Boogie Down Productions

Boogie Down Productions, “I’m Still #1”

The first two BDP records are landmarks in rap. BDP managed to both bring in a lot of the hardcore style that would later be pushed further into gangsta rap, but also introduced a lot of the socially conscious elements that would be picked up by acts like the Native Tongues. The second BDP record in particular demonstrated that KRS-One was still a force even after the tragic death of Scott La Rock between the two albums. You can draw a straight line from this to so much of 90s rap, but KRS-One’s delivery is so strong that it sounds good on its own even without the historical interest.

Hey, y’all! I’m going to be in Vancouver this weekend for SHUX! If you happen to be going, say hi!

Today’s music!

Boogie Down Productions, “Remix For P Is Free”

Criminal Minded is at the root of so much of New York rap. It’s really one of the foundational documents of the East Coast scene. There are so many echoes of this album in so many other records that it’s almost hard to even pick them out. At this point, the original sounds like a cliche, which is unfair, as this record is where all that stuff comes from.