Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

Gud grunge

Dark conscious rap with hard beats and political lyrics.

Finding the full album link on YouTube was frustrating. I ended up listening to just nine tracks. It wasn't necessarily the album's fault, but I couldn't focus at all.

Best Song: Television The Drug Of The Nation. A fine, albeit overused chorus. Worst Song: Famous and Dandy (Like Amos 'N' Andy). When people say that old hip hop is often too corny, this is exactly what they're talking about. Overall: Given modern hip hop standards, this actually sounds like it's being played in slow motion. There's not much to get excited about here with the exceedingly preachy lyrics rapped laboriously over generic 90s beats. This was clearly added to the list by someone largely unfamiliar with the best of what hip hop has to offer.

⭐️ first 1-star rating i've dished out for this album list. i didn't care for this at all instrumentals were fine, kinda unimpressive for my taste (though 90s hip hop is admittedly hit-or-miss for me). i really didn't like the artist's voice or his flow though. 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. i've heard socially-conscious rap done well before. however, this lacks subtlety. the message is either made plainly obvious with no nuance or nonsensical political word vomit

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.

The kind of hip hop album that is cool to hear once, but I can’t ever imagine revisiting this as there is almost no flow what so ever in the rapping, but instead monotone story telling and a long line of statements following one by one.

Feels like a less refined Public Enemy

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.

Kind of angry and sad, but some is very poignant and timely.

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

Эссе о социполитикокультурном положении черного американца середины девяностых. Кроме положительных характеристик все же хочется скачать, что не только лицемерие это роскошь, но и возможность говорить о вездесущих проблемах - роскошь. Обычного человека не волнуют эти проблемы, потому что его личностные проблемы всегда стоят на первом месте

This was actually not too bad!

Beyond dated (even for its release date) and not as good as other artists in the same era.

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

This felt very “I’m 14 and this is deep”. The messages were strong but I couldn’t stand the delivery. This isn’t really my genre so didn’t really enjoy it.

I like his voice and the beats. Sounds like Public Enemy. Last few songs are weird. 3.5

A better version of Public Enemy

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!!!

Boh, molto particolare.

Nope

I have a complicated history with hip hop. So while I don’t think this is essential it might be. I’d rather listen to public enemy or run dmc. 2.5

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 that harder original version) and the Disposable Heroes' cover of California Uber Alles on the Virus 100 compilation album. 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)

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.

The compilers of 1001 albums have real issues with hip hop, clearly. There are actually a lot of good hip hop albums out there, but to follow along with this book you would think it's all heinously unfunny alternative hip-hop(The Pharcyde, Dr. Octagon, etc...) or chicken soup pablum for wannabe radicals like this one

Not feeling it. Feels like a constant stream of conspiracy theories.

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.

hip hop with deep cynical lyrics

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

I never liked hiphop though admittedly I've never properly listened to any hiphop album. So I tried diving into this with an open mind, and oh man, it's really not my thing. Uninspired beat plus some weird noises that sound like nails on a chalkboard. The lyrics are okay but they generally don't rhyme very well except the chorus and the album sounds like someone was preaching a lecture or the 7AM news to a beat. Those "spoken word" albums I've listened to are still more melodic than this, which is kinda insane. I mean, I can see how people still consider this as music, but I would rather read those lyrics as poems than... whatever this is. 2/5

En positiv overraskelse, jeg synes produktionerne lød rigtig godt. Ikke fan af rapperen, han lød som en parodi af Public Enemy. Tung og akademisk energi, ingen af Chuck Ds energi

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

Long album, this guy has something he really wants to tell the world. The sound is very dated..

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?

Sounds like a lot of the early 90s socially conscious rap. It is just not nearly as good. More spoken word than rap.

Dated - in more ways than one.

Really got into it on first listen but was never able to find the spark again on relistens. Musically it's less interesting than lyrically

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.

Meh

I had never heard of this group before going through the book the first time and never heard of them outside of that context since then either. While I applaud this list for highlighting what is seemingly an underground act, this sort of preachy hip-hop is definitely for me. Key tracks: Satanic Reverses

Meh.

i hate political stuff 1/5

good ideas just not interesting to listen to

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...

Not bad, but not really for me. Amazon Music is missing 4 tracks off this record.

Terrible, like Gil Scott-Heron, but with no talent. I could only listen to that once.

For 1992 this is quite hard hitting. Seems more to do with the highly intelligent lyrics as the music is quite generic and bland.

This album is a very bland take on political hip-hop. Excluding a few key tracks (see: "Key tracks"), none of the songs are memorable in any way, whether in terms of harmony, instruments, melody (there's a distinct lack of melody throughout the album), or even rhythm/backing percussion, which is normally a cornerstone of "good" 90s hip-hop music. The sound is generic, dull, and repetitive. The lyrics, while easy to understand and politically agree with, are almost too much so. There's no nuance, no wordplay, no cleverness that separates The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy from their contemporaries. In fact, nearly all tracks involve a chorus that consists of monotone repetition of the song title. It's a glaringly obvious sign of poor songwriting ability. I'm not surprised at all that this didn't receive much airplay upon its release, nor has it since then. Okay, maybe there is one example of a lyric whose meaning isn't immediately clear: "Medical racist social statistics Has everyday life become a health risk" The more I ponder this one, the less sense it makes. Other reviewers seem confused as well. Not a good sign. The soft, laid-back guitar in Music And Politics is pretty sick, though. "If ever I would stop thinking about music and politics I would tell you that I pooped in my own dog dish" 1/5 Key tracks: Music And Politics, Television The Drug Of The Nation, Satanic Reverses

This was exhausting

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.

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.

Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury is the debut album by The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, originally released in 1992. I'd like to think I'm pretty educated on 90s alternative hip-hop, but I've never heard of these guys before. This reminds me a lot of Public Enemy. The instrumentals and subject matter are very similar. Hell, even the MC sounds a lot like Chuck D! This album really lacks in the songwriting/themes. I'm always down for some political rap but there are just so many groups who do it better than this. Some of these lyrics tend to fall into the "we live in a society" vibe (but not always). I can tell this group was really inspired by artists like Gil Scott-Heron. Not bad overall.

Another hip hop album.

2.8

Television, the Drug of the Nation

Worse public enemy?

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'.

I hadn't heard of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. From what I gather, they were a short-lived hip-hop ensemble, with Michael Franti on vocals on production, and Rono Tse on percussion and programming. They only worked together on two albums before splitting up - this album Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury and a spoken word album with William S. Boroughs. After listening through the former, I can see why this group was short-lived. The main problem with this album is that it's a hip-hop album where the lyrics and delivery are lackluster. Michael certainly had the populism in mind with his aim towards America's problems at the time including racial disparity, the backward outlook of the conservative George Bush administration, and the United States' involvement in the Gulf War and other such atrocities. But Michael's flow is stilted, where more often than not he has to pause himself to stay on beat. Not to mention, the nuance is belittled to the point where there are names roped in that add to the clunkiness such as "Nintendo casualties of the ratings war" or "Well, the only cola that I support/Would be a union C.O.L.A. (Cost Of Living Allowance)". I will say the production at least salvages this album a bit, as the duo with help from Mark Pistel were able to reasonably mesh chopped-up samples with the industrial beats. However, I find it irritating how most of this record is stuck in the mid-tempo range, where it feels long and songs run together. By the time I got to "Socio-Genetic Experiment", it dawned on me - these guys seriously thought they could be the next Public Enemy. Michael Franti is just a poor man's Chuck D. without the sharp lyrical wit and the ability to keep in a pocket, and the production, while solid, can't match the tenacity of the Bomb Squad. I genuinely feel disappointed in Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury. It's a political hip-hop album that was not inspiring or thought-provoking to someone like me who would share the same viewpoints, and that's a shame. Decent production is not enough for me to recommend this.

Too long

There are some (unintentionally) laugh out loud lyrics here - so earnest! I like the overall sound of it quite a bit, but it did feel a bit like being bludgeoned.

#416. This is about as subtle as a homeless man screaming at you from the street corner. He may be right, but the delivery makes me not care about what he's saying. 2/5: pretentious Song added to playlist: Every Day Life Has Become a Health Risk I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

Important, but ultimately too samey to be a 4. I love audiobooks and jazz, just not at the same time

The first song is called satanic reverses. Not an indictment, just an observation. 0/10

Very political, brilliant in spots, especially Television the Drug of the Nation. I also like the jazzy vibe in Music and Politics I also like that it's a more introspective song which is a welcome interlude as the political sloganeering can become heavy handed and monotonous. One strange thing my streaming service Tidal, indicated 4 songs as "unavailable". Which is OK because as with too many rap albums it's too long. 3 stars

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.

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

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

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

A solid flow and background instrumentals.

Really hardcore rap that isnt my cup of tea. However not the worst album that I have ever listened to. That belongs to Yes.

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

Old style hip hop album, the rapper doesn't go fast but goes well with the music. And I think the lyrics are cool but I didn't read it so I can't judge

2/5

A little too bonk on the head with the messages. But it was fine. Beats were okay.

Lyrical genius. Michael Franti is so talented!

Hip hop, no rhythm, just reading political

I can see how this is kinda cool but it wasn't for me.

lame, if you took the backing track away no one would listen to it. maybe my generation are just a little apathetic but I know all this and it doesn't make a difference having it repeated. I already stay away.

It's nice to hear some social conscious themed rap instead of the the usual self-gratifying material that's so popular. I still didn't feel connected with the music, but his voice and the songs had a certain sophistication and it was easier to listen to and better than I expected.

"Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury" is the debut album by alternative hip hop group the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Industrial hip hop is the Wiki-listed genre. That'll work. The group is primarily composed of Michael Franti (vocals, production, miscellaneous instruments) and Rono Tse (percussion, drums, noise). The album had wide-spread critical acclaim. Hallelujah chanting begins "Satanic Reverses." Hard beats. Frenti's authoritative deep voice. Sounds bounce back and forth between a trumpet and industrial noises. This is very Public Enemy-like. The contrast between the progression of the world and the backwards conservative thinking of America. Well, nothing's changed in 32 years, Michael. The changing of tv stations opens "Television, the Drug of the Nation." Fast rapping. A melody driven by a sample of the Meteors' "Look-Ka-Py -Py." The song's title says it all. Franti goes bluesy in "Music and Politics." A jazzy, bluesy guitar. He's singing. Hey, this is how he sounds with Spearhead. Taking a look at himself through someone else's eyes and how he can't stop thinking about music and politics. They slow it down on the semi-cover of the Dead Kennedys' "California Über Alles." Frenti gives a more detailed critique of California politics in the late 70's. Good cover. The album closes with "Water Pistol Man." A piano sample of Walky Badarov's "Leaving This Place," a Cure-ish post-punk guitar and a hip hop beat create a unique sound. Frenti singing almost emotionless as he takes a deep look at himself and realizes he needs to take care of his own problems before solving the world's. This takes a serious tone and look at a lot of Frenti's perceived serious problems in 1992 (conservatism, bullying, Christianity, war, racism, violence, black society, drugs, immigration, pollution, politics, anti-gay and his own issues.) His deep voice is intense and perfect for the rap-singing he did. The music fuses hip hop with industrial, electronic and post-punk. This was a compelling listen. Highly recommended.

This was something. Social and cultural criticism is packed with good hip-hop music. Some 30 years later, many issues are still present.

hell yeah. tunnin verran laiskaa saarnausta. khartoum type vibes.. vihdoinkin länsimaailma alkaa ymmärtään... taylor swifti = many million millions listen to propaganda.. disposable heroes of hipoprisy = not many sit down& listen to reason........... niin vitunmoista SPITTAILUA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PTHYII........... sylkee faktoja, nylkee yhteiskunnan kuoren... mitä löytyy.... haiseva, itsekeskeinen läjä narreja.... narrit sivustolla saa tämän vastaan.. sanoo mitä hemmettiä... niin huono omg so pretesios.... multippeli kakka referenssiä, eikä edes vittu ketään kiinnosta.. kalifornia yli muiden natsi paskat vittu pommittakaa demkoraatti keskus, hullutusta siellä vittu vetypommi edistetään san andreas katastrofi NYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYT!!!!!!!!!!!! language of violence

I guess it was fine. Just a lot of heavy handed political commentary. I'm on board with all of his points, but they wasn't really anything exciting musically to get me interested

It was okay. Granted, I didn't listen to the lyrics super closely, but not an album I anticipate listening to again.

En lidt for stueren udgave af PE

Interesting record, but it's not something I would want to listen to very often.

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy was a project that grew out of the Bay-area collective the Beatnigs; former members Michael Franti and Rono Tse made the socially conscious rap. Hypocrisy in the Great Luxury is the debut album album from the pair, which met with considerable critical success. The pair never found significant commercial success, and their career was short-lived. These are engaging, challenging pieces. Franti is sweeping cultural critic; with "Television, Drug of a Nation," he takes aim at our numbing opiate of the masses. In "Socio-Genetic Experiment," Franti discusses his experience as a black individual who grew up in a white household. Franti takes on these sorts of challenging topics in an effort that didn't find the commercial success of which it was worthy. There are gems here, like "Music and Politics," that show Franti's potential, that he explored in later ventures.

It was fine, but felt dated. Did not age nearly as well as other hip hop albums from the early 90’s.

Pretty cool album, definitely worth the listen. A lot of the issues he raps about are still talked about today, though there are some that need updating and I'd be interested to say what he says about social media and phones! haha

Pretty catchy tracks, and the lyrics had some depth to them.

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

Klasik ranog angažiranog hip hopa

I like hip hop but this was too trippy

I appreciate social justice Hip-hop, and the lyrics in every song have a deep meaning, but this album needed a better producer for it to be a top-tier album. Favorite Track: "Satanic Reverses"

Felt a bit dated on the hip hop side and also a bit rigid compared to a lot of its contemporaries - but it is a welcome, albeit a bit naive, political stance - a point of view ever diminishing in the political discourse in the past few years - so enjoyed it for mostly that reason - but it’s probably not something I’ll ever seek back.

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

Surprised I’d never heard of these guys before. Like others have said, great stuff. The newly minted conspiracy theorist in me now things big media subdued them but hopefully didn’t imprison them. Only downside is it’s too long and some of the later tracks feel like restored off cuts.

Boring, trash

well, that was too much of everything! but interesting!

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.

I’d give it four stars in its era, but three for being very dated now. Difficult for even very good social and political commentary to maintain relevance over long periods of time.

Old-school hip hop with a lot of criticism of politics and social economy, inequality. I like but didn't love it

2.54

This is so close to being Public Enemy without it being Public Enemy. A lot of vegetables here.

Dnf

P.U. What stinks? This album.

I don’t know man, maybe I’m just not hip to 90’s television sounds and slam poetry rap. Those things alone are all pretty cool, but combined… pass.

There's a lot of talent here going to waste. Dated even for 20 years ago. I fully support the message but it's delivered so clumsily. Disappointing 6/10

Cool

It's ok

I'm a little torn on this one. It's fantastic if not a bit of a Public Enemy offshoot style wise (particularly vocally), but there's a lot here ahead of it's time. I had to double check the release of 1992. The sampling here is very slick and the beats are great. I think the California Uber Alles cover makes this a:

Never had heard of these but I really liked this one. The rapping was easy to listen to and the production felt big while also having a lot of space. A good combo!

I don't for a minute believe that this guy uses sex to avoid talking about things.

i would imagine that my politics align fairly closely with Michael Franti's, but so much of this album just made me laugh because it's so dated?? Like setting aside that I don't even know if it ever gets away from spoken word and into hip hop very often, there is a lot of very (by today's standards) softy lefty ideas here, couched weirdly on the title track within the boomers' near-satanic panic about their grandkids watching too much tv and i don't know how i'm supposed to take it seriously. I know that the line "well, the only soda I that support would be a union C.O.L.A. cost of living allowance" probably hit some people like a ton of bricks in 1992, but it did not land for me in 2024, and around the time he made the "military intelligence is an oxymoron" joke i really lost the will to continue. the instrumentation and sampling was great, though

This was just really cheesy. It felt like a history lesson and a political rant and a parody of a rap battle all at the same time.

in 2024 this feels kinda goofy in it's earnest delivery. like this guy HAS a point, but in a land of "ur algorithm is ruining your brain and society" hearing "tv is ruining out brains and society" is like...yeah man we know. I think this is the first sample of a phone tree i've ever heard and i do kind of like that there's a record of that in this. 2.5

+1 star for Music and Politics, which I really liked

It can be really hard to listen to this style of hip-hop because of the sound perspective of how not-dense the music and rhythm is compared to newer music, and the years in between can make it feel really corny when maybe it wasn't at the time. All that said, I find it hard not to like music that's just like "the FDA doesn't give a shit about us" and "modern entertainment is build on minstrelsy" at least a little bit, because it's nice sometimes, to hear someone roast the shit out of our power structures. I think it over-reaches at points, and I think "hiphoprisy" is clever a few times until you overdo it.

Not my thing but ok

Reminds me of what Rage Against the Machine tries to do. Focusing on societal issues that are important and needs to be discussed. But this falls shorts in some ways. The lyrics are good and tackle important topics but are so straightforward with no symbolism. The beats weren't bad, but had a high school and unpolished vibe. I could also see how they can be polarizing, by talking about the hypocrisy and issues within the culture that is the typical rap audience. Overall I can see some glimmers of good and influential in the album.

Interesting social commentary. This was back in the 90's when you could be mad at television.

This is a great reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. So many of these lyrics could’ve been written today. Love the depth and everything he’s standing up for. The problems he describes in society are very on point. I like all the real sound bites he uses from the news and such too. And this is Michael Franti, wow! Had no idea about his earlier career. I’ve never heard of this before. It felt a little lacking musically, but the lyrics were really the star here.

First listen. Ok.

I didn’t rate this at the time because I was stuck between 3 and 4 stars. I like this style of hip hop and generally enjoyed the album; the lyrics are thoughtful and sharp, if also a bit heavy-handed and repetitive. It’s the repetitiveness that ultimately knocked it down to 3* - a week later, I still find bits stuck in my head (“Famous and Dandy,” “Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury”) in an annoying and intrusive way. Other than that, though, pretty good.

Interesting album cover. This is a bit to thought provoking for my taste.

Es un tanto agotador, pero me sorprendió lo musical que resulta a pesar de que claramente las letras son lo importante.

Lyrically it's outstanding Musically decent Touch too long High 3 low 4

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

This was not really my genre, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I really liked the dude's voice and his message was strong but interesting and not annoying. I particularly enjoyed the more musical tracks (eg. Music and Politics) where it showed that there was some actual musical talent being showcased as well as the poignant lyrics and rapping ability. Three stars.

There's some bright spots on this album but I wouldn't call it an all-time great. The first track has great meter/lyricism and the message overall is one that resonates today, but overall it does nothing special to separate itself from the other socially conscious rap of the early 90s

Notable tracks: Television The Drug Of The Nation, Music And Politics, Satanic Reverses, Language of Violence LP Mix

A really interesting album, I liked the songs Satanic Reverses and Televisin The Drug of The Nation. The rest of the album was good to and an interesting listen for the messages in the so gs.

Groupe totalement inconnu. Aucun intérêt, les morceaux sont terriblement répétitifs, très longs et inintéressants. Je ne suis pas allé au bout. =>1/5

It was interesting to hear early Michael Franti, but this wasn’t my favorite overall. Franti sings “national security’s at an all time high” in 1991. I’m all for government and social criticism in music, but it’s a bit alarmist: I wonder what Michael thinks about our current state of affairs in the U.S. (or wait until he hears about the 1860’s). Musically it’s interesting, but maybe hasn’t aged well or stand out above other hip hop albums of that era. I’m glad I listened, but not my favorite in the list.

Good if a bit all over the place

I've got a bit of time for politically conscious hip hop, given the amount of absolute shite exists out there within the wider hip hop umbrella. Not totally my thing but hope it struck a chord hard with some people. Last track was the only one worth saving down, rest seemed a bit slow without any real hooks anywhere. 2.5*

Socio-political hip hop is the best kind of hip hop. The fact that the lyrics are relevant 32 years later is equally inspiring and disheartening.

Highbrow rap about themes of the day (that are mostly still a problem).

This is good hip hop. Good beats and lyrics. Enjoyable.

Political 90s rap, I’m here for it! Crazy (sad) how so many of these issues are still issues today.

No issues with the lyrical content - it's excellent and sadly still timely. World hasn't changed much since '91. The problem is the beats on this album are terrible. It's not engaging at all. Someone listened to PE and decided to try their hand at sounding like the Bomb Squad. Came in more like a wet M-80. Don't love the monotone vocals and the flow is really stuck in mid tempo. Any fluctuation would have helped, but even that could have been overcome with better beats/production. Be curious to hear this one with each track redone. Where's Pete Rock when you need him? Let Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark at it. Z Trip, ?uestlove, the actual Bomb Squad? Someone get those masters and get to it!

I like it, I know some folks think it is a bit preachy but I like conscious hip-hop.

2 brilliant tracks. 2 ok tracks. The rest is filler

Wow what an incredible album. My favorite kind of hip-hop. Charged, political, great beats. Shame they only made the one album it seems. Will explore more.

I quite enjoyed this one, it was well crafted and held notable commentary of the times.

Liked how industrial this sounds. Unsure I’ll listen to it again but nothing much to complain about 3.2

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)

An hour of anaemic, monotonous vocals narrating surface level social commentary over the most boring beats you've ever heard AND also having the gall to be so preachy about it. Uhhh I mean: holy fvckkkkk bros... society is... le bad...

This had potential but is extremely repetitive, uninspiring and boring. Pity, cause his voice is not bad.

wtf was that

Sort of like public enemy but not quite as good.

I remember seeing Michael Franti with Spearhead supporting R.E.M in 1995 and enjoying them but this is next level. More harder hitting and political than Spearhead that just let loose with the hate which can sometimes make the album a bit too much and a hard listening, it is also a bit bloated in places but altogether a triumph in hip-hop.

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.

This was a weird one. It sounds like Ice T became super political and woke in international politics. Was weird to hear him singing about the future of Hong Kong becoming an official part of China which it now is and is struggling under their authoritarian ways. I can see why this never really worked the way that Rage Against the Machine does. I think justified angry rapping is a hard line to walk. Rapping is more fun when it is party music. If it is angry, it should be about the streets. Maybe this isn't angry rapping maybe it is more lecture rapping. "Music and Politics" jumped at me due to the jazzy track and weird repetitive lyrics. "If ever I would stop thinking about music and politics I would tell you that I pooped in my own dog dish." Take that great political minds of our times!

No Shit! Another Hip-Hop album? That must be the third time in the week! But that's ok cause this one is good too.

This one came and went, enjoyed the vibe. Some tracks were missing in Spotify/YT but I got the gist. 2*

Righteous, focused anger and right-on social commentary. Smart, direct lyricism. Dope beats. Strong recommend. Absolutely all the subject matter is still highly relevant 32+ years later 🤯 Franti is basically a sage and we collectively have learned almost nothing.

Very good

Boring

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

That was better as expected. Thanks to the generator for showing this to me.

Again a classic hip hop record impresses me. I loved the delivery half spoken style.

Liked the message, but this felt like bad Public Enemy mixed with spoken word. Too heavy handed without the sonic fun of PE.

Up my street for 20 minutes. It had turned out of my street by the time it reached its 63rd minute. My street is not that long people!

why am i so turned off by Franti's flow? dunno.

Lots of “I’m 14 and this is deep” mixed with genuinely insightful lyrics

An interesting integration of jazz and bebop beats on some of the tracks offsets otherwise mediocre hip hop. One thing for sure though, the album does hold the record for longest combined title and group name in history.

This has a very early 1990s hip hop vibe going on and practically mimics the sound and style of Public Enemy. There's almost too much of a political agenda with their platform - almost feels uninspired 30+ years later. I really didn’t care for it.

This is an album whose sound is very indicative of its time. This was a very simple, and unfortunately repetitive album. You better hope you like the first track because every other track sounds almost exactly the same.

I really really enjoyed it. 3.5

Really enjoyed the political commentary, it did feel unique and I am surprised they aren’t more appreciated in the hip-hop world. 7.5/10

I am well versed in 90's Hip Hop both mainstream and underground and I had never heard of this album or group. I'm not sure how it is possible that a 90's Hip Hop album could make a list of "must listen to before you die" yet I've never heard of it. Hmmm. Well....let's listen.... ....and, I see why it had never been on my radar before. Why is this album from 1992 sounding like a Public Enemy tribute band in the 80's? Hip Hop was already rapidly evolving in 1992 well beyond this sound and flow. Even ignoring historical context and judging it in a vacuum, its fairly unlistenable just because it is boring. Not 'bad' per se, but completely not worth anyone's time and definitely not worthy of being on this list. I almost wanted to give this 1 star because it is so incredibly DULL but I'm saving my 1 star ratings only for albums that I actually actively dislike. But man....this really comes close.

Ihan jees poliittista tykittelyy! 3/5

Älykästä kritiikkiä taitavasti syljettynä.

I did not enjoy this album much, it is boring and repetitive

It’s okay; mid. Very ummmm… like “the truth is out there! Tv is ruining your mind!” Type and theme. Too hard for my twiinyy brain. 4.8/10

Good album.

Good to hear again - a couple of outstanding tracks

Banger of an album - one of my fave hip hop acts

Hadn’t heard this in years - still holds up well

Rating: 4/10 A Public Enemy ripoff. I don't even like Public Enemy that much to begin with.

couldnt get on with this one, just seemed like Public Enemy- lite. None of the raw power and dynamism you get with PE

Naaaaah. The beats are really cool, but not the flow and the lyrics because it seems to take itself too seriously and ends up being cringe

spoken word poetry about "we live in a society" bullshit over beats that sound like every tribe called quest song was thrown into a hole and left to go bad in the sun and turn into mush

The artist’s name is a mouthful. Great voice and sound though. Very Public Enemy. My first though was that this is socially well-behaved rap and hip-hop. Nice lyrics and messages. The lyrics on Television, the drug of the nation and Satanic Reverses are amazing. Very important of the time. Favourite song: Television, the drug of the nation Least favourite: All tracks were good Album artwork: OK cover.

phone bad >:(

The lack of great production sets this album back.

Here we witness an early Michael Franti before his days of sunshine and acoustic beach anthems, and he isn't pleased with the world. The hip hop itself was great for the time, and his lyrics are poignant while apparently a harbinger of the world to come. I'm sure he is not pleased with how things progressed, but I'm glad we got this album that should have had more traction.

Alright, what do we have today. Oh, some socially conscious raps. Let's see: The oil industry World economic policy Civil rights The Berlin Wall Illegal Immigration Abortion rights Capitol punishment Freedom of speech Social apathy Corporate bailouts Hong Kong reverting to China Control of the Panama Canal Fundamentalism Religion The US justice system Flag burning Okay, now let's check out the second track... This is awesome. The beats are straightforward and uncluttered. The flow is a bit stream-of-consciousness. The MC is deeply indebted to the style of Chuck D. A lot of it asks more questions than it provides answers or even commentary. So at times it feels more like a social checklist than it does a social commentary. But holy smokes, if Music and Politics isn't he most personal, soul-bearing, transparent and heartbreaking prose I've heard in a long long time. I really loved this.

I really wanted to enjoy this album. It's samples and production remind me of the backing tracks used by Del The Homosapien. It's lyrics and message remind me of Rage Against the Machine. However the delivery is not appeasing, it doesn't really complement the music. I appreciate the effort and am glad I got to listen to it. Note: A friend mentioned this was Michael Franti and he has more recent projects with reggae and vocal-guitars. This new genre fits his voice and delivery a lot better than his early works in my opinion.

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

Rap with a message? Eh

Hip hop focused on social justice

Not a chance

Okay plade.

Loved the bass groove behind the tracks. This is VERY political but I felt the raps were a bit too blunt/on the nose without the cleverness or artistry of other rappers - it felt more like essays/poetry being spoken over a hip hop beat and I felt that detracted a bit. I think you can make your point bluntly while not making it feel like the audience is being lectured (e.g. Public Enemy). Fave Track: Language of Violence Rating: 3

I’m finding it very difficult to evaluate this album musically, since most of this album is quasi-industrial hip-hop beats with Michael Franti rambling over them, often not rhyming or delivering his lines in rhythm. And his lyrics are just that: Rambling. With the exceptions of ”Language Of Violence” and ”Socio-Genetic Experiment”, which follow a narrative with some emotional or personal potency, Franti is just listing off societal issues one after another. Among the most surface level socially-conscious rap I’ve ever come across, frankly. The instrumentals are better, but not particularly noteworthy besides stray moments and the jazzy anomaly ”Music & Politics”. More than being bad, this is just very lame. And more than being lame, it’s just bizarre. Damn!

A little overbearing - the tv song especially was a lot. But there is a lot of substance. Can’t say I’d listen again but not bad.

Enjoyed Michael Franti’s stuff with spearhead and I liked this too. This is darker than spearhead and a little more direct but I still enjoyed the grooves and the lyrics.

I don’t think this was a 4th of July coincidence. If you love Public Enemy but feel that the messaging is just too subtle do I have the album for you! It’s admirable that this group wants to discuss important social and political issues but I think they forget that for anyone to want to listen the music has to be good too. I will never listen to this again and understand why this group was lost to history even though Michael Franti himself learned the lesson and remade himself as a musician.

All of the songs themselves are really good. They have a great beat and usually a great baseline. The issue is the messages in the song are told to you very point blank. Also the guy's voice sounds goofy. Still, a very deep album with an approachable beat.

Résolument engagé, avec une touche de lucidité personnelle. La voix, basse et profonde, mise de l’avant sur les boucles. La récitation sérieuse, une dévotion palpable nous y retiennent.

Feels like a more experimental public enemy, but can see why folk see it as a poor man’s public enemy. I’m on the fence with this album, but think it’s worth at least 1 listen.

Great beats to go with great messages. Everything dude says still pretty much translates to now✊

Nice find.

Solid! Too bad America is still struggling with the same issues.

The first half-a-dozen tracks are an incendiary five stars. Tension and amazement dip somewhat on the back nine of what is ANOTHER overlong nineties rap album but it's an amazing debut full of lines that will stay in your head for days.

Sick public enemy cover band. Perhaps the real “hiphopcracy” is making a painfully earnest social justice album while completely ripping off the originators of conscious hip hop.

2.3 I legit thought this was a Chuck D album, but I didn't hear the 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc counting, so I had to look and see that it was Michael Franti. Franti frequents the folk fests around my area and seems to draw well but Ive never really been a fan. As far as the album goes, I mean the issues spoken about in the lyrics arent wrong, but I think every problem in the history of the world was spoken about. Bumping it up a half point, the previous band, the Beatnigs, is a great name

Michael Franti doing a Public Enemy impression for 45 minutes. Exhausting. Franti seems like a smart guy and I guess I agree with most of his politics, but he’s just so….unimaginative. All his music sounds like someone else’s music - his big hit is just a soundalike of Jack Johnson/DMB, and there’s no cleverness or subtlety to his lyrics. It’s just “here’s what I think” shouted over the same beat, over 10 songs. An intelligent guy, I’m not sure if he’s a particularly creative or innovative guy.

There are some very relevant lyrics in the first track and really throughout the whole thing. It reminds me of Public Enemy with some of the avant garde sounds and conscious rap, but a little more musical. Despite some clearly dated beats, I think it still sounds pretty fresh and holds up very well. 3.8

Not the worst hip hop album ive had. certainly not the best either. Wasnt really my bad but didnt bleed my ears either.

Musically, it was surprising to find out Michael Franti was behind The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, as the industrial-ish sound is not what I know him for. Lyrically, it was no surprise at all, as Franti's whole bag is cramming as many political talking points into a song as possible without elaborating or illuminating with a defined point-of-view. I imagine any music videos from this album involved Franti in a lecture hall, tapping a pointer at every proper noun he's written on the board and relentlessly unrolling map after map. Sorry, I just don't like this guy. I first heard of him at Sasquatch '08, when I was forced to sit through his set while waiting for the Mars Volta. Franti's set brought out all the parents and their kids; toddlers were made to dance and families gleefully engaged in the call-and-response of "Taxi Radio, oh-ay-oh!" The music's politicism was an aesthetic, the genre squarely under the anglo-centric umbrella of "World." Michael Franti is the kind of guy whose wikipedia entry boasts that he never wears shoes, but also that he carries a pair of thin flip-flops for boarding planes. He's emblematic of a certain aggressive chill which my PDX heart despises: the kind of person who is so focused on positivity they impose their singular perspective on their environment and, in fact, oppress people with an obstinance which makes dissent messy and unwelcome. Back to the album at hand: who is putting this on for any listening value? You enjoy Public Enemy but find the music too adventurous and the messaging too oblique? You're trying to reach across generations to your kid who likes rap, but you can't help characterizing the popular rappers as "thugs?" You want to evince the appearance of a "book reader," but don't have a book to carry around in public?

Great message and thoughtfulness to this album, although the style of it doesn’t appeal to my personal tastes.

Too generic ngl

Nop3

god damn these flows are good but his lyrics are too interesting for me to enjoy, he talks about politics a lot and I usually just listen to songs for the instrumentals. similar to rage against the machine, love the beats but the lyrics i don’t care for much

A 90’s rap album I liked. Music and politics dropped the score. Also didn’t listen to the songs not on Spotify :*

Needed better production badly

I got this album when it came out after hearing the TV track. Wore thin quickly, as what appear to be clever rhymes and observations dull quickly with all the repetition. Each song seems to follow the same model, and the smugness no longer passes as a sense of humor. Suppose there’s a reason I haven’t listened to this in almost 30 years.

This is some really good progressive shit.

This was a little too talk-y for me. No flow. Avant-garde rap? Experimental hip hop? Very political.

Very unique album well worth a listen

This was pretty good. Very clever and political lyrics, good beats, although none that particularly stood out.

3.7 stars rounded up. Intelligent, politically angry rap. More ideas and interesting beats than hooks. Definitely a musical descendent of Gil Scott-Heron.

Television, there's a blast from the past. Although it's easy to agree with the sentiment of this album, the musicality often takes a back seat to the content. There's not many dance floor fillers on this, it's more endurable than enjoyable. But an interesting listen nevertheless, not really my cup of tea though.

lite för orytmiskt rap på nåt vis? känns som en snubbe som bara snackar om alla orättvisor som finns i världen.

Not bad... 2.5

I liked what he was saying there, but musically the album was extremely monotone, in the worst way possible. It needed a better producer, at the very least. Listening to someone talking over the same uninspired beats for over an hour got me feeling real tired, real fast. I've been slowly warming up to the genre due to this project, but a hip hop album needs at least a little musicality to draw me in, and this had virtually none of it. It's a shame, 'cause thematically this was much more interesting then the usual 'sex, drugs and violence' stuff. 2 stars

Not a fan

Almost listenable because the tracks and beats are great. Too bad it's a spoken word political affair with 7min run times

Normally like conscious hip hop but wasn't a big fan of this. Maybe would've given 3* if it wasn't so overly long.

Full album not available on Apple Music or Spotify due to region lock.

Old school rap

I’m not really into hip hop as it didn’t hit its stride until I was out of college and I never jumped in. But it was def easy to listen to and the lyrics are solid and relevant..

The first half kind of sounds like a watered down Public Enemy, not really a bad thing. Like the message.

Before he went barefoot and spiritual, Michael Franti was shouting over industrial beats about American imperialism. It’s got Public Enemy energy, but more like a stern lecture than a full-on riot.

I liked this. Good beats and music and creative, intentional raps. Hard to believe these were issues 35 years ago and it is objectively even worse today. No progress is sad.

Never heard of this...listened twice. At first I thought it was a cheap Public Enemy knockoff. Then I listened again, and thought it was pretty good.

feels a lot more like poetry read over music than a lot of rap, unfortunately I'm not the biggest fan of poetry. musically it gets pretty repetitive but there are some nice moments, and i do appreciate the well expressed political sentiments (which i am of course biased towards) but sonically there's just not that much to write home about

Eat shit theocratic fascists

Maybe a bit too on the nose with the Baudrillard-type stuff but these ideas inevitably age and given the context of its time this was probably pretty god damn righteous. I don’t know, I was still a sperm in 1992.

Great instrumentals, sometimes good vocal rhythm, lyrics get cheesy and lazy sometimes

Television is a great song but probably wouldn't listen again

Very nice! Shame I never heard of them!

It's a shame that the album is still current, because the criticism in it is still justified.

It was ok

This was probably a groundbreaking conscious hip hop album that was designed to wake us up and expose the evils of government, media, and censorship. Well, it’s clear that the message of this album has fallen on deaf ears. We’re living in a time where society is more fractured than ever. Suicide rates are skyrocketing, substance abuse and addiction are rampant, and homelessness is at an all-time high. Whether it’s class, race, or gender, divisions are deeper than they’ve ever been. Everyone thinks they have the answers, yet fingers are constantly pointed, accusing others of being brainwashed by propaganda. The hatred in our society is so pervasive that we wouldn’t even recognize a real enemy threat because we’re too busy accusing each other of being the true threat to democracy. Despite its good intentions, its time has passed, leaving us in an even worse state with far greater problems.

This was quite sick. Bit of an underrated gem

Not another bloody hip-hop album? Repetitve, boring and if it wasn't for Spotify occasionally interrupting with adverts, I would assumed that the album consistly of two or three very long tracks. Highlights for me were the dub-style hip-hop tracks "INS Greencard A-19 191 500" and "Socio-Genetic Experiment".

I think there are some powerful messages here. The music itself is very hit or miss. But I think that this was important to include on this list.

I only new Michael Franti from Spearhead being on the bill at jamband festivals and had no idea he had a early incarnation as a Boots Riley/the Coup style conscious political rapper. Very much an artifact of early 90s post-coldwar left cultural production, the main concerns are war (in a kind of generic sense), consumption, media/TV, corporate power structures, the war on drugs, militarism. Musically, it's pretty straight over the plate early 90s hip hop production - drum machine beats, jazz and rock samples, some turntable scratching - the tracks are busy but not lushly produced. This is self-identified brocolli hip hop you listen to because it's good for you - impactful in terms of the merging of content/form, but a document of its time, more like watching an old episode of the daily show than listenting to a timeless classic.

this is either one of the most politically prescient albums I've heard or nothing has changed in American politics in 30 years. the beats and rapping are alright, this is mostly a spoken word hip hop album so I felt like it was somewhat emotionally flat in spite of how charged the lyrics are. the industrial influence is cool.

El disco es bastante bueno, a pesar de ser el rap crudo de los 90s tiene unos arreglitos interesantes.

I prefer Spearhead. I want to like this more than I do but it goes on and on and my patience wears thin after a while

STANDOUTS: Satanic Reverses Famous and Dandy (Like Amos 'n' Andy) Television, the Drug of the Nation OVERALL: 3.5/5

Military intelligence being an oxymoron is a joke that this guy absolutely got from M*A*S*H* which is possibly ironic? A guy decrying the phenomenon of television by using a joke that came from a TV sitcom is an irony that I’m too drunk to go into right now I don’t agree with Michael Franti’s interpretation of television at all. This is definitely a cultural thing. I have no idea what television was like for the average American in the early 90’s. I have a small idea of what it’s like for the average American right now, because I’ve watched some American Football with my Dad which has the ads, and I have to say American advertising is fascinating. It’s a testament to why we are said to be living in the golden age of television. To bastardise a quote from a great (and political) TV series, people stopped believing in television when television stopped believing in them. Once TV started treating it’s viewers as intelligent, adult viewers, that’s when the standard of television shows started going up. You could still make a song like Television The Drug Of The Nation today, but it’d be talking specifically about shows like Fox or GB News, and not television as a conglomerate. Other than that I agree with everything that Franti is saying. It’s an incredibly prescient album in it’s treatment of… well everything. Climate change, Palestine, economic insecurity, immigration, racial politics, everything that a principled leftist is likely to have an opinion on nowadays, you will find a decent exploration of, which is both from 30 fucking years ago and written in rhyme. It’s infuriating that we’re still talking about this shit, and invigorating that we on the left have such good material that we’re able to reinterpret it so many times, to the extent that we’re able to do it in iambic fucking pentameter if it’ll help push the message across

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.

This is another great example of why this process is valuable. The name didn't mean anything to me when it popped up but I recognised the hit from it. I much prefer rap when it's lyrics have some agency rather than the bling/butches stuff that came after. It feels like the natural successor to Gil Scott Heron, but I'm not clued in enough to know who came after this. Towards the end, it did just make me want to listen to NWA though so it's not the most original thing but a good listen none the less.

Definitely substance over form. Has a bit of a beatnik style to it. I actually enjoyed this album, but it's pretty heavy and not very musical.

Nice

Wow

Nice trip down memory lane but an early example of that 90s thing of the CD tempting artists to make their albums a bit too long. There are two or three tracks in the second half that could have been cut.

Michael Franti has had an interesting musical career. His start in industrial hip hop led to Hiphoprisy and then later to a much more lighthearted reggae-inspired sound. But he never lost his dedication to explicitly political lyrics which advocate for civil rights, social justice, peace, and de-escalation. While his more recent reggae group Spearhead comes at these topics from a positive viewpoint, Hiphoprisy is more critical of the status quo. And I think most of what gets discussed on this album is specific to issues of the early 1990s while remaining extremely relevant for the problems of today, and the lack of solutions from decades past.

Interesting lyrical rap about politics, violence, and hatred for yourself and others. Not the best to listen to sonically. Now, what was said on the album has been said many times, but I’ll assume for its time it was revolutionary. Maybe that‘a the wrong term for it. An okay listen. Standouts: Television The Drug Of The Nation, Language Of Violence, and Financial Leprosy.

Have not heard of this album / artist previously, but this SLAPS. Over the hour it does get a little "samey" but great lyrics over cracking beats

politically charged lyrics done in almost a spoken word style. reminiscent of public enemy meets gil scott heron. even includes an interesting cover of the dead kennedys’ classic “california uber alles”, complete with samples from the original. was not familiar with this band before the listen, but this album is very well done with important social commentary throughout. highlights: “satanic reverses” “television, the drug of the nation” “everyday life has become a health risk”

It’s like Public Enemy with that goof Flava Flav.

Not my usual kind of thing to begin with, though I appreciate the intention behind it. Not a fan of how it flows at times either, not overly interesting to listen to.

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

Okay so, this album spawned an entire mental discourse on meta-criticism of albums for me. What's the point of music? Is it to entertain, evoke emotions, inform, incite, exalt? Is it show off the skill of the artist? Is it a measure of all these things? And so I wondered why this album falls flat for me. You could look at the social awareness and think "well, it sounds important, so I should give it a 5" right? This album is mostly concerned with inciting and informing, but on almost every other measure I can think of, it falls short. And for my own personal assessment, those values mean very little to me, hence my rating.

8/10 surprisingly enjoyed it!

Water pistol man Sorry but I’m not looking for a history lesson. I get enough political points in my everyday life I don’t need to hear any more. If you’re gonna be woke and push an agenda please let the song at least be catchy. I will agree with everything he has to say tho. In 2024 is kind of a broken record at this point. I’m sure when this came out it was ground breaking but was very boring to me.

This was like a college freshman wrote very liberal papers and then spoke them behind a mid beat. Love late 80’s and early 90’s rap. Love Public Enemy. Love Boogie Down Productions. This is nowhere near that.

I understand the message they’re trying to send. I don’t love rap music to begin with so them putting their message to some “mid beats” will not make me want to listen.

Good hip hop. Powerful lyrics!

How knew Michael Franti had this in him

The book compares this favorably to PE, and I hear the similarities - but not nearly as good musically, lyrically or in delivery.

Man, it's not great and that kinda pisses me off. Because the lyricism is heavyweight. The problem is that the whole album feels heavy, too. It's a lumbering beast that never finds any energy or vitality. It doesn't help that the flows are primitive and just... so... slow. It was a slog to get through. But this kind of socially aware hip-hop is my jam so I'm trying to find the good in here. But there's not much here aside from the slam-poetry-style lyrics. Too bad the delivery doesn't match the content.

The beauty of hip-hop as a genre is the amount of avenues it can create. Production wise, it is as blank slate as music can get, and can be influenced and mixed with so many other sounds. And really, of all music genres, it takes the least to get started in. There is less equipment needed to jump start a rap career than something like rock or jazz. But at the same time, the actual creative process requires more creativity than most genres of music. Anybody can pick up a guitar and learn to play. But not everybody can become Jimi Hendrix overnight. Anybody can pick up a pen and start writing lyrics and ideas. But not everybody can become Kendrick Lamar overnight. I think that is the antithesis of where this record succeeds and fails. Immediately, from the cover, to the title of the songs and album itself, it is apparent what kind of record this is. And if you have any experience with Public Enemy, the moment you turn on the first song, you immediately feel the influence. I don’t want to be mean, but this album wants to be Public Enemy so badly it kind of blindsides everything else. In some places, it falls short of even reaching that level, and lacks any of the character that the duo had which made them so popular. But in other places, Michael Franti, who is the main one behind the scenes here, and the only voice you will hear, actually flexes his abilities. His flows are weird, and the beats are equally as strange to match. This is by all means a politically charged album. Maybe even as blatantly so as something like Public Enemy. Except there is an issue. Michael doesn’t pull it off as cleanly. It’s not necessarily that anything he’s saying isn’t still true. Because there are plenty of topics he brings up that still have relevance today. It’s just all been said before by other people. And said more convincingly and effectively. You can’t just come out and be like “television is bad for people” and expect it to hit the same. This is the only album they ever released, and really the only noteworthy release of Michael’s career. And I sort of understand why. Rating: 6/10

Interesting. And super political. And although produced in the early 90s all of his topics are still relevant today. Some even worse today than they were back then.

I'm disappointed that I didn't know about this album before. Really enjoyed it.

Interesting album. Lots of political commentary that wasn’t over the top and then that one jazz tune that was self reflective. I found myself straining to listen to the actual lyrics.

Lots of messaging on this one. Didn’t do any research so review based on just listening. Decent beats and some interesting lyrics.

Lyrics were a bit repetitive at times and very heavy on social commentary. But entertaining underlying tracks and mix.

The title was the hardest part of the album.

What a deep reference! I heard these guys in their Alternative Tentacles days. Some of the writing is cringe now, but the rolling bass is lots of fun

Many good beats and there's a great groove to a few of the tracks. I also like the message in the songs, even though from time to time they're delivered in a way that they could be a political TV ad, which takes away from the overall impression. Also, during the middle of the album many tracks became a little boring. Cool that they've included a Dead Kennedys cover! Best songs: Satanic Reverses, Everyday Life..., Financial Leprosy and Water Pistol Man

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

Had no idea Michael Franti did anything besides not wear shoes.

I know almost nothing about Michael Franti. This album reminds me of Public Enemy, both for the political bent and for the rapping sounding like Chuck D. It's not bad but it's not really my thing.

Well meaning, with a few good moments, but as someone in my late 40s, a lot of the "truth bombs" just come off as obvious. Maybe if I was younger.

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.