities to Ras Kass "Nature of the Threat", which im sure was influenced by this very track by its pro-african intelligent subject matter.

"Jack of Spades" continues the educational path of Boogie Down Productions. Once again, we get an extended metaphor comparing a jack of spades to one who stops crime. Basically, KRS storytells about a loyal good man, who is turned into drug dealing by the streets, but the Jack of Spades saves him. KRS once again gives us a poetic, deep, well-written track about a man who started from nothing and is now well-off. The funky production fits with KRS-One's rhymes, as we get a simple drum loop, funky guitars, and some very well-placed scratching and samples.

"Breath Control" touches on a different style of hip hop on Ghetto Music, which is the beatbox. Its clear that the track has a beat-boxed drum loop over KRS-One's prophetic rhymes as he spits his typical battle rhymes about his skills and presence in hip-hop music. His lyricism is greatly improved on this track, as he matches the beat perfectly and displays a great use of vocabulary. During the breakdown, the beatboxing is mixed in with saxophones, before KRS-One returns to the mic to spit the final verse on the track. Definetely another banger...

KRS-One turns his fierce, intelligent, and poetic styles on police officers on the classic "Who Protects Us from You". KRS gets a bit angrier in tone as he vividly described discrimination among the police force. KRS gets angry against the police officers, ripping them down claiming that nowadays, we're judged by the color of our skin instead of by our crimes, and names several times where white officers have abused their power to violently beat up a black man. KRS-One, as the teacher, rips down society's decay and wants this to stop. The beat is a clever mix of drums and synthesizers. KRS-One's poetry and prophetic rhymes continue with the next classic "You Must Learn". On this track, KRS attacks the school system of the United States, ripping it down for teaching kids useless knowledge. Thank GOD somebody touched on this subject matter, because KRS speaks the truth on this track wholeheartedly. The school system is screwed up, filled with false, twisted, and useless facts which dont help the future. KRS-One plays the role of a student, sort of ripping down the ridiculous teaching methods, including the intergral racism displayed by school boards in not having "African History" as a main class in most schools. Not to mention the fact that history is altered, and that they teach mysteries and not the truth. The beat features some R&B samples, and a fast drum / clap beat with some bass and snare.

"Hip Hop Rules" is yet another classic, as KRS-One takes us on a time machine back in time, chronically telling us about the birth and evolution of hip-hop music. KRS tells us of Grand Master Flash, and Sugar Hill Gang, and their influences on KRS-One's style of rap music. Its only ironic that the man is paying homage to those before him, and MANY others have payed homage to KRS-One through-out the years, as perhaps he has surpassed his very own idols and achieved a legendary status beyond many other artists.

"Bo! Bo! Bo!" finds KRS teaching about street knowledge and surviving. The bizarre thing is that, though the subject matter is dark, the beat is light hearted, with a fun assortment of trumpets and claps. KRS storytells about his problems in the streets, reminiscent of some of his work on Criminal Minded. KRS-One tells us these stories of his own life so that we ourselves dont pull them ourselves. He describes the thug mentality as the wrong mentality, and that education is the right way to go. Another preaching classic.

"Ghetto Music" is a head-bobber. The track features a nice assortment of drums, claps, low xylophone, and scratching, giving it a really deep old-school feel. On this track, KRS-One separates commercial and underground hip-hop, giving us the similarities and differences. He claims that commercial rap and underground rap are both part of hip-hop, and they both make hits, but the commercialism is souless due to the fact that they sell everything out, and make useless rhymes. He then states that the underground hip-hop music is more towards the ghetto, loaded with stories and realness, which commercial rap lacks. This is a definite borderline between where hip-hop went after 1989, where it got too commercialized for its own good, which basically paints KRS as a prophet.

"World Peace" is a sequel of sorts to the Boogie Down Productions classic "Stop the Violence". The chorus is a sing-song track, giving us a very light-hearted feel to it. The production itself is great, as it has a mix of trumpets, saxophones, drums, bass, and claps. KRS-One plays the role of the teacher once again as he preaches love instead of hate, claiming that anger and violence needs to definetely stop if we are to survive as one entire race.

Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop is one of the most overlooked classics in the Boogie Down Productions repertoire. Its intelligent and poetic rhymes by KRS-One, and D-Nice's amazing beats are perfect together and give us another classic. Boogie Down Productions is definetely the greatest duo in the history of hip-hop music and they make it official for the third time on this album. Buy this to get yet another huge chunk of hip-hop history...

I'll end this with a Nas quote from Ether:

"His manuscript just sounds stupid, when KRS already made an album called Blueprint"

5 Stars



Other Boogie Down Productions Reviews:

Criminal Minded

By All Means Neccessary


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying