Reviews (page 3 of 7)
I’d say this is perfection since it inspired the soundtrack for Donkey Kong Island
While fun, this album felt dated. The beats were exciting and the synths were innovative and experimental. However, the lyrics were relatively bland and were sung or chanted in that 80s hip-hop style that’ll make you feel older than that bottle of Tylenol in your grandma’s pantry. If you feel nostalgic and can still bust a move to this album, more power to ya. Also, thought I heard “Renegades of Funk” sounded familiar and found Rage Against the Machine’s cover. Needless to say, if you want to jam to this song while sounding remotely “cool” go for the RATM version.
легенды
Solid 2.5. not something I would probably listen to again, but it was kind of fun.
Definitely outdated album. If the beats weren't so repetitive it would be better.
This was sensational, horrid, bombastic, fluid, funky, spunky, rhythmic, retro, Voltron, laser, hip-hop, drop dat beat but don't drop the boom box. 3
5.5/10
decent record, dragged a little bit though
This is weird. Cause on one hand its insanely produced on at best a computer that could maybe open a text document. On the other hand its so old school thats im not that into it. I could see this being insane in its time but now im having a hard time with the raps. Its the classic Mary had a little lamb type stuff. That kinda hurts me a bit. But if I strip that all away and just have the beats they are crazy. And probably done by hand on tapes or some shit. Its nuts what they got out of that type of setup. No fruity loops in the mid 80s. Its simultaneously one of the best things ive ever heard and not that great at the same time. I can see this being crazy for the guys who came up after though. DE LA or nas whoever. But in the year of our lord 2026 it feels to antiquated for me. Still love the beats though. Also I never knew where rage against the machine got renegades from but now I know. I knew that was a cover album but never knew it was bambaata. The more you know
Always interesting listening to early hip-hop from this period. I had never heard the original Renegades of Funk, and recognized a few other tracks too. Made me want to breakdance!
7/10
I enjoyed this album. It has that 80s hip hop sound I don’t really care for but the lyrics were about social issues. These guys had something to say and it wasn’t all about money and partying.
Haven't heard of them but I know Renegades of Funk. Heard orchestra hit and a Kraftwerk sample in the first 2 minutes and I was sold. Interesting to hear old school hip hop and compare it to modern music from the genere. Kendrick I need you to sample Kraftwerk on your next album 3/5
First notes and I was seeing myself watching Ali G. The rest of it is funky/hip-hop that get annoying after some time and was happy to be done with. 2.5
At first I thought I would hate this, but it was pretty interesting! Cool stuff.
Gets a point for influence, but there’s not that much reason to listen to this over more modern hip-hop albums. Still a fun, interesting piece of music history.
Is that "Trans-Europe Express" I detect? This album is a lot of fun, although most of that is concentrated in the first track. It is certainly a really cool sound, and I can see the influence it had on later music. Favorite track: "Planet Rock"
Party people, Party people, can y'all get funky? <Robot Voice> Rock, Rock, Planet Rock ... Don't stop! Gotta rock it, don't stop it, gotta rock it ... don't stop!
Endearing enough I spose.
Rare case of a singer impairing a good band for me
Futurism has never sounded more retro
The '80s, man. Funny how stuff from the '80s feels so much more dated than stuff from the '60s or '70s. For instance, my wife and I recently re-watched the original Ghostbusters, and were left wondering how that movie became so popular. This record feels lie it belongs in the '80s.
Cool for the time, still fun enough Will I listen to again: 17%
Of all the genres that compose electronic music, it must be said - sadly - that electro has aged rather poorly. The Rowland just doesn't sound as cool as it did in the 80s. That being said, Planet Rock still does. It's not greatest record you'll hear but it's suitable amounts of fun. Does the job.
It’s really a 2.5 but I’m rounding up
Som rád, že je tu predstavený aj základ hop hopu, rapu... Je to celkom fajn, občas si niečo takéto vypočuť.
It is so interesting to see the collaborations in these early hip-hop records - I mean kraftwerk - wow so cool. As in life, we create these narrow genres but really the beauty and creativity lies in collaboration. That being said - not my fav akb but I respect trail blazers.
Definitely of its time. Too bad about this dude.
Ok album
This was fun. Early hip hop before the gangster stuff took over
I feel like if I heard these songs in a club I would have a great time. The vibe really carried the entire album. Not a bad album and not bad songs, but just kinda fall flat as an album.
Bambaataa is a reprehensible person outside of music. The music is good. Do with that what you will.
The backing music reminds me of Herbie Hancock's Rockit, which was 1983 (this album 1986) so that checks. Seems like this music would be fun on stage or in the club, but it's not something I'd listen to on my own.
But for the first two songs, and maaaybe 'Frantic Situation,' this is *painfully* dated. My husband thought one of the songs on the back half of the album was Milli Vanilli. Feels like an after-the-fact cash-in on the popularity of 'Planet Rock,' which isn't wrong but definitely doesn't make this a strong album. Add in Bambaataa's predatory history, and can't rate this any higher.
Very fun album. Unique by today's Hip-Hop standards, but maybe that's because this isn't really Hip-Hop, although it certainly has a lot of rapping. The sci-fi imagery goes well with the electronic dance sounds, even if they are incredibly corny (in a fun and charming way). By 1986, Disco has completely vanished after the over-the-top backlash it received earlier in the decade. Officially, it is said it has mutated into what became House and Techno, but this type of Synth Funk can also be classified as a Disco descendent. Great use of a Kraftwerk sample in the title track. Key tracks: Planet Rock Looking for the Perfect Beat
For some reason I have the unexplainable urge to dress in my acid wash jeans and neon t-shirt, lace up my roller skates, stuff my pockets with quarters for the arcade, and head for a fun day at the roller rink. Fun nostalgic 80s music, yes, but a top 1000 album? Um, no.
groovy but all the songs sound the same tbh
I lost count of how many samples I recognized from artists influenced by this album. So yeah, you can really hear the influence this album had on music. That said, it also shows its age, hip hop has progressed exponentially since this came out. It’s still a fun album, but not one I’ll probably listen to again.
This one hurts as I dig this track and this album but AB is a problem
very cheesy, very 80's but not in a bad way. Kind of annoying but kind of cool
a fun look back at what rap was in the 80s. not a critically acclaimed rap album by any means but an enjoyable listen. Solid 3 for this list.
Very old-school hip-hop. This sounds like a transition from disco to electronic and rap. Looking at the notes, I am pleased to see I was right in hearing this, although I didn't hear the Kraftwerk collaboration. I would agree with the reviewers who rate this low, saying it's not aged well, and those who rate it high for its historical significance, I see both points of view. And I am just glad that I only ever rate based on my personal enjoyment. Also it is personally nice foor me to be able to place the reference in Deltron 3030's lyric "Rap your tear clap your ear with Soulsonic Mantronik phonics / Turn your brain to an omelette" from Positive Contact.
Does this exist?
This album is like eating a handful of Pop Rocks. First, it's sweet, and the flavor hits every last taste bud, putting them all on notice. As your brain catches up, the mini-explosions begin. Pops blast through your mouth, and your mind explodes trying to keep up with all the action.
Afrika Bambaadassita.
It's old school rap. I like it, but not as much as I like the artists influenced by Afrika Bambaataa
Interesting historical recordings here, although not exactly my thing. Warning if you decide you're an Afrika Bambaataa fan now, you may want to avoid reading his wikipedia page.
I didn't have to strain separating the art from the artist here. As is often the case with landmark albums, I appreciate Planet Rock for what it did more than I actually want to listen to it. I totally respect that it had a seismic impact in the nascent hip-hop world, and it was clearly on a whole other level at the time. Forty years later, it's more a history lesson than something I'll come back to. And, you know, Bambaataa was credibly accused of some pretty awful shit, so there's that.
This album is like a time machine back to the 80’s - skating around the rollerink wearing all neon! I can appreciate the historical significance and also the beats, but I got bored of it after a while because the songs started to sound the same. Who You Funkin With was good! (3)
oh buddy im fucking ready to listen to whatever the fuck this shit is hilariously dated. it's kind of garbage but i find it really charming, and it has its moments here and there.
Classic
I have to admit that the labels “hip hop” and “electro” really put me off these days—there’s so much trash listed under those categories... Fortunately, there are exceptions, and Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force are somewhat among them. The singles compiled on Planet Rock are still too monotonous for my taste, but the beats are OK, the synth tracks show a certain musicality and are even good in parts, and the rappers have a lively yet laid-back vibe (and don’t just try to cram as many words as possible into the shortest amount of time) . Of course, that’s far too little for a must-hear album, but it’s enough to land it in the “nice-to-know” category.
Planet Rock seems like a scenic destination but the consent laws there are more than disconcerting... Good thing I don't even have to suffer the temptation of vacationing there because this album might've been an inspiration to the future of Hip Hop to come, but nowadays it sounds like a manifestation of the most dated-sounding music that could physically possibly be conceived by a human Still sounds decent. Some variety. Don't touch. Ick
Good stuff.
quasi am ursprung von hip hop
Old-school hip-hop, der Name sagt schon alles. Ganz gut für die vorhandenen Mittel .
Fun album, funk + some old school hip hop vibes. Some details in the songs and instruments were genius
Afrika Bambaataa was a lot of fun and clearly ahead of its time and massively influential, a few too many silly noises and a bit too much repition of vocals for me though, i can appreciate it but i doubt i’ll return, solid 3
Nice old school hip-hop with dance and electronica. This was great to blast loud. It’s got a great energy. This album cover is great too.
Awesome soul funk album. Lots of people don't realize that "Renegades of Funk" isn't originally a Rage Against The Machine song. "All the kings horses and all the kings men will never want to funk with us again". Love this line. It really encapsulates the attitude of the whole album. I listened to this mainly between 3-4pm on a Friday, as I wrapped up some work and got ready for the weekend. It was perfect.
Every day is an old school day.
something between weird and cool
Old skool block rockers right enough: sounds very dated now but still quite a lot of fun.
Really putting that drum machine through some work
This was fun. Never new Renegades of Funk was a cover..
This was a legitimately fun listen. Short and to the point.
Planet Rock - 3/5 Looking for the Perfect Beat - 3/5 Renegades of Funk - 3/5 Frantic Situation - 2.5/5 Who You Funkin' With - 3.5/5 Go Go Pop - 3/5 They Made a Mistake - 2.5/5 I have a problem rating this. It no doubt deserves to be on here, influencing the hip hop and rap genres with its mixing of funk and early electronic music. I have to hold back the rating because #1 it sounds incredibly of its time (in a bad way) and #2 this guy liked to diddle kids. Can't rate it any higher than a 3. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Who You Funkin' With
Kraftwerk meets 80’s hiphop. Very goofy soms, maar vaak ook wat boring
3,5 heel leuk ma kwni
A lot of fun, but maybe too much fun for before 8am on a Saturday. Grinned throughout. Favourite track: Planet Rock
More a compilation I suppose. Not quite my genre but I can appreciate the songs on here. Funky
This is technically a collection of singles, but Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force were instrumental in pioneering hip-hop into the mainstream, so I guess I'll let it slide. I think most will say that this hasn't particularly aged well upon listening for the first time. I'd be inclined to partially agree. Most of these albums fall under a "you had to be there" bucket. I most definitely wasn't "there" for Afrika Bambaataa, but after simply hearing the electro-beat, hip-hop style that they brought; I can only assume that many thought he & the group were literally out of this world. This is very much alien music when you compare to what else was on the radio in the early 80's. This was experimental, yet made you want to move (or even breakdance!) This also comes at an interesting time as when I listened to this (4/16/26), news of Afrika Bambaataa's death had come just a week prior. The man also made some pretty awful choices outside of his musical career, for those unaware. Yet another "separate the art from the artist" situation... But to get back on track, this is an important album in hip-hop's history that pretty much exists as a relic now.
Fun album.
Pretty cool album! Nothing really stood out to me, but I enjoyed the energy and the funkiness.
Cool to learn that this album is one of the main origins of the famous Roland 808 bass. Also the origins of Renegades of Funk! Some pretty big historical significance coming out of this album
I surprisingly knew one of the songs on this one from a reel of the sesame characters animated dancing in the club. That being the 6th song on the album, and the only one worth listening to in my opinion. The rest of the album I found sounded dated and not great... That last song though... so catchy... Makes me want to get down n dirty with some sick robot dance moves. 5.5/10 lol
This is definitely an old-school hiphop album, as the Wikipedia article says, but it's great to hear beats like these again. Who You Funkin' With? is a JAM.
Kinda expected more
humm ok
Wakanda forever.
This was decent, albeit a bit dated. I find the drum machines that they always seemed to use in 80s hip-hop a bit tinny and annoying, once I start noticing it I struggle to ignore it for a while. But most of the music I thought was enjoyable, bit of a mix between funk and dance. The rapping itself didn't really grab me but can see why it's influential in the genre's development
They kinda take a PFunk approach to the music with the gang vocals and high energy music. “Renegades of Funk” as a song title feels like an accurate descriptor for this project aa a whole. It was a pretty rough first half, admittedly. But I really really liked “Who You Funkin With?”, and in general the second half of the record was a good time. Except the closing “They Made A Mistake”, which sounded oddly like it belonged on a previous record. The recording and mix was all strange. 3/5, if you can get past the clunky nature of some of the late 80’s soundfonts, it’s a vibe
Flashback to middle school and the early days of hip hop and boom boxes. Planet Rock combined EDM with hip hop and gave it a memorable, if repetitive, beat. It laid the foundation for DJ-led music of the 80s into 90s.
I enjoyed this a high 3
I’m at a 3.5 that I’d like to keep there, but I’ll bump down to a 3, though I do think it could get up to a 4 if it hits a little nicer on another day. Off the gate, I’d be remiss to not mention Afrika Bambaataa’s sexual abuse allegations; they suck, he REALLY sucks, & the whole thing is sad & deeply disappointing. That said, I’m judging the music & not the man, and for as much as he sucks, this does feel like it probably introduced a lot of production tricks into hip-hop that would permeate & evolve throughout the decade & beyond, so as a piece of musical history of sorts, I can’t in good faith just slap this with a 1 because of one guy’s horrific stuff. Besides, he’s one of just 5 people on the album, so I’m willing to give the other 4 their due instead of him. As far as the album itself goes, this is sort of a time-traveling journey from 1982 to 1986 with the tracks that are on here, and a genuinely cool look at how production in the genre shifted over such a short time. If you listen to “Planet Rock”, for 1982, it’s probably kinda revolutionary. However, it feels very tame by modern standards, with party vibe lyrics, a solid drum beat & some 808s involved. There’s some really empty segments in there where the soundscape is JUST the percussion, and those moments of emptiness stick out when so much of rap is about filling the soundscape at all times. As the tracks move forward in time, those production quirks start to fill out & feel more modern, and by “Go-Go Pop”, there’s genuinely early elements of New Jack Swing being integrated into the mix. It’s just really cool to listen to. It’s also just not as compelling as I’m making it out to be; the novelty of the tracks here comes in hearing the production shift over time, and while there are some good tracks here (I think most of the first 5 tracks are pretty good, save for “Frantic Situation”), they overstay their welcome in ways where you’re kinda just left stranded with the beat & a sort of loop to the flow with a different flavor in the lyrics & vocals. They don’t really bother me, but the 5-7 minute runtimes on a lot of these tracks feel unnecessary, made to pad out the album. Obviously, I get it; I don’t think these were made for radio consumption if being played on a cassette or vinyl or a CD. They’re made for actually partying to, and that means making these the extended versions to fill time & fill the air. I do think it suffers as an album experience because of it, though. Hence, the bump down to a 3 – it’s really not a bad album, and for as much as I’m giving it, I do think it’s worth listening to just to hear some fun production shifts over time. I can understand people going as high as a 5 here, and while I don’t think I’ll get there, there’s a decent chance this album could hit a 4 for me someday if some of the later tracks click a bit more nicely.
Não é minha geleia
Спутал этот альбом с Lost Generation и влепил ему 5. Но потом осознал, что это не он, прослушал, и понял, что здесь песни не столь впечатляющи, а тексты привычно банальны для тех лет.
This sure in an historical record. Coming from disco music, stepping into funk and pioneering hip hop for one of the first times. It is not a well polished record, nor it is aging particularly well, but it's energetic, breathless, and fun.
bumpin!
Some good early hip hop
3.5 Feels like fake rap again. The songs are actually very fun and funky. The song Looking for the Perfect Beat sounds a little built like DFTBA, which is fun. I was bopping along, it’s just kinda hard to get over how it sounds like a parody. But it’s so fun that I think I could if I kept listening
Hér er önnur sem er ekki að reyna vera neitt annað en hún er. Og hún er líka alveg í lagi og verðskuldar ekki tvist. En eins og Allman-bræðrablúsinn þá er þetta prótó-hiphop ekki mín tónlist og ég geymi því þessa til eftirlífsins, ef að verður.
It's got a cool vibe and sound but songs are too long and it gets a bit samey after a while. Sounds like they were written for inclusion on 80s buddy cop films or something. No bad thing I suppose. Renegades of Funk is a banger.
funkiness of this album is off the charts.
Nice baselines
A very interesting album that I thought was alright enjoyment wise. I like the atypical choices for samples and funk is basically always cool. Standouts Renegades Of Funk Who You Funkin' With 3/5
It's alright. Funky with some nice playing of instruments but I don't think I'll be listening to it more than once.
Early rap and undoubtedly integral to the movements roots. Lots of fun songs but none I could see making into my permanent collections
Not sure who this is for, but it's not for me...
Super fun at first but got bored pretty quickly. Maybe more a sign of the times and my mentality, but I feel how I feel.
6.5/10
Interesting. A 3?
Glad to experience this one - certainly anchored to a time and place. Would be proud to add this record to the collection.
good weird cardio music
This was quite a lot to listen to. There was some great 80s sounds. Particularly the kraftwerk synths in the opening track (kraftwerk probably did that in the 70s, but whatever), plus the odd bit of wild hair rock guitar solo. But in the end they were long songs that meandered around a lot and that made them hard to follow. I think there are other examples of this style that sit easier on my ears. It's pretty interesting listening to renegades of funk and comparing it to the rage version, which I much prefer, but that's just my tastes. However it is also telling that the rage version has half the running time.
This album is still two years shy of Yo! MTV Raps with Fab 5 Freddy. Clearly created in the early to mid 80s, this album documents an important moment in time in early hip hop.
Neat
Old skool hip hop - historically important but not great listening in my experience. Some good tracks on here though.
Oh man - never heard the original Renegades of Funk! But this sounds soooo dated.
A compilation album on the list? A nice collection pulling together 4 years of Afrika Bambaataa 12" singles and showing us the best of early hip-hop. Arthur Baker is prominent on the early tracks using beats that he would use elsewhere (yes, I'm looking at you New Order).
Old hip hop album
This is one of the more unique albums on this list! Planet Rock is a catchy mix of electronic and hip hop. There is something about this album that makes it sound so fresh, even though it's 40 years old, but old school hip hop has a unique sound that allows it to remain unspoiled decades later. I mean, it helps that Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force are just having a fun time! Interestingly, the title song reminded me of Prince's Diamonds and Pearls album, released 5 years later in 1991.
I enjoyed the funky electronic mix going on here! In addition, the vocals were somewhere between 80s R&B and hip-hop, too. A bit of a hot take, but this kind of thing is far more interesting to me than most of Kraftwerk's discography that has been featured on this project.
Teilweise so cheesy, dass ich es schon wieder mochte. Und jetzt weiß ich endlich mal, von wem das Original zu "Renegades Of Funk" ist.
3 stars
Really good. A lot of Inspo came from this project.
Planet Rock - awesome
Not my vibe, but okay overall :>.
I think it is worth noting that these songs were recorded in 1982, not 1986. There is a lot to appreciate here - there's some genre bending, Afro Futurism, an effort to make rap more musical just to name a few. It is at the same time incredibly dated. Obviously it did not take hip hop much longer to evolve well past this, and it sounds quite dated. But I do want to recognize the important role this music played in the formation and elevation of the genre.
Let's be honest, it's a little shit. With how I've rated previous albums and how long it has been since I've given an album anything below 3, I tried to find good reason to give this a 2. But I couldn't help liking it, or parts of it, at least a little bit. Maybe I'm just a changed man. I'll give it 3
well that was fun futuristic funky
5/10
I already knew the "Renegades Of Funk" cover by Rage Against The Machine. This version did not sound even close to the same. I don't know if the non-12" mixes are better versions or not. The 12" versions are a bit long and the remixes are possibly not as good? This album as a whole was ok.
80’s rap
It was, I know because I was there. No longer.
Listened to the entire album. Definitely knew the first track. Had no idea who this was, definite influencers in the hip hop scene. Prefer RATM version of Renegades.
Not something I’d listen to on a regular basis. I have listened to this many times in the past. Very influential and you can tell. Listen to Renegades of Funk by Rage if you haven’t heard that before.
What a crazy album. I love this scifi thriller in the middle of the 80s. It's well-executed in the old school rap way and fun sound effects. Quite novel for the time, I think.
Beastie boy vibes
Fun, solid album
Pretty great classic hip hop DJ set but nothing really else to say about it
So, this was goofy as fuck. But it grew on me. Even though by today's standards, it has kind of a "Ross Geller with a Casio" vibe, I just know it was massive back in '86. This is by no means hard-hitting hip-hop, and not something you'd throw on just for fun-sies. But it's absolutely something you should listen to before you die. I lost count of the number of moments I've heard other rappers quote from this thing, or even just from pop culture in general. Fave tracks: - Renegades Of Funk - Frantic Situation - Who You Funkin' With? - They Made A Mistake
I thought I would like it more than I did but wasn't bad.
80s hip-hop often sounds very dated to me, but I enjoyed this despite the slightly cheesy production.
Very mid 80s rap. You can just tell immediately what era this is from.
RATM reference?
Again, influential but it's not pulling up trees now
Almost started break dancing
it has its place, i guess
Dated
This was as expected. Planet Rock itself is one of the greatest records ever made, and the rest of this album sounds like Planet Rock. So...job done, but I didn't feel like I was hearing anything new or challenging.
Loved this. Brought me back to my youth and the Streetsounds Electro compilations (which should be reissued and made widely available!). Familiar with Bambaata through those comps, but never heard an album until now. Definitely of its time but very enjoyable!
Слушал, но не очень запало.
Still holds up pretty well honestly, lots of cool shit going on sonically I would love to hear this on a big surround sound system, legitimately cool as fuck. Only giving it a 3 because I’m not sure I’ll revisit it any time soon but glad I heard it
Musically significant but does sound dated now
cool erstes lied is bisschen tbk 7/10
In the category of “more like a neat historical document than a good listen”, but I’d much rather have that every day than a different English electronic duo every day.
3.7
As a historical and influential album on the Electro and Hip Hop genres this is an important one. Obviously, now, it sounds so dated but it's a pioneering album, and you have to start somewhere. Some interesting sounds and beats for 1986.
Oldest of old school back when it was all peace and good vibes. A bit tedious after awhile but I enjoyed it pretty much all the way through.
Loose collection of prior singles. Some great tunes, but didn’t really feel cohesive.
It was cool to finally listen to one of the pioneers of hip hop. Had no idea RATM covered Afrika’s ‘Renegades of Funk’ but it totally makes sense.
хуй зна вроде репчик культовый, но мне прохладно от него становится в районе жопы
This was pretty solid.
I guess deep down, we are all renegades of our time and age. Poppinsockinrockinwithasideofhiphop!
fine but nothing special
or a record that basically helped redraw the map for hip-hop, electro, and club music, Planet Rock: The Album is a weird listen in 2025. You can hear the seismic impact in the DNA of everything that came after it, yet the album itself doesn’t quite land as a timeless experience. The innovations are obvious; the staying power is… patchier. The production feels tethered to its era in a way other pioneering albums somehow escape. The synthetic textures that once sounded like transmissions from the future now feel more like artifacts from a very specific, neon-lit past. And that mix? There are stretches where the vocals feel tucked so far back they might as well be calling from the next galaxy over. It’s tough to connect emotionally when the record keeps hiding the storytellers behind the circuitry. Still, credit where it’s due: this thing changed the landscape. You don’t have to love every minute of it to acknowledge you’re listening to a cornerstone. But historical importance and personal enjoyment are different scorecards, and this one just doesn’t hit with the same inevitability as the true heavyweights on this list. Verdict: A respectful nod, a solid listen once, but not remotely a timeless classic for your own rotation. Probably a 3-ish—impact: huge, replay value: limited.
Cool. Brings me back.
I can really hear the sugar hill gang and run DMC in this album and can appreciate what it leads to but wouldn’t listen to it again
This was ok. I know it’s groundbreaking. More fun than I expected but probably wouldn’t revisit?
I gave one track a listen. Yep. It’s dated. It may be sampled like crazy now, but it doesn’t hold up.
I feel like I've heard this album hundreds of times, although it's the first time I've ever sat and listened to the whole thing. A few times I broke into singing songs that were influenced by this. Gets repetitive, and most of the songs are long. Easy to let the songs fade into the background as there isn't much depth to the lyrics. Historically important, but not a terribly compelling listen. Would probably be a good album to use when I'm out walking.
A fun album to listen to with recognizable beats. Not sure why the average rating is so low on this one.
A couple absolute classics here - the first 2 tracks are excellent. That said, for only 7 tracks in total, it feels like a really long album due to the repetitive nature of the songs and sounds. Epic for the time it was released, however, at this point, just something that I value for the importance of it, but not because I want to give it a daily spin.
I always wondered why Rage Against the Machine had the audacity to claim they had anything whatsoever to do with funk, especially claim they were renegades of the genre. The riddle has been solved! The arrangement makes far more sense in this context. This is an excellent early hip hop album. I personally love old school hip hop and approach the later manifestations from a close distance. The original pioneers not only had a message, they wanted to party and have fun at the same time. This thing has been sampled to death, proving its influence simply in how ingratiated it’s become in musical culture. To those here saying they don’t like it because it sounds dated… well, everything will sound dated at some point. I like to come to music from the perspective that it’s new, if it’s new to me. How would people have heard this when it dropped? It would have sounded like the future. And simply, it was, hence the prevalence of rap in popular music over the last few decades. Then, there’s the issue about the sexual assault, the known secret from anyone with any connection to Afrika. Dude. I mean, Jesus, dude. This raises once again the eternal question about the separation between art and the artist. Can someone who’s watched and loved all of Woody Allen’s work still come unbiased to say, a viewing of Manhattan, knowing he’s done what he’s done? Can someone appreciate the great performance of OJ in Roots, knowing he’s a murderer? Do I even need to bring up Michael Jackson? Is the guy an immortal, or someone society should try to forget? Ughhh. You just don’t throw away gold like Thriller or Billie Jean. But, the victims were real, and one feels as if they’re participating in the suppression of the victims when they enjoy art made by any of these freaks. A big part of me cannot separate the art from the artist. If I could, I’d rate this as a four. If I were to stand by the victims, I wouldn’t rate this at all. Instead, I’ll default to a neutral three, which is what I do for absolute classics that are more ‘mandatory listens’ rather than albums I actually like, like say Fats Domino.
Super cool. Very live-concert vibe. Very unabashedly weird. How these ideas emerged from his brain amazing me.
Cool sounding album. Interesting to hear they wrote Renegades of Funk. I don't know if it's masterpiece but it had a good vibe.
I like how this one sounds - this one is a lot of fun. But you do start to wonder about halfway through if these songs are all so long because they ran out of ideas for a full album.
Vilde beats og et af hip hops første album, meget god vibe. Kraftwerk sample!!!
Hugely influential, but it doesn't stand the test of time. 3
The majority of old school rap records are just a collection of singles that really don't flow together all that well, this is no exception. The big singles are great the filler is filler and it turns out Bam is a piece of shit person!
fun old school hip hop album, although very dated sounding.
More video game OST. This time it’s the LBP funk zone
Eh
This should be here. Its seminal and i think rap got worse after this before it got better, so its an early high water mark. But im not listening again
Funky basslines and interesting song structures, but not my usual type of music. Good to listen through.
The beat on track one is really nice for the period. Rapping is energetic and dinemic. Nice synth lines. Good track. Nice production on track 2 aswell! Super cool and linear. Great panning for headphones. Another strong start for this track. Yes yes It's great. 3 is less impressive in my opinion. Fine and a bit too long. 4 is shorter and nicer. Love the synth bass towards the end. Nice hook in track 5. And the guitar solo adds to the experience. The vocal sample on the beginning of 6 is cool, but the rest of the track is only fine. Very cool bass and production and energy on the closing track. A good way to seal the deal. It's a record that absolutely should be here. It might not be consistent front to back But it's a great example for early hip hop. And you can't deny the bangers. So it's a solid 3.4. :-)
I was aware of this as a classic album, but had never spent time listening to it. This is really great, from both an early hip-hop and electronic music standpoint. The biggest problem here is that you need to separate the art from the artist.
So, my gold standard for Funk is the Funkadelics and while they are no Funkadelics, it was a pretty good listen.
This album is like The Blair Witch Project -- Very low budget, lo-fi but effective. And like that movie, it's place in hip-hop history is notable, but not necessarily something I want to go back to all the time. It's a genre placeholder. A historical piece. And at only 7 tracks pushing nearly 7 minutes each, it's only good in bits and pieces.
This feels extremely classy and familiar, no wonder having “this is a classic” written all over it in spirit. It’s nice, nothing really exciting but solid
Interesting golden age hip hop album. Fairly basic but most of them are of that era and it had some enjoyable songs.
Well now I know who did the original “Renegades of Funk,” which always sounded a left turn song for RATM and now I know why.
again nice single tune through the whole album . .I struggle to name anyone track. may be an age thing
I feel like I might have resonated more with this if I didn't listen to it half asleep on a commuter train, but hey ho. It's a fun, danceable, hip hop album - easy on the ears, but all the tracks sort of blended together for me with no standouts
i didnt like it
62/100. I’ve heard this album before when I was younger, and I liked it better then. Listening now, it feels a bit stale and outdated, but that’s okay. It already made its impact. The title track still absolutely rocks, though.
What a strange addition to the collection (and likely transgressive, since it's a collection of previously released singles). Regardless, it's hard not to enjoy hearing yet again "Planet Rock" (although I didn't realize until now that they cribbed from Kraftwerk and even Ennio Morricone). I'm not nearly as familiar with the other tracks, but it's still fun to hear early "electro funk"; the main highlights for me were "Renegades of funk" and the almost new-wave (and drum-heavy) "Frantic situation", although I can see why "Looking for the perfect beat" got a lot of attention.
Planet Rock: The Album is not my favorite flavor of hip hop. But there are some things I appreciate. Namely, I love that Kraftwerk has a writing credit on "Planet Rock." I also have co-opted the "Rock It Don't Stop It" refrain when I am getting my steps. Only, I say "Walk It Don't Stop It. Walk It Don't Stop." Also, I was familiar with "Renegades of Funk" from the Rage Against The Machine cover on their album Renegades. I much prefer the RATM version.
Today I learned that Renegades of Funk was not made by Rage Against the Machine
Quite fun with some parts that I recognised.
Ah, the timeless "Planet Rock." Didn't actually realize there was an album for this, though the album is simply variations of this same classic song. Came up with this one in high school during my breaking days and it still resonates with me today. Such a distinct and pivotal sound for hip hop and all of music. Honestly, was hoping to hear other songs from Bambaataa on this one beyond the hit.
Pretty decent old-school hip-hop.
funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk funk 5.5/10
Interminable songs
6/10
Total 80’s hip hop album. Completely enjoyed the whole thing. Can hear some run DMC in the beats and the rhymes. There is also songs like “renegades of funk”; I know the rage against the machine version. I’m guessing it was sampled and used from this original. Can’t get high hat and percussion away from 80’s hip hop…
What a wild album cover. The first track reminds me of the Donkey Kong Rap introduction from the Nintendo 64. Early hip hop and 80's synth, what a combo. A good amount of samples that would be used in later songs and bands, like Renegades of Funk by Rage Against the Machine. 3.5/5
Rhythm section was very good. Nice funky groove.
Great beeps and/or boops!
I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was cleaning my apartment on a coffee buzz. Alas, I was sitting in the Dallas airport and it made me anxious and the sounds reminded me of when I played the keyboard with my NY cousin and it maybe sounded cool, or maybe everyone was just on ketamine
This was a mixed bag for me. At first I felt like I was really *learning* something about music history, but I don't think its something I'm going to listen to again. But I'm glad to have listened to it once and now I know the origin of Renegades of Funk so I feel like a smarter music nerd!
It's funny how something so groundbreaking can sound so dated
It was ok. Nothing awful and some fun moments.
cool beats, not my thing. guy diddled kids
Gotta be one of the coolest front covers out there. Enjoyable album as well
Pretty fun funky old hip hop, it had my head bopping the whole way through
Sounds outdated but fun
Very nice. I’m not qualified to say more.
History I guess. It's fun, gets silly at times. Held together by charm and imagination. Not a great album in my view but gets a 3 for its influence, undeniably groundbreaking production for the time. Made me smile a lot.
It’s obviously dated and basic but it’s not without its charm
An early hip-hop anchored by one of the most important songs in the development of the genre. It’s followed by a few other great tracks but then weighed down a bunch of weaker tracks. That TEE sample though… goes so hard.
About as influential as you can get considering how it it helped birth a genre, but man there are some corny bars in here. Not something I have much desire to hear again.
Meh rap
Such a fun, revolutionary sound. Takes me back to my early DJing days.
Lots of awesome noises
Album art goes supremely hard. Innovative for the time, but just like Run DMC, it's hard to listen to this day to day over other more modern acts.
This feels like listening to a foundational text. Judging it on whether it's actually "good" by today's standards feels somewhat irrelevant: Afrika Bambaataa was never an "album artist." It's all about the club tracks. "Planet Rock" is a bedrock song for all hip-hop to come. The rest? It's ok. I'm glad I listened to it, which is more than I can say about a lot of these. 5/10
Best Song: Renegades of Funk 3/5.
good
Sounded familiar, pretty good beatzz, 90s hip-hop through and through.
I respect that it helped pioneer the genre of hip hop, but it wasn't very engaging.
the fundamentals of hip hop on full display, takes you back to a different time
-one of those albums that strikes me as very corny but also self-aware and therefore a vibe -it grew on me exponentially as i listened. had some great rhythms and made me want to get up and dance, which always counts for something. the Kraftwerk samples were a nice touch -Favorites are Planet Rock and They Made A Mistake
Its pretty good in context and marks the begining of something big. Not really great today but back in the day it was fresh, diferent and unheard of
Bit of fun, not one I'll return to often.
More a collection of early singles than a true album, 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮 still captures the sound of a pivotal moment in music history. Tracks like 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬 and 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘵 remain essential — futuristic, beat-driven and wildly influential. But as a whole, the record lacks cohesion, and the remaining material doesn’t always maintain the same energy. An important listen, but more archival than immersive.
I'm okay with this funky rockin' Bambaataac beat!
It's cool. Pretty early rap and the beats are good. Good flows here and there. Every other song was good
I dig it. Didn’t realize RATM’s Renegades of Funk was a cover. Funky fresh fun time.
Definitely an entertaining listen. Very 80s. Nothing too amazing about it to me, but I enjoyed it. Very funky.
The beginnings of hip hop and rap. Some familiar samples. A little go-go. One track even shows the influence on Nine Inch Nails. A little repetitive, but still enjoyable.
A very 80s album, but you can see the influence it has had, I just think it’s been done better by the people it influenced
This is a collection of singles, not an album. It really shouldn't bother me but these are the rules set out and there are other outstanding albums that aren't "albums," so I'm not sure why the rules just get randomly broken. I like rules and this project is a lot of fun but we can't just break the rules in order to get a certain genre or artist on the list. I loved the sound on here and based on the album cover it feels like space-rap with cool synthesizers and totally 80's beats. Planet Rock was clearly an influential album and an influential sound that other rappers copied. Going through the music, this is really good party music. I enjoyed the songs with fewer plays as much as, if not more than, the songs with millions of plays. Who You Funkin' With and Go Go Pop were my two favorite songs for some reason. I do not know when/if I would return to this album and listen to it again. It's slightly odd but I would recommend all 7 of the songs on here but I can't give this "album" a 4 or 5 star review, because this is a compilation and the music is fun but also not totally compelling.
This actually grew on me quite a bit as it went on. Good stuff. Obviously considering when it came from it's highly influential. I would listen again.
gonna learn how to breakdance
I’m sure very influential and first track is a banger
Fun album to listen to and at the time im sure I would have thought this was great.
Renegades of Funk and Frantic Situation will see a lot of play in the coming weeks. A very entertaining album with some catchy songs
Incredibly important the dance genre obviously and the first to do what they do....but is it that great? Feels rather bland and vanilla in today's ever innovating dance scene. Interesting to listen to but overbearing sometimes in its production
This album was alright but it was not very interesting in my opinion.
fun i guess—again, the old-school hip-hop vocal delivery gets a bit old after a while but the beats were great. i won’t be returning to this on my own but i’m not mad at it.
Okay, good in parts.
Interesting and very different. Early hip hop. Ez 3.5
Very cool learning the history involved here
Old Skool hip-hop. Heavily influential and heavily sampled by others. It’s a fun listen, but not something I’d have in constant rotation.
Right back to the roots. The very roots. Bad person, decent music.
I really enjoy early hip hop, although sometimes it can get a little too minimal, and the fact that the rhymes are usually a bit simpler than rap songs of the last like 20 years makes me wish I was listening to the more recent stuff. Still, it’s very good and essential.
Pretty cool sounds. Pretty lame accusations.
A cool fusion of electronica and hip hop. The roots.
Always cool to hear old school hip hop
We worden wel weer verwend met bozezwartemenerenmuziek, deze week. Dan is dit album nog het aardigst, veel blij 'Yo!'-geschreeuw en lekker primitieve jarentachtig-geluidjes. Wel zijn de nummers wat aan de lange kant.
Of legit historical interest – and intriguing because of the not-so-well-known-as-it-should-be link btw Krautrock and hip-hop. Musically, however, feels a bit stale and dated, not unlike Krautrock itself. Well worth revisiting however, given the historical import and influence.
High 3
Not bad
Let's be real, they put this on for one single song (which is a banger to be fair)
Corny 80s hip hop sure is something else.
I’m a big fan of rap and hip-hop so I am fully aware of Bambaataa, (the good stuff and the bad) his impact on hip-hop and I’ve even seen him DJ live. I’ve never however, been a massive fan of Electro. Sure of course I know Planet Rock, Renegades and Perfect beat but I wasn’t excited to listen to this LP, but I must say I enjoyed it more than I expected.
In the context of its time, this was a pretty cool album. Im glad to have heard it but I can't see myself listening again.
Historically significant as one of the first recordings of hip hop. But would I listen to it for personal enjoyment? Probably not, it sounds a bit dated.
This was fun, but it got to be a lot after just a few songs.
J - 3/5 Best Track - "Looking For The Perfect Beat" F - DNL
Amazing how this has been sampled and reimagined by countless artists - proving just how influential this album (or group of singles) was. Too bad it doesn't really sound better removed from its original time. 3/5
Planet Rock is a classic slice of 80's hip hop. Its great. Unfortunately the formula wears a little thin over the rest of the album which lacks the bite of the opener.
Planet Rock: The Album The title track is still absolutely superb, early hip hop 80 Roland and Fairlight beats with some great synth lines and a big sample of Kraftwerk. It still sounds amazing - icy cold, imposing and austere yet expressive, and it’s massive influence is clear on hip-hop, sampling, new wave and electro. I hadn’t heard any of the other songs on here previously, but it continues with more electro-kraftwerk-synth grooves with Looking for the Perfect Beat, another excellent track. Despite the slightly rudimentary by modern standards rapping, musically this also sounds well ahead of its time. Renegades of Funk is good as well, especially on repeat listens, with the afro chanting, synth hooks and sound effects, but it definitely a notch below Looking for the Perfect Beat and a couple below Planet Rock. Frantic Situation is decent as well, the beats, synth bass and hip hop party chorus are all good, but again does continue the slide into diminishing returns after those stellar opening 2 tracks. Who You Funkin’ With isn’t great and suffers from sounding very different, especially with Melle Mel’s OTT delivery. Go Go Pop has some nice hooks, but again the rapping kind of lets it down. They Made a Mistake is also fine, but is pretty standard bit of early 80s hip hop, especially in comparison to the glacial magnificence of Planet Rock If this was just the first 2 tracks this would probably be a 4, but it its a case of subtraction by addition with the rest of the tracks. Frantic Situation and Go Go Pop are certainly enjoyable enough, but nowhere near the brilliance of Planet Rock. I think that means it ends up as a high 3. 🌍🪐🪨 Playlist submission: Planet Rock
It all feels very stylistically blinkered, that being a minimalistic approach to anything but percussion and rap/chants. It's very hard to sustain an interesting album with that mechanical approach, sacrificing melody in favour of utility for the b-boys. It doesn't give the listener the mood, the melody, the atmosphere that Trans Europe Express does. The exception is 'Go Go Pop' which bizarrely is almost Paula Abdul in its 80s pop vibes. A very enjoyable interlude, but that may be because it's a port in a storm. For its indisputably influential position in the hip hop canon, it gets to three.
It's really kind of cool. It's weird as shit, and it's very uniquely its own thing. It sounds very old and dated, but I can tell it was very influential on hip hop culture. I liked it.
Mid hip hop
Men kul och nostalgiskt. En vanlig trea va
Beastie Boysesque shout-rap. Albumcover is amazing, instrumentals could have been a little more impactful. Not my preferred style per se but great to have listen to this
Hiphop albums are underrepresented and overhated on this app. A lot of classics get tons of bad reviews from rock/pop fans. Unfortunately this is one of the albums that really didn't pass the test of time. An album I'd recommend for hip-hop heads who want to know about its origins, but never as someone's first. Some alright songs, and solid for the time, but really dated. You can hear where later acts will do better
Man, that was some 1980s sounding rap. Listenable, so I'll give it a 3.
Old rap, not bad pretty groovy.
Not a fan of old-old school hip hop it seems
I think a bit more interesting and influential than it is "good". Out of all pre NWA era rap I've heard this was maybe the most raw and confrontational. But at the end of the day I'm a sucker for this old school rap. Something about the basics of it. What can I say. Maybe it's why I like punk music so much. 6/10
Strong sound and some interesting tracks. Put it on the 3 side of a 3.5.
Almost a 4. Seems like pretty groundbreaking music for its time.
interesting that the first two songs on the album are astronomically more well-known than the rest – it all sounds very comparable to me. the music is upbeat and funky, pleasant to have in the background, but not something I'd listen to intentionally (again). as is the case with quite a few albums, it's really difficult to appreciate its significance and see anything groundbreaking in this sound when listening to it for the first time in 2025, because it all has been done (and done better) many times since then
Good, but made me want Grand Master Flash!
Pretty cool, definitely heard it before
Penúltimo día de abril con este proyecto que desconozco por completo. Me doy cuenta que ubico "Planet Rock" de algún lugar (quizás, película o serie) y "Renegades of funk" por el cover de Rage Against The Machine. ¿Música de fondo? Quizás. Sin más para agregar, me despido hasta mañana.
An artifact of hip-hop, one of the original albums to put it right in the spotlight. Sounds "dated" but more so as a building block to the progress of the genre.
This is fun but it is a bit simple. Definitely something I can imagine that would have been put on at a party. Favorite songs were Planet Rock, Renegades of Funk, and Who You Funkin’ With?.
Original hip hop sound
Tricky one, didn’t love it but didn’t hate it either. It’s better than albums I’ve rated 2 star but not as good as most of the 3 stars. It’s a creative musical arrangement & a mix of genres that works well on some tracks. I’ll error on the high side.
Peak 80s rap. What's not to like?
An interesting, sonic journey to say the least. It's a shame hip-hop/rap isn't this fun and zany anymore, it's all about being hard. Still though, not my genre.
Fun to listen to, but kind of all over the place, and other old school hip hop artists are much better.
Phunky hip hop raspster jam that I couldn't really get through - I quit. Got totally irritating after about 20 minutes.
Pretty good and it was over quick. But ultimately not for me
Objectively understand the significance, but I feel like they stiffed their producer or something
Thats a whole lotta sound!
I was quite enjoying this album until I dug a little deeper into Afrika Bambaataa (who sounds like he might be an appalling human being). I'll separate the art from the artist for this one. Speaking of art, the album cover is next level! I enjoyed the listen, although I found it a little dated. Energy was pretty high! Solid 3
I'm so disappointed to find out that Afrika Bambaataa is a piece of human shit - so I have to use my minus 1 star rule for creeps (though maybe it should be more!) I enjoyed the music - especially the samples from Kraftwerk and knowing how many artists I love have sampled from this album! Its a piece of music history and provides a lot of context for the story of hiphop. One of the things which is fantastic about this challenge is finding out how many songs that I've only ever known the cover versions of(and has no idea they were covers!) Renegades of Funk is even better by Rage Against the Machine, but I enjoyed hearing its origin.
Good old-school funky fun. Love the beats.
Awesomely funky and SO 80's.
vibes of 2000s rap scene
Took me a bit to get into this, but enjoyed it by the end
I like electro but a bit samey
Dug this considerably. And kudos to helping, indirectly, to introduce me to Chromeo, my fav Electro-Funk-Dance bands.