Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

society, television phone bad

Started out hearing this as an adorable Public Enemy impression minus the Basquiat explosiveness, but it quickly impressed its own qualities, starting with the lyrics. "The only cola that I support would be a universal Cost Of Living Allowance", "Not a single TV station showed dissension / Or made mention of the censorship of information", "The kids don't get diplomas / They get used for gunboat diplomacy" probably aren't the best here, just the ones I wrote down. Once I saw them typed out, the differences from PE started to emerge. Chuck D is the militant orator, proselytising mid-battle and on the hoof, but Michael Franti raps like he's in a lecture theatre, reading verbatim from his painstakingly written notes. After that, the music starting to signify: contemplative, repetitive but soothing, carefully organised to sound like the antithesis of the stupefying and haphazard media misinformation that's got Franti so pissed. Chief among the musical gifts here is Music and Politics. A totally surprising all-timer (on firsall-timer jazz rap that can hang with the best of its type. Scored big for The Winter of the Long Hot Summer too. Never hurts when the 7 minute track is one of the best.

A fine example of what is called Rhythm & Poetry. The production has a lot of the common places of the times but works exceedingly good. But is the message that carries this to other level, damn those lyrics are powerful. MC states everything he wants to say with carefully and in a most direct way. Makes me sad that the diagnosis this lyrics correctly carry has more than 20 years around and situation has only gotten worse. This, I needed to listen before I died.

This checks all my boxes for rap/hip-hop: • political/social hip-hop • heavy organically sampled beats • jazz/funk music that can actually stand on its own • deep rhythmic vocals... If there are negatives, it's almost entirely around trying to jam a few too many words in places and making a few tracks sound awkward - to be fair, some of the lyrics are *very* awkward which had me waver between a 4 and 5...but I think even those slowdowns are worth it for the best material. Overall this album is a great example of the best of the golden age of hip-hop that almost sounds as much like Gil Scott-Heron (n.b. "Music and Politics" - love the music on this one as well, great guitar) as Public Enemy. Wish we had more of this. 9/10 5 stars. n.b. Apple Music missing 4 tracks from the album :/

Jesus this album hits a little too hard. We've really learned nothing in the last 30 years, huh?

It's socially conscious rap, which I'm usually into. The guy has a nice voice, and at its best, it reminds me of Public Enemy, but this album needed a good producer in the worst way. The beats are uninteresting, some of the flows are wack, and he needs to do something besides repeating the name of the track for every single hook. Some of them are catchy, many are not. For example: "Medical racist social statistics / Has everyday life become a health risk?" doesn't even mean anything, and he says this same phrase like 20 times in an otherwise pretty good track. I think my major problem with it is that he can be clever, but he thinks everything he says is clever, and there's a difference. Best track: Satanic Reverses

I want to like this more than I did, I appreciate these themes in hip-hop but the lyrics are so bop-you-over-the-head that there's no nuance and it isn't interesting at all to me. Sounds alright though.

I wish this was better. I appreciate the attempt at conscious rap, but the lyrics leave nothing to the imagination. It's just so on the nose and literal. The beats are fine, but this doesn't rise above its contemporaries by any stretch. There are just so many better examples of what this is trying to sound like.

Like a cross between Gil Scott Heron, Public Enemy and a talk at the Trades Hall. Christ it's prescient though - the first track has a chorus about politics being corrupt, in thrall to the religious right and everyone getting poorer... 30 years ago. Plus ca f*cking change. I love it, but then I am a moderate socialist who is increasingly feeling forced to think that killing all politicians and CEOs might be the only answer.

Now that's a hip hop album I could listen to all day. Political sophisticated lyrics, that couldn't be more relevant with beautiful low beats that's suits today's music Definitely not 90s recognizable . Nothing more to say. Just perfect!

Hip hop with a message, most definitely. I'm instantly a fan. Hip hop is the only genre of protest anymore. This is from 1992, but even then - mainstream music has little to no message, but that is not the case with music like this. The lyrics here are a lot to take in. They are critical, but not afraid to be self-critical. There are injustices and cultural/social problems that affect all people. Its a classist society that created a racist society, so he takes aim at the racism by bringing up the elites control the narrative through money, sports, media, television, etc. Language of Violence is going to be my go-to as a father of young kids (obviously not sharing the full song with them for years to come). Dehumanizing the victim makes things simpler. Mob mentality, all of it. Really thoughtful here and terribly tragic. This album was a masterpiece. There are two tracks not listed on the YouTube playlist, a "cover" of Dead Kennedy's California Uber Alles and Water Pistol Man that I suggest be sought out if you listen to this album.

Hating America done right

This album has only two issues that I think would bring it down to a 4: bloat and availability. With great political rhyming, immersive soundscapes, and a unique vocal performance, I think this album is of particular note when looking at the grand scheme of things.

"Satanic Reverses" would've been a favorite of mine back when this was released. It's a damn shame I missed out on this album at the time. "Television the Drug of the Nation" is another highlight.

Edgy will smith

Wow. This album is incredible. The beats and samples are amazing. The lyrics are important, deep, and dark, and angry. This is the spiritual ancestor to Rage Against The Machine. The worst thing about this album is that it is still relevant 32 years after its initial release. 5 stars.

I first heard Michael Franti and Spearhead at a music festival a decade or so ago and was struck by his wide range of social justice coverage and insightful lyrics set to some great beats. I started this album not knowing I was listening to Michael Franti, but after the first few lines of “Satanic Reverses” I pulled up the lyrics and saw his name there. I knew there was something familiar about this. Wow. The album is incredible. Entertaining. Enlightening. Reflective. Maybe prophetic? A window into life in 1992 that reflects clearly on us today. I was compelled while listening to just to stop and follow the lyrics. Michael Franti’s voice is just as powerful in his 20s as when I watched him perform in his 40s. His formidable talents serve up justice, education and illumination. Hip hop’s power channeled as a force for good. I wish I had been exposed to this 30 years ago when it was new, and wish more people were aware of it now.

Wow! I never heard of these guys before. Very powerful

Class album, similar vibes to public enemy. Just maybe a song or two too long

This was a big on Triple J radio in 1992 (especially 'Television Drug of the Nation', which they flogged) and we sold a tonne of copies at the little alternative record store worked in at the time, so I was pretty familiar with it at the time. And it looks like Australia was the only country where this charted at all. That was a bit of a phenomenon, where Triple J (the relatively newly-national public youth radio network) would playlist a track or two by a band and it would become a hit in Australia. I saw them play the 1993 Big Day Out festival. I can see on setlist.fm that they supported Sonic Youth at Selinas a week or two later. I know I was at that show (a band I briefly rehearsed with was also playing support -- big ups to Driptray!) but I don't remember anything about the Disposable Heroes. Clearly did not make a massive impression live. But I was familiar with them at the time of release. And I was familiar with the original Beatnigs version of 'Television' (personally, I preferred the harder original version) and their cover of California Uber Alles on the Virus 100 soundtrack. Really, these are the only two essential tracks from the album. This is probably the first time I have listened to the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy in 30 years. The name of the band is completely naff, I am grateful that Michael Franti quickly jettisoned it for the more reasonable 'Spearhead'. His predilection for bad puns is not a form of clever wordplay. It's just shit. Most of the elements of the band are pretty good, but not quite of the standard of their influences: - it's political hip hop, but not as powerful as Public Enemy - it's conscious, but not as good as Gil Scott Heron - it's got industrial beats, but not as good as Consolidated or Meat Beat Manifesto - they used power tools on stage, but not as intense as Einsturzende Neubauten Maybe these things were fresh and compelling if you hadn't seen them before, but I was familiar with all of those other bands, and so my reaction was that this was really a kind of lite, non-fattening (or non-threatening) version of above. It can feel a bit sociology 101 at times, and Franti does have a tendency to lecture. The album has aged OK ("rich people are exploiting you" is a message that never goes out of date) and the beats still have a bit of bite. I certainly would _much_ rather listen to this than many of the contemporaneous gangsta albums, which Franti correctly criticizes. I don't think this is a must-listen album -- any one of the first four Public Enemy records could easily fulfil the requirement. But it is a solid three-star album (if a little over-long, as was the fashion at the time. An edit down to 45 minutes would improve the record)

Was excited to see a hip hop album I didn't recognize, and encouraged by the Public Enemy sound. But the lyrics are simplistic to the point of stupidity. Socio Genetic Experiment was particularly bad - I had deeper thoughts about being mixed when I was 14.

I loved this after nit hearing in for over 30 years. Incisively cutting about the state of the USA in 1992 using socially aware lyrics to create music with a powerful political message. I can't stand rappers who brag and the Heroes never do. Most of the issues they pointed out have not changed or you just substitute one name for another - social media for TV for example, so its still.as cutting and still as relevant today. They continue the valuable line from Gil-Scott Heron through Public Enemy. Loved it x

Siempre los topé porque en la hagiografía de Nirvana se sabe que abrieron algunas fechas. Ahora veo que suenan a un Public Enemy que samplea Talk Talk, capaces de tener groove, con un flow mitad Gil Scott-Heron, mitad Chuck D. Sampleos brillantes, la neta. Todo de lo que cantan ya es como lugar común liberal, pero en su momento sí estaba rompedor.

Not Bad. Actually good. Message is good, and topical. 4.5

Sadly dated, but see why it’s here.

Well that was a lot more intense than I was expecting. It was like a hip hop version of rage against the machine. The beats felt old but the lyrics were still relevant. I have never heard of this group but they made me sit up and pay attention.

Not as bad as I thought it'd be, but still not great.. Lyrics get a bit much after a while and instrumentals are uninspired

Something about this really just didn't click with me. I think the beats were great, and I found the subject matter important stuff to discuss. I just don't think the MC had the skill or charisma to make what he was rapping about not sound super preachy and condescending. Oh well.

I like the social commentary, but most of these songs just repeat the same words and go on for too long.

Did not enjoy. Just not in the mood for political rap

don't think it holds up today

I had never heard of them before so I didn't know what to expect. I ended up really enjoying a lot about this album; the messages, the jazzy production and Franti's half-spoken vocal style. It really had me thinking about how a lot of the problems they rap about are unfortunately still very pertinent and relevant today. The Dead Kennedys cover was also pretty unexpected.

Woahhhh this is great. Never heard of this group/ duo before, and half of the album isn’t available on Spotify, but what I was able to hear was excellent. Socially conscious rap that isn’t Macklemore-coded bullshit is so refreshing. The 90’s were where it’s at!

If you’re asleep this album is gonna wake you up!!!

I'm conflicted on this, but I like it much more than I dislike. The beats on this are really good for the most part and quite forward thinking at times, such as the industrial influences a few of the songs have. The lead is quite good at rapping and some of the political discourse is quite hard hitting, especially for 92. The sampling is also pretty good for it's time. My big issue I have with this is the preachiness, I agree with most of the political opinions on here but it's done in the most blunt way possible and at times feels more like a political rally than an album. This is possibly the preachiest album I've ever heard, however they pull it off really well occasionally, such as the track "The Winter of the Long Hot Summer" which was quite chilling. When it's done poorly it comes across as an "old man yells at cloud" moment, the biggest offender here being the 7 minute rant against TV. This album has very competent rapping, beats, and sampling as well as having some great political discourse, however the preachiness is too much at times.

What do you think you get when you take a guy from the West Coast who has maybe listened a little bit too much Public Enemy (although that doesn't really exist... too much PE???) who then goes out and tries to replicate certain aspects with his own ideas of Experimental and Industrial sounds to create an album full off political statements and personal visions in form of Conscious Hip Hop? I tell you what you get: an hour long album that is much more influental than it is good. It's definitely not bad, a lot of the ideas that were put here are pretty good but oftentimes it lacks the focus or enough performance to really thrive these songs great. (Also, who thought "The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy" was a good group title???) The album starts with the Jazz Rap inspired 'Satanic Reverses' which shows a lot of what makes up the album. Interesting production that incorporates different genres, in this case Industrial and Jazz, and adds political maybe even educational Rap on top of these sampled beats. The song and with it most of the album definitely has a vision and they have goals and ideas that they get close to, even achieve exactly what they try to do... but some parts, especially in the lyrics, didn't age well. It feels old and washed out. This might have been revolutionary but today it feels forced and bland. The song itself is still pretty good: I like the diverse production choices and all but I bet this hit much harder shortly after it released. In terms of hooks, 'Famous and Dandy (Like Amos 'n' Andy)' does deliver. The rhyme in this hook is simple and even a little silly but it works. It sticks to your ears and a couple of Industrial production choices only help with that. The song overall feels much better executed and I like it much more although the opener wasn't bad to begin with. The song does feel a little bit streched but again, it doesn't annoy too much because of the diversity the production brings onto the table. I would've wished for other themes or simply another rapper to rap on these beats though. I think someone like MF DOOM or Nas (although both weren't hitting the scene when this dropped) would've performed these songs so much better on these beats and definitely would've given us better flows and lyrics than that one testicle line. Still, this is a really good song. The Funk elements on 'Television, the Drug of the Nation' definitely make this feel more like common Rap music at these times but that doesn't take away from the fact that his flow isn't all that good at many points throughout and that the song overall is just corny. The track gets even worse the longer it goes on. The production is on point, like before, but the delivery is just horrible at points. And it gets cornier and cornier. And the hook feels less and less interesting until it's genuinely annoying. This feels like the equivalent of these people on TikTok that try to proove that the earth is flat and that birds are goverment drones. It's just stupid. I get why people like this song at first, again great production, but in terms of actual Rap abbility, this is straight up not good. I think it overall balences itself out to being below average but not actually bad. A little bit of hope comes around with 'Language of Violence' which is not only produced even better but the Rap verses are much better performed. It all feels much more at the actual art of Rap than just being well produced Hip-Hop beats with someone trying to talk something meaningful on it. The storytelling, while not being great, is still okay. The lyrics are less corny and much more at actually saying something with meaning. Although it isn't great, the song is still pretty good and another highlight of the album, maybe even the best song in the first half. Just before the album settles into giving more humane lengths for these songs, 'The Winter of the Long Hot Summer' comes in at nearly 8 minutes. Now, normally I don't mind 8 minute songs. If executed well they can be some of the best songs of an artist even in Hip Hop (SAMIDOT - Kendrick Lamar for example) but this track cannot really shine with either a tension building beat or great lyrics/storytelling. Both are very basic, layed back and just boring. The beat feels nearly Ambient at times and the Rap could go through as a reading of a childrens book from a creepy man. It drags, it annoys and it isn't pleasent to listen to or give any attention to. It's straight up a bad song. The albums second half starts with the title track 'Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury' and not only is the beat and production great again (even better at some points) but the performance is also pretty good. For the first time on the album I can confidently say that this is a great song and the rapping is actually solid and doesn't ruin the track. This is a great early 90's Hip Hop track and it's pretty much close to a level of the worst songs on "It takes a Nation of Millions" but still... I like it! 'Everyday Life Has Become a Health Risk' is a similar story but I think that both parts, the beats and the rapping, are again, very much average and kind of boring. The song isn't bad and the hook does leave some marks but I cannot give this more than an "alright" with a slight tendency to being above average. The short interlude of 'INS Greencard A-19 191 500' is pretty much just a beat and sampled telephone sounds for nearly two minutes. It's not terrible but it doesn't really add anything to the album or is interesting at any point. It's simply "eh" and bad. In terms of being similar to standard rap, 'Socio-Genetic Experiment' does start off with a description of his early live but neither his flows nor the lyrics are interesting at any point after that. The hook is horrendous and the beat doesn't really work well at multiple moments. The song is just annoying. This sounds how good Rap sounded to me back when I didn't like Rap. Just saying, I don't like this much but it isn't totally terrible. It's just bad. The guitar and the talking at the start of 'Music and Politics' did give me hope for a better song. After a while I started thinking... this is a pretty lengthy intro. Then I realised that it isn't the intro but the whole song... And then he started singing??? What is going on? Nothing about this works in terms of songwriting, adding to the album or just being enjoyable. It's awkward and weird and not in the good way. The song isn't bad but it isn't what I wanted or what I think this thing needed and just that confusion makes me dislike it the longer and longer it plays. This would've been a good interlude or intro or outro but not just randomly in the middle! 'Financial Leprosy' is luckily not as terrible. The production is pretty interesting although these weird screams are a little much and the rapping is again pretty solid. It's actually an okay song that is definitely listenable. I'm not the biggest fan but it's also far from the worst that the album offered so far. If it was a little more consistent and didn't have some of the weird production elements, this would be slightly above average. If all so far wasn't enough, we also get a Hip Hop cover of 'California Über Alles' originally from the Hardcore Punk Band Dead Kennedys. It samples the original and takes the same hook as well. It's pretty funny just because of that and the Rap delivery he gives us is also pretty good. The song is just really goofy... that's it: goofy. But it actually makes this somewhat enjoyable to listen to. Nothing too crazy but it's quite okay... The album now closes with 'Water Pistol Man' which starts off by sounding like straight out off a Disney soundtrack but well, at least the song is listenable... right? No, it sucks. He pretty much throws away all the little bit of serious rapping he's done so far and murmurs the words like he was stung by twenty wasps in the mouth. It's just so bad in terms of actual delivery. The beat itself is fine but why couldn't you do another take or just cut this from the album? To be fair, it'S not totally terrible but this is not a song to close the album with. The previous one would've done the job as well and probably even better but this is just bad. favourites: Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury, Language of Violence, Famous and Dandy (Like Amos 'n' Andy), Satanic Reverses least favourites: The Winter of the Long Hot Summer, Socio-Genetic Experiment, INS Greencard A-19 191 500, Water Pistol Man Rating: light to decent 5 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

"Television, the Drug of the Nation" was the only song that sounded familiar. This was a new album and artist for me. I liked it more than I thought I would. The opening track, "Satanic Reverses" was my favorite track, followed by "Television...". Some of the tracks were hard to distinguish from the next track. It was good to hear this album, but I'm not sure that I'd listen to the whole thing all at once again.

Not a big fan of this one. It feels more like a monologue over a beat more than a rap album.

Surely has a lot to say, but not very captivating.

Man, interesting how our political landscape hasn't change much since the 90s but our music sure has. Sounds dated, with the same super bass-y beats. 2/5

Even though I’m mostly down with the politics, it’s just way too preachy.

I can appreciate the political drive behind the lyrics, but they favor message over music to an extreme. Nothing here that other groups (before and after) didn't do better.

Went into this one with high hopes but ultimately left just kind of whelmed. Some interesting ideas in the production and sampling, but repetitive bars and a general lack of verve in the vocals kinda killed it for me.

I like how the Television song has turned from a huge progressive left-wing statement to something you'd hear from your racist 80-year old grandpa's Facebook page. "Television is bad! Books are good! Kids these days don't know where Panama is! Media makes kids violent!" - This shit is completely embarrassing today. I'm very much not interested in hearing about America's political issues in 1992 for a whopping 70 minutes. I'm Eastern European. I don't know or care about who Pete Wilson is. I don't know what's a Pell Grant. I only know about potatoes and sauerkraut.

This does a good job of encapsulating the experience of sitting inside a classroom as a fifth grader, listening to your professor lecture you and your classmates. He sees you as an unruly class who pays no mind to his many life lessons, and he threatens you to mature if you want to succeed and see the world beyond your classroom. Your professor probably means well and is just laying down the reality of the situation. But he does it with zero subtlety, as if he's hitting you on the head like a whack-a-mole game in an arcade. This record has a lot of important things to say, but they do it in a way that is so on the nose. It really felt like I was being given a talking to by my teacher or my parents. The beats and the production are fine enough, but the lyrics don't have a sense of creativity or style whatsoever. Which would be fine if this was a TED Talk, but it's an album so you'd at least expect some form of artistry.

Was just talking to my dad about the tipping point where increasing awareness of all humanity's biggest and darkest problems goes from motivating to parylzing. This album is an insurmountable list of problems. Suggesting solutions is cheesy. I suppose music and songwriting, in this reviewer's humble opinion, is better suited for nuanced storytelling rather than an artless list of high level grievances. Shout out to TDHoH for bringing attention to social determinants of health (Everyday Life Has Become a Health Risk) a decade before the WHO got on board. Also I can't disassociate Michael Franti from his cornball solo stuff. Funny thing is you could put these cheesy lyrics in Zach De La Rocha's mouth and all of a sudden it feels important again. What can we do about any of this? Take care of those close to us. Make socially, environmentally, and fiscally informed consumer decisions. Support political candidates capable of passing policies to support basic human rights and equal opportunity. Dismantle a fundamentally unjust capitalist economy. Abandon all possessions and the concept of ownership. Surrender all (flawed) individual choice to an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, AI? Listen to Spotify. C+

It’s start promisingly enough, but quickly became repetitive and tedious. Boy this album os long on its very one dimensional. These guys have a message and they are gonna beat you over the head with that message for a full hour. Cuz see they are smarter than you, they see things you don’t see and understand the world in a way you do not, got it? Maybe this would be more palatable if they were so condescending in their approach. And actually at time the lyrics are laughably bad. Atrocious even. Listening to this so many years after it was released you could suggest the lyrics were prophetic but the truth is that simply nothing has really changed. They fancy themselves as political poets, in reality they are just a shit imitation of other bands who have done this type of thing much better.

Jazzy and political. Sounds like Public Enemy. Songs range from ok to bad but some redeemable qualities. I like California Uber Alles but I'd much rather hear the original. The jazz in Music and Politics is nice but the lyrical overlay sucks. Why are they all so long? Some variation would be nice. Honestly the best song is Television The Drug of the Nation. If the others were like it (and shorter), I would rate the album higher.

Eh… idk… I feel like any profound radical edge this might have had at the time is kinda cliched and dated now. Like, the things he’s saying are still mostly true, it’s just they’ve been said a million times and mostly been done better

Political hip hop - seriously needs some editing. Best Tracks: Television the Drug of the Nation, Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury, California Uber Alles

4 songs unavailable on Spotify. I'm not liking this so far...talking over a beat with verbal samples mixed in.

The first track hits hard. Angry anti-establishment anti-religion political hiphop. Could have been written yesterday. Some of the songs are definitely long winded and after a while you realize each song is a political monologue... it gets a little exhausting. By Music and Politics it gets very exhausting.

just kinda exhausting to listen to

Didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped.

i'm a spiritual lyrical individual spiritual miracle lyrical individual spiritual miracle individual

didn't care for this instrumentals were fine, kinda unimpressive for my taste (though 90s hip hop is admittedly hit-or-miss for me). didn't care much for neither the artist's voice or his flow. the majority of tracks also felt like they ran 2-3 minutes longer than they should've, probably because the guy repeats the title several times throughout to pad out the time this had political/societal messaging throughout, which i'm usually fine with. hell, i'll admit i've heard socially-conscious rap done well before. however, it lacks subtlety. the message is either made plainly obvious with no nuance or nonsensical political word vomit

On paper I should like this. In reality it's a complete pain in the arse to listen to.

Look on YouTube to find the tracks that weren’t available on Apple Music or Spotify. Definitely worth seeking out for the whole picture!

This is a great album. I’m surprised and disappointed I haven’t heard it before.

Super smooth hip hop. From front to back, social issues brought to the forefront. I am comfortable in saying that everything he touches on them is still an issue with society today in 2025. Sad how we haven’t changed as a society and his lyrics still ring true today. Have we not learned to accept one another as human?

What the fuck? This came out when I was 8? *double checks release date* Is Michael Franti a time traveler? Did he escape from our current hellscape back to 1992 to give us a (distressingly unheeded) warning? I'm sad now.

Public enemy, Angela Davies, Foucault, a bit of psychedelia... Great album

The lyrics are powerful, and the production is interesting.

This is tough. I really loved listening to this album, and I'm surprised I didn't know it better because it does overlap so much with other things that are high in my playlists (obviously like Public Enemy and Chuck D). When the beat, samples, and lyrics were working they were really working. Then, there were repeated lines like "Medical racist social statistics / Has everyday life become a health risk?" that seemed to mean something, but actually didn't at all. That really brought this closer to a four, but overall I'm still giving it a 5 just for this list and it's importance. Not the album's fault, but I saw people noting that Apple Music was missing four tracks, and now Spotify was also missing the tracks but didn't even show them on mobile. It just showed as 9 tracks and 44 minutes, and it gave no indication that anything was missing. So, I guess double-check when possible.

Essential listening. Pairs well with Public Enemy. Franti is _my_ hero.

When hip hop albums were actually saying something else except guns and money.

I do love me the pretentious rappers of the late 80s and early 90s. reminded my of Consolidated.

This is an absolutely stand-out album for me. I played it through twice, which is a rarity. While I'd not heard of The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy before, I was vaguely familiar with Michael Franti. Also new to me was the concept of industrial hip hop, and it works really well. The whole lot is carried by Franti's voice, and while some of the flow is "a bit tired" it still adds up to an album I really can't square off with being as underappreciated as it appears to be. The beats are there, there's some well-considered social commentary and I genuinely enjoyed listening to it. Easiest 5 star for a long time.

Still scarily relevant message 30 years on. Good listen

So far ahead of its time this album has been standing behind you all along. If we stopped to listen, we might find Franti in our ear laying many truths bare. Names and technologies change but a record like this shows us what the constants are — and it's an ugly scene.

4.5/5 This album is hard-hitting, funky and well-written. A great listen with some incredible standout tracks. Satanic Reverses 3.5/5 Famous And Dandy (Like Amos 'N' Andy) 4.5/5 Television The Drug Of The Nation 4.5/5 Language Of Violence 5/5 The Winter Of The Long Hot Summer 4/5 Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury 4/5 Everyday Life Has Become A Health Risk 3.5/5 (LEAST FAV) Socio-Genetic Experiment 5/5 Music And Politics 4.5/5 Financial Leprosy 4/5 California Uber Alles 5/5 Water Pistol Man 5/5 (FAV)

I love smart rap that says something. This album is no-hold-barred social commentary in the tone of Public Enemy and Common. I don’t know how I missed this in the 1990’s with the exception of the name is long and lacks catch. Television the Drug of a Nation is dissertation on America with prophetic overtones that made me look at the album date due to modern relevance. Note: the entire album is so hard hitting it was hard to pick a favorite. This album kicks ass and needs a renaissance.

I really like when though men care about social issues. 10/10

I’ll admit I’m not the biggest rap or hip hop fan, but this was phenomenal. It reminds me of when rap was dangerous and had more to say than who has illegitimate children and who is on Ozempic. I’m curious to see how others would rate this, it’s not fun or light listening in terms of what’s being conveyed, so I can see a lot of people being dismissive or reductive, which is a shame because it’s pretty incredible. Instantly a fan of this and will listen often.

Wow

Just an incredible album - both sonically and lyrically. Easily among my top five hip hop albums.

A lyrical tour de force. With each track my impressions of this rose. The Apple Music version of this album had 4 tracks that were unavailable in this country it the album was good enough that I went and found the tracks on YouTube. Awesome

Along with Public Enemy's *It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back* and *Fear Of A Black Planet*, *Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury* has been my entry point into "conscious", militant rap during my formative teenage years. Therefore, this album will always hold a special place in my heart (and brains), even though stylistically speaking, it didn't *always* age gracefully. That said, Michael Franti's take on PE's Bomb Squad-produced sonic aesthetics still has its own merits and distinct flavours--a lot of them drawing from the "industrial" scene, actually--in keeping with Franti's lyrics drawing from the everyday static that America produced around the topics that "shook the nation" at the times. Franti's cold snarls about the latter very often hit the mark. And so does his music. Besides, you can't beat the incredible sequence of cuts that goes from "Television The Drug Of The Nation" to "Language Of Violence" to "The Winter Of The Long Hot Summer" to "Hipocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury". "Language Of Violence", in particular, is a master statement about internalized homophobia and how the use of certain words is always the starting point that leads to tragic ends for everyone involved in many harassment and abuse cases. A message that has lost none of its potency in 2024, and that actually foretold many needed societal changes, and the struggles that are still currently happening around them. The 15-year old boy that I was surely needed to listen to that song in 1992. Hence why the album it's from is "essential" to me (and should be for many other hip hop heads). I can't give a "real" 5 stars grade to this record because, as important as Franti's message against racist, corporate, and war-greedy "America" was, his vocal delivery admittedly might sound a bit stilted at times for today's ears--maybe because said message was admittedly more important than the artistic medium he used anyway. Musically, a couple of cuts might also be a little lengthy or lacking in welcome dynamics--especially on the second half. Yet I strongly advise everyone caring to know how The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy could actually be more versatile than they looked at first glance to explore this second half for at least three other gems. First for minimalistic jazzy outlier cut "Music And Politics", where Franti switches to an unexpected introspective and humourous mode to question his own political obsessions. Then for his awesome and bouncy "updated" cover of The Dead Kennedys' "California Über Alles"--roasting the sort of despicable figures that have pestered US politics for a long time now, very unfortunately, while also giving a heartfelt tribute to the old Bay Area punk scene. And finally, don't miss trippy, atmospheric closer "Water Pistol Man", its mesmerizing sample of Wally Badarou's "Leaving This Place", and Franti's last words of wisdom during its chorus. Sung, not rapped, here. Yet equally potent. Public Enemy's Chuck D once dubbed conscious rap "the Black CNN". But this album proves that during the early nineties, there was more than *one* channel to watch. And that they were *all* better than regular "television, the drug of the nation"... 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential record (rounded up to 5). Which translates to a 9.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5+4.5). Number of albums left to review: 242 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 329 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 194 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 242

Politisk Hip hop slår ju an alla strängar hos mig. Möjligen så mycket att jag inte kan bedöma kvaliteten. Men det är skitsamma för går ändå på känsla när jag lyssnar på musik. Så poesi, politik och rap vad kan gå fel. Television the drug of the nation! Herrejävlar vad bra den låten är. Socio-Genetic Experiment och California Uber Alles likaså. Det blir 5a.

I forgot all about this band. Michael Franti is always good. And I love his political songs. First song was prescient af. Lyrically, this album is clearly influenced by Gil Scott Heron. The world needs more unapologetically fabulous political music. Corporate radio really obliterated the genre. Independent broadcasters were monopolized and destroyed. It’s not the greatest album ever. But the work here is important, hard to find, and still totally relevant to modern society. That alone marks this as essential listening.

It’s not the greatest album ever. But the work here is important, hard to find, and still totally relevant to modern society. That alone marks this as essential listening.

genuinely do not have the words. first time in this book i feel like i’ve found something really shaking and raw. want on vinyl, obviously. timeless in the saddest way.

No idea how this had never crossed my path but I had never heard of this album before now. Was this written in 1992 or 2024? Sad that it is so relevant to the things we are dealing with today, and disappointing to see just how little progress we have made. If anything it shows that we've been stagnant or moving backwards for 30+ years. Love it.

This is excellent. I knew the track 'Television is the drug of the nation' already, not sure where from, but the whole album was great. I was listening at work but kept getting distracted wanting to listen to what this guy was saying. Really cool

Incredible sound and still salient prophetic lyrics.

So surprising. This album was just fantastic from start to finish.

Super cool vibes.

rap with message

This is the comprehensible, well produced, incredibly intelligent polotical Hip Hop I wanted! The only drawback is the main interest is the lyrics, not the music, and as a result it can start to get monotonous if you're not paying attention, but still this is what I want hip hop to be.

I liked when rap espoused a philosophy of social justice.

This is such a fantastic album.

I really dug this. Didn't know about Michael Franti's pre- spearhead work, old school and excellent

Ooooof Satanic Reverses goes hard. The production on this is terrific. 2:55 into Famous and Dandy, love the soothing synths that slide in. I really am digging the production on this one. This is like hip hop Gil Scott-Heron. This was fantastic, perhaps my favourite discovery of the 1001 yet. Fave Tracks: Satanic Reverses, Famous and Dandy (Like Amos and Andy), California Uber Alles 4.9/5

Good shit, sounds like Chuck D a lot

Wow POLITICS. TOO MUCH

Really enjoyable concept, political rap album

Of all the albums I've listened to so far, I think this one has been the biggest surprise for me. I had never heard of this group before, but this album is fantastic. It's an absolute masterclass in political hip hop. There isn't one weak song on here. "Satanic Reverses," "Famous and Dandy (Like Amos N Andy)," "Television the Drug of the Nation," and "California Uber Alles" are my personal favorites, especially the lyric "the only cola I support would be a union c.o.l.a." in "Television..." I would not have listened to this without this album challenge, and I'm so glad I was introduced to this group.

Fantastic. Like Gil Scott Heron but with 90’s style production. Really clever lyrics. Might be the best surprise of this project so far.

Damnfinestuff. 5stars.

This was incredibly rad and I hadn't heard this album before.