Boogie Down Production was one of the most well known and respected rap groups to ever come out of New York. Most knowledgeable fans will tell you that KRS-ONE is one of top three rappers of all time. His original stable consisted of DJ Scot La Rock, D-Nice, and himself. As indicated by the cover, they were into the whole gansta rap thing, which a lot of people frown upon nowadays. The difference here is that BDP actually were some of the pioneers of the subgenre. Now you know who to thank or hate, depending on your thoughts towards the music. Beyond that, KRS had all but perfected his craft, fully showcasing his Jamaican heritage, and was beginning to throw in social commentary, often scolding the general public. Putting the icing on the cake, they were also involved in one of the first fueds with fellow New York group, the Juice Crew. Some of the Juice Crew's raps stated that Queensbridge was the birth place of hip hop. KRS, knowing that wasn't true, took offense and the fued took off.
In 1987, BDP released their only release under B-Boy records, titled Criminal Minded. Just recently there's been some controversy over who actually produced the album. While originally credited to Scot Larock, it was later said that Ced Gee of the Ultramagnetic MCs was the real mastermind behind the beats. Still, Scot did produce a couple songs, but I still don't get why D-Nice was initiated into the group. Aside from a quick verse, he's nonexistent throughout. That bit of information shouldn't make you feel any different towards the album. The beats are still perfectly crafted together, being one of the first great examples of sampling. Of course, the teacha still sounds great but that goes without saying. Unfortunately, Scott LaRock was killed shortly after the release of Criminal Minded. I'm not sure of the full details, but I believe he was shot at a party in an act of senseless violence. KRS elected to continue using the BDP moniker for the next couple years, although it was pretty much just himself, as he moved to a different label.
BDP was one of my first hip hop listening experiences so all of their work holds a place in my heart and I might be slightly biased. I don't think you'll have to worry about that on this album, though. To this day, Criminal Minded is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential rap albums ever made, which is impressive because there's, you know, a lot of them out there.
My bad on the terrible intro, but they can't all be great...
BDP wastes no time in showing the audience what theyre all about. KRS' rhymes are sharp as ever, and its a fine beat, but the scratches provided by DJ Scott LaRock take the cake for most impressive performance. Think about how weird some thing like that sounds. Scratches are nonexistent in todays music, but they can be consisdered the best part of a song, such as on here. I will say that you can really tell when this was made. Quality 80s' hip hop, but very obviously 80s' hip hop. If thats not your thing, Im not sure how far you'll get into this.
Here's the one and only appearance for third member D-Nice, who provides a decent enough verse. The beeat on here is fantastic, as it's simpleness is enough to carry it. Even through I love this song, the lyrics are very simple, which doesnt work as well as the beat. A lot of people will list this a one of the best diss tracks of all time, a title that I'll have to respectfully disagree with. yeah, this shit is awesome but nothing is touching "Real Motherfucking G's" or "No Vaseline". I'll stop now before I sound like I'm shitting on "South Bronx". Still an amazing track.
For a song like this, the storytelling on this I've is actually very nice. On of the first real cases of hardcore ass gangsta rap. The hook has been sampled and recited countless times so you'll need to hear this one. I don't really love the hook the same way every other rapper seems to, but it's still entertaining.
I'm going to need you to stick with me in this one because it's actually not a little skit. I know yoy probably just skipped over my analysis because of the name but for those who stuck around: there's actually a song here. KRS-ONE loses his fucking mind on this track, making for one of his best performances on this album. This is exactly the type of thing someone wouod bring up when they're trying to convince their friend that KRS is one of the best rappers of all time. The beat is rather bland but it hardly matters.
Fun fact: KRS-ONE is an acronym for knowledge reigns supreme over nearly everyone. You would have already known that if you listened to the song. though. He goes out of his way to make sure you know damn well that you're inferior to knowledge. Kind of odd for someone who also invented gangsta rap, but I'm afraid to say anything that negative. There's a reason KRS is the greatest battle rappers of all time. Anyways, this song is pretty good too, but sounds even more dated than the rest of the album.
Unlike his fellow rappers, KRS wad actually allowed to use a beastie boys sample, something theyve never allowed anyone else to do. This song sounds beautifully corny, as he is able to make a dope beat out of this. The lyrics are pretty funny and light hearted as well. Everything about this is just a good time. Ive always thought of it as more of a recent thing, but even back in 1987 they were trying to make crossover music. That is one area of hip hop that has inarguably improved
I said this was one of my first real hip hop experiences, but Mos Def and Talbib Kweli came even earlier. As such, I was shocked to see this beat appear, as it was used of Blackstar's "Definition", one of the best hip hop songs ever. I wasn't all that aware of how much people sample akd jack beats, but I thought it was one of the coolest thinga in the world when I first heard it. This still isn't as good as Mos Def and Kweli, but it's an exceptional song in all areas.
Another famous diss track directed at Marly Marl and The Juice Crew. Even as famous as the last one was, this might be the most iconic diss track in hip hop history, as is effectively ended the fued. The beat sounds a little unfinished, but that's because this song was recorded at a live concert. Thats rifht, KRS rapped this masterpiece right off the top of his head. Theres a little hook thrown in there to make it sound like more of an actual song. Pretty legendary shit right here.
Take a look at the title and take a guess what he's talking about. If you said a female of any type, you'd be wrong. If you said Scot LaRock, you'd be correct but you'd also be lying. It sounds weird as hell, but KRS literally takes an entire song to call his DJ a whore. I don't know of that's something they did vack they but Ive never heard of a guy calling another guy a super hoe, let alone it being a compliment. Anyways, tbe BDP crew throws away their social commentary for a few minutes and make this light hearted song. The lyrics may be polarizing but that beat is contagious and makes this a lot easier to listen to. That said, this is still easily the worst song in the album.
This is the most accessible track on here, as he fully emrbraces the whole Teacha persona. If you enjoy this song more than any if the other ones, Im going to strongly recommend purchasing BDP's second effort, By All Means Necessary. The beat her is pretty fantastic and KRS completely rips the shit into tiny pieces. A different sound but nevertheless a great way to end the album
Criminal Minded is the most perfect rap album you'll find from 1987. It's only flaw is that you can always tell how dated this is. That's never been a problem for me, though. I love that type of thing but most people wont be as fond. Since it was actually released when it sounds like was, you should appreciate how much of a landmark this album is. When you think about it, none of our favorite artists would be here had Boogie Down Productions not changed the game. Im actually surprised at how violent and sexists this still sounds. I always thought that was just because I was so young when I first heard this. I can pretty much give the Marly Marl speech about the beats: yes, they sound very dated, but they're still awesome and if you don't like them, well fuck you. Go out and pick up a copy of this as soon as possible. Whatever hip hop collection you think you have isn't complete without Criminal Minded.