Done By The Forces Of Nature

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Fri Mar 18 2022

5

Ah, to muse on what could have been. First thing to note is the cover: where is the parental advisory sticker? No need for one. For you see, what we have here is a less famous entry in daisy age rap, a short-lived tendency in hip-hop circa 1990 when rappers adopted a gentler, more playful, more positive stance. Of course, pop rap has been a perennial since Rapper's Delight, and daisy age led directly to the positive hip-hop of Arrested Development, but then it all died a death, buried under the juggernaut of gangsta rap. And I think everyone can nowadays agree that this was a real shame. Plenty of angsta rap has really not aged well (you know what, kids? People might get a bit sniffy if you express misogynistic and homophobic sentiments), and more generally, people would like a softer, more thoughtful take on hip-hop, which this album is. And from the off, the album delights. This is an immensely charming album, the flow charismatic as only old-skool hip-hop couplets can be. It's genuinely pleasant to hear a rap contain the lines: Stay out the dark and you'll find that you'll be strong Believe in yourself and nothin' will go wrong There's room out there for those who want some Because everybody's got a little light, under the sun. Even the tracks about the ladies are about good-natured flirting rather than objectification, and Black Woman outright praises, well, black women, directly saying that, along with love and protection, black women deserve respect, a most appealing concept. Also, the music itself impresses in its funky diversity, ranging from bebop to doowop to 80s squelchy synths. There are nits to pick. The album is a little too long, and I didn't really appreciate the message of In Dayz 2 Come, but I'm all prepared to overlook those because the album is such a joy regardless. I came away wishing that this had taken off, rather than The Chronic, a conclusion with which I suspect many would concur. Sometimes the best doesn't win. C'est la vie.

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Mon Jul 25 2022

4

Pioneers of mixing hip-hop with house and jazz (in fact they were the first to do the former), Jungle Brothers pack their second album full of irresistible beats and singsong flow. Some of the rhymes are wonderfully corny in that special late 80s way.

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Thu Apr 06 2023

5

This was a good album from that golden age of hip-hop before gangsta rap dominated the scene. Groovy, funky and very danceable. The lyricism is great, and it's refreshing to hear some hip-hop that takes a more light-hearted stance. Some of the songs sound a little cheesy now, but maybe it's just where everybody got so jaded by the gangsta rap juggernaut. Wonder what would be different in the world today if this was the hip-hop subgenre that persisted? Favourite: Tribe Vibes

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Thu Sep 15 2022

2

reminds me of NWA with less punchy beats, less punchy lyricism and less character

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Wed Aug 11 2021

5

I really enjoy discovering the environmental message of these 80s hip hop

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Mon Jan 24 2022

1

nope

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Sun Apr 24 2022

1

mehhhh

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Sat May 14 2022

1

Aaaaaand another hip hop album. Hard pass. 1/5.

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Fri Mar 26 2021

5

perfect 80's hip hop

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Thu Mar 04 2021

5

Very much liked this one

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Fri Apr 09 2021

5

Really fantastic, these guys are great, clearly they paved the way for a lot of groups who came after. I hear them in De La Soul and even a little in Digital Underground.

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Thu Apr 15 2021

5

Sweet rhymes, unique instrumentals, and fun, plunderphonics influenced production!

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Fri Sep 10 2021

5

Aw yea. The simple kick snare pattern starts this trance like background where instruments and voices come in and fade out. sneaky Parliament sample at the end of Sunshine. Good Newz Comin' is a house beat jam. damn what a cool album.

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Fri Nov 19 2021

5

A stone cold hip hop classic - I needed no introduction to this - conscious rap over some wonderful samples probably my favourite rap album ever....

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Tue Dec 07 2021

5

не ну балдежный олдскульный хепхап, то что надо ваще

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Sat Jan 15 2022

5

Really fun and easy listening. Great stories and messages too.

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Wed Apr 06 2022

5

Wonderful!

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Sun Apr 10 2022

5

Proto Tribe if I ever heard it. Tribe honed the blade, but the Jungle Brothers forged the weapon.

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Thu Jun 09 2022

5

There should be quite some albums from Black Sheep, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, Tribe Called Quest etc in the list. Most of their albums in period 87-94 or so.. all five stars, including this one of course.

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Wed Sep 21 2022

5

Liked it.

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Wed Oct 05 2022

5

Love the lyrics and style, clearly influential in the scene of hip hop/rap

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Wed Oct 26 2022

5

Great old school hip hop with very funky beats

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Wed Nov 02 2022

5

cool

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Mon Nov 07 2022

5

Absolutely no prior knowledge of this but what an album. Another gem from indisputably the golden age of hip hop. This sort of stuff is why I can't say I don't like hip hop, I'm just very selective.

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Thu Dec 08 2022

5

These guys should write a manual like "How to do 90s hip-hop sound even more 90s". I felt transported to another time listening to this album, and I liked it much more than when I lived in the 90s. The mixture of sound and percussion instruments/beats is unique (at the same time, that was extensively used around hip-hop for the next 10 years after this release), and the lyrics and voices are unforgettable. It looks like a very influential album I should listen to more times in the following years. Hip-Hop albums are always too many dependents on the context, but they shine when some are also so influential and time-transporting like this one.

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Tue Jan 31 2023

5

Dope! So fun! Will have to revisit!

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Thu Feb 23 2023

5

I'd never come across this before and was listening to a lot of hip hop and rap at the time. Great album, full of clever samples and grade A lyricism.

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Tue Jun 13 2023

5

9/10 idk man, this sounds A LOT like A Tribe Called Quest - can’t say one is ripping off the other, but seems kinda sus

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Fri Jul 28 2023

5

Kick ass! Like super cool. Kinda like tribe.

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Thu Sep 07 2023

5

I love this era of Hip Hop and this record never gets the love it deserves compared to others from the same time including groups like A Tribe Called Quest. The Brothers were doing it first and were a clear influence on Tribe and others of the era. A great record.

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Wed Sep 02 2020

4

Never heard of it before, my history with 80s/90s hip hop has been limited to just occasional Tribe Called Quest or The Roots. On research after listening, you can really hear how this was the foundation of those later acts. Rapid fire, bouncy hooks and social awareness. I dig it.

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Thu Jan 07 2021

4

7/10 F.T.:Doin our own Dang

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Mon Nov 30 2020

4

Good 80's rap. Easy to listen to, good beats all through.

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Thu Jan 21 2021

4

This is dope. The early days of hip hop & sampling. 3.5

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Tue Feb 09 2021

4

n_nagri , i really likes some songs

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Thu Jan 21 2021

4

Classic hip hop beats

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Fri May 28 2021

4

Now, THIS is the 90's hip-hop I adore!

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Sun Feb 21 2021

4

pretty high quality hip hop

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Mon Feb 08 2021

4

solid outing, if overshadowed by their better known work fav track: doin' our own dang

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Sat May 15 2021

4

So much of the basis apparent of the first hip hop I really fell in love with, De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest.

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Sat Apr 03 2021

4

Really solid beats

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Sun Feb 28 2021

4

Great album. In a time when "gangsta" rap was coming about, the jungle brothers (along with other artists in their Native Tongues collective) were rapping about their environment and spreading knowledge to empower people(wanting to spread good vibes). As far as MCs go their lyrics are among the top and their beats aren't stuck in one genre, sampling from so many influences, giving them a unique sound. They continue to impress with each bar spitting poetry instead of memes(or relying on current references to keep their music relevant, which is why they will remain timeless)

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Tue Feb 16 2021

4

This album is kinda cheesy now- reminds me of when people had 80s street dance offs with cardboard on the ground. But there is some important black culture here and I did enjoy hearing it. I can see Will Smith borrowed heavily from them too

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Fri Feb 12 2021

4

Probably won't ever go back to it, but I did enjoy giving it a listen

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Tue Feb 02 2021

4

Funky fresh.

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Wed Mar 10 2021

4

funky

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Wed Jun 16 2021

4

No way! Easily the least appreciated group in the Native Tongues collective, alongside Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. Very groovy, dance-y beats that sound a tad more dated than Tribe, but can you blame them? This was released in '89, I would've guessed mid-'90s! The rapping is great of course, but if we're going to compare to Tribe, they don't quite have the banter or charisma that elevated Q-Tip and Phife to legendary status. That perhaps explains why they aren't as well-known, but this is still a fantastic, really enjoyable album. Conscious, Afrocentric lyricism over some of the best jazz beats the era had to offer. I especially liked hearing the sample on "Beeds on a String" of one of the tracks Kanye sampled on "Fade" in 2016. The phrase "underrated classic" appears in the wikipedia page, and I think it's an apt descriptor. Favorite tracks: Tribe Vibes, Feelin' Alright, Doin' Our Own Dang, Black Woman, Beeds on a String. Album art: LOVE this one. Fantastic colors, great artistry. The kind of cover I like to get lost in looking for all the little details. 4.5/5

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Sun Feb 28 2021

4

Pretty catchy

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Tue Jan 26 2021

4

cool record, it sounds limited in its production but it slaps

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Fri Jan 29 2021

4

A bit repetitive, but a vibe.

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Wed Jun 16 2021

4

I'm going to give this album another listen because after one I think this may be something on the level of Tribe Called Quest. There were a few duds but almost all of the songs hit in some way for me. The lyrics were fantastic, the beats were those great late 80's early 90's, and I loved all the track titles with the "2" or "U" in quotes. This is also a phenomenal album cover. Favs were Feelin' Alright and Acknowledge Your Own History. These are the albums I hope to see on this list.

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Wed Feb 03 2021

4

Hip Hop, 80-90s d'arrel.

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Mon Mar 08 2021

4

I think this album got better towards the end Generally, I liked the album but I didn't find it consistently musically interesting enough to love it. The lyrics were good especially on songs like Acknowledge Your Own History, but I didn't like the musical aspect of it a lot. I really like the synth lead on Belly Dancin' Dina but the lyrics on that track aren't as good. Some lines like "I like to have fun by the ton" from (Done by the Forces of Nature) sound like Dr. Seuss which is not exactly the best. My favorite part of the album was probably the social commentary. Songs like Black Woman sound pretty modern which is not the case with some songs from the 80s and 90s about women (looking at you Jeru The Damaja...). Overall, I think the album gets better and more consistent towards the end. Favorite songs: Feelin' Alright, What "U" Waitin' "4"?, Good Newz Comin', Beeds On a String, J. Beez Comin' Through, Black Woman, In Dayz "2" Come, Doin Our Own Dang Decent 7/10

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Tue Mar 09 2021

4

Alkuun ihmettelin, miten juuri tämä levy perustelee paikkansa 1001 levyn joukossa. Ehkä juuri siksi, ettei ole puhdas hipitihopräpäytys-levy, vaan levylle on koottu makumaailmaa muista tyyleistä. Hauskoja jazz-tyylisiä ja funkahtaviakin beatteja ja rytmejä. Vastapainona jossain What "U" Waitin' "4"? 'ssa on yksinkertaisuudessaan ihan maaginen ja tarttuva bassokuvio ja esimerkiksi Good Newz Comin' biisissä lisävärinä vikkelät bongorummuttelut ja Tribe Vibesissa torvet. Vähän kun maiskuttelin enemmän tätä levyä, niin on jeppis ja rento meno. Pyöristin melkein jo syöttämäni kolkin lopulta ylöspäin, vaikka ehkä turhan venytetty levy nelkulle. Toisaalta, levy soimaan kesällä korvanappeihin, kun fillaroi pitkin merenrantaa, niin voisi paukkua vitosetkin.

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Thu Mar 04 2021

4

New one for me, liked this alot.

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Tue May 04 2021

4

In the tradition of De La Soul and Tribe called quest this is classic old school hip hop, rooted in jazz break beats and R&B samples. It also has a few songs which are more funk inflected and almost reach the G-Funk sound. At the end of the album it’s got a meandering tone, lots of sample/break medleys, that is awesome—very loose, as opposed to song, song song. The break in “Doin our own dang” is dope, I could listen to it on repeat for hours. I know the jungle Brothers but never heard this album in full, loved it.

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Tue Apr 27 2021

4

Pretty good old school hip hop

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Wed Apr 07 2021

4

This was new for me and really enjoyed!

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Sat Apr 03 2021

4

Miks između De La Soula i ATCQ Razigran album, ritmičan, sa dost dobrih stvari. Moooožda je mal dug za koju pjesmu, al to je većina kod tih rep/hip hop albuma, kriptonit njihov. Sve u svemu, dost dobar album, jeben vibe, baš se potrefilo dva slična albuma na random od 1001 albuma zaredom. Feelin' Alright kako pjesma nalaže. 3.8/5

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Wed May 19 2021

4

Solid 80s Hip Hop

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Tue May 18 2021

4

Some elements were typically sounding early hip-hop, but incorporation of different instrumentation (jazz, tribal) made it stand out.

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Wed Jun 02 2021

4

i also like this

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Wed Jul 28 2021

4

Exactly why I am taking this daily journey! Never heard of them before or any of their songs. Loved it! Success!

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Thu Aug 05 2021

4

Very good golden age hip hop. I never really gave them much time before but should listen more.

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Thu Aug 26 2021

4

4.1 - It's got that 125th and Lenox vibe - I'd hear these jams pumping from the street vendors selling bean pies, ginger juice, bootleg recordings of Malcolm X and tapestries adorned with the likeness of Haile Selassie. Uplifting, funky conscious rap that manages to not descend into the preachy and political. I appreciate the tribute to the "Black Woman", nice to hear a shout out to the sistuhs. These are non-stop bops underpinned by hard beats from the old school, and cool samples from jazz, African, R&B, funk. Really, what's not to like?

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Fri Aug 27 2021

4

Probably 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the album a lot for never hearing of the artist before. Unfortunately most of the lyrics are forgettable over basic beats. Good for 80's rap I guess

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Thu Sep 16 2021

4

9/28 Funky, feel good, conscious rapping, real talented group. Standout Tracks: Feelin' Alright, Sunshine, Acknowledge Your Own History, Good Newz Comin', Done By The Forces Of Nature, Doin' Our Own Dang

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Tue Sep 21 2021

4

Wow this was a really fun listen I can't wait to delve deeper. Super smooth vocals and luscious beats. 4 🌟

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Wed Sep 22 2021

4

Another excellent hip hop album… nothing groundbreaking but solid as!

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Sat Sep 25 2021

4

Refreshing to hear a positive and fun outlook throughout a whole album. Never heard of Jungle Brothers before but their style and attitude is infectious. Great album all the way through.

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Wed Oct 06 2021

4

Never heard of the Jungle Brothers before and after listening to this I can't figure out why they aren't more well known. This album came out the same year as De La Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising" and is every bit as good. Fun playful lyrics and great jazz-inspired beats throughout the whole album make this a fun and joyful listen. Favorite tracks: Feelin' Alright, Sunshine, Black Woman, Done by the Forces of Nature.

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Wed Oct 06 2021

4

Great to listen to on a hot sunny afternoon

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Tue Oct 12 2021

4

The sound of africa, toffe ontdekking waar ik een paar nummers van meepak

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Mon Oct 18 2021

4

Decent classic rap album. Really liked Doin Our Own Dang (most popular track). Lots of tracks had more upbeat melodies instead of darker or more serious tones of modern rap.

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Mon Oct 18 2021

4

Awesome. Similar to Sugar Hill Gang, but better to me. Really enjoyed this one.

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Tue Oct 19 2021

4

Mjög svöl plata. Fer í reglulega hlustun.

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Wed Oct 27 2021

4

Solid album that seems to have inspired many rap artists as a lot of the fabric of this album I’ve heard in albums that came after this one.

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Tue Nov 09 2021

4

Some of a little dated, most of it seems ahead of it's time though!

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Tue Nov 16 2021

4

Dig it! Added to my playlist. Immediately grabbed by the heavy beat of Beyond This World, enjoyed the dancing vibe of What 'U' Watin' '4', the great bass of Beeds on a String to the smooth listening of Doin' Our Own Dang. Although I understand how not everyone would be down with the infusion of Scat and Hip Hop as first apparent in the second song 'Feelin' Alright, along with the repetitive mumbo jumbo mix of Good Newz Comin' (reminded me of The Beatles Number 9) and not everyone wants to hear a 'message' and be all political when enjoying music. Can't help to think Arrested Development was influenced by Jungle Brothers, so much so I had to check to see if Speech was a member of Jungle Brothers.

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Tue Nov 16 2021

4

Really interesting - sounds like a lot of 90s hip hop

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Sun Nov 21 2021

4

Я начинаю понимать в хип хоп

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Sat Dec 04 2021

4

Late 80s/early 90s rap is so distinctive. Great lyrics on this album, really powerful. Classic beats

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Sat Dec 18 2021

4

It's been a long time since I've listened to rap in this vein. I really enjoyed this. So much going on and a lot of subtle, clever details. A fun listen.

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Mon Dec 20 2021

4

Great sound. Ahead of its time

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Fri Dec 31 2021

4

War für mich eine Offenbarung, damals... Feelin' Alright

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Sat Jan 08 2022

4

for cheesy 80s hip hop, not bad!

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Tue Jan 11 2022

4

Can't believe I've slept on this one all these years! So much forward momentum to the beats. Love the positive vibes.

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Tue Jan 11 2022

4

Sounds both of its era as well as ahead of it's time in some ways. Surprised I had not heard this one before.

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Sun Jan 16 2022

4

nichts erwartet, positiv überrascht worden

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Thu Jan 20 2022

4

This album is so cool and classic. I love the mix between the important and intelligent criticism and clever sense of humor. I really like the cover art. Favourite songs: Acknowledge Your Own History, Good Newz Comin', Beeds on a String.

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Fri Jan 21 2022

4

An Oreo and a Hydrox. Cheetos in the red bag and Cheetos in the blue bag. Pabst Blue Ribbon and Chimay Trappist Ale. I remember when I was a kid (1960-1970s) and the adults said that my music all sounded the same. And I guess to their uninitiated ears, Black Sabbath really did sound just like Grand Funk Railroad. But of course, you and I both know that those two really don’t sound like each other at all. Nor are they singing about the same things. Jungle Brothers are responding to their experience of being African-American at the end of the 20th century in quite a different way than, say, the infamous gangsta rappers. I think this is at least one of the reasons why some white people continue to purposefully mislabel this entire genre as crap rather than rap. They just don’t know any better, having spent virtually no time with it at all. In this way, rap is no different from country music- they’re both acquired tastes. I found Jungle Brothers to be a refreshing change from the violent, materialistic, misogynistic worldview of the much more publicized rap that white folks see on music videos and hear blaring out of car stereo speakers- that one can be authentically black in America without resorting to violent retaliation or irresponsible fucking or being high all the time. ‘The city’s a jungle,’ the opening track of 'Done By The Forces Of Nature' pronounces, ‘and we are the brothers. This so-called king of the jungle will run for cover. All of your minds have been set into a trance. So instead of fighting out your problems… we order ya’ll to dance!’ Dis it if you want. But have we even/ever given that a genuine try?

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Mon Jan 31 2022

4

Not my favorite 80s hip-hop (and wouldn't have made my list), but still fun and thoughtful.

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Fri Feb 04 2022

4

Really like the mix on this album. Lot's of different styles and samples, positive vibes, and some super corny 80's lyrics. Interesting to speculate on how hip hop would have evolved had something like this became more popular vs. the NWAs and Wu Tangs.

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Thu Feb 10 2022

4

A real nice oldschool hip-hop record

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Mon Feb 21 2022

4

Never heard of these guys. Being I late teen at tis time I am surprised that I had not. Definitely my style of rap. They not only reference but have a De La Soul quality about them. Love the little infused sound bites and samples they add with a bit of wit and charm. This album is just flat out COOL! Definitely should be a listen.

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Tue Feb 22 2022

4

True classic hip hop in the vein of Earth, Wind, and Fire or Grandmaster Flash

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Tue Mar 01 2022

4

I don’t know why I wasn’t pumped when I saw this album show up. Listening to it and thinking about the BASIC pop rap out at the time makes my head spin. Such a great group.

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Fri Mar 04 2022

4

What a fun album. from start to finish just a feel-good vibe

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Fri Mar 04 2022

4

Awesome album. Can hear the groove/beats that many of the pillars of hip-hop dance (such as locking and popping) that use music like this.

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Fri Mar 11 2022

4

Good hiphop album. I have a preference for stuff that came later like Pharcyde, but lot of great samples and beats in there. Nothing stood out in particular though.

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