Planet Rock: The Album

Fun, but not good

Fun and influential, but doesn't exactly hold up to modern listening outside of the novelty

It's alright, pretty damn dated

Can't deny the groovy beats. Also blew my mind when I found out RATM didn't do the original Renegades of Funk.

I enjoyed the first song, and then every single song on this album sounds the exact same. So it is a fun vibe. But just don’t expect any diversity in this album.

was not as bad as I expected. The title cut sounds familiar... can't place it... not my bag, but did not upset me so I feel generous this Friday

когда начну понимать и запоминать реп, надо будет вернуться. ренегейдз ов фанк неожиданные

Day 95 - March 19th, 2024 It's old school hip-hop. It sounds like nostalgia, but that's why I love it! :) 3/5

Silly but fun.

WTF is this? The village people in space? Just kidding. Of course i know this album. I've often thought that the reason I love grunge music so much is because the guitars sound so much like the guitars in my favorite band, Black Sabbath. Sort of like, you can tell the jar came from the well. I feel like this is the well for all hip hop.

FINALLY SOMETHING THAT ISN’T MEDIOCRE BRITISH ROCK.

Culturally I’m sure this is significant. I can imagine nothing sounded quite like it at the time and that others sounded similar after. The raps are very dated, the mixing is well done and the bass is funky. No relisten-ability.

this was fun! nothing more and nothing less

I know the first song from playing NBA 2k for most of my life, so that was a fun surprise. otherwise it was some dun beats but nothing special

silly, funky, danceable. Quirky but fun, interresting take on hip hop. favorite track: Who you funkin' with? Overall score: 6.0/10.

Relentless braggadocio, booming beats, BOOM-tastic, very much of its time

A got a bit bored ngl

It was fine but a bit monotonous

Started off cool but then was a bit samey

one of those albums where i'm not sure if it's good because it influenced everything that came after it or if it's bad because all the stuff it influenced was so much better. also dude was a pedophile

Interesting listen. They were definitely trying something... had a political message similar to many other hip hip of that era, but presented in a very different way. The more disco-y/electronic sound sort of watered down the message in my opinion. Although not nearly the most listened to track on the album (on Spotify) "Renegades of Funk" was the only one I recognized. Elements from "Planet Rock" were stolen by Sal the Stockbroker in his rap.

3.5 Probably pretty "out there" at the time. Sounds a bit dated with the synths and drum machines. I know planet rock is a classic but I can't help but think of Trailer Park Boys and J-Rocs gay nightclub whenever I hear it

Heavy electro vibes, big on the funk. Feels robotic but still got soul. Kind of like Kraftwerk, but way cooler, more street. Some parts drag, but the beats stay fresh. Pure early hip-hop energy, no fluff. Super ahead of its time.

Not my style but I can't deny that the song "Who You Funkin' With" is a goddamn banger. 80s style rap, Kraftwerk beats, and a bass that slaps the earth. The rest of the album is kind of messy.

A very time telling album. Probably very innovative for 1986. But has since been copied and taken inspiration from. Cool spin!

Historic and interesting for sure - but as others have noted, it suffers from the fact that other artists built on and improve these foundations. Glad I went through it a couple of times, but can't see myself coming back to it.

This was really fun but very repetitive. Still was nice to listen to when I was cranking out meeting minutes on a rainy Friday afternoon...

I feel like there is a lot idk about Afrika Bambaataa. Recognized Renegade of Funk which pretty cool. There’s something here that I can’t just want to go out and listen to it continuously. Still pretty good and probably were an inspiration to a lot of people I enjoy today.

It sounds so dated. I het they were pioneers, but the style of hiphop has changed soooo much.

Yeah, this does sound a bit dated. It’s OK. I’m not a massive hip-hop fan, but I like some bits and tend to prefer older school stuff anyway. I probably won’t listen to this again, but it wasn’t a bad listen.

Fun old school music. Simple but funky. Also rather repetitive…….but I like it!

"Album-insides und gossip mit Viki" - finde ich super! Schön bist du wieder an Bord. D Bambaataa's vom Planet Rock und ihri chriegerische Soulsonic Force hend schön was ih mir ufgwirblet. Einersiits hani s Album sehr spassig gfunde zum lose, de Beat zu jedem track hani richtig abgfiiret aber denn hani mi trotzdem gfrögt ih was für Moment ich zu ihrem Album zruggriife wird usserhalb vode "haha lug ich han da no es richtig lustigs Album wo chli abgaht!"-moment. Us besagte Gründ chani au kei vier Sternezerstörer losschicke will das Album ih minere Playlist wahrschindli ned sone grossi wiederholigs-quote wird ufwiise. Aber de Planet Rock würdi scho gern mal bsueche zum mit em Volk vode Bambaataas chli z tänzle! De Timaanaa vom Planet Albumklöbb chund in Friede und bringt drü Hüftschwüng als gschenk. Bin gspanne was für Gossip mir über de Planet erfahred.

Amazing beats! Go go pop was a stand out. I looked for a while to find the credits for the "everybody rock" vocal sample or singer, but couldn't find anything. Overall would rate it a bit higher but the flow of the lyrics did not stand the test of time imo. They reminded me of the classic line "My name is ___ and I'm here to say"

Groundbreaking and influential, but not my favorite. Who You Funkin' With is probably the best on the album.

Different, reminded me a lot of educational rap (I think)

I'd just as soon not sit through a whole thing of this, given all the stuff. I've heard most of it before.

Hyvä vanhan maailman räppiklassikko, ja breakdance hitti! Levynä kehnompi kuin irtosinkkuna. 3/5

Letkeä protohiphop-platta.

Hasn’t aged particularly well but the longer it went on I found myself enjoying it more. It was …interesting to hear the original Renegades of Funk, but Rage really made it their own, huh?

2.5. There is a charm to the old school beats and delivery that I enjoyed. But unfortunately every song except "Frantic Situation" is at least 40% longer than it needs to be. Still, an important historical document.

Not bad but a bit too proto for me.

Alright I thought

The genesis of the 'Kraftwerk invented hip hop' running in-joke we have. Thanks Sam. Looks a bit dry. X The cover here is absolutely incredible. What a picture. Obviously we are here for Arthur Baker as well. A fun game to play, how many of these noises did he bring straight over to his work with New Order or steal from himself. Confusion is obviously throughout Looking for the Perfect Beat (or the reverse - yeah it's definitely the other way around). Anyway most of this is from 82/83 and it's still absolutely banging. Turns out finding out the guy was a raging peadophile doesn't stop me enjoying great music, which is nice. Who you Funkin With - has got to be from 1986, it screams in with all the excesses of that time and sounds worse. Yeah ok everything after that is average. Those first four tracks though.

Other than "Who You Funkin' With?", which I really liked, this album didn't really much for me. I do see the influence this collection of single meant to rap a a genre though, it just wasn't anything I'm interested in. But didn't dislike it so.. Light 3 (6.3) ★★★

This is actually a compilation, which is why it seems dated by 1986 standards. I think there's some good ideas here, and it's clearly influential to both electronic music and hip-hop. That being said, the rapping is super basic and the songs mostly outstay their welcome. The latter is probably a reflection of the genre's origin in club culture. Highlights are "Renegades of Funk", the title track and "Go Go Pop". 3 stars.

3.5

Another song from the rage against the machine covers album, this version of renegades of funk isn't quite as good. This reminded me a lot of Run DMC, very similar approach to rapping. Didn't mind it but didnt blow me away either, think it's place on this list comes from being influential.

Wasn't aware that this was the origins of renegades of funk.... Think rage probably did it better. Was probably my favourite here though. Very dated sound now, but it isn't bad, but hip hop and rapping has come a long way since this. Probably very significant in the genre though

Non è il mio genere, ma tutto sommato non è malvagio.

Dit is waar de hip-hop scene mee is begonnen. Verrassende samples van Kraftwerk. Veel funk, drums. Goed om eens gehoord te hebben.

The original renegades of Funk. You can hear the rap influence from this 1986 album. Enjoyable and groovy

Planet Rock is fairly dated hip hop and it was a totally fine listen, I enjoy what it gives enough. It was interesting to finally hear the original Renegades of Funk, I was previously only familiar with the Rage cover. If I’m going to put on 80’s Hip Hop of the ilk, I would likely lean Public Enemy or Run DMC. 3 stars

Early Hip Hop. Fair enough.

I'll give them props, this was quite the endeavor to make this sound in the mid-80s. It was very unique, and interesting how they worked with Kraftwerk. Also turns out "Renegades of Funk" by RATM is a reimagining of this track - didn't know that, but I appreciate the original. All around it's not great, but I understand why it's on the list. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

Surprisingly fresh for a nearly 40 year old hip hop album. The sampling of early electronic music gives this a dance feel, but also a weirdly eerie sense of bravado. It also showcases the beauty of hip hop, it’s an intersection of electronic, rock, funk, disco, and R&B. As an album it’s kind of disjointed and seems to be a mix of hits and some bonus tracks, but the importance of this moment in music history is definitely felt.

This album feels way to dated for me to genuinely enjoy. This album does not contain the same timeless charm that their contemporaries were able to create. I suppose it was a little fun, but not enough to the point I would listen again. 3/5

Odd but interesting

This was a fun album that is the epitome of 90’s rap! I’d give it a 3.5. Very cool. Also renegades of funk!

Building upon the bedrock crafted by the masters of electronic music, Afrika Bambaataa upended the nascient hip-hop genre with Planet Rock. Had he not done anything else, his place is hip-hop would still be assured. Yet his search for the perfect beat culminated in this release which came years afterward yet still possessed the futuristic ambition of the song which the album is named. While not overtly important in the grand scheme of things, there are still plenty of gems to sift through, especially the Latin Rascals remix of Renegades of Funk. Favorites: Planet Rock (Original 12" Mix), Looking for the Perfect Beat (Original 12" Version), Renegades of Funk (The Latin Rascals Remix) Frantic Situation (Frantic Mix).

Fun. I’ll give big points for their importance to and influence on hip hop. But I can’t really imagine putting this on for the hell of it.

Found this all quite samey and it was kind of hard to engage with each song individually. Quite fun. Didn't leave much of an impression

This was good but I can't say it was particularly memorable. But I must say, it has the most incredible album cover.

Classic song but doesn't hold the whole album up.

Fun party beats.

Fun early hip hop album. Definitely can hear the influence it had on east coast rap. I like the writing style of this era, with a focus on goofy stories/situations instead of the swag rap we hear so much of today. Good punchy beats that remind me of ssx tricky, which is always a plus. Feeling a 7/10 but gonna round down on account of Afrika being a diddler.

A couple of the tracks are really good, as a whole album though I feel it does not really gel, feel this album is included for its historical importance, they help invent the genre but the tools to deliver what they envisaged were not quite there yet…. or was it all just a happy accident due to lack of tools that invented the genre….

It's interesting seeing just how much this album influenced hip-hop. I didn't realize Renegades of Funk was a cover.

Interesting album. I'd imagine this one was awesome at block parties in the 80s, because thats the kinda sound it evokes.

I appreciate the fact that this set the stage for so much that came after it. Run DMC to start, and everything that followed. And I did not care for it. It reminds me of dance club music that is repetitive, but not interesting. So respect to this and it deserves a slot on the list. But not for me.

It can be a little longwinded, but this is a foundational work that has so many great moments in it. The mishmash of early hip-hop and electronic music in P-Funk aesthetics? Unbelievably cool that such a seminal work could also be so eclectic

Always loved the song Planet Rock so I was really excited to hear the rest of the album. It had some cool songs, and a few that were forgettable. Nothing crazy, but I do see why this album is so influential. I love the tie in to Kraftwerk.

A landmark album that has become hard to listen to because of a tarnished legacy.

The title alone is wild. Very classic hip-hop. Some of the earliest hip-hop hits. 80s samples are fun. Very straightforward. Very repetitive.

3/5

Funky proto hip hop. great for a party

Sounds so early but I could imagine its impact at the time especially in the clubs! 3 but glad to have heard it!

nyeeee én ezt kicsit untam

It was a fun one, I enjoyed it growing up and I enjoyed it now

You can't stop ... that 808 cowbell.

trans - europe - express

Good but oh so dated.

Did not like it, but just a different vibe

Decent album with some great mixing. It’s clear how influential it been and it that regard, it’s an groundbreaking and essential album. Revisiting the album thought, it looses some of its impact. Most of the songs are now a bit too long and don’t have that same hit that they once did.

I like old-school rap but damn this is old as hell. Not as good as the stuff from the 90s but still goes pretty hard.

Apparently it's seminal, but many others have done it better since then. 2.5/5

Old skool hip hop. Was OK I guess

This is going to be a weird album to rate. On one hand it is a fun and influential album, but on the other it is kind of corny, most of the songs could have been 50% shorter, and the sounds here haven't aged super well. high 3.

very very early rap. Not bad, 3 I think.

This was an 80s electronic rap laugh. Not quite varied enough for me but a good listen and one I’d bung on again.

Separating the artist from their art is a challenge here. Look: there’s no denying this album and 50% of this artist as celebrated for its timeless impact on the evolution of music - not just hip-hop. It also directly influenced other varied genre acts like LMFAO (Party Rock, anyone?), New Order, and RATM. But the time to ignore that other 50% has passed.

Cool to see where so many recognizable references are from.

Started off so weak not my jam but ended up bopping hard

I knew the name Africa Bambaataa but don’t remember hearing any of these tracks.. I think the electronic/hiphop hybrid works decently, and like some other early hiphop albums on the list I’m sure this was quite influential to the genre. 3.25/5 I enjoyed but not sure it’ll make regular repeats for me

Really cool to hear an album from a time when a beloved genre originated. It was ok for what it was .

Pretty cool to hear an earlier hip hop album than most of the ones we've had on the list. This sounded SOOO 80s LOL, but it was not bad! Nothing special though.

It’s ok. Not fully there yet.

Love it.

Super fun album. Lots of beats I recognize.

I can hear the influences it had on modern hip hop/rap. I’d bet it ranks high with rap historians. Good album.

Deliciously 80s

Yeah. Yeah! I liked it

Space Funk with early hip-hop/rap. OOgly -BOOgly Early RHCP wishes this was them.

This was surprisingly enjoyable. It was just really good early hip hop; a marriage of 80s music and hip hop beats and rapping. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

Not what I expected. Less African beats, more RUN-DMC x Beastie Boys.

Gives me Sugar Hill vibes. I get the feeling that this list has made choices based on what seemed like the cool choice. I just checked, and yeah, this list came out around when Pitchfork peaked in relevance, and it shows. This isn't to hate on this album, just that this inclusion definitely feels like a "what's popular in one of... you know... those genres, but cool."

Felt like a bit of a novelty, interesting enough

Not bad

They don’t make funk hip hop like they used to

Iconic record but I cant listen to it in the same way now. There’s separating the art from the artist, and then there’s child sex trafficking allegations…

Nice sounds

Love this album cover! This was a funky cool hip hop album that I don’t think reaches the heights of some of the albums that follow it in the genre, but it feels necessary that it maybe inspired some future groups and artists

The first time I encountered an Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force track it was "Frantic Situation" from the breakdance(breaking)/hip hop culture film Beat Street, released in 1984, used under a musical montage. In fact that film got me into breaking for few years until I decided to focus all of my attention on drums and percussion. This album 2 years later, with the iconic "Planet Rock" is more tracks of the early fun hip hop vibe, that is suitable for hip hop dancing, breaking in particular, but is not the kind of thing that I would put on to listen to passively in the background. This gets a 3 from me for being a proto pioneer with this album that influenced much of the evolution of the New York hip hop scene over the rest of the 80s, particularly a group like The Beastie Boys.

Fun and funky party music

very very cool to hear the OG 'Renegades of Funk' track. Planet Rock is also the opening track for 'The U' documentary, which was mad cool to hear. its a pretty fine album, but i do love the original rap sound. its big, bombastic, and super fun.

Fun 80’s rap. Rage Against the Machine covered their music

Old-school hip-hop. Title track is great, really catchy. The rest of it is fine, a little too repetitive. Didn't realize "Renegades of Funk" originated here.

The title song was important in rap, but it’s only one out of seven songs on this album. For the rest, I was honestly more interested in the instrumentals than the actual rapping. A fine album, but one that’s probably in here because of its influence instead of its quality.

Erityisesti miellytti räppityyli, joka ollut käsittääkseni pioneerina mm. Run DMClle ja Beastie Boysille. Planet Rock on kova, mutta lopulta jäi vähän vaisummaksi kokonaisuus, kun miettii mitä se enteili

Fun & funky, with a few classics. Good, just not something I could listen to often.

Classic

Fairly indifferent but some many artists sampled this

Renegades!?! 3

The album cover is cool as shit, but i don’t really care for this style

I really like this for 3mins - makes me want to pop and lock. But for more than 5mins at a time it gets really boring and repetitive. But it’s a dance album! I normally hold dance albums to a different standard, yeah they are too long, so the DJ can mix out of the extended outro. But for some reason I want to judge this by my normal standards and rate it low. I guess I never really liked Miami Bass anyway? Rambling reviews ends up down the middle with a 3.

Great to hear as a foundational hip hop record, but this one feels a bit like a "you had to be there." Its influences far outpace this album.

Eh--i can respect the influence of the album but it's not the best modern listen

Notable tracks: Planet Rock, Looking for the Perfect Beat

TIL renegades of funk is a cover. This kind of music was like just before my time, and my household was never really exposed to it. I kinda missed out.

I mean this was better than I assumed it would be. I didn’t dislike it and I actually found myself vibing to it occasionally. It was kind of fun but I just don’t think I would pick it out to listen to.

Aww, this album takes me back to my brother and his friends breakdancing in our basement. So much fun. Monumental sound, with a space-aged sheen. Starts strong, but loses steam on the back half. Fave Songs: Planet Rock, Looking for the Perfect Beat, Renegades of Funk, Who You Funkin' With?

El sonido ha quedado anticuado pero sigue sonando simpático, es un documento que nos habla de lo mucho que hemos cambiado.

I can appreciate the legacy of this album so I'll bump it up to three stars even though it sounds like it was composed using the built in functions of a consumer grade Casio keyboard from the 80s

B- Planet Rock (Original Twelve-Inch Version) 4 Looking For The Perfect Beat (Original Twelve-Inch Version) 3 Renegades Of Funk (Remix) 3 Frantic Situation (Frantic Mix) 3 Who You Funkin' With? 3 Go-Go Pop 3 They Made A Mistake 3 We all know the hit. Nothing else was special.

Hilarious

Old school, very dated & often super fun. Genuinely cracked me up a few times. Like the early synths.

3+

Un vrai album old school, avec une prémisse un peu dingue qui rend le tout fort agréable

This was a fun album. Classic hip-hop and funk.

2.5

Because of the influence this album has provided to countless artists and genres that came after it, the actual music now sounds dated and overdone, which is unfortunate. There are some certified bops for sure, but I'm not a major fan of the early 80s electro sound in general, and couldn't help but think of that scene in Shaun of the Dead where they're blasting the second album he ever bought.

Actually aged pretty well, all things considered. Sounds like the same song for 40 minutes, but it's a fun groove, so it's alright. Surprisingly decent for somebody who has 4 paragraphs about child sexual abuse allegations on his Wikipedia page. Gonna rate solely based on the music, but yeah, this dude's a real jerk.

Overall an ok old school hip-hop album that really was held up by its single release. There were a few great beats and things but not really my vibe. Best: Planet Rock Worst: Who You Funkin' With? 2.5 stars

Hard to rate this one. On one hand some seminal electro tracks that bridged the two worlds of hip hop and house, on the other, it sounds (even the good tracks) primitive by today’s production standards. Ultimately, have to rate it based on that, so it scores a 2, but feeling generous today and giving it an extra 1 for influence and legacy.

"Planet Rock: The Album" by Afrika Bambaataa is a pioneering work that helped define the sound of hip-hop and electronic music. Released in 1986, the album features the iconic track "Planet Rock," which blended electronic beats with hip-hop rhythms, creating a groundbreaking sound that would influence generations of musicians. The album showcases Bambaataa's innovative approach to music, fusing elements of funk, electro, and hip-hop to create a futuristic sound that was ahead of its time. Tracks like "Looking for the Perfect Beat" and "Renegades of Funk" are energetic and infectious, showcasing Bambaataa's skill as a producer and visionary. While some tracks may feel dated by today's standards, "Planet Rock: The Album" remains a landmark album in the history of hip-hop and electronic music, showcasing Bambaataa's pioneering spirit and musical vision.

Interesting. Have to be in the mood

Fun. Can’t help but move. 3

Alright, just too long.

Fun funky music

Interesting early hip hop album. Interesting sounds, unlike todays over sampled hip hop

Its dated, but just a meh album

This has some nostalgic and historical value, but it is pretty objectively terrible. 4 stars in 1986, 2 stars now, average = 3 stars.

Hip hop at its Best. Auch wenn Hip Hop nicht mein Geschmack ist, diese Anfänge grooven richtig.

It was good, I liked it, but I preferred fear of a black planet.

When this started, I thought “oh great, a historically important album that is going to feel like homework to listen to” but by “Renegades of Funk” it had won me over. Yes, it is foundational to modern rap and hip hop, but it’s also just fun to listen to. I’ve heard it said that music is supposed to be fun, that’s why creating songs is called “playing music”. This felt like people “playing music” in every sense: creating something new with joy and excitement and flair. I really liked it.

Definitely early days of hip-hop. They really liked their electronic beats.

This fucks in an 80s type of way

The album cover is amazing. I am sure this album absolutely blew everyone's minds in the 80s. It is clearly building upon the early foundations of hip-hop/funk. I've spent too much time listening to the forty years of music that followed this album to be able to appreciate fully the mind-blowing moment in time that I am sure it was. I appreciate it for what it is, but likely wouldn't choose to listen to it again.

Essential and very important for the genre! You can hear how influential it was and still is! Great

Ik heb hier een literblik Faxe pils staan met een ten minste houdbaar tot datum van 23 september 2014 en ik vermoed dat die de tand des tijds beter heeft doorstaan dan dit album. Een soort Beverly Hills Cop met prototype Run DMC. Dit is hiphop uit de potsierlijke Holiday Rap era, waar het 808 cowbell geluid welig tierde. Eigenlijk moet je het respecteren als je het in de context van die tijd plaatst. Dat is zo'n semi zelfopgelegd regeltje waar ik regelmatig een beetje tegenaan loop in deze lijst. Waarschijnlijk waren al mijn favoriete artiesten nergens geweest zonder dit. En we hadden de Rage Against The Machine versie van Renegades Of Funk niet gehad natuurlijk. Daar staat tegenover dat wanneer je tegenwoordig een goedkope synthesizer koopt er voorgeprogrammeerde deuntjes op staan die beter klinken dan dit. Het is ook wel weer te doorstaan. Het is verschrikkelijk gedateerd, maar de geluiden an sich irriteren me niet, ik val vooral over de kitcherige bende als geheel. Ergens tussen de 2 en 3 voor mij. Het is grappig om een keer gehoord te hebben, maar ik ben ook wel weer blij dat het laatste nummer achter de rug is.

I thought it was quite fun electro album. I preferred it to prince and the 80s hip hop I’ve heard. Surprised how bad the reviews are

Just too early

Never knew Rage covered those guys. 3 stars for the surprise.

Who knew that the dancing peanuts from The Proud Family made a whole album

Classic oldschool hip-hop, it must have sounded so fresh at that time it was released. But it's just one of those albums that sounds so dated nowadays.

oh wow a lot of people pulled from this.

Varhaista hiphoppia. Aika instrumentaali pohjaista ja vähän toistavaa. Mutta kyllä hyvääkin. Parhaat: They Made A Mistake

I really only liked Planet Rock but it was really good imo

Funky and certainly influential as I recognized different parts that were sampled in rap, not to mention RATM basically ripped Renegades of Funk verbatim. However this is definitely sounds outdated and will be higher rated by people who were around when this was revolutionary.

yeah this is cool and i know it’s significant but it’s still a 3

Very interesting album. Funny them singing about break dancing in their one song. Not an album I will ever own but fun to listen too!

Pure funkyness with the african rhythms. I like it. Even if it sounds old.

Look… I’m a relatively big fan of Rap and I understand that music would probably be very different if this album didn’t exist (which is why I’ve given it three stars out of respect) BUT… This has to be one of the most dated and maddeningly repetitive albums I’ve ever experienced

An okay funky little early hip hop album. Ends up being pretty repetitive to fill the time but the dancy grooves are there. 5/10

Shame he's a chomo. Also, super dated.

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Renegades of Funk is a banger. I had no idea Rage's version was a cover. This hasn't aged well and Afrika is a pedophile but it's a good album. It's been sampled and copied so much it sounds hacky but imitation is a form of flattery.

Pretty good

House music in the 80s was just so much more lively than today (in my bias opinion) When things where so fresh and full of new ideas- no one knew what sounded good and bad- it was all just new tech and new sound! i love the raw creativity that isnt limited by todays reliable formulas. so simple but full of passion haha

Another album of great music and problematic artist

3.5 -pretty good, I feel like I was in a school disco when I was 10 when I was listening sometimes. Liked who you funkin with?

I don't love that this appears to be a live album, at least at first. BUT what killer album artwork. Looking for the Perfect Beat is so...funky. All of this is. I like Renegades of Funk a lot (for what it is). This music was fair. Not really my style but totally fine to listen to and fun at some points. A good push to try something more "out of my comfort zone" that I normally probably would have skipped.

I was 12 years old in 1986. I never heard of Afrika Bambaataa, but I probably would have liked this. Now, it sounds pretty dated. Still, it's fun and energetic stuff. Favorite track: Renegades of Funk

It's sounds old, but it aged better than most old hip hop. Favorite song: Planet Rock

Solid, fun, but ultimately needs a little more diversity of sound. 3.5/5

It blows my mind that this exists. Such a strange sound it feels like a parody.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Go go pop

Possibly the best example of early electro music. While Kraftwerk took you on a journey across Europe, Bambaataa took it further by bringing them into the Bronx and merging them with rap and funk. The rapping style doesn't always compliment the music well and Bambaataa's legacy has been marred by scandal. But this album was definitely very unique and influential for its time.

It feels wrong to give such a historic album a low rating but it completely falls off after the first three songs. The back half of the album is absolutely awful.

funny and awful at the same time

Samey

Some nice beats but thank god for Rakim coming along soon after this.

Qua muziek is dit echt het begin van zoveel stromingen. Je hoort hier early electro in door, zonder Afrika Bambaataa geen DJ Stingray bijvoorbeeld. Denk niet dat ik dit album ooit helemaal heb geluisterd. Echt early early hiphop dit ook, tegenwoordig is het niet echt meer vernieuwend of spannend, maar je moet dit wel een beetje in de tijdsgeest zien. Ik heb toch altijd een zwak voor early/old school hiphop. Favo is natuurlijk Planet Rock wat een echte classic is. Verder vind ik Frantic Situation ook heel vet! Maar in zn geheel twijfel ik een beetje wt ik van het album vind. Voor mij is 4 sterren iets wat ik echt vaker wil luisteren en dat mis ik hier toch een beetje. FAVO: Planet Rock, Frantic Situation

I decided 800 albums ago to only rate the music, not the nonce... sorry... artist. You should all do the same, or at least be consistent... yes Kanye is an antisemitic dick, but if you give him 1 star for that but 5* to all 90 Bowie albums, who defo slept with 12 year old groupies... then what does that say about your opinion of banging children? So this was cool, must have been awesome at the time. +1 for robot Kermit looking for a perfect beat. -1 for every song being too long.

It's like listening to a meme album making fun of the music from late 80s and early 90s. And the weird thing is, it was quite good at times. Renegades of Funk is a great song, made immortal by RATM. Rapping was very average, but the samples were just oozing 80s. Nice blast from the past, pretty enjoyable, but let's now hide this album somewhere in the basement, never to be seen again.

Good

It's energetic and upbeat for the most part. I like it.

Svært at undgå indflydelsen på hiphop det her album har haft. Synes ikke det er ældet særligt godt. Ville nok ikke lytte igen. 2/5 rent musikmæssigt, men en ekstra stjerne fordi det er uundgåeligt at hiphop i slutfirserne og halvfemserne er blevet inspireret af det her.

Интересно было послушать альбом от группы, которая, по сути, породила хип-хоп. Но это было исключительно любопытство, так-то альбом ничего из себя не представляет.

Classic album I grew up on, planet rock is one of my pops favorite songs

I wasn’t able to give this the attention it deserved. It was more funky than I expected. Solid 3*

Kinda repetitive but funky

Very 80s for better or worse. A lot of these tracks would fit on the Space Jam sound track. Fun early synths

In some ways, I appreciate this "old-school" rap because this is the style of rap I remember growing up, but I'm still not of fan of the genre. It's interesting with nice beats and there isn't a reliance yet on too many gimmicks and effects. I enjoyed most of it, so I give it a pass.

Haha, is that a Kraftwerk sample? Honestly the beat is pretty dope. Song itself is kind of a mess though. Renegades Of Funk is my favorite so far. Topped by Who You Funkin' With? Loving the aggressive bassline. Reminds me of something, but I can't place it. Early hip/hop always has an element of goof and this album is no exception. Flows are choppy and at points caricatured, but for what its worth it always sounds like a damned fun time. Where this album shines for me is in the beats and production. I wish we could ditch trap for just a bit and slide back to these wonky funk-forward beats. I may not come back for any particular song, but I did have a fun time. 3 / 5

Renegades of Funk tf

Virtually all of these are timeless classics that you could play in the club and still get people moving. But can you imagine doing them at karaoke?

I don’t think I’ve heard of Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force before, but what a name! And also, what am album cover! This looks so ridiculous, and I’m excited to give it a good listen today. Let’s find out if it’s as fun as I’m hoping! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Planet Rock, Go Go Pop This was good fun, but it was nowhere near as zany as I was expecting. It reminds me a lot of other rap groups of the time such as Run DMC, with some of the funkier elements of The Sugarhill Gang. The beats a fun, the rapping is good, and the album was generally enjoyable. However, when compared to the other bands already mentioned, these songs are undoubtedly not quite as catchy and won’t stick in your head for quite as long. Overall, catchy and fun, but not something I’ll likely return to.

They're finally here, performing for you if you know the words you can join in too. A silly album with some fun beats. For whatever reason every song is at a different volume. I like it when they just decide to laugh and make a bunch of stupid sounds for fun. Really enjoy the shitty 80's drums. Score: 60 Art: 70

Really old school hip hop - It's pretty dated, but some cool beats nonetheless.

Idk!

3.3 - Some funky break dancing beats created with samples and synths - solid stuff. MC’ing is lame as much early hip hop tends to be. Standouts: “Looking for the Perfect Beat”, “Planet Rock”, “Who You Funkin’ With?”

Van ser la continuació natural als '80 de l'esperit i so de Funkadelic o Parliament la década anterior. En aquesta recopilació, que inclou relectures d'alguns dels seus primers singles, acrediten la seva fama com un dels pioners del hip hop a tenir més en compte. Sona molt old school i una mica passat de temps, però mereix el seu estatus

Would probably enjoy this more with an entourage on a Friday night than working from home on my own on a Monday.

Kinda torn on this - it's that mid 80s rap that's aged really badly (same as run DMC) and even compared to stuff that came out just afterwards it sounds undeveloped. Lots of cheesy 80s "learn the dance" vibes, but the sci-fi theme is right up my alley and the sampling is pretty cool. If I'd heard it when it came out I would've been blown away. I knew renegades of funk from the RATM cover, but it sounds totally different and the rest is an unknown. Who you funkin' with was the standout track, genuinely cool. 3/5.

Mid

Interesting early hip hop album. Some cool beats.

This is charming, exuberant, and shows an infectious wonder around the novelty of these sounds and structure. But I don’t think I’d go out of my way to listen to the whole record again. “Who You Funkin’ With” is my standout track.

A whole lot of funk

Surprisingly good!

This album is an absolute classic. A hallmark album that helped transition us from the classic era to the modern era of hip hop. Does the album hold up today though? No not really. You can sample this bitch to death tho

Renegades of Funk is a cover 🤯 I like the go go sound throughout the album then it really pops off in go go pop Very solid hip hop album which I could imagine influenced a lot

One of the albums that helped launch hip hop. One of the biggest drawbacks of a lot of early hip hop albums is that they are dance albums, so the songs tend to run long for dance purposes. A lot of them would be better songs if they were cut down to 3 - 4 minutes.

Opening track pretty popular, the rest is pretty dated hip hop. Enjoyable album, though not necessarily my thing. 6/10.

It’s ok

2/3

I still like the title song. The rest of the album shows it age. Fine but not something i'm going to revisit.

3.5/5 I like this album more than a lot of what I've listened to. Honestly on a personal level I give it a 4 but thats my objective rating. I hear the modern hiphop precursors in this album heavily.

Early hip-hop is always a trip to listen to. This album must have been wild when it came out. It rules and is a lot of fun to listen to. That album artwork too... what a time.

21st February 2023 Listened while in Tesco and throughout the day. Had Dave and Chris in the house working on living room. Liverpool areal in the evening. Bet this album has been sampled and used a whole host of samples within it. Classic rap funk, sounds very of it’s time.

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

Nice sounding Old School album. 3.5

Enjoyed this one.

Not bad at all, just heavily dated.

Nice flow, greatly influential. This is a use of the synth I can get behind to

Great title and album cover! Fun record.

This was groundbreaking at the time, but feels very dated now

Yes some excellent, vital tracks but absolutely not an album.

Cool to hear this, being something that has had such influence in the formation of hip-hop. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of its influence, is that it now sounds a little bit like a parody since it was copied so much (the break-beat DJ thing). I was familiar with Rage's cover of 'Renegades,' and enjoyed hearing the original, which is VERY different.

Respect for being pioneers, and love their wildness and weirdness, the whole Afro-Futurism thing, but this actually got on my nerves a bit.

Planet Rock is cool for historical purposes, but everything else starts to get a bit jammy and rough.

Yeh had that late 80's sound hip hop. Good listen, surprised this hasn't been on my radar before, but that's the whole point of this isn't it?

Kolme..... toimiii hyin albumina vaikkei biiisit välilllä kovinkaan kummosia ole...

Planet Rock: The Album was an enjoyable surprise. Afrika Bambaataa is a band name that I barely recognized as a band name and that was the extent of my familiarity with their music. This album has an 80s, earl rap sound. Some tracks reminded me of Run DMC's Rasing Hell, which came out about 6 months earlier. The album was good enough for a listen, and I'm curious about other music from the band. I'm just not sure if I'll be drawn back to take another listen.

Bizarre, pas le genre que je m’attendais de afrika bambatta. Je n’aime pas vraiment mais c’est entrainant. 3

Was important for the Rap music, but find it too friendly/soft, give me Public Enemy or NWA any time. Still pleasant to listen too and kraftwerk always cheer me up, so 3 stars

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

A pretty good album when it comes to the beats and catchiness. Overall it was okay and felt like the songs had some variance within themselves. Planet rock was good but the second part of it was the best. The album is relatively short but it provides good material in its time. 6.3/10

I can dig this

The beats are pretty cool for that time, nice deviation from the guitar heavy samples prevalent then. However, the rapping hasn’t aged well and can come off a little corny.

Brutal 80s beats and synths are a rough ride for me at the best of times. More to admire here than to enjoy.

Great early hip hop classic

Ik vond dit album wel oké. Er zitten leuke baslijnen in, en de teksten zijn wel 'feestelijk', of zo

I liked the funky stuff but not the synthy stuff. 6/10

Honestly after the first 30 seconds of this I thought I was going to hate this, but the album grew on me quite a bit and I even enjoyed most of it.

Afskaplega mikið barn síns tíma. Gaman að því.

An interesting listening experience, but one I'm not in a rush to repeat. That said, stuff like 'Go Go Pop' - featuring Trouble Funk - adds some nice shading to the proceedings. The guitar break in 'Who You Funkin' With?' is superb. I still get a kick out of the afrofuturist 'Planet Rock' too, which grafts the icy synths of Kraftwerk onto a hip-hop track to good effect.

Might have been a bit much to listen to first thing on a Monday morning. Still, it was alright.

I only really liked one song, but none of it was terrible... Just not really my deal

Fun beats. Had a little dance party in the kitchen while doing dishes.

First time of Listening to this and quietly impressed. Good Old Skool Hip Hop here, Interesting fusion of Kraftwerk/Krautrock Loved "Planet Rock" 12" Version" & "They Made A Mistake". A good choice historically.

I’ll start by saying it’d probably be a 2.5 if I could give partial scores, but it’s a decent funk album that’s easy to listen to. Didn’t move the needle much, but hard not to enjoy.

great beats funky

This is a solid old school album. The title track anticipates Run DMC and the rise of new school to the point where I assumed this was a new school album before I did some reading. This album ranges from more minimalist moments that are more electronic driven to some really great funk/rock inspired moments which incorporate more instrumentation. I would say that this album sits between hip hop at the cusp of old school/new school and electronica. My biggest critique is that this album sounds very dated now. However, songs like 'Go Go Pop' would sound at home in a 90s club and as a whole, I can see how this album would be very influential in hip hop at a critical time in its development.

Ugh. The music / electronica on this album is such 80's garbage. It really is terribly cheesy. Which is a shame because the lyrics are pretty solid most of the time. It's not just these guys, all classic hip hop had this problem of really insightful, political lyrics and just tragic recordings to go with it. I love Rage's version of Renegades of Funk and I had no idea this was the original. But it is almost unlistenable. Planet Rock is tolerable, at times, but again over the top in all the sound effects. Frantic Situation is the only song worth listening to more than once - great lyrics and a cool beat that fits. Go Go Pop and They Made a Mistake had decent beats but lyrics were sort of meaningless. I'm giving it a mercy 3, for its lyrics (most of the time) and pioneering of hip hop. But I will never listen to it again.

interessante, hip hop das antiga

Great outer space noncing. Textbook.

Wow. Old school. Blast from the past. Loved it.

Meh. Good music

This was TU2 electric boogaloo.

Goddamn, the production of this album is just fucking amazing. I know that I said production didn't really get crazy until Dr. Dre released The Chronic, but I was mostly talking about the gangsta rap scene. The cover art is kind of cheesy. If they just removed the people on the top, it could have been a good cover. At least the font is cool looking. Favourite track would be the second one (I forgot the name lmfao) The production on it is so satisfying, with the beat peddling in your left ear. Also, all the vocalists sounded like they were having fun. 7/10

This was the genesis of hip house and electro. I can hear herbie Hancock and grandmaster flash in this album, I’m guessing this album influenced them rather than the other way round. Very dated today but enjoyable to listen to just to see how it all began. It’s b bit like watching a planet form, this is the Big Bang moment, from here it Improves and develops and sadly that moment of creation becomes a distant memory

weird album, but enjoyable enough. I would almost definitely never choose to listen to this again, however. I respect it for what it is, and it was neat to hear the source of Renegades of Funk from RATM covers album.

Cool old-school hip hop with some interesting production choices and sampling. Don't know why there are so many 6+ minute tracks though when they could've easily been shorter.

Stellar old school hip hop, it should be no surprise how this got hella sampled. It’s retro-futuristic but still kinda modern some 40 years later? Weird, cool stuff. 3.5

Back in the day when this came out I was wow'ed that they sampled the iconic melody from Trans Europe Express. They also gave sly nods to YMO and Ennio Morricone so they scored some major points in my book. So although this is arguably one of the most influential proto-rap and hip hop records, the rest of the album doesn't quite hold up well today. The cheesy lyrics, drum beats and scratching sound pretty antiquated. So this is a 2 but +1 for having the audacity to sample Kraftwerk.

Best Song: Looking for the Perfect Beat. That perfect level of retro-futuristic sound. Worst Song: Really weird that they chose this as the leadoff song (let alone named the album after it), because I found it by far the most annoying on the album. Part of it is just that this style of hip hop has aged really poorly, so this track sounds a bit like the DK rap. Overall: Today I learned that RATM's 'Renegades of Funk' is actually a cover. Although I think this is one of those cases wherein the cover really elevated the song.

This record is very culturally important for fans of hip-hop/house/electronics genres. Would recommend. As of right now this is an extremely solid 3.5/5 and might be a 4/5 whenever I listen to it again.

Harter Brocken, wenn man bedenkt, was der Typ verbrochen hat. Aber die Kunst soll ja über dem Künstler stehen, auch wenn es schwer fällt. Ich mag auf jeden Fall die Beats und den Sound an sich, jedoch ist mir hier bisschen wenig Abwechslung. Irgendwas zwischen 3 und 4. Ich gebe 3 aus Gründen.

not bad. not something i'd listen to often.

Fun album but I'm unlikely to play it again

Pretty interesting. I didn't like it as much as I hoped but I can see how it was influential. Probably one of the first hip hop albums?

I've never heard of these guys before and had high hopes, based on the album cover alone. This was fine, but very of its time. Unfortunately the 80s aren't a time that I particularly love so it wasn't as enjoyable for me as I'd hoped.

The title track has me curious. Looking For The Perfect Beat has a great intro. Renegades Of Funk is one of those great covers that couldn't be more different in its original version. The album leans in as hard into the new electronic production techniques of the time like on Go Go Pop. It sounds dated to modern ears but has a charm in its unabashed big boom hip hop styling.

A historically essential record, very groovy if somewhat aged

It gets VERY samey after a while, despite being sonically interesting. But fuck Bambaataa, man. The paedo fuck!

A fun time. 2.5 rounded down to 2.

Favourite Songs: Who You Funkin' With?

You definitely had to be there. I just can't get past the image of a dude on a tiny, battery-operated Casio keyboard. I'm glad this stuff was coming out 40 years ago and paving the way for hip-hop to hit its golden age in the 90s, but I just cannot imagine listening to this again.

Pretty good old school stuff. Sorry to hear about Africa Bambaataa 😑

I vaguely remember this… Wow. I can’t actually listen to this. I mean, I DID, but, it was a horrible experience. Historically important? Yeah. But honestly I think I’d rather throw Einstürzende Neubauten on. Seriously 😳 Respect for Kraftwerk. Yet, I think they made things worse, not better. Yeah. Giving it a 2. That’s the best I can do. I want to do better for what this IS. But… yeah, no. 2 is f*ing generous. 2 Boolean: um…. True?

Historical artefact that has its place, led to etc etc. History, from what can see is already it seems in the process of erasure. Though addressing would probably be healthier but that doesn’t seem it the what happens. As music it’s not aged for a non fan, very repetitive electronic, whereas the original electronic music it samples flows, this with the vocals just seems to loop in on its self and just very dull, where repetitive can be fine, here it just is well, monotonous . Vocals are very of the time and just a little pedestrian. Musically, historic from what I read just dull 2 Star. Non- musically, wtf is up with people, stop hiding the problems and deal with, 1 Star

2 out of 5. Though dated more fun than I expected.

similar to yesterday - fun and def of it's time. it definitely made me marvel at how far and sophisticated hiphop has come in terms of beats and melodies

Understand this album is on the list because it's the beginning of hip hop and I can appreciate that but for me it was just OK.

Pretty unique early hip-hop here. Very inventive beats. Glad I listened to it, but I didn't really enjoy it all that much. I'm just not much of a fan of the style/flow of early rap.

41/100 I can absolutely see why Planet Rock is considered important, but enjoyment-wise, this one did almost nothing for me. Outside of the title track, listening to the album felt more like homework than something I’d choose to put on. I’m glad I heard it once, but I can confidently say I’ll never be listening to that shit again.

not a fan ngl

Just did not age well. This is likely historically important and there had to be obvious technical limitations… although this is 86 so not really… but I have had students with no musical experience create something stronger than some of this in 2 hours on BandLab. It’s just so sparse, basic, and boring at times. Gets the historical pass but this was hard to take seriously. The rage cover of renegades really goes to beat in not only how good rage is but what these songs could be in the hands of competent musicians.

Yeah… I get it. It’s pioneering and groundbreaking. But listening today might not really do it justice. It sounds very outdated. I like the Kraftwerk inclusion and Who You Funkin’ With which is more like Run DMC

As much as this is a historical hip hop album, it just doesn’t groove to me