The Sun Rises In The East

Ooh. Much better than expected! I could probably have the instrumental tracks of Come Clean on loop - it's so sonically pleasing. Lyrically/vocally, I'm not the biggest fan of rap, but IMO it was pretty decent and some interesting themes here.

Very good record. Flows are a little dated at times but the beats are simple and solid, lyricism is good, production on point.

4.0

On ne félicite jamais assez les rappeurs qui sortent des albums de moins de quarante minutes. Merci Jeru.

Qu'est ce que c'est nul le ice cub rap sans déconner

This may well be my favourite hip hop album I've heard on the list so far. I'd never even heard of Jeru The Damaja before this, but I can see why he played a big part in the revival of the East Coast Hip Hop scene. The lyricism is excellent, there's a real poetic quality to his rapping. The misogyny is obviously there but I don't think it's as bad as a lot of the other rappers around this time. The beats were amazing too, and they never felt overshadowed by the vocals. Instead the beats and rapping always seemed to compliment each other. This was just a great classic hip hop album, the best hip hop I've heard on the list thusfar, and potentially my new all-time favourite hip hop album.

Cool new find. I had never even heard of him! Rad 90's rap with some nice jazz influences. I guess if you're gonna be misogynistic, then you should at least make it enjoyable by rhyming coochie with Gucci.

Nope

Fijn om weer even een hiphop album te hebben maar ik ben niet echt omvergeblazen. De beats vond ik goed! Prima album maar er zijn zeker betere rap albums.

DJ Premier beats en goede old school east coast rap. Kende alleen mental stamina, wat ik wel echt een goed nummer vind net als de rest van het album eigenlijk. Staat blijkbaar in het rijtje met east coast classics uit die tijd waar ik het nu ook mee eens ben

Best nice! Vond het niet zo tijdloos als dat The Roots bijvoorbeeld, maar vond de beats als nog wel echt nice. Weet niet of ik het nog een keer op zou zetten in z’n geheel maar vond Da Bichez en Jungle music bangersss. Eigenlijk 3,5!!

Had bijzonder genoeg nog nooit van dit album of artiest gehoord, maar wat een relaxt album. Heerlijke beats met dank aan de legendarische DJ Premier. Flow af en toe misschien iets té laidback, maar hoe dan ook heerlijk album.

I've heard of Jeru, but never listened to him before. I really like this album and it's another sign of how good the 90s New York hip hop scene was. 4/5

Good

I am of the opinion that rap is perhaps the hardest genre of music to adequately judge once it has aged and once the music no longer is "current." Sure, there are undeniable classics of every era that stand above. This is not it. This sounds horribly dated, particularly when compared to the classics that are contemporaries. Jeru is a talented rapper for sure, but the production is so-so and the lyrical content is dated and contains slurs that just don't fly in 2023. I get why this is on the list and I didn't necessarily dislike anything here, but on the other hand, I didn't really want to hit repeat on any of the tracks either. An album I doubt I return to.

...Are there any hip hop albums from this era/on this list that don't have a song/verse/etc on them about how women are "bitches"? I'm very tired of it. The rest of this album was...fine. I will get off my soapbox now, lol.

Beats are great. Lyrics are mostly nonsense. Flow is alright. Not a great record.

The discordant piano riff is cool with the beat over, pretty good so far. Hmm, bitches and hoes already? Ain't The Devil Happy? With the violins, it is pretty good. It's when the beat and an off-kilter riff or sample comes together that the song is lifted. It works again on this track, Come Clean... The beats are alright, the rhymes are alright, the flow is alright, it's just a bit forgettable. 2 / 5 stars. (I have since been made aware of the homophobia on one track, so yeah. Nope.) 1 / 5 stars.

Quite surprised by this. Started off being fairly generic, but grew on me considerably. Will probably listen again.

Bello

No

It’s sounds of it’s time and while that isn’t always a bad thing you can hear a better version of this style from the previous years Wu-Tang release. Still it plays up the decades New York sounds very well.

Quien rapea no tiene esa cualidad especial, necesaria para elevar un álbum de rap. Pero el álbum sí tiene algunos temas muy buenos, como Mental Stamina y You Can't Stop the Prophet. Por otro lado, qué increíble cómo el rap de los 90 tenía una energía tan alegre, que creo que se ha perdido mayormente.

Escucho muy poco rap por lo general, asi q esta bueno q toquen discos asi por aca asi escucho algo 👍👍. Igual no me gusto mucho ajajaj fue divertido yo q se 4/10

Escuche la intro y pensé uhhhh se viene, this shit popping. Escuche 3 temas y me aburrió, este estilo de rap de brooklyn por lo general no me gusta tanto.

me encanta escuchar algo de rap por primera vez desde que arrancamos con esto.Un discazo super east coast que no conocia me gusto mucho la eleccion de instrumentales y los samples de las mismas. me recordo a illmatic salido el mismo año pero con un sonido mas oscuro

Definitely good and can clearly see the influence. The beats and flow really steal the show here, as the rhymes really have not aged well, especially compared to the contemporaries at the time.

Memorable name. Forgettable album.

Hip hop music can mean a lot of different things but at its core its beats and lyrics. This album is just that.

Dessa vez foi mais tranquilo a audição de mais um disco de hip hop por motivos que durou pouco mais de trinta minutos.

He likes to have dissonant sounds in his samples. He has a nice flow that pairs well with it though.

I was not familiar with this one, but this is some solid 90s NYC rap/hip-hop. You Can't Stop the Prophet and Ain't the Devil Happy were my favorite tracks. I don't know that I'd listen to this again, but I feel like it filled in a gap in my 90s hip hop education. Definitely solid stuff. Would probably give it 3.5/5 if that was an option but will round up because it's cool even if it's not daily listening material for me.

81 / 1069 Sick beats, some great delivery. Really enjoyed it.

The sun does rise in the East. And it sets in the west. This music was unexceptional So not really the best. Jeru who? I hate when songs refer to women as Da Bichez. The cause was pretty much lost there.

The only thing I know about East Coast versus West Coast is that Tupac was West Coast, biggie was East Coast and they were both shot. If I delved into the meaning behind the beef I might find the lyrics on this album interesting. But I haven’t done it so far and have no plans to do so in the future. So while I don’t dislike this music, it does not resonate with me and is definitely not something that I needed to hear. And I know the names Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. but I have never heard of Jeru the Damaja before today and will not care tomorrow. I like the track Mental Stamina.

I enjoyed this on the whole. On the positive side: Beats were good throughout, there was some clever wordplay, and some humor, which is a nice touch. The posturing in rap is always difficult for me to take seriously, and to announce that you're not a misogynist a minute from a repeated chorus of "bitch!" is ridiculous, on its face. A bit too repetitive and sample-heavy for my taste, which may sum up why rap is not my go-to jam.

Huh. Never heard of this guy before. I kind of dug it. Good rhymes, interesting flow. I might return to this one to give it a better listen. One point off for Da Bitches, though. Do better, hip-hop.

I tend to like this era of hip hop more than modern rap. So I thought this might fit the sweet spot for me. It did not.

I gotta say that album cover is wild. This album is wild. Jeru has some wild flow. I thought this album was solid. Jeru feels like a lost member of Wu tang. The early 90s east coast rap style was so crisp and fun to listen to. It required strong lyrics and smooth beats. This album impressed me and o would listen again. 7.4/10

2.25

2.5 New to me. I think I can get into it.

Honestly p good

A few cool bits of production.

Never heard of this guy but he sounds, to my uninitiated ears, like an appealing middle-ground between East Coast gangsta rap and the chilled out, playful flow of a De La Soul or some such. It only gets 2.5 stars because ultimately I don’t think any of it will live long in the memory. But I’ll round up because I feel like I’ve given other 90s rap albums that are probably no better than this higher marks based on name/reputation, and as we all know, two wrongs make a right.

An overall ok hip-hop album that helped with the revival of East Coast Hip-Hop. The album cover is evocative with it's use of the burning World Trade Centres from only one year prior, with it so fresh in the minds of the public - it might draw you towards the album or you may feel outrage. Best: D. Original Worst: Come Clean - E New Y Radio

b o r i n g

It's ok had some good rhymes

I really didn't pay attention to hip hop in the early 90s. When I tried to get "caught up" 20 years ago, I followed Dre, Ice Cube and Public Enemy, but not Jeru. It is of a piece with the others, and I like it.

I've never heard of this album or the artist. I was pleasantly surprised.

3.5/5

I prefer a lot more catchy hooks and melodical sections in my hip hop and I find this kind of very sparse beats and rap harder on my ears. I am also lacking the humorous/emotional interludes that I LOVE about a good 90s hip hop album. I guess this album was a large part of a huge hip hop revival and the music I love wouldn't be around if it weren't for albums like this but I wouldn't choose to listen to it again. The overall sound it stressful to my ears. The one track that sounds nicer to my ears, Da Bichez is horrible for a woman to listen to and hugely problematic in my opinion. "But I'm not a misogynist" LOL... Love the catchy horns on that track though.

I listened to this twice to try and get a real feel for it. Some I really enjoyed and others sort of passed me by. It didn't stand out to me like other rap albums but I liked it enough

Wasn't a fan of this at all.

Una altra suposada obra clau del hip hop dels '90. Un altre debut presuntament brillant. Un altre disc aparentment cru i combatiu. Una altra crida a la justícia social sembla ser que feta de manera apabullant. Meh

Just an average hip hop album. Some good storytelling and fairly high proficiency in rapping, but the similarities between the beats on each song made it hard for anyone track to stand out

Decent, barebones hip hop from the early 90s with no real highlights or anything to make it stand out

pretty good!

Meh

Meh. Da Bitchez has the best groove but I hate all the lyrics. You Can't Stop the Prophet is a great song. In general there are a lot of other, better rap albums of the era out there.

Didn’t get to listen to this album a ton, but I love it! Definitely going to be listening to this again. My rating: 6/10

Very cool 90s hip hop. Really enjoyed Da Bichez

New to me. Would listen to it again.

Pretty good. The representation of women and gay folks is a little problematic, but the flow is good and there are definitely some good lines. Nothing super catchy and single-able

i think i’ve been spoiled by the legendary 90s albums because even though this was great for the time, it fell flat to me.

Nice one. I don't think I've ever listened to this one.

crappy rap

rhythms 8/10

Beuh, dit is echt niet voor mij!

Tot 2 nummers van het einde gekomen met dit album. Hoeveel 90's rappers passen er in een dozijn? Jeru is in ieder geval nummer 13.

An enjoyable album that flows well together. It really felt like something I would hear in something like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or something similarly 90s. A lot of the lyrics still accurate today, but sadly a lot of lyrics are also questionable, like the entirety of "Da Bichez", but at least somewhat enjoyable to listen to. Like one ear and out the other sort of deal here, can't see myself listening again, but we'll see.

Great 90s East Coast Hip Hop

First listened 2016. Seminal Hip-Hop album.

Probably not the same target audience as a white 47 year old. But sheeeeat I dig it

This album fucking rules. If you need introduce somebody to 90s rap, do it with this album. Beats are great and interesting--I'll always for jazz-inspired beats like on Da Bichez. Lyrics are great and important, flow is great. Favorite tracks: Da Bichez, Ain't the Devil Happy. Honorable mentions to Mental Stamina and My Mind Spray

cool

I don’t usually listen to music like this so I’m not sure how to rate it, but I liked it. Will probably listen again.

6/10. Liked it alright, didn't love it.

One thing I like about 90s east coast hip hop is the albums are so consistent. I may not like individual songs as much as I do their west coast G funk counterparts but whenever I strap in for an album I know what to expect. 7/10

I can see why this is good, but it's really not for me.

Very cool album, quite a transitional album from early to modern hip-hop.

bueno

Decent album, some interesting lyrics.

Meh

Drugi dio mi cak bolji al mislim da je cijeli album za 3.5

Ovo je taj pravi hladni pa čak i mračni east coast klasik, 4.5, no cap. DJ Premier je napravio svoj posao kako on samo zna sa produkcijom. Esencijalan album za east coast. U ovom slučaju dajem peticu (4.5), jer ono, jeben album od glave do pete, no skips.

I love this quintessential 90's rap. Im familiar with Jeru but Wrath of the Math has been my go to album. Sun Rises is definitely still really raw but the complexity and lyricism are still present - this sound is definitely way ahead of its time - you can hear a lot of this in Blackalicious, the Roots, and more modern high brow hip hop Standout Tracks: D. Original, Come clean, Da Bichez

90s rap has a very unique feel to it I can't place my finger on, whenever I hear it, I KNOW its from that era of rap. That goes for this album aswell Some of the lyrics are very over the top I especially love Mental Stamina. Great feature from Afu-Ra and I enjoyed this album a lot overall. 6/10

A solid, back-to-basics hip-hop album. Appreciate that this one doesn't have too large an ego about it, only a good sense of solid shittalk. A bit long in places, but solid beats and bars are hard to beat.

Really don’t like the beat in the first song but do like a lot of the others, especially in Da Bitchez and Ain’t the Devil Happy. All the beats on here are DJ Premiere, one of the best producers of all time, but he grew a lot as a producer since this project. Even his beats only a couple years later on reasonable doubt are much stronger. I generally find hip hop beats made before vocal samples were used in the beats to be pretty boring. The lyrics were fine but nothing special at all. I genuinely feel that almost every rap album from 1988-1994 sounds exactly the same. Jungle music was my favorite song. And a Big shoutout to Hoyt Schermerhorn though!!!

I tried to get into it but I couldn't. I can respect the creativity and the flow, but it doesn't get beyond that for me.

While this isn't my preferred style of music, I did like some of this, especially the Brooklyn references. He has good points to make but like so much of this style, it's very hard to get past the misogony.

This is a decent rapper who I'd never heard of, but like many 90's hip-hop albums it has not aged well and I would not listen to it again. I did like the line about meeting at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn stop. This is my subway stop so I could really relate to that line alone.

Solid stuff. Super creative, great beats, compelling raps.

fck it up !

Giving a 4 because the beats are excellent and Jeru sounding really entertaining on his first album. Don't really care for the homophobic line but almost every 90s rapper is guilty of this. Can't rate it higher just due to the holier-than-thou attitude that would paint his imagine in later years.

Pretty good. It's obviously dated, but almost in a good way.

It is unusual that I have never heard of the artist or album for a must-hear record. Better than average early 90s NY rap. It does not fall into most of the usual traps of gansta rap (which I cannot abide). I enjoyed the singles, and the production is crunchy and discordant in a way that really appeals to me. "Da bichez", however, I could live without.

One of the more lesser known but integral albums of the East Coast Rap Renaissance of the 90s, The Sun Rises in the East builds and lives up to its title with its minimal yet impactful instrumentation and potent rhymes from the original Dirty Rotten Scoundrel. Although overshadowed by what came before and afterward, this is an album that's not to be ignored and does more than it's required to hold its own. Favorites: D. Original, Brooklyn Took It, Mental Stamina, Da Bichez, You Can't Stop the Prophet, Ain't the Devil Happy, Mind Spray.

Quite good, but more than a little misogynistic.

Solid east coast classic, unique beats and flows across the whole album. Took me a second to get into it but once I did I started loving it.

Hiphop clásico sin destacar especialmente. Ritmos y voces normales. No destaca.

Wow, I didn't think I was familiar with Jeru other than recognizing the name, but I actually know some of these tracks from 311 skate videos I used to watch in high school. Pretty good album; has that 90's hip hop sound and that east coast style of using dissonant samples.

I generally don't care for most rap, but I enjoyed this album quite a bit. I would listen to this again for sure.

Beats are fantastic and production tight. Rapping is fine but it really is the instrumentals that are the most enjoyable for me here.

I don’t know about this one. It sounds kind of generic and sexist to me. But hey, there are some solid beats, and it’s pretty brisk for a rap album. C-

I found it repetitive and uninteresting, sorry not sorry. It's not the worst thing I've ever heard by ANY means, but compared to the other albums on the 1001 list it's pretty low I don't think anybody would care about hip hop if it didn't come primarily from black people.

This old east coast sound is such a vibe. Fun beats and fun bars make for a fun album (if dated at times).

Damn, I always get surprised by how much I have grown to love east coast rap. This album is very strong as a debut and as a contemporary to Illmatic, Ready to Die, and Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). I think because of how large those 3 albums are, this album and others end up getting lost in the mix, but they deserve a little retribution.

Immaculate production with the weirdest early spin on the East Coast sound. Lyrics fell a little bit flat for me on first spin, though Jeru clearly created at least one elite project. Baffles me that I know nothing about this body of work.

Aningen bättre än SZA men fortfarande plastigt och lite väl skräningt suck

C’est intéressant. Je ne connaissais pas. J’aime que ce ne sois pas que de la violence du sex et de l’argent. La prod est l’fun. J’ai beaucoup aimé le piano joué avec les mitaines (J’imagine).

J'aime beaucoup DJ Premier. Ses beats souvent construits à partir de vieux enregistrement jazz sont très minimaux et ont toute une groove. Les éléments de scratch aussi sont très intéressant. C'est bien d'entendre cette collaboration de cette époque, mais son travail au sein de Gang Starr avec Guru reste supérieur. Le flow de Jeru est tout même bien. Pas un essentiel pour moi, mais une écoute agréable.

Eeeh

Even if Robert Dimery’s hip-hop choices are fairly questionable, this is a fine album, if a bit stereotypically 2conscious4u as some 90s rap albums are. It’s also tastefully short

Gick hårt bortsett från ett spår.

I previously had only heard of Jeru through him being sampled by DJ Shadow. This is great stuff and with the exception of one dated track really top class Hip Hop.

This is a new artist and new music for me. Jeru the Demaja has some good beats, and is a talented rapper with some clever rhymes. Unfortunately, I don't want to listen to the content of the tracks. Many of the tracks I did not like, but there was one track that clarified that this whole album gets 1 star.

Debut album from American rapper Jeru the Damaja (lots of the same letters in my name. It confused me at first). Produced by Gang Starr member DJ Premier. The album is credited with helping revive the East Coast hip-hop scene in the 90's along with Wu Tang, Nas, Big L and the Notorius BIG. Kind of ominous with the World Trade Center burning in the background of his album cover (the WTC had been bombed the year before). However, I did not find or interpret this album to be violent or even gansta at all. He seems to be challenging all rappers to his rhyming in a lot the these songs. And, his rhyming is great. I don't have a ton of experience in hip-hop lyrics but this guy sure seems prolific with his sheer number of lyrics per song. His non-stop lyrics are laid perfectly against hypnotic beats and weird and sometimes eerie sampling and sounds. As previously mentioned, Jeru seems to be challenging all comers to a rap-off against him and, in general, East Coast rap as in songs "Brooklyn Took it" and My Mind Spray." He goes anti-gansta in "Ain't that Devil Happy." Although he made some people (evidently The Fugees) angry thinking this to be misogynistic, one my favorite songs on the album is "Da Bichez" where he goes after a specific type of woman; those only after the money. Overall, a very well produced and recorded album. Along with the previously mentioned acts, probably a good place to start and/or experience early- to mid-90's East Coast hip-hop. I'm sure I'll be coming back to this album and scene in the near future.

3, boom Bawp

It sounds amazing and the bits are great but my English and knowledge of the artist's background are too limited to fully appreciate his album.

Best Song: Brooklyn Took It. Excellent flow, vocals drip feed a the perfect rate. Worst Song: Da Bichez. Kinda disappointing that a song this misogynistic slaps so hard. Overall: A lot of older hip hop has a short shelf life, if only because the genre changes and transforms so frequently, but this still works decades later. Great voice and a great collection of beats.

Jeru the Damaja is a very talented rapper, the vocals and clarity are certainly noticeable. A little bit of digging through the history of hiphop, particularly in the early 90s, it certainly shows the maturity and shift of the genre, and this album helps put that into perspective. The times have changed, where such talent seems to have been set aside for singles and quick success rather than intentional hiphop albums by artists that truly care about their productions. This review may be biased through the lens of history, but the point remains. Jeru the Damaja, and this album are a credit to more intentional times where hiphop and rap could be seen as valuable contributions to music and a constructive society.

old school 90s rap 4.5

Interesting for a one time listen, not my style.

man, i wanted to love but it felt solid but not incredible. a couple great tracks, nice production overall. i had never heard of this one though so it was nice to find something new!

Cool and good

Kind of similar to almost every early 90's rap album included on this list so far. Largely anonymous and forgettable in my opinion 1.5/5

Straight out of '94 east coast hip-hop. Great stuff, hazy samples and vicious flow. It's a couple of steps behind the classics of that era (Illmatice, 36 Chambers etc.) but it's well worth an inclusion. Best Tracks: D. Original; You Can't Stop the Prophet; Come Clean - E New Y Radio

Love the flow, the delivery. Agree with the review that said parts didn’t age well, but good stuff.

Brash hip hop, musically very good but some fairly misogynistic lyrical stylings make this a tough listen

Its good for what it is, but its all a bit childish really

Good hip-hop. Nothing to blow me away. Will definitely have you tapping feet. Top 10 album covers that haven't aged well. Highlights: You Can't Stop the Prophet, D. Original, Come Clean, Jungle Music

Love it - old school sound with cool and unusual samples and beats from DJ Premier plus Jeru the Damaja's unique style.

I have to admit this is probably the first hip hop album I've listened to fully. And this one is pretty good! The lyrics can get silly at times but the beats are great and the flow is always there.

Filthy beats, filthy lyrics. Good example of non violent gangster rap from the 90s but prefer lyrics that are more thoughtful

few interesting beats and not bad flow, typical black old school hip hop; 3-

3/24/2022 Today's Album: "The Sun Rises In The East" by Jeru The Damaja - This album is really fun to listen to. I have very little experience with this era of rap, but the funky hip hop beats and fairly impressive flows throughout this project are really just a delight to the ear. It feels like the perfect music for just booling around the city and feeling like a badass with friends. The verses on these tracks are really great and seem to feature a lot of fantastic features, unless if this is just a rap group or Jeru putting on multiple voices. Anyways, There's a ton of diversity of this record and I like all of the interludes throughout the album. There's some great jazz accompaniments that boost the smooth feeling of these songs and there is just such a solid flow from track to track, with many dynamic changes in the sound, without ever feeling out of character. Other than that, it's pretty hard to review anything else about this record. I am pretty new to this genre and dont have a good frame of reference for the lyrical talent behind the record, but the grooves are smooth and theres a ton of character and talent behind the rap verses. Check it out if you like classic hip hop. The best I can compare it to is my very little knowledge of Biggie's top tracks. Score: 8/10 Enjoyed it a lot despite my lack of experience in the genre Highlights: D. Original, Da Bichez, Ain't The Devil Happy, Come Clean, Jungle Music, Statik

Seems like standard old school rap/hip hop to my untrained rap ear. Nothing really stands out for me, but it doesn't turn me off like some rap does. It's okay...

A bit crap 90s rap. At least there weren't any poorly-aged or downright bad skits

This is a classic, even though I personally prefer 'Wrath of the Math'. Jeru kicks esoteric knowledge and is a real rap legend. I went to see Jeru at Sub Tub in Umist in the '90s. After the show he went amongst the crowd to meet random people, even though it was mostly drunk students dancing to drum and bass. I vaguely remember seeing someone get punched in the face, but I suppose it was a rap show in the '90s.

A quintessential hip hop album of the mid 90s. This album is such a great encapsulation of east coast rap with its swing beats and its elements of jazz and world music. My only criticism is some of the misogyny in the lyrics though compared to some contemporaries, this album is pretty tame. The flow is acrobatic and the lyrics are clear and often socially conscious.

The instrumentals were good but the lyrics didn't stand the test of time, some of the songs were just cringeworthy.

A lot better than I was expecting.

How have never heard this. Absolute amazing hip hop album…. I’ll revisiting this bad boy very soon!

A 90s rap album I was not familiar with. Listened to int once. Sounds fine but made less impact than some other albums from that period, so will give it a 3.

Jo keine Überraschungen hier, ein 90er Rap-Album was gut durchfließt. Nichts besonderes, aber schon wohl interessant genug. Sehr in Ordnung halt. 6/10

definitiv hip hop definitiv ganz ok definitiv ich werde es nicht nochmal anhören

Nerviger Rap über Rap mit dummen lyrics und uninteressanter persona. Der Bitches track ist unerträglich ekelhaft. Ich wette das ist sowas was Savas richtig cool fand

kA nicht ganz gehört aber die ersten paar tracks waren ganz cool

ist ganz gut so kann man hören, aber uff da bichez ist der lameste uncoolste dümmste track ever

Rap. Geile Beats hier, das ist so peak harte Boom Bap Produktion, die Drums pushen richtig rein. Das verzerrte Klavier auf dem 2. Track kommt sehr genial. Ich hätte gehofft dass das ganze weiter so experimentell bleibt, so bleibts nur solide. Die Lyrics, bzw was ich davon so aufgeschnappt hab, wirken sehr verrückt und durchdacht. Ich glaube das könnte ein Grower sein, aber ich schätze dafür holt mich der Stil nicht mehr genug ab. Starke 3!

Way better than expected, like a mix between Public enemy and Ice-T. And compared to modern rap, this is fucking Mozart. 4/5.

Poetry in rap

They don’t make rap like this anymore

Not terrible, not amazing - some very 90's references and attitudes. Clearly very proud of Brooklyn. Will not be listening again

A second hip hop album that pretty much underwhelmed me. It was the first genre I fell for but I guess I'm happy just listening to the hip hop I know, and not too hot on looking for something new.

Odotin nimen perusteella jotain maailmanmusiikkia, mutta peettymys oli suuri, kun tulikin Brooklyniläistä ysäriräppiä. Ei temmannut mukaansa ja sanomakin oli ainakin paikoittain aika seksististä. Kuuluu tietty tuohon aikakauteen, mutta ei toiminut ainakaan nyt.

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

Un poco rollo, pero te hace mover la cabeza con ritmo.

i'm digging this 90s rap!

Ca sonne bien, bon rap, bon beat, bonne realisation classique de brook’yn. Dj premier 3.65

Not sure how ive completely missed this but real solid '90s east coast hip hop.

My one negative takeaway from this song is the borderline nice-guy-ish "Da Bitchez". It's a shame, cos it's a super catchy song, just feel like the message hasn't aged super well. Aside from that, the flows are tight, the lyrics flit between conscious hip-hop and classic, and the beats are great, occasionally showing some dissonance and noisiness. I got Gang Starr earlier in the list, and I still love the beats DJ Premier puts out. Also, massive, massive shoutout to Jeru for making cool little gifs that go along with each song on Spotify. Wasn't expecting that, and it's fun as fuck. Favorite tracks: "Come Clean", "Brooklyn Took It", "Ain't The Devil Happy"

Definitely early 90's rap. Seemed pretty repetitive. Did not like Da Bichez... really bad lyrics. Overall, not my thing.

Nice listening experience. Hate to say I didn’t grow up listening to hip hop, but I’m eager to hear more from this era.

Good beats, thoughtful lyrics. An era I have not explored enough of.

Lots of misogyny in their despite what he claims. Like the minimal backing music,

meh

Leuke eenmalige listen

Great driving music!

nope

Skemmtilegt old school

90s hip hop. Not great overall

I can't believe I hadn't heard this one, but it was obviously good.

A hidden gem that came out in the year of hip hop, yet majorly influenced the East Coast scene. Hits hard but still has its fun, interactive moments. Album is very accessible, with funky samples and flow from track to track that is very easy to listen to. With decent tracks from start to finish, lots of creativity, a significant influence on the genre, and nothing that distracts my experience, there's no reason not to give 4 stars. Favorite tracks: D Original, Brooklyn Took It, Da Bitchez, Aint the Devil Happy, Come Clean

Murzynskie gransko wysokich lotow, jeden z mocniejszych debiutow, pan premier na bitach i danaja na zwrotkach, to mocno bijace slonce ze wschodu, na plejce juz mam wystarczajaco trakow z plyty

Cool, old school hip-hop. Was not familiar at all with this album but it's exactly the kind of thing I would have been into at the time. Kind of amazing what gems got lost in the pre-internet days of music discovery.

Debut album by American hip hop rapper Jeru the Damaja, released May 24, 1994 and called as the best Damaja's album by the critics. It is considerably significant in hip hop, as it contributed to the revival of the East Coast hip hop scene.

Nope

This record maintains the balance of the universe.

Pretty solid 90s hip hop. Classic DJ Premier Boom Bap production, but noting super stunning. Good rhymes and concepts, but again not much stands out. Fav track: Mental Stamina.

I liked to know this new hip-hop album, but for me, it's just more of the same thing that I already know. I understand the importance of it in a historical way, but I didn't get much from it

You can see how the influenced rap music, very good album

A couple of tracks were OK but this is really not the sort of music ( if you can call the rest of it music ) that appeals to me. 1*

It was OK for what it was. Not really my thing but I didn't actively hate it.

Apparently I like old school hip hop

In the top 50 of all time

2.5

inte lika bra som ganstarr, men ändå bra

fine. very repetitive 90s rap to me.

I find myself not particularly liking the subject matter of this album this morning, which despite the good beats and rapping ability, drops my rating to a 2-star level.

Rude in places (Da Bichez). Catchy early Eminem type vibes. Liked it.

I was not familiar with the artist or any of the songs. However this was a good album and had good beats.

Cacophonous and thoroughly discordant, lyrically confused; can't even get misogyny right. absolute shit

ægte 90'er

East Coast hip hop... Lyrics seem to be focused on business... Again, hip hop is not a fave but there were some good stories told in the lyrics.

The early 90's was a great time to be a hip-hop fan. You had the incredible debut of Nas with Illmatic in '94, the explosive Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in '93, A Tribe Called Quest's jazz rap classic The Low End Theory in '91, and many more. Among all these, though, is Jeru the Damaja's debut. It's got classic east coast stylings with boom bap beats, but the interesting part is Jeru's willingness to push the boundaries on the samples. All be frank though, this is just great hip-hop. As far as I'm concerned, Jeru can hang with the rest of them. Wicked.

ebic hib hop

Listened to most of this album, busy day kept me from finishing. Solid rhymes throughout but the lo-fi Wu-Tang-esque beats were really what propelled me through the album. Jeru has an original flow and is definitely entertaining to listen to, but I never found that standout track.

it's good sounds like explicit versions of the beats that play in the knuckles and rouge levels in sonic adventures battle 2 DX Could totally imagine every song as the theme for Shadow the Hedgehog, straight 90's

Wie so häufig bei hip-hop belanglos und von Track zu Track immer anstrengender. Nach dem 6 oder 7 habe ich die Songs zum Ende hin übersprungen.

Didn't really speak to me until I got to "Ain't the devil happy". May be my whiteness or my relative normalcore tastes, but overall it wasn't hugely for me. But the nuggets that reached me told me there's something here.

No standouts to me but good hip hop

Jeru might be a bit intense in spots, but the album is still good.

I first heard this album years ago and wrote him off as another failed DJ Premier pet project in the vein of Group Home. After listening to this again, I have no idea what I was on because this is a fantastic album. Jeru has some real dumb lines but he says it all with such command that you can't help but go along with it, same with Premier's production. Easy 5 mics.

I’m a sucker for all this scratching.

It's hard to beat when both a rapper and a producer are at the top of their game. If I was Guru in 1994, I'd be lowkey pissed, because DJ Premier provides an insane set of beats for this album, and the Damaja more than lives up to his end of the deal. It's dated in the ways most of the era's best boom bap is—the requisite homophobia pops up in Come Clean and "dealin' with bitches is the same old song" in more ways than Jeru likely intends—but otherwise it performs an excellent lyrical balancing act: rugged yet conscious (without feeling overly preachy), delivered in a cadence that would hold you at gunpoint if it wasn't so tired with the gangster act. It even manages to have a bit of fun, with Jeru's spin on Redman-esque superhero storytelling being too corny to take seriously yet too entertaining to dismiss. It's not too shocking that an album like this would land under the radar compared to the Ready to Die and Illmatic crime rhymes that it rebukes, but it stands alongside them as a prime example of NYC hip-hop at its finest. Key Tracks: Mental Stamina, You Can't Stop the Prophet, My Mind Spray

I'm really surprised I've never heard of this album before because it's very much in my wheelhouse. some really clever rhymes, incredible production, and is over before you're even starting to lose interest.

meh

best Tracks: D. Original, Brooklyn Took It, Da Bichez, Come Clean Worst Tracks: Ain't the Devil Happy, My Mind Spray Can't stop the prophet (pete rock remix) is way better than this version., gets grating , got bored and wanted it to end so I can listen to a more fun rap album.

Very interesting album. Hip hop is the genre that has continued to surprise with consistently fine albums. 3.5 🌟

This bounces along in the usual style. No stand out.

adequate.

I used to score a lot of weed and pussy simply by wearing a t shirt with Jeru on. He was my inspiration, my hero, my lover. He just had to run off with my grandmother, didn't he? He broke my heart. He broke all of our hearts.

The sound of a jug of thick cream lashing against the pert behind of an Argentinian tango dancer...probably.

Great! Really liked the album.

Not a fan….

Overall, I thought this album was alright. Not as great as the other Hip Hop albums we have seen here. Honestly, nothing stood out to me in this album to make it memorable....that is...except for one thing. I had to do a little research on this but funny enough, the famous song from this album is Come Clean. Well, that happens to be the only song where I caught something. "Don't provoke the wrath of this rhyme inventor, cause I blow up spots like the World Trade Center"....within this verse there is also something about flying like a jet. Not ONLY that but this album cover has him crouching next to what appears to be the twin towers burning. Mind you...this album came out in 1994 so while the album itself wasn't that exciting, this entire thing will stay with me forever. Jeru the Damaja possibly knew about 9/11 seven years before it happened. He was ahead of the game (and I tried to find what Damaja meant, maybe seer or prophet, but all I could find was that there was a Brahman in Indian text called Damaja).

I can’t tell if I’ve heard of this guy before or not, but the name sounds vaguely familiar. Either way, this is some excellent ‘90s NY hip hop. On first listen of course, I’m paying more attention to production, and I really love this dusty boom nap style. The lyrics I do catch are solid, and the vocal delivery is excellent too. Definitely on the higher end of the hip hop albums we’ve had on the list so far. Favorite tracks: Jungle Music, Come Clean, Perverted Monks in tha House, Statik, D. Original. Album art: Pretty standard art for this era/style of hip hop. But the twin towers burning is a surprising image. This was after a bombing in the ‘90s so it had to have been controversial then, but who could’ve known how controversial it had the potential to become? Maybe Jeru knew, y’know you can’t stop the prophet. 4.5/5

ожидал от диджея примьера большего

It's not my genre; I don't listen to hip hop. That being said, I can understand why this album would be on this list. This is one of the few times that the predecessor is just as good as the albums it inspired a year or two later. Sure the mix could use some work as the beat overpowers the words a lot, but other than that it's great. Favorite track: You Can't Stop The Prophet

What's the hype about this one? I don't really get it. The instrumentation is incredibly frustrating and the lyricism feels pretty basic. The keys are enough reason to turn off any song of this that comes up. I don't really care for any of the hooks either.

Another hip hop album that I quite enjoyed. Good music, rhythmic vocals. Usual questionable lyrics - Da Bitchez!

Blijft nog altijd niet mijn genre, maar ik had niet de drang om het af te zetten

Good stuff

Not my usual taste but it's good for me to branch out. I especially liked the tail end of this album. Good hip hop album to jam out to

Not quite my style.

I tried. Never found a way to grab me. Admittedly the genre has never been in my wheelhouse completely. Would ordinarily give it a repeat listen, but it's almost like one complete listen told me everything I needed to know.

Yet another name I know but have not deliberately listened to yet was not expecting that intro, interesting you can hear dj premier production all over this - "Before trains were graffiti proof I used to get loose great samples and scratches over classic early 90s new york rap complete with the kung fu influences very of its time "Until then, ain't the Devil happy" "even Men of Steel rust" like "Like Water For Chocolate" by common the standout here is dj premier Come Clean I have definitely heard this beat before but of course comes the casual homophobia of the 90s - "I snatch fake-gangster emcees and make 'em faggot flambé" but I think I recognise it because of the onyx song and not this song 3 - decent, could stick on again but a low 3 but i am more likely to look to the rest of his discophraphy to see so would give a 2.5 leaning to a 3

More unlistenable hip hop garbage. This genre does nothing for me and I’m struggling to find any differences or stand outs among the different artists to date. Still listening to each track and trying to be objective while staying loyal to this process but it will take a serious hip hop album to raise more than 2 stars for me. I’m listening to these albums in the morning and I’m not irritable then. Maybe I’m being harsh or maybe I expected more of these albums to talk to me earlier in the list

Like Nas but without the hooks

Bah, uninspiring

honestly super surprised by this album, 3 or 4 saves and overall a great listen

Solid album. Some of the songs didn't age super well. But we are talking an almost 30 year old album.

The Sun Rises In The East starts of with a mysterious intro, which is followed by a real hip-hop classic. A tight beat, great rhymes and an edgy off-key piano makes for a great track. "Brooklyn Took It" and "Mental Stamina" have a beat that is too repetitive, with a sharp synthesizer riff that I can't ignore, besides the otherwise great lyrics. Fortunately, "Da Bichez" doesn't have a dominating sharp synth, which makes me appreciate the jazzy swing more. "You Can't Stop The Prophet" and "Ain't The Devil Happy" are the best tracks on the record, extremely tight beat that goes along with an engaging story. "My Mind Spray" and "Come Clean" are honestly underwhelming, maybe even boring in comparison. The last two tracks are alright, but add very little new elements to make the entire record more appealing. A 3/5 is fair.

really enjoyed it

Great early 90s NYC rap. The juxtaposition between Jeru The Damaja's easy listening and fun flows with the discordant and jarring beats makes the album still fresh today even with all the hallmarks of the East Coast rap resurgence from that era easily identifiable. I'll be coming back to this for sure.

very 90s rap. not so great tho

Classic new york hip hop, gritty beats, and creative samples never heard of this rapper despite being a big hip hop fan and I loved this project the mixing is really bad but I think it really adds to the aesthetic of the album almost all songs are bangers but some of the songs were not as interesting as others but were still good. 9/10

A+ DRS Old School Rap with catchy beats.

This starts out really bad, with all the teribbleness of early 90s rap of bad flow and cheesy rhymes, then gets really good with all the awesomeness of early 90s rap, with on-point mixing and samples. Favourite track: "My Mind Spray"

I've never listened to much hip-hop. This was alright.

I'll never be a fan of rap. This has great production value, but it's not my thang.

Super unique and fun bars and flows. Another underrated throwback rap album that was extremely influential!

(Swap with The Healer): Chill country

It was fine. Old school rap. Jungle Music was a good song

The daring tracks in the rap album with a good bit and voice.

Not really feeling some of the lyrics here from Jeru. The beats and atmosphere of the songs are pretty much on par with some of the Wu Tang Clan's albums, he's got a great gritty voice, but the lyrics seem to let down the rest of the record. Maybe I'm missing something, but some of the songs felt really hollow. Fav Tracks: D. Original

A little bit of a swing and a miss on this one. I agree with Tim that the lyrics, often such a focal point in hip hop, are pretty thin here. And while there are some good beats here, there were a few that didn't quite blow me away either. Favourite track: "D. Original"

More authentic than fun loving criminals, less fun.

Classic hip-hop with the added bonus of referencing being a scientist.

Best track: Jungle Music

Not particularly interesting

Love the unpolished gritty sound from early 90s hip hop albums. Plus this is fire and a lot of fun to listen to

Originale, crudo, rap preciso

Listened while working and it was pleasant from start to finish.

Here’s to you Jeff ❤️

Inte min grej, liksom inget speciellt, känns som jag hört det förr. Hade satt 2,5

I gave this a listen but I was multitasking and didn't really pay attention  to the lyrics. I find with RAP in particular you can't really say you like or hate something without listening to the lyrics. Oh well, I didn't hear any "Yo Bitch" or  comments on Cristal Champagne so that's a 3 right?

Liked it. Old school vibes and good flow.

Not my thing.

Moeilijk begin, daarna ben ik er ingekomen

The beats are often very dissonant such as ok D. Original and You Can’t Stop The Prophet. Personally, it’s not my favorite although I think it works better on YCSTP. Da Bichez is almost a good song but the lyrics are really sexist which really ruins it for me. Jeru does mention “I’m not a sexist” on My Mind Spray which honestly makes it worse. I find the hook on Come Clean annoying. That being said, most of the album is enjoyable. I don’t know enough about hip hop to get into specifics but I did like a lot of the beats and I’m sure this album was influential but I can’t help thinking that it hasn’t held as well as some other hip hop albums from that era. Favorite songs: Mental Stamina, Ain’t The Devil Happy, Jungle Music, Statik Least Favorite Songs: D. Original, Perverted Monks In Tha House, Da Bichez, Come Clean Light 5/10

Pretty much what you would imagine if you were asked to picture generic 90s Gangsta Rap.

Again, no trouble. Quite enjoyed this.

Nah

Nonsense

No thanks

Thought the fist half was shit but then the second half was the shit.

I'm a big hip hop fan, and jeru has a revered reputation, but it's pretty shite. Decent beats at times but nothing grabs you. One for the purists... 2.5/10

What the actual hell was that

No es lo mío. Se me hizo muy cuesta arriba. Nada me llama la atención.

Not too much to say for me here. Enjoyed the album. Some awesome sampling and rhythm favorite track: Mental Stamina

I just like beats and backing tracks on hip hop. Lyrics and the rap pass me by.

I turned off at "Da Bichez"

Yay. A Hip-Hop album. Bet Bjorno is excitied!? Starts off slowly and its only when "the Bitchez" comes on i start to pay attention (absoloute Jam BTW!). Everything after that is a level above what came before. Especially liked "Jungle Music" and "Ain't the Devil Happy". 3/5 Mainly for the 2nd half of the album.

More 90s rap. Seems fine. Not exciting.

Sounds a bit dated Not for me

Nothing but noise. No thanks

Not for me - Da Bitches is alright though

Not my cup of tea

Hard hitting samples, crisp MC delivery, strong lyricism, balance between consciousness and gangster, Brooklyn sound, album cover shows WTC in flames (in 1994!). This one hits hard. Love! Ain't the Devil Happy Da Bichez

I hadn't heard of this guy buy I'd heard of Gangstarr. I remember the song Bitches, which is catchy but... Overall, Smooth style. Easy to listen to.

Vielleicht hätte das Buch eher 808 alben geheißen, das würde alles etwas konzentrieren. Nichts gegen Jeru, aber für den Nichtspezialisten ist es in meinen Ohren nicht speziell genug.

Rap der alten Schule, eigentlich gut, musste ich dennoch gegen Ende abschalten, aber nicht weil so schlimm, sondern weil schon nach 3, 4 Stücken klar wird das „Abwechslungsreichtum“ nicht auf der Karte steht. Albumcover hat doch schon das SEGA Mega Drive Spiel „Shinobi“ geziert, oder? Punkte: 1.6

Primo, ne? Hab ich sofort gehört. Und von allem (Prä-2010er) Hiphop den wir hier bisher hatten find ich den auch am besten. Trocken, reduziert, tight und trotzdem lose, dabei mit schönem Hang ins abstrakte (Top Track: Come Clean). Kommt super nachts auf der A3. Außerdem ist Jeru natürlich einer von den Guten, wichtige Antithese zu der ganzen nihilistischen Gangsterscheisse. Klare 4.

2/5 May have been more noteworthy and original in its initial conception, however feels like ground that has been trodden so many times that it feels somewhat pastiche.

Terrible - not my style at all

good, short, new

Wordplay that clearly inspired all of modern rap with weirdly addictive beats

The realness

A nice slow, stay-in-your-head, ear jam. Juts out in some tracks more than others

Hip-hop de los 90. Pianos, samples de jazz, ... las torres gemelas ardiendo. Suena muy bien y no lo conocía. Algunas veces esta lista de 1001 álbumes te da una alegría. Temas como "You can't stop the prophet". "Ain't the devil happy" o "Come clean" siguen sonando muy bien.

Sounds like Jay Z's granddad. I love the historicity of this album, but I also really dig the album itself. Jeru has great flow, good beats, and some truthful rhymes. This will definitely stay in my rotation for a while.

Del Hip Hop, al no entender las letras, me quedo con lo buenas o malas que sean sus bases. En este caso, no me ha enganchado.

It was a fine record, didn't grab me for the most part.

An eerie album art

Cool but nothin crazy

it was good

Solid old school hip hop