Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

Quality hop hop with a view that challanged the global hedgemony. I used to love this back in the day. Televison has probably dated some, but could easily be replaced with social media. His wordplay is second to none as he takes swing after swing at social injustice and describing geo politics. What is interesting is at the time there was no internet and you had to find this kind of thought in a chomsky or book that wasn't that well understood by myself. Yet there this was.

This was an incredible experience. As far as rap goes, this is something very different. It's almost a spoken word album, but it keeps your attention with incredible concious poetry and jazzy beats. This is one of the best alt hip-hop albums I've ever heard. 5/5

Oh wow, we don't really learn anything at all, do we?

The more I learn about Michael Franti, the cooler he is.

Hiphop, fan van! 5 sterren! Vooraf dacht ik, hier krijgen we weer de zoveelste hiphopplaat waar een paar gasten gaan rappen over hoeveel geld, auto's en vrouwen ze bezitten. Maar dit is politieke rap a la Gill Scott-Herons spoken word op Public Enemy beats. Public Enemy kan ik nog wel hebben, maar die spoken word is aan de saaie kant. Naar hiphopteksten luister ik meestal niet, en dit staaltje activisme gaat ook een beetje aan me voorbij. De manier waarop je je boodschap verpakt, maakt namelijk een groot verschil. Verpak je het in de vorm van rap of hiphop, dan gaat het langs me heen. Ik zou zeggen, giet het eens in een rockvormpje, wat carribean vibes erbij, vleugje Lenny Kravitz, laat een beroemdheid als Pink even opdraven. En dan krijg je Yell Fire! van dezelfde Michael Franti die ook voor dit album verantwoordelijk is. Een politieke aanklacht tegen de oorlog in het Midden-Oosten (oh hoe actueel), waar de boosheid van de teksten nu worden verpakt in muziek die eerder hoop geeft dan dat je gelijk op zoek moet naar een shotgun om zelf iedereen overhoop te schieten. Het politieke pamflet is er nog steeds, maar je hebt me dit keer wel te pakken. Gelukkig had Michael Franti door dat je soms van verpakking moet veranderen, helaas de snobs van deze lijst niet, want die kozen een oud album. De 5 sterren zijn dus voor Yell Fire! Aanrader voor de zure broeders die niet van hiphop houden.

Wow, listening to this was both cathartic and eye-opening. First, the beats are great. Second, these guys are speaking truth so clearly. It's very refreshing to hear someone point out the inequities and absurdities of our culture. It's also a bit saddening to know that the exact same issues that were prevalent in the early '90s have not gotten any better, and in fact have taken a turn for the MUCH worse in the past decade. What a crap show. Anyway, great album, just as relevant today as the day it was released.

Thirty-plus years later, this could have been written yesterday. Michael Franti’s razor-sharp lyrics on racism, immigration, homophobia, consumerism, and media brainwashing are eerily relevant in 2025. How are we still struggling with the same B.S.? The music and the words, the vibe and the message are all solid.

this was incredible

Follows in the vein of public enemy

Favourites: Satanic Reverses, Famous And Dandy (Like Amos 'N' Andy), The Winter Of The Long Hot Summer, Socio-Genetic Experiment, Music And Politics, Water Pistol Man

I'm staggered I've not heard this before

Brilliant album that has been in t collection since it was released. A fabulous album!

Best album so far

MY FIRST UNKNOWN 5! I''d heard the name, and their biggest song, but knew nothing else about them. Outstanding stuff here. I dig, and own some Franti albums, but was not aware that he was part of this. Bonus.

Downloaded!

Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury blew me away. I’d never heard of The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy before, but this album hit hard—musically and lyrically. It’s packed with sharp political commentary that’s somehow even more relevant now than it was in 1992. Back then, they were calling out systemic racism, media brainwashing, violence, and attacks on women’s rights. Fast forward to today—those same issues are still making headlines. On abortion rights, they were already shouting about government control over women’s bodies before Roe v. Wade had even been seriously challenged. Violence? Still everywhere, whether it’s mass shootings or police brutality. And their track “Television, the Drug of the Nation” feels prophetic—swap out TVs for phones and social media and it nails how addicted and manipulated we are by our screens today. While 90s gangster rap often focused on street life and personal survival, these guys went macro—pointing fingers at the system, the politicians, and the media. And honestly, political rap like this feels more vital than ever.

Yo that was dope.

The highest-IQ rap I’ve heard, and it sounds pretty good too. Similar to Public Enemy but much less grating 3.8

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.

Class

Flawless, one of the best hip hop albums I have heard. Flow, lyrics, musical accompaniment, everything is great. Definitely a new favourite!

Absolutely unreal, have to listen again.

4/5

9/10. Wow, these guys weren't screwing around.

Incredibly straight upstanding political rap with very nice sampling and crawlen guitar/bass arrangements which suffered the fate of everything that provokes your good living and forces you to reflect your life: it gets ignored by masses who just wanna hear gang gore / from zero to hero blingbling stories. Capitalism is the thick carpet these ‚Heros of hiphopcracy‘ got disposed under. 4,6

Loves me some real political Hip Hop.

This was indeed "Music and Politics." I thought the music was quite good, and the poetic rap lectures touched on so many crucial issues of 1992 that are all still crucial issues thirty-one years later. I nodded my head quite a lot through this. "Language of Violence" is one of the best treatments of the issue I've ever heard. "Water Pistol Man" ended the album with a positive message and metaphor for the overwhelmed...which we needed. Because honestly this did get on the verge of heavy-handedness and I was feeling that I was in a lecture hall and needing a break. This isn't an album I'm going to put on again unless I want to use it as a teaching piece. Michael Franti himself described what I was feeling when he discussed forming his next band: "The big problem with Disposable Heroes was that it was a record people listened to because it was good for them - kind of like broccoli. I want Spearhead to be more like sweet potatoes."

I enjoy what Michael Franti creates. I will admit that The Disposable Heroes did not draw me in quite the way that Spearhead does, but the album was a winner.

"Being kicked in the closed mouth Or smiling with no teeth They're both choices, yes But it's impossible to eat" Oof. Why haven't I ever heard this before? I have some theories... Really great early 90s hip-hop sound with lyrics that are still too relevant. I would understand if folks thought it preachy but I'm in the choir so I say, "testify!"

cool

Essential sound of the 90s and of all time really. 5/5

Amazing album amazing band. I count myself lucky I got to see them live

Damn this is good. Powerful. Smooth grooves over deep lyrics. It's like Rage Against the Machine if the rage was expressed over smooth grooves with a relaxed rap flow. Seriously impressive album and the first rap album I'm rating a 5 (aside from Rage, which I consider to be more rock/metal anyway). Favorite tracks: pretty much all of them, but standouts are Satanic Reverses, Famous and Dandy (particularly the "flavor of the month" section), Television the drug of the nation, Financial Leprosy, and Water Pistol Man.

I listened to this album so many times when it came out and was lucky enough to see these guys live. Being so familiar with the album I feel like all the tracks are my favourite but I like Satanic Reverses (for the geography history lesson), Television The Drug Of The Nation, Music And Politics, and California Uber Alles.

Still topical

A halfway house between The Clash and Rage Against the Machine, that refocuses hip-hop's anger against the establishment and corporations. Still as relevant today as it was 30 (!?) years ago.

What a discovery! Brilliant!

Great album. Beautiful chaos, ha. Some intense instrumentals which matched well with the content of the lyrics. It's interesting to hear Michael franti in this genre - really only known him with his upbeat songs

Excellent, political, trueschool hiphop. Taking a lot of inspiration from PE but much cleaner production.

Este disco debe estar entre mis discos favoritos de hip-hop especialmente de los 90s. El sonido es emblemático, cuando se escucha de inicio parece simplemente que suena a todos los grupos de su momento, esas trompetas tipo Cypress Hill que a veces se atisban, los ritmos rápidos, agresivos pero sin sonar del todo a Gangsta Rap aun. Sin embargo con un poco de atención hay muchísimo más trabajo y composición, sonidos de jazz que vienen al frente sin hacer que se sienta una fusión ni quitando energía. Las letras son excelentes, tienen ese componente de importancia a problemas sociales, con caracter, sin tratar nada más de escucharse como si fuera "este es rap pero con mensajito". En realidad me parecen composiciones que líricamente se pueden sostener a sí mismas como si fueran poemas aun sin la música. Un disco casi desconocido que de verdad se debiera escuchar al menos una vez.

Loved this album! So introspective

wow barras

Remarkable for 1992. Style a little like Blue Scholars. Really good.

The kind of hip hop I really like, jazzy beats and deep, meaningful political lyrics, will probably have this on repeat for awhile

Smart, well-produced, and good!

fantastic album, highly recommened.

Really good lyrics

This shit was dope from start to finish!

Great lyrics. Jazzy melodies. Current

Straightforward, yet so deep.

Dope!

This was so potent it felt like he was sent back to 1992 from 2026. Hip hop at its finest!

Sadly serval of the songs are not available on YT music. That said, I all but forgot this album existed. (And of course it reminded me of Consolidated.) Anyway, it's refreshing to hear some old school rap/hip-hop that isn't about getting high, slapping bitches, and waving a gat.

Great album. Love the sampling and the vocal delivery. Engaging lyrics. Really landed with me. The four tracks not on YouTube music are good too.

beats are diabolical here. lyrics alternate between ingenious, overwrought, and repetitive, but definitely in a good place content wise, and their performance is quite good. the songwriting does tend to drag a bit though

The messages throughout the album are spot on. The music element I felt was lacking however. There’s occasionally a good beat or rhythm going, but the lyrics were the clear star on this one. I’d never heard of this group before, but I really enjoy this kind of conscientious style of rap/hip-hop. It’s thought provoking and far more political than modern rap tends to get. It’s over 30 years old, the issues he’s talking about were malignant back then, and now they’ve really come to a head. Wish more people would’ve taken this more seriously.

Pretty damn cool. Big fan of this. Conscious hip-hop meets funk. Gil Scott-Heron meets Public Enemy. Another album that obviously I wouldn't want to listen to every day, but certainly one that I'm glad I know about and glad I listened to before I die. Gotta give points to an album that makes you way, way cooler than everyone else for having listened to it. Fave tracks: - Satanic Reverses - Famous And Dandy (Like Amos 'N' Andy) - Television The Drug Of The Nation - Language Of Violence - INS Greencard A-19 191 500 (side note: Jesus, this almost made me sick to listen to. This album came out in fucking 1992. Could have come out yesterday with how the Trump administration has empowered ICE and is dealing with immigration. So fucked.) - Music And Politics - Financial Leprosy

Disposable television is a Zoo

Concious rap is very hit or miss. The message has to make enough room for good flow and beats. This record does an OK job in that regard. The beats are darky funky and have some experimental sounds. The lyrics can sometmes be a little corny such as in my opinion in "Television, the drug of the nation" but his takes are very true and relevant even today. I also appreciate the range of topics discussed in this record. The nature of hate, discrimination, Palestine, technology, political activisim in music and probably more. His takes are pretty nuanced for a record from the 90's. This is especially interesting because other records on this list from the same period or even more recent include things like casual homophobia. Will I listen to this again? Probably not, unless I am feeling especially introspective on todays problems. I do listen to concious/activist music, but it is often the more energetic/manic songs like "Hypocrisy is the greatest luxury" that I am drawn to. 7.5/10

Very much a nineties hip-hop album, but a great one. Strongly critical of society and politicis at the time, yet at times it felt very much talking about current times. It very much doesn't feel afraid to criticize also the standard black culture of the time.

Est-ce que c'est du rap d'adulte ? J'ai pas pris le temps de m'asseoir pour lire les paroles, mais j'ai l'impression que c'est très sérieux et qu'on y parle d'hypothèque et des struggles d'un 9 à 5. Je vais préserver le mystère. Le groove est bon, on a des vrais instruments. Je suis pas totalement vendu à le réécouter et j'ai ma dose de hip hop pour un bout mais j'admets la qualité.

Similar to Public Enemy but not as catchy. I prefer Franti’s later work with Spearhead. Takes me back to the early 90s

In which a majority of the points about American culture from 1992 are startlingly relevant today

I'm brand new to Michael Franti and The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, but this is a great discovery. Thanks algorithm. Thalgorithm. Franti’s lyrical content is delivered like a sermon. There are no metaphors here, just a lot of very-direct takes on media manipulation, consumer passivity, racism, homophobia, police violence, environmental decay, political hypocrisy, and corporate power. Like someone giving a highly articulate speech in the park where a crowd has started to gather around. It's angry, literate, moralistic, anti-corporate, anti-racist, and suspicious of mass culture. But somehow also very easy and enjoyable to listen to. Musically it feels somewhere between Public Enemy and Gil Scott-Heron. And that's a pretty damn good place to be stuck between. The samples are great: hard beats, media fragments, industrial textures, jazz, funk, post-punk, alt-rock, and world music act as a bed for these politically-charged rants. “Famous and Dandy” samples Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man”, coincidentally yesterday's brilliant discovery. That's a cool connection, and feels too big to be just a coincidence. Thalgorithm.

Ахуеть аесоп рок

4/5 Favorite Song: Television the Drug of the Nation

ngl, i don't listen to much hip hop so this was my first alt hip hop album. beats were good and the subject matter was refreshing

Favourite Songs: Language Of Violence Water Pistol Man

Shit. Never heard before. My bad, it’s great! I’ve got some ear bingeing in my near future! For those scoring 1, crawl your uneducated ass back under that swamp Rock with Kid! Yeah, I’m in a pissed off mood…

Sounds like the love child of Public Enemy and Gil Scott Heron. Vastly underrated.

Politically I’m with it.

Rap consciente, mas digo, bem consciente mesmo. Não do tipo woke, na verdade, há um gostinho de teoria da conspiração em algumas das faixas e algumas das letras. Parece uma crítica, mas não é, pois eu achei fascinante esse álbum. Realmente foge de todas as expectativas e clichês. Claro que nem tudo aqui envelheceu tão bem assim, há várias referências e críticas que já estão bem datadas, mas isso não diminui o valor do disco na minha visão. As batidas mantêm o interesse também. Muitos samples interessantes, gosto especialmente dos trechos de notícias utilizados. É um produto de seu tempo, mas de forma positiva, como uma cápsula do tempo. E as rimas são até que inteligentes, por mais que algumas vezes aquele aspecto esnobe ou pretensioso possa ser irritante. O maior defeito é, como de costume, a duração exagerada do álbum. Uma hora é demais até para os melhores discos, mas para um disco inconsistente como esse fica ainda mais injustificável. Provavelmente nunca mais vou ouvir esse álbum novamente, mas gostei da experiência. Sinto que vou estranhar essa nota no futuro, quando revisar os álbuns da lista, mas por ora, me parece a nota correta para representar meu aproveitamento. 4/5

Great Songs: Famous and Dandy (Like Amos and Andy), Television, the Drug of the Nation, Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury Good Songs: Satanic Reverses, Language of Violence (Mix), The Winter of the Long Hot Summer, Everyday Life Has Become a Health Risk, INS Greencard A-19 195 500, Socio-Genetic Experiment, Music and Politics, Financial Leprosy, California Über Alles Mid Songs: Water Pistol Man Bad Songs:

I like this a lot. It’s a pleasure to be happily surprised.

7.5/10 rounded up because of lyrical content

Easily engrossing, backed up by these eerie but very '90s dystopian beats that make every lyric really feel like the fall of society He feels pretty genuine, too

I only own one hip-hop album: Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury by The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. When it was released in 1992, the single 'Television, the Drug of the Nation' was played frequently on MTV. Michael Franti’s razor-sharp lyrics were a breath of fresh air in nineties pop music. Added to this were Rono Tse’s remarkably powerful beats and groovy bass lines. Finally, danceable pop music with political lyrics had returned. Above all, the whole album thrives on Franti’s intelligent, unsparing and alarmingly topical lyrics, which break away from the hip-hop mould. Sadly, the band only released two albums, the second of which, Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales, set texts by William S. Burroughs to music. However, it was clear from the outset that the narrow musical framework of hip-hop was too restrictive for Michael Franti. Tracks like 'Music and Politics' break completely away from the hip-hop sound, drawing closer to the jazz and soul of Isaac Hayes — not least thanks to the fantastic guitar work of jazz musician Charlie Hunter, who was making his debut at the time. In a sense, this album anticipates the music of spoken-word performers like Kate Tempest.

Maybe the only album to ever name-drop Pell grants.

On paper, this seems to be too on the nose as political music. Maybe it was, for its time. But today it’s pretty perfect and so prescient. The level of commitment to the ethos is unbelievable, and the music also works as music, not just politics.

I really liked this to a very surprising degree. For one thing, it felt like a proper history lesson and very considered. The themes are really deep and have probably therefore aged well in a way that something like NWA didn't at all. It didn't even feel super long, considering it was well over an hour. It's not perfect, and it's not the kind of genre I'm going to give top marks to, but it's really pretty good indeed.

To the people that don't agree or didn't understand the albums messaging: This guy is singing the same shit we're still dealing with, only he did it near 35 years ago. If we're still complaining about this stuff, it might be valid to complain about. To the people that DO agree with the album, including myself: Do we seriously think hippies like this are actually gonna convince right wing neocon populist lovers to look at things from our side? I'm not saying this shouldn't be taken seriously but at this point we can't expect media literacy from those people, they should be made fun of, called chuds, and whatever else they have already done. If they go low, we shouldn't go high, we should kick them in the teeth. Anyway, that's my soapbox over, I just felt like this album warranted it. As I stated in that preamble rant, the ideas here are still poignant three and a half decades later, the sampling and instrumentation is great (especially the basslines), and Michael Franti's reverberating voice is very attention grabbing. It's gonna be divisive probably due to the politics attached, but I happen to agree with these politics for the most part, if not the way they're presented to the masses. I'm also not likely to be revisiting this one apart from a few tracks here and there since the politics are front and center here and not something I'd listen to in leisure time.

1001 albums to hear before you hate the tv and governments 91# the beats go krayyy, it's a bit a sentiment of the time but it's also really inventive with the synths that remind me of George Clanton. The lyrics are really straightforward telling stories and criticizing society in a way i find enjoyable, without needing a deep listen to understand it all.

My goodness me...a hip hop album I've liked. He has a lot to say, and it's interesting, political, clever and amusing and I can hear it clearly. And it's got a kickin beat. Still hate inter-track skits though.

Excellent lyrics

Very good and interesting conscious rap. Lyrics make you want to loom into the history of communities.

3.5

Wait, this is the same guy who sang "The Sound of Sunshine"? Album is a bit didactic but has substance.

Smart, well done.

#343/1001. Political hip hop, or perhaps better to call it spoken word / poetry, Gil-Scott Heron brought to the 90s. The bomb squad style production and the turntablism and the rhythm section keeps a tight beat, but the album gets a bit long. I think the frontman Michael Franti's idea: tDHoH is good for you like broccoli hits the nail in the coffin, the idea behind perhaps is that either people who listen to this already think the same way, or the lyrics seem "too political". Anyhow a lot of the lyrics are fun, some very personal, like the bits about growing up in a white culture with a mixed background. Btw his foster parents had Finnish roots according to wikipedia, so greetings from Finland!

Makes a lot of sense that they were a punk band in a previous life

It's not so much that I loved the music as that this record seemed amazing prophetic. I kept checking to make sure it was from 34 years ago and not this year.

Prescient.

Day 246 A completely new artist for me and really enjoyed this, amazing how relevant it still is today Highlights Satanic reverses Language of violence Water pistol man

Not as much musical variety as I'd like to hear in these songs, but they're often lyrically clever and powerful. Sadly, nearly 35 years after this album's release, the "current event" topics found in just about every track are still relevant and headline-making! Listening to an album like this is a clear reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. :-(

I already knew and enjoyed Michael Franti's music, but I honestly had never heard of this group. Wow. There's some powerful imagery and heavy lyrics to get through, but I loved it. Spotify is missing 4 tracks, as is Apple Music (I believe), but the ones that are available are definitely worth a listen.

Weirdly, a few songs from this album seem to be unavailable on most streaming platforms. But from what I could listen to this is the classic, really smart hip hop from the early 90's that I love. Language of Violence was a real stand out for me. It's kind amazing to hear someone rapping about homosexuality in a way that would still stand out today. I'm surprised I'd never heard of this before.

I liked this. Amazing how little we’ve progressed. I don’t agree with some of the views, like socialism being good, but overall enjoyable. 3.5.

Number: 83 Date: 03/27/2026 Artist: The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy Album: Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury Year: 1992 Genre: Concious Industrial Hip Hop Rating: 4 Notes: Before: ======= Dangit! Another hiphop record. I think I like this one though, I might even have had the album or cd back in the day. During: ======= Yep, I do like this. 5 Satanic Reverses 3 Famous And Dandy (Like Amos 'N' Andy) 5 Television, The Drug Of The Nation 3 Language Of Violence 3 The Winter Of The Long Hot Summer 5 Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury 4 Everyday Life Has Become A Health Risk 3 INS Greencard A-19 191 500 3 Socio-Genetic Experiment 4 Music And Politics 4 Financial Leprosy 5 California Über Alles 4 Water Pistol Man ----------------------------------------------------- 3.89 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= 4 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 4.3 composite rating

Best hip hop on this yet...

good niga music

Favorite Track: Language of Violence

At the time, I am certain that this album was well-received, and deservedly so. That being said, it now seems a bit underwhelming. Still, it was a thing and an important thing. Historically, I think it deserves its accolades. But 1 hour plus gets a bit much. There were some really great cuts here: I really liked Music and Politics, for example. And doesnt' the message still resonate? I think so...

Good beats, interesting themes, but, most of the time, it sounds like if Chuck D couldn't rhyme. Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury shows he's capable of socially conscious rap that actually rhymes. 3.75

4.5

I saw Michael Franti's subsequent band - Spearhead - a couple of times and it was a great live show - with a much more positive love everyone message than Disposable Heroes. The anger in HITGL is front and centre and cannot help but compare the late 90's to now and how more deeply fucked everything now is. Complaining about the influence of TV seems so quaint relative to social media. I can see why Franti moved towards love as staying angry and getting every angrier would have eaten him up.

Thoughtful

I dig this one. I'm not much of a fan of rap and when I find ones that I do like they typically have original music supporting the prose. And holy shit! I just realized this is Michael Franti. I love Franti. I've seen him live at least 5x. I had no idea this was his previous work.

Fun lyrics

Wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I actually really enjoyed it. Good beats, good messages that are surprisingly still applicable over 30 years later. (4)

8/10 it was a powerful album focusing on some heavy topics really prevalent right now, he was able to convey such a strong message with some good beats

Political and musical. Like the jazz touches and motifs that litter this album. A tad preachy but a solid, underrated and slightly overlooked hip-hop album.

Actually really enjoyed this and didn't know Michael Franti did anything before Spearhead. Great industrial-meets-jazz beats and socially conscious lyrics. No, his flow isn't the most impressive and leans oldschool with the occasional awkward moment, and its certainly not a subtle album. But doesn't really detract *too* much from proceedings. Unique and interesting, a great hidden gem.

This was a very, very good album. I'd never heard of them before and thought this was great. The lyrics could have been written for now and would still be relevant. Very close to a 5 star album but I can't see myself going back to it much. A really nice surprise though, great stuff

Fav: Famous And Dandy (Like Amos ‘N’ Andy) Least Fav: The Winter Of The Long Hot Summer Easiest 5/5 if it didn’t drag in the middle, real shame

I don't think this is really my vibe but it sounds pretty good. I can definitely appreciate the message and the composition but musically it's not my thing. It's a funky beat I can appreciate this. Wait I'm actually getting into this. This is very goated actually. Speak on it. It's both interesting and sad to listen to an album from 30 years ago and still hear the same struggles going on right now. Holy shit this is deep. Favourite: Famous And Dandy Least favourite: none

Solid. Satanic Reverses is an anthem for the current times...the more things change, huh.

This is great. Good pace, interesting samples and social commentary that is in many cases as relevant today as 30 years ago.

Favorite Tracks: Satanic Reverses / Television the Drug of the Nation / Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury / Music and Politics Rating: 3.8 Had to do some extra effort to search out tracks 5, 6, 12, 13. Must b sampling issues? Mostly listened on Spotify. I've listened to a good bit of Spearhead, actually, but I had no idea Michael Franti was in an even more politically-charged hip-hop group prior! I'm a fan of old-skool hip hop, and here Franti channels his inner Chuck D. A lot of this sure sounds extra prescient listening here in January 2026 as fascists kill peaceful protestors with impunity in our streets. Production is a bit thin, but musically it's got a great groove with plenty of organic, interesting samples and funky backbone. I can dig it!

'Exxon and on and on and on'; 'Athletes and entertainers / Have become the minstrels of commercials'; 'Why most people think Central America means Kansas / Socialism means un-American / And Apartheid is a new headache remedy.' There're few hip-hop records THIS political, where every line critiques the system and there's no break from a penetrative analysis of society. It'd be easy to dismiss this record as a dated phenomenon - T.V. is the drug of the nation? - ha, how 'bout brain rot and American fascism? But Michael Franti is too original to be overlooked, a breathing composite of Gil Scott Heron, Chuck D, and George Carlin. And when he sounds too much like the Public Enemy front man, Franti can confide in Rono Tse's industrial refreshments.

Can't complain about some socially-conscious 90s rap. I'll need to go and find the songs that aren't available on Spotify at the moment, but I don't think they would impact my rating all that much. This album holds up pretty well and unfortunately the message is still relevant over thirty years later. Could give this a three but I'll round up to a four because I was vibing along the whole time.

industrial hip hop... can't say i'm too familiar with the genre. this is, ultimately some intelligent hip hop music with a really mysterious and dense way of throwing down beats. topical lyrics that sound like a newscaster telling his audience the horrors of the world. for the most part, the abrasive sounds with the spoken word helps with the messages in each track. especially with all the breaks that contain samples from television and old forgotten records. i feel like i'm strapped to a chair while this guy lectures me right to my face. i feel that edge, i feel that frustration, almost like being spat to the face.

One of those albums where you just nod along to everything being said. Nothing ever changes, we're still dealing with the same shit as 30+ years ago and it was all still true 30 years before that.

Pretty good. A pleasant surprise. I first heard these folks on a Dead Kennedys tribute album.

I gotta say, I did not dig it at first, but was loving it by the end.

OK I liked this way more than I expected. I saved "Satanic Reverses" and "Television The Drug Of The Nation"

I liked this, mostly for the lyrics. Many of the themes are very much preavelent today, maybe even more so. The metaphor of TV as methadone is clever, you see this today with social media satiating the masses and numbing us to our realities. Talking about the duhumanisation of victims makes the language of violence mainstream, we've definitely seen this in the massacre of Palestinians in the 2020s where the media manages to justify war crimes in through the words they choose. The erosion of civil rights - after George Floyd this is still very clearly a thing. And these are just my notes from the first few tracks. I suspect most people quite musicians talking about social/political issues, as long as it's vague. "Oh isn't everything bad, we need to love each other". Fuck that - there are bad people in this world and they should be called out for what they are, that's real commentary. Not sure I can go to 5* as it sounds a bit samey over the 1hr + running time. The production is alright but not sure the beats are anything special, and it's kinda funny that every hook is just repeating the title a few times.

Honestly, my first reaction was "why have this on the list when we already have Public Enemy?" And sure, Public Enemy is the more famous and (arguably) better group. Both are angry, politically conscious hip hop. But The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy sound more focused, like they've managed to channel their anger into a call for change. It's much the same as what Chuck D was aiming for, though I feel that he gets a bit more lost in his (understandable) anger. This album has a bit more detachment for its message, which makes it feel a bit less personal but also more impactful and serious. I can't say that one group is better than the other but they complement each other well.

Loved it when I first heard it, and still appreciate the politics, but it hasn't held up all that well musically. And Michael Franti really went off the deep end.

Never had heard this before. I like the concept. It was certainly interesting to hear it in 2025 more than 30 years later and none of the issues in the lyrics seem to have really changed for the better. Between that and Gil Scott Heron I don't know if the cliches of history rhyming give any comfort in the modern time. Also it was very 2025 that when I went to listen on spotify 5 of the songs were greyed out and unplayable. So I went over to youtube and the same 5 songs were missing. My guess is uncleared samples but I didn't have any obvious way of finding out. Now I have to put actual effort into make sure I hear them

This is some righteous stuff. I admire the boldness required to just drop truth over 6-minute long hip-hop beats. Listening to this sent me reading about Michael Franti because, having never listened to him, I’d lumped him in with the Jack Johnson barefoot good-times scene. Turns out he is (or was at the start of his career at least) a political firebrand. As others have pointed out, it’s a little depressing that this came out nearly 35 years ago and the problems he’s pointing out are still problems, most of them worse than they were in ‘92. Still, it does nothing but increase the relevancy of this work. The rapping is sometimes less skilled, squeezing and stretching his flow in order to make wordy lines fit with the beats. And the album is pretty long. Besides those points, I enjoyed this a lot. Must-listen #256.

Like a lot of these older hip-hop albums, I appreciate it a lot more than it really does anything for me

Not an everyday listening album, but amazing that the songs still apply today. Michael franti was a co-producer.

I like this version of Michael Franti much more than the roots stuff I'm more familiar with. This comes across to me as a very 90s style of wrap, and I'm here for it. The early 90s was the only period of my life where I listened to rap with any regularity, so I guess it makes sense that I like it. It's also worth mentioning the strong similarities between this and Rage Against the Machine. I first thought this must have been an influence on Rage, but then realized that this and Rage's debut came out the same year. So it's more of a "music of the times" situation.

Well....this album is more timely than ever. It may be more timely than even when it came out. And it's still hard to listen to more than once, possibly because it's the musical equivalent of an edition of The Nation or something. Nonetheless, I've had this on cassette and CD since I bought my first copy in 1992 after hearing their absolutely raging cover of the DK's California Uber Alles on a compilation album from Alternative Tentacles. Frante's righteous anger has a place in my library, even if only for the rare listen.

Day684 - i think if i was a teacher i would use this to show how things never change

One of the best lyrics I've ever heard in the whole of rap music.

Lyrics are so ahead of their time

Although this is not a perfect album, I think that its combo of jazz based samples, raps, and spoken word make it distinctive from many others so I gave it four stars. I definitely like the way the music is put together. But I found the lyrics/words very uneven.

Unfortunately, the recent allegations against Michael Franti cast doubt on his sincerity. We'd all like to believe that the progressive message on this record represents an honest manifesto from an artist not yet corrupted by fame and power. The beats and samples are well-chosen and Franti's delivery is urgent and insistent. The lyrics are mostly solid, only occasionally becoming simplistic. The political aspect is at the forefront, but limits its heavy-handedness. But now we all know what happens when Michael Franti stops thinking about music and politics.

Didn't think I liked hip hop or rap. However this is good. An uncompromising political stance. What they say is true delivered without resorting to an endless string of obscenities. The message is true but certainly not delivered without any political balance (but balance is not the job of songwriters). Also enjoyed the energy of the music Favourites Television the drug of the nation Language of violence The winter of the long hot summer California user alles 4 star

Cool beats. Lyrics are heavy handed and not always artfully composed, but are nonetheless quite based!

Definitely holds up after 30 years - still dealing with the same stuff. Not exactly melodic, but good activist music.

Michael Franti! I had no idea. Sounds fresh and the social commentary is still on point. Incredible discovery.

**In-Depth Review: *Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury* by The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy (1992)** Released in 1992, *Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury* stands as a singular, searing political statement in the history of hip-hop. Fronted by Michael Franti and backed by percussionist Rono Tse, the group fused industrial noise, funk, and spoken word into a confrontational, sample-heavy soundscape. The album is both a time capsule of early-‘90s unrest and a disturbingly prescient mirror of today’s social fractures. --- ### 🎤 **Lyrics & Themes** Franti’s lyrics are unapologetically radical, tackling systemic racism, media manipulation, homophobia, environmental collapse, war profiteering, and the hypocrisy of American exceptionalism. Tracks like: - **“Television, the Drug of the Nation”** decry mass media as a tool of pacification and propaganda. - **“Language of Violence”** is a harrowing narrative of a gay teen murdered by bullies, and one of the earliest rap songs to confront homophobia head-on. - **“The Winter of the Long Hot Summer”** is a poetic, slow-burning indictment of the Gulf War and U.S. imperialism. Franti’s delivery is more spoken word than traditional rap cadence, often resembling Gil Scott-Heron or even Allen Ginsberg in its rhythmic sermonizing. While this makes the album feel more like a political lecture than a party record, it also gives it a unique gravitas. > “Dehumanizing the victim makes things simpler / Something more easy to hate / An inanimate entity / Completely disposable / Easy to obliterate” — *Language of Violence* --- ### 🎧 **Music & Production** Produced with Mark Pistel (of Consolidated), the sound is a chaotic collage of Bomb Squad-style sampling, industrial clangs, jazz guitar (courtesy of a pre-fame Charlie Hunter), and live percussion. Tracks like **“Satanic Reverses”** and **“Famous and Dandy (Like Amos ‘n’ Andy)”** are dense with sirens, brass stabs, and metallic hits, creating a tense, dystopian atmosphere. However, the production sometimes buckles under the weight of its own ambition. A few tracks feel overlong and underdeveloped, with beats that loop past their emotional expiration date. The jazz-fusion detour **“Music and Politics”** is particularly divisive—more coffeehouse poetry than hip-hop . --- ### 🔥 **Influence & Legacy** Though commercially modest, the album was *critically revered*. It placed #19 in *The Village Voice*’s 1992 Pazz & Jop critics poll, and Robert Christgau praised Franti’s “intellectual grasp” and Tse’s “one-man hip-hop band” approach. The group’s fusion of punk, industrial, and hip-hop helped pave the way for: - **Rage Against the Machine** – whose rap-rock activism owes a clear debt. - **El-P** – whose dystopian, noisy production echoes Pistel’s work here. - **Lupe Fiasco** – in his politically dense lyricism. - **Michael Franti’s later work** – including Spearhead, where he softened the sound but kept the message. They also toured with U2 and Public Enemy, bringing their message to massive audiences. --- ### ✅ **Pros** - **Fearless political commentary** – still relevant 30+ years later. - **Innovative production** – industrial hip-hop before it had a name. - **Lyrical depth** – tackles issues most rappers wouldn’t touch in 1992. - **Historical importance** – a missing link between Public Enemy and Rage Against the Machine. --- ### ❌ **Cons** - **Preachy tone** – Franti’s delivery can feel didactic and humorless. - **Overlong tracks** – many songs exceed 6 minutes without dynamic shifts. - **Inconsistent flow** – between spoken word, rap, and sung choruses, the pacing falters. - **Dated references** – lines about George Bush Sr. or Gulf War-era politics feel frozen in time. --- ### 🧠 Final Verdict *Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury* is not a perfect album, but it is a **vital** one. It sacrifices musical immediacy for moral urgency, and in doing so, it became a cornerstone of conscious hip-hop. It’s not always enjoyable, but it’s always **necessary**—the kind of record you don’t play at a party, but the one you cite in a classroom, a documentary, or a protest. In Franti’s own words, it’s “broccoli rap”—good for you, but not always delicious. Still, in a world still grappling with the same systems of control, violence, and hypocrisy, this album remains **uncomfortably relevant**. --- **Rating: 8.5/10** **Essential Tracks:** - “Satanic Reverses” - “Television, the Drug of the Nation” - “Language of Violence” - “Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury” - “California Über Alles” (Dead Kennedys cover)

I hate how this is still relevant 3 decades later. We’re going backwards.

I really liked this when it came out, probably due to Franti's vocal delivery and its far from run of the mill hip hop. There were some quality rap artists around this time, i have no idea where it all went wrong with the latter crop of crap rap. I actually got to see them live when they were touring this album and they were amazing. There some banging songs on this, especially the first few. 'California Uber Alles'is a cool cover, which endeared me to them straight away, but its not enough for a 5 star job.

I enjoyed this one. Good flow fun to hear the struggles of the early 90s and hear that they aren't far off of the same struggles as now. 4 stars

Wow, I generally consider myself pretty well-versed in hip-hop and had no idea this even existed, and was surprised to learn that it's actually Michael Franti! Thought this was really good if perhaps a bit too on-the-nose for our current times even though it was released in 1992. My first thought was Public Enemy, which is probably valid to a point given the subject matter and his Chuck D-like baritone, but he's relentlessly socially conscious in a way that PE never quite was. Satanic Reverses hits hard right out of the gates and the message never really lets up. I like the somewhat non-traditional samples even if the beats themselves are a little more standard for the time. The best song from the album (California Uber Alles) wasn't streaming so I looked it up on Youtube and was not disappointed. Overall really enjoyed and some songs from this will definitely go in the rotation.

Very interesting, it’s quite unlike most rap in the sense that it’s entirely a political statement, but I think that’s also what makes it good and unique. The beats are really good, some are jazzy and fast like some of the public enemy stuff, but some are slow more like Nas and New York boom bap stuff. The rapping and lyrics are amazing, I think there’s a few different guys, but they are all great, one of them sounds a lot like Chuck D, but I guess he couldn’t really help it. I suppose in the 90s, while many people had this similar left wing anti corporate viewpoint, quite a lot of the mainstream weren’t willing to say it as outright as this. I like how quite a lot of the songs tell stories and its sort of sad to see how well quite a lot of the topics in these songs have aged. Also love the Dead Kennedys cover. Favourite songs: all but the music and politics one (nothing against the theme, I just don't think the guitar works that well) Overall around 7/10

Good stuff.

Great record. I hadn't listened to it all the way through before. It definitely has a message that resonates with anyone who lived through the time period in question. Relevant right now, of course.

Decent album

Just imagine how pissed off these guys must be with the state of things in 2025

Before woke was a thing, these guys held up a mirror to social injustice.

Truly enjoyed this. I hadn’t heard it before. There were some great songs and a few of them reminded me a bit of the gorillaz. I’d definitely listen again.

Never heard of this artist. The album cover looks familiar, unless I am getting it confused with another one that looks similar. The rapper sounds familiar. He may have a similar sound as another rapper I know of. I can see why this album is on this list. I have a feeling very influential.

Interesting and definitely ahead of its time in some ways with a good 90s hip hop flare

the only cola I support is a cost of living allowance (the beats on this are fucking psychotic what is this thing)

Not my thing

Very interesting and engaging production coupled with Chuck D-type delivery at times. Heavy handed and corny with the delivery of the message, but overall it’s especially poignant and has mostly aged well. Not mad I listened to it. Favorite tracks: Satanic Reverses, Everyday Life Has Become a Health Risk Least Favorite Tracks: Water Pistol Man

This was good. There were several songs that weren't in Apple Music, likely due to lyrics around Palestine?

Tijdens het luisteren google ik het album. Grove samenvatting: een maatschappelijk geëngageerde poëtische Public Enemy. Doet het internet die laatste wat mee te kort. Die hebben de muziek toch ook ingezet om een positieve maatschappelijke omslag te bereiken. Het zal er op duiden dat dit wat minder agressief is. Waardoor ik makkelijker bereikt word. Maar aan de andere kant moet je muziek eerst horen voordat het je kan bereiken. En door de stevige opzet had ik Public Enemy al honderden malen gehoord en dit nog nooit. Het is ook wat raar om dit als reden voor de selectie te noemen. Er is voldoende rap in deze categorie. Maar het is de selectie van de 1001 die juist de meer aggressieve rapplaten eruit heeft gepakt. Ik heb al eerder geschreven over het idee dat maatschappelijk geëngageerde rap wel erg snel poezie wordt genoemd. Net als bij Public Enemy zijn de teksten vaak juist vrij letterlijk. Op een woordgrapje hier en daar na. Muzikaal zijn nummers als de titeltrack inderdaad goed te vergelijken met Public Enemy, maar net iets minder krachtig. Er zijn ook hele andere klanken. Zo klinkt de muziek onder Socio-genetic experiment wat als de muziek van Tricky. Maar net iets minder pakkend. De individuele nummers zijn eigelijk altijd wel beter gedaan. Maar als album heeft dit wel een kwaliteit. Elk nummer heeft aandacht gekregen. Opvullers zijn er niet. De stem blijft fijn luisteren en goed te verstaan.

Oh yeah. I like this. Righteous lyrics and groovy baselines. Underrated early 90s hip hop.

I liked this. It was good. Especially Music and Politics. But honestly, after a while, the late 80s early 90's hip hop all kinda starts to sound the same. 4

Political spoken word rap by Michael Franti!!! Never knew him before his solo guitar driven stuff - this was pretty awesome. Like finding a deep cut

Interesting album

This was pretty good. I didn't realize Michael Franti was in a hiphop group before Spearhead and I never noticed how similar his voice is to Chuck D. Love me a good Pisschrist reference, lol. 3.5/5

Wow, this is really good. I never heard of this, but I'd heard of Michael Franti before. The lyrics on these songs rule, and I really liked most everything. I liked Franti's delivery quite a bit even. 3.75/5

I know it's all a bit on the nose, but at this point I feel like we need a sledgehammer to get the message through to people.

Strong lyrics that are as relevant today

Interesting. Very real. Haunting predictions about the future. Didn't love the dated hip hop sound

Educational and catchy

Political sophisticated lyrics, that couldn't be more relevant with beautiful low beats that's suits today's music Definitely not 90s recognizable

Absolutely crazy how relevant this album is in 2025

Album 866 of 1089 The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy - Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury (1992) Rating : 3.5 / 5 I’m not a big hip hop fan, but I’ve been waiting for one I could really connect with—and this is it. Socially conscious from start to finish, it doesn’t dance around its message. Some folks knock it for being too blunt, but I have no problem with that—sometimes you need to say things plainly if you want people to actually hear them. The record tackles a range of social issues with clarity and conviction. “Television, the Drug of the Nation” has already made my ‘like’ list, and there are a couple more that might join it. A powerful listen and one worth adding to the library.

Vocals sound a bit like Chuck D, or Guru. Minimalist beats. Nice.

This album was pretty groovy. I enjoyed it

Impressive

As good as this Hip-Hop is, it’s depressing that we are facing the same fucking issues 35 years later. I appreciate the flow that Michael Franti and his DJ Roni Tse carry on throughout this album, it’s politically charged to say the least but it’s done well with strong delivery and weight behind the lines. Still, super discouraging that we are facing plenty of the same gross problems now in 2025 than they were when I was fucking 6. Fuck Donald Trump and if you support him, Fuck You too jabroni. 4 stars

I enjoyed this more than I expected! Lyrics are still incredibly relevant today. Reminds me of Gil Scott-Heron.

The lyrics are a little on-the-nose, but I dig the message. I like it, just maybe slightly less than Public Enemy.

I love this, never heard of this at all. Feels painfully relevant 33 years later. Beats hold up and it feels more modern. Solid flow and powerful, I want more of this!

This is another one of those albums that I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it. Summer of 92, on the radio, as i was driving through Florida. It instantly caught my ear as a that Unique style that I had never heard before. This was in the days before Shazam and the internet, and I was just passing through listening to a radio station. I would never hear again. So it took me kind of a long time to figure out what artist it was and how to find it. Once I found it I listened to it on constant rotation for weeks. Years later I would fall in love with the band. Spearhead. Took me awhile to connect the dots and realize that that Michael Franti was the frontman for both of them. Early spearhead kept a lot of the anger, energy, and politics of Disposable Heroes, but put it to really fun music. Re-Listening to this album really makes me wish Franti could get some of that anger back. We need it more than ever now.

Cool concept

Really great stuff here. I've liked this style of rap for a while now and there are some great beats behind it. And of course the messaging is still pretty relevant, unfortunately!

Really great stuff. Political hip hop of the most based form, underscored by jazzy & lightly industrial beats? Sign me the fuck up. The sort of speak-rap style they go for only accentuates it for me.

I love an album that's decades old, yet, still has lyrics that are as relevant today as they were when they were written. Spooky shit. Good production, good writing, incredible lyrics and flow. Love this. 4/5

un duro

Listened in Jan 2022. Great, wordy, poetic early 90s hip-hop. Should have been bigger.

This was a new group for me. I really enjoyed this album, even if it was a bit long. Solid 4.

This guy is prolific. I’ve never heard this before but really enjoy this

This was really good! The music was awesome and the lyrics were interesting - this guy is good.

This is my sort of hip hop. Does stray into after school special territory a couple of times though.

This is an album, and an artist, then I’d never heard of before today. After seeing the artist name, I thought it sounded pretty silly and didn’t exactly have high hopes, but damn this was a good listen. There is something about west coast hip hop flows that have always resonated more with me than east coast. Not to say I’m usually a big hip hop fan because I’m generally not, but this just sounded so pleasing. The lyrics are fun and sometimes a little satirical which is always a nice feature. I’m sad to see that this seems to be their only album. I want to deep dive!

Never heard of this one but I enjoyed it. Decent flow, clear message, wish I could have found the 4 songs Spotify and YouTube didn't have so that I could hear the whole album

Had no idea Franti did this. Worth the listen.

Not usually a huge fan of conscious hip-hop, although the 90s variety always goes down better than the more modern stuff. I hadn't heard of this artist/album before so it was a nice intro. Overall pretty solid.

Very good conscious hip hop

The issues being sung about here seem quaint in hindsight, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable early 90s hip-hop record. Should have had more attention.

Some great moments here! I miss being exposed to this type of socially aware hip hop.

Powerful and inventive stuff !

Some pretty damn good hip hop from an artist I'd never heard of before this was picked for my group. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

I’m at a 4. This is hyper-socially conscious hip-hop for 1992, filled with a lot of harsh truths, some biting observations, & a lot of musing about society in a way that’s all fair, if a bit heavy-handed at times. This is sort of a mirror to the Arrested Development album we got a while ago, which felt preachy in a positive way, save for the 20% of it that gave me an ick. I don’t really have an ick with the content of this album though – much like the Arrested Development album, I liked around 80% of this, but the 20% that’s nagging at me consists of a few verses & tracks that aren’t “icky”, but more so outdated & pearl-clutchy, at least by the standards of 2025. Let me be clear: when this album is matching its lyrical prowess with some good vocals, underlined by some production chops that feels very reminiscent of Public Enemy, then it’s absolutely rolling. “Vocals” in this case can mean both rap flow & authoritative tone – “Satanic Reverses” & “California über alles” are great examples of rap flow, but something like “The Winter of the Long Hot Summer” (fantastically prescient track, by the way, my favorite on the album) is a great example of how effective a rhythmic, authoritative tone can feel for a politically driven album like this. If you have a conviction for what you’re saying, people will be more inclined to listen, and I think a lot of this album is worth thinking about at a somewhat deeper level. The 20% of this album that’s biting at me is still worth thinking about at that deeper level, but it’s undermined by a sort of “holier than thou” thought process that puts an overt emphasis on a lot of the negatives, while neglecting some of the positives present. Take for example, “Television, the Drug of the Nation” – great track through its first two verses, and then it sort of leans into an awkward “won’t we think of the kids!” angle, before rebounding nicely into the power of endorsement… and then totally losing me in the fourth verse. Granted, children’s TV improved tenfold by the early 2000s, so perhaps it’s just an “outdated” moment, but it’s still leaving a bad taste in my mouth. There’s a few examples of this sort of thing throughout the album: “Everyday Life Has Become a Health Risk” feels fair, if a bit overblown nowadays with a more renewed focus on agricultural oversight & healthy living in the years since. “Socio-Genetic Experiment” feels a little tone-deaf in how it approaches tolerance to bigotry, and by modern standards, you just don’t really give an inch to racists, no matter how well-intentioned you want to be. The hook on “Financial Leprosy” feels like an unnecessary shot – perhaps the idea of modifying natural beauty felt taboo in 1992, but by modern standards, it feels very accepted to do whatever you want to feel comfortable in your own skin, & shaming that is one of the biggest missteps this album takes, undermining a pretty solid track about how people are constantly manipulated into feeling rich even if society is, at large, comprised of the poor. Those pearl-clutchy, outdated missteps are part of the reason why this is going down to a 4, though I’d be remiss to not acknowledge that sometimes, this album just doesn’t work from a musical standpoint – for as good as the beats are, sometimes they’re a little scratchy or a little overblown. There’s also moments where the vocal flow just feels off, compensating for moments where the lyricism is trying just a little too hard. Overall, I did enjoy this. I totally understand why the critical acclaim is there without the sales to match it, given the heavier political/social elements, but it’s an album that would slide in really nicely into today’s rap/hip-hop landscape (with some tweaks, obviously). For me, it’s a 4, which in retrospect, is probably what I should’ve given “3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of…”, but c’est la vie.

A bit heavy handed at points, but overall, a thoughtful and pointed look at the social and political landscape of America, both in the recent past, and ongoing. Loved the production on this album - just so dense with layers upon layers feeding in and out each other. I was left pensive, in a good way. Still wondering how someone who saw the mindless and virulent nature of television would have reacted to a future peak at the internet…

Really good to have this on my radar.

This one was all about the lyrics. Probably the most hard hitting political album yet, he seemed to cover everything with scathing accuracy. And wow... in the United States civil rights have collapsed at the hands of fundamentalists, a quarter or a century later. However, he did rhyme testicles with necklaces. Like. He really did that. Other bars made up for it though. 'Most people think Central America means Kansas,' and 'CNN, ESPN, ABC, TNT, but mostly bs.' Brilliant

Chin-stroking hip-hop with an intellectual edge. I liked

Had to seek out the original version but I really enjoyed this. It could have been recorded recently as it is incredibly relevant. Mass consumerism, school to jail pipeline, racial identity...literate, powerful lyrics and great beats and soundscapes. Makes me want to listen to more of Michael Franti and his other work, both solo and with Spearhead.

Gostei mto do som

þrælfínt pólítískt rapp. svipar til fjandmanns þjóðarinnar. hvert er þetta allt farið?

ferocious, conscious, wide-awake and furious

Yeah, this was fun. More relevant today than when it came out.

Good album, I thought the themes were very true. They still hold up today, in fact maybe even more so then they did back then. The beats were unique and creative but still recognizable as hip-hop from the 90s which is a good thing because that era has a great vibe. Overall I liked it but sadly some of the songs were delisted on my streaming service so I couldn’t listen to the full thing but I only imagine the album would have been better with them. Favorite Tracks: Famous And Dandy, Socio-Genetic Experiment, and Music and Politics

I like it! I can hear what the lad is saying - I can only imagine and laugh about their reactions to the modern world.

Actually fire

It is immediately apparent, that even though this was written in the year nineteen hundred and ninety two, everything about it is sadly as relevant today as it was then. Every major socioeconomic, political topic is covered slowly and clearly. The world could use a newer version of this 8.3/10

MICHAEL FRANTI?? The Say Hey Michael Franti?? I was not familiar with your game. This album slapped. Scary and depressing how many issues that faced this nation in 1992 still impact our day to day lives 33 years later.

Big fan. Love me some political 90s hip hop

I love the nearly spoken word vocals. They feel effortless but still have so much bite. The instrumentals are raw and stripped back. Very industrial. I'm surprised I've never listened to this before.

Aw man. This one bummed me out big time. Not because it's bad; it's actually pretty amazing. But it's probably the most relatable album to modern times I've had on this list so far, and it's 32 years old.

The greatest luxury of all would be for these heroes to truly be disposable instead of perpetual, but the hypocrisies they put on blast remain painfully relevant decades later.

Political hip-hop in the same vein as Public Enemy. Not sure I agree with everything he lays out in the lyrics but I like the general direction of the music, which is calling out the problems within our society.

Really heavy album, with absolutely zero punches pulled on how brutal life can be. Depressing that the album still feels perfectly relevant as ever. Makes it hard to listen to all the way through though. But a great overall performance and album

3.75

(in a sincerely good way) the most fight-the-power ass rap album ive ever heard in my life

Never heard of this in my life and oddly poignant to the modern day political climate

If I’d heard this in 1992, or really any time before 5 years or so ago, I’d have thought this is far too preachy. And…I mean, it IS preachy. But in 2025 it sounds just about right?

There were a few tracks missing from this on Apple Music, but the tracks that were there were stunning. There's an incredible range of instrumentation. My favorite is the guitar work on "Music and Politics." And of course, the lyricism/subject matter is razor sharp. It's almost jaw dropping how relevant the themes and issues are to today, more than 30 years later (though definitely depressing). Shit really don't change.

i kinda like this

I liked this much more than I expected to

Excellent political hip-hop in the vein of Public Enemy. Michael Franti even sounds like Chuck D on a lot of these songs. His cadence and flow is similar. The lyrics cover a wide range of topics -- war, the media, homophobia, environmentalism -- but manage to distill big ideas and radical messages into digestible verses. I think what impresses me the most about this album is how succinct and to the point its messages are. There are no wasted words. Michael Franti makes complex arguments against the powers that be, but he's very clear and hits his targets with precision. "Television, the Drug of the Nation" stood out as a particularly strong track. He rattles off a dizzying number of reasons why TV is numbing us -- force-feeding us commercials, distracting us from the horrors of the world, turning politics into entertainment -- all of which feel just as relevant in 2025 as they were in 1992. A lot of the lyrics on this album are unfortunately very relevant to the present moment.

I've never heard of this, it looks fun. I enjoyed this a decent amount. I liked the political lyrics and the jazzy beats. It was definitely preferable to the much more popular gangsta rap going round at the time.

Hell yeah

Very interesting

7/10

What a treat. One of the reasons why I've always gravitated towards punk, folk and hip hop is that the commonality is speaking truth. This whole album is totally in line with Bob Dylan's Master's of War, or Public Enemy's Fight the Power, or Bad Brain's Arrested in DC or NOFX's Franco UnAmerican. It's that political and social commentary on things that are someone's experience and truth. This whole record feels like it could have come out today and it would still be relevant. Its records like this that give me hope in times of social and political uncertainty. This shit has been going on for a long time, and people have been lamenting about it for a long time. And when I compare the bullshit that's going on in 2025 vs the bullshit in 1992 or the bullshit of 1943, I realize its the same fight, the adversaries, the same victims and the same struggle. BUT I can listen to the commentary of those times and compare to now and see the progress line. It's an uphill battle, its never going to stop, but its going to be okay. And artists like this will always give me hope.

Never heard of this before, but damn was I impressed. Powerful messages right across the album. My biggest gripe is the repetitiveness with certain lines. Yeah I got it the first 20 times, you can stop now. Sadly the songs still resonate as the problems discussed haven't been fixed.

Gud grunge

71/100. Very interesting political record. The lyrics are very good overall. A big issue I have with this is it's so damn long. I usually have patience for longer records, but I won't be coming back to this one. The longer tracks have the same beat on repeat for the whole track.

That was a great listen. It was thoughtful all over the place. During Television when he talked about pop stars turning into soda pop stars and it all being fast food, then layering in that the only drink he'd want in that area is a COLA clause I was blown away. Clearly an intelligent album trying to discuss a range of important issues. Good flow and sound too.

Never heard of this before. Chuck D flow for sure. Conscious lyricism and a sound of it's time. It's very dense, some songs a little on the long side. So I'm not sure that I can give this the time it may require. That, INS Greencard track too relevant still. I was pre judging this at a 3 star, but by the end I feel this is a solid album. Not perfect but some great messages. Maybe I'll be able to circle back sometime

Not my genre, but unlike most this is not self absorbed fantastical tales of misogyny, corruption and violence. The writing here is smart, insightful and prescient - they understood it in the 90s, and 30 years later here it is for everyone.

Great beats, decent lyrics. It just felt a little too much like Public Enemy. Not as orgininal as it couldve been.

kinda wild these are still mostly relevant issues 30 years on, never would have heard of this album without this project!!

A better version of Public Enemy

I don't know if hip hop gets much more prophetic than this. in 1992, on the song "Satanic Reverses", Michael Franti successfully predicted Hong Kong being returned to China in 1997, as well as Panama achieving fully independent control over its Canal in 1999! it's indicative of how ahead of the curve Franti's perspective was, in ways that are often kind of depressing considering how little progress it seems we've made on some of his key issues in the 30+ years since the release of this album. his views on U.S. mass media indoctrination, and the way it creates support (you might say "manufactures consent") for imperialism are still as relevant as ever, and that's not even mentioning his pro-liberation stance regarding Palestine, which I can imagine was even more unpopular in 1992 than it would be today. plus, there's "Language of Violence", one of the earliest anti-homophobia songs in hip hip that I'm aware of! the most immediate comparison I made with this record was to Public Enemy. especially on songs like the title track, Franti and the rest of the Disposable Heroes clearly owe a massive debt to Chuck D's rapping style and The Bomb Squad's maximalist production techniques. despite the obvious connection between the two groups, the Disposable Heroes manage to put their own experimental spin on things, with a much looser, jammier approach in which Franti often doesn't say much at all, and just lets his samples do the talking. some of these songs maybe go a little too long, but the sharpness of the commentary offered in one song after another makes the experience pretty worthwhile in the end. decent 7/10.

Cool messages and bonus points for speaking out for Palestine in 1992! There is a great album in here somewhere, but I think we would’ve needed a great producer to go through a clean it up a little. At times it seems pretty rudimentary and/or amateur and stilted. His rapping is more spoken wird at times which comes of slightly cringey. I did enjoy it and respect the project!

I did enjoy quite a bit this album, specially the weird beats. It felt long, but I felt like there wasn't a bad song. Not saying it is amazing, but at least good.

Surprised myself in actual really enjoying some of this. I love some experimental hip-hop so this ticked a fair few boxes. Lots of lyrics still hold up as a reflection even of today's society.

Favorite Track: Famous And Dandy (Like Amos ‘N’ Andy)

Er det bare mig eller er produktionen langt foran sin tid? Noget af det lyder lidt Native Tongues agtigt men der er også en hård lyd der lyder mere som den slags El-P lavede i start 00erne. Lyder super fedt. For lang dog

I'm not a big fan of rap and hip hop and wasn't expecting much from this recommended album when I first saw it but boy was I wrong. I wish that many of these tracks were more well known anthems, especially As Television the Drug of the Nation and Everyday Life As Become A Health Risk are more relevant now than ever and I couldn't word these societal issues any better myself than citing lyrics from these songs themselves. It's too bad that rap/hip hop has for the most part lost it's roots in this kind of social messaging and conscience. Why can't more rap/hip hop be like this?

it's odd because i really do like it. it's a conscious hip hop album with great production, devoid of crank NoI shit and generally doing a good job at covering (at the time) meaningful issues. the production is what's gonna make this thing stick out, with the soundscapes standing out as an always thumping, sometimes downright gothic constant. you really do feel like you're observing the worst the early 90's had to offer its pariahs from the grimiest of gutters. but god, Michael Franti's flow is garbage. like, i don't have any issues with his voice, but the way he delivers things makes it seem less like he's rapping and more like he's reading some poetry while gesturing with each lyric. as a result, you end up wishing the whole thing was like four songs shorter -- it's a bit fatiguing when he delivers everything nearly the exact same "sorta hard, sorta poetic" way, from the hooks to the (admittedly uncreative) rhymes. its a shame cause if he had another person on the mic, it would be a lot more bearable. maybe they should have asked William S. Burroughs to join? think of how many one liners he could get off about accidentally shooting his wife...

Solid, very relevant content from this early 90s hip hop gem. First I thought it was a PE clone, but there’s definitely room for more of this. Not sure why I’ve never heard of it, but glad I did.

Wow the messages are still extremely important and relevant today, and wasn't what I expected it to be. I'm going with a 4 since I'm definitely not a hip hop fan but the lyrics and his emotion he's delivering is really good.

Political is the word. There was no shortage of political hip-hop around the time of this record. Still, on the lyrical front, something about it stands out as particularly poignant, sharp, and direct compared to everything else from around its time. Its lyrical directions are more reminiscent of punk - with the opener 'Satanic Reverses' being particularly sharp. 'Famous and Dandy' seems to talk about mindless trend-chasing, a song that targets the hip-hop community directly. The sentiments of the song 'Television The Drug Of The Nation' are only amplified in today's social media age and the cyclic storytelling and ironic twist of 'Language Of Violence' were effectively conveyed. 'The Winter Of The Long Hot Summer' deals with the military-industrial complex and foreign policy - a rap that could be uttered today and be just as, if not more on-point in its messaging. The same goes for 'Everyday Life Has Become a Health Risk', 'Financial Leprosy', and pretty much every other song here. Shit doesn't change does it...like 30+ years later. So yeah, lyrically, it was very "enjoyable". I just wish it was more interesting musically speaking. The main rapper, Michael Franti, has this deep, yet very laid-back delivery style - one that creates a strange dissonance when he's calmly delivering these politically-heavy topics. It's parts spoken words, with an almost preachy edge, though it never comes off as ham-fisted. And yeah, I'll say it, he does sort of sound like Chuck D. Instrumentally, there were a few standouts, though I do wish it had more to offer. The production seems to take a backseat to the lyrics here and sounds relatively standard for the early '90s. But I guess that's the thing, there are times when I have to remind myself that this WAS released in the early '90s and not the mid-2000s, so the sort of laid-back production just tends to catch me off guard, despite it making sense in this context. With that said, I still liked 'Television The Drug Of the Nation' and 'The Winter Of The Long Hot Summer' is oddly experimental and ominous for its time. 'Music and Politics' also goes in an interesting drumless slap-guitar direction, and I didn't even mind the singing of this song. The music wasn't all that much, sure, but I can't not love this album given just how on-point it is on the lyrical front. I've never liked this idea of enjoying music just because you heavily agree with what's being said in the lyrics while ignoring the actual music - it's why idiots like Tom Macdonald get popular. The difference here (by no means comparing this to Tom Macdonald) is that the music is generally good, but also that there's so much conviction in Michael's delivery. But maybe most of all, it's the fact that no one was rapping like this at the time, and I've heard a lot of '90s rappers. Again, while politically loaded at times, I really appreciate the passion behind an album like this - a passion and selflessness perfectly summed up with the closer 'Water Pistol Man'.

Sick album and so refreshing from all the staid rock that populates this list. The production and flow is smooth as, I didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics on first listen, maybe they're a bit afterschool special corny "fuck the man", but there's some good bars there. They could've eased up on the boring repetitions of the song titles in the chorus, got a singer in there or just skipped the need for a chorus. Overall though this was a great addition.

I don’t like rap, but this was quite nice. Great beat, jazz elements, it was smart overall.