Done By The Forces Of Nature

I didn’t know what to expect from this and was pleasantly surprised. I felt it almost went on a journey from a retrospective of 80s hip-hop to progressing to a more 90s sound by the end.

Closer to the kind of hip hop that I like. More jazz influenced in its sampling and gives me a de la soul or tribe called quest vibe. Lyrical content is nether as catchy or memorable in its delivery compared to some of its peers though.

Good

I expected more from this when other reviews said it was pre gangsta rap. It was still shite !

I'm not gonna lie, I liked this much more than I was expecting; that's not saying much. Most of the tracks had a musical hook to them that I enjoyed. I also appreciate that, vocally, they aren't just yelling. They actually sound like they are trying to do something vocally as well as lyrically. Kudos to them for that. I'm not much of a rap fan, but the musical aspect kept me listening. It's too bad that 2 Live Crew were getting all the attention at the time that this came out.

Not available in this part of the world- found that to be a relief.

a tribe called quest??!?!?

Couldn't stream this one but I remember it being worth more than one listen

90 talls hip hop som ikke har overlevd

Not on Spotify but not bad

Despite having possibly the worst cover art (yet), this is a really well made album! Most beats are funky and catchy, and some songs feature rapping that transcends the stereotypical late 80's flow. Side one was my favorite, and it ends with an instrumental banger that caught me by surprise: Good Newz Comin'. Inevitably, the music is rather dated, as old school hip hop tends to be formulaic and samey, but it was a breath of fresh air in terms of lyrics and messages.

I understand this is early rap and probably revolutionary but it is didn't like it.

Early hip hop, not my thing, not terrible I guess

I’m not a fan of hip hop/rap in general, mainly because I don’t like the lyrical content of most modern stuff. However, this I like. Not just because it doesn’t seek to offend, but also musically it’s excellent. I’d happily listen to this and De La Soul all the time.

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? 4⭐️

4 Reviews Wikipedia It was just cool, relaxed hip hop. Would enjoy more if I had a few more listens of it. Particularly enjoyed when the riff to Raunchy was played somewhere in the mix. 4 stars.

This is like when you get into the school music room and discover the preloaded samples that are loaded into the electric keyboard.

Great hip hop that incorporates good messages. Very on the nose but good points raised about how history is covered in schools.

Not bad, just can’t think of a lot to say about it

the cover art is fun

Another classic from before hip hop became dominant by misogyny and homophobia.

This is a good, solid album. It got better towards the end but not a huge amount stood out to me. Very decent, won't be on rotation

31/01/2026 Not a fan. Spotify listeners: 245.8k

Okay, but not something I would ever listen to.

6.0/10

It's nice to hear hip-hop that isn't gangsta rap

More '80's NY hip hop. Not bad, just more of the same. Endless flows to a backing track/beat, but no hook.

Really really good. Never heard a blend of jazz rap and house music like that. Sad it’s not on Spotify I had to listen on YouTube. It dragged a little towards the end but for this to be released in 1988, insane

Would definitely enjoy a house party with this soundtrack

This album is not on Spotify sadly, but I listened to their other one of the same era

not available on spotify so i listened to part of it on youtube, it was ok

the start was slightly better than the end but overall ok

Caused by God!

Fun and easy to listen to.

Surprised me! Didnt think this was hiphop but its very cool! Tribe called quest vibes!

Good but HAS to be docked a point for inaccessibility. Can’t make me listen on YouTube in 2026

Never heard of this group and was hard to find but I enjoyed

golden age bouncy samples are fun but dated, kind of 90s NYC club dance sound. rapping is more chanty and sing-songy than modern flows. Contrasting to the emerging gangsta rap as a view of where the genre could have forked. not on spotify - had to use youtube

I enjoyed elements of some tracks but disliked more than I enjoyed! It’s been a tough week!

Pretty fun, nice to have some hiphop before it was soiled by so much gangster rap. I don't think it'd get another spin from me, but enjoyed the listen

Really enjoy the old school rap. Wish this had taken off instead of gangsta rap

4.5/10

Chill old school hip hop with some notable features. I wish the tracks were on the whole a bit shorter, as they often overstayed their welcome.

not available

This is what I was hoping for more of from this list. Albums where the genre didn't even really exist yet, it if it did, underwent major transformation in the years following the release of the record. In this case, the genre of hip hop existed, but wasn't fully realized. This is a very great example of what the idea of a hip hop album was in the late 80's, the vast majority of the album was very eclectic. Great listen

When this album started, I thought I was in for something incredibly corny. But about mid way through it just becomes so cool, the beats and samples are amazing

Classic old school rap. Very groovy. Fav song is ‘Belly Dancin Dina’.

Another hip hop album that doesn’t suck, because it’s rooted in good grooves and groovy samples, sprinkled with good, if not always discernible, lyrics.

Instantly calming. "Feeling alright" on the fade out. I can't find this album on streaming. I can't even find lyrics for the original album (just the deluxe extra tracks. As far as I know this album and its lyrics exist solely in my head.

Pure old school fun

Expanded on ideas briefly here and there, but then went back to being just an average hip hop album. Lyrics were pretty wholesome though

There is def a time and a place when I’d put this on

Not a bad album, for sure, just doesn't shine as brightly among its peers.

Solid late 80's hip-hop. Loved their debut album. This one is almost as good.

Good shit.

This era of hiphop feels kinda boring. I know it's earlier and influenced a ton, but it mostly drifted by and nothing stuck. It has a good flow and sound. Not bad but what some bands took this and grew into add so much.

Some interesting sampling and lyrics safe to play for all ages. It is just kind of dull. The mixing is muddy. Quantity over quality. The ingredients are all here, the baking is just a little off. Amazing album art.

Jungle Brothers – Done By the Forces of Nature Done By the Forces of Nature is a solid historical document that unfortunately feels more like a "blueprint" than a finished masterpiece. While it successfully "sets the stage" for the funky, jazz-influenced boom-bap that would define the 90s, the execution falls short of the "immaculate" energy found in later LPs by the Native Tongues collective. Aside from the high-energy vocal chemistry on "Doin' Our Own Dang," much of the record feels like a work-in-progress—an experimental stage where the group was still refining their sound. It’s an interesting look at the "roots" of conscious hip-hop, but compared to the "on Mars" production of the LPs that came after, it leaves a clear "room for improvement." A decent 3/5 that values history over the actual listening experience.

it’s “unnecessary hip hop album” time. also it’s a bit too bland. 3/5

Whoah this slaps, gonna be cruising the whole discography

This was a really interesting album. I have never heard of this band. The influence on later bands is very evident.

I like some of these folks a lot! De La Soul, KRS-One, Monie Love! And I appreciated the happy vibes of the time, pre-gangsta. But it does get a bit redundant. Even with the different voices throughout, I find the beats and music to be much too same-y throughout. I wouldn't have this on repeat. (Somebody on here sounds like Speech from Arrested Development, but I can't find any connection. Wonder who that is?) Giving it a 3. It's fine, but not particularly memorable. I realize I'm looking backwards, having heard a bunch of folks that took this sound and made it better, maybe. But while I think it's OK, I don't imagine I'll come back to listen to this album again.

Tyvärr en dålig version av a tribe called quest

Enjoyed it

My greatest discovery in the first year of doing this project has been my love of late 80s/early 90s NY hip hop. Pharcyde, Tribe Called Quest, Run DMC, De La Soul, have all been among my favorite albums and this one continues that trend. Incredible music, powerful lyrics--looking forward to more.

can't find album to listen to. Sorry. Other stuff is OK but I am not a rap fan, so....

Had to go to Youtube. Was not worth it. I am giving it a 3 because I think I would have given it a 3 if it wasn't a pain in the ass.

To me this seems like very generic late eighties/early nineties hip hop/rap, with nothing to make it stand out from similar acts. In any case, it's just not my bag and two stars is all it's getting.

Pretty basic stuff, but probably by design (I know nothing about jungle so I’ll just pretend that’s the case). MC stuff was a bit slow too but listening to it in the gym was a good metronome

Fantastic record. Funky, fun and full of positive energy. I bet their live shows were even more fun. The record's creativity and sequencing is really well done and makes this album a breeze to listen to. The energy, cadence and lyrics are insightful and thoughtful and makes each story engaging. Really enjoyed this one. Long live JBs!

Old school lyrically.

Funky

We all know Tribe or Black Sheep or De La...but these Native Tongues are right there.

For being an 80s Rap album I really thought this project would play more into the tropes of the genre around that time, but this is a surprisingly Jazz-y and sample filled album that I thought felt like a pretty on-par De La Soul copy. Done by the Forces of Nature is lyrically dense and quite catchy all things considered, but again I would take De La Soul over this any day of the week. I feel this album's biggest problem is being able to keep its' momentum, it really struggles to hand its' 1 hour runtime effectively without feeling weak especially in the middle section. Again I'd much rather here De La Soul than whatever Jungle Brothers are doing here but I will say there are some notable beats that make this stand out on its' own. It isn't one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time, but it is a surprisingly well aged project that just has a bit of pacing and consistency problems that hold it back from being more memorable. Nuff said.

I’m gonna assume this isn’t on Spotify for sample clearance issues, which is a damn shame because the sampling is one of the highlights. A strong start, a weak middle, then a shot in the arm with the one-two punch of “Tribe Vibes” into “J.Beez Comin Through” gives this thing such a firm ending. I’d think so highly of this album if it left out a few song in the middle before these. Other highlights include “Feelin Alright”, “What You Waiting 4”, and the closing song. Softest 4/5, though I will once again scream into the void for a more detailed rating system than just 5 stars

I didn't hate it, just didn't feel standout enough

I listened to the album but I’m done by the forces of nature.

3,5

This album is so long. Great bang for your buck, if you like the music. Unfortunately I did not for the most part.

3,3 - Das Album ist einfach ein Vibe. Kein Song hat mich nachhaltig beeindruckt, aber insgesamt echt gut anzuhören. Highlights: What "U" Waitin' "4"?, Feeling Alright, Doin' Our Own Dang 3,0 - Das war jetzt das erste Album aus dem Wu Tang-Kosmos, das mir wirklich gefallen hat. Es ist immer noch nicht mein Genre, aber kann man sich gut anhören. Highlights: Criminology, Rainy Days

Funk rap house

Man I miss boom boom bap. Not as fun as De La Soul or as Revolutionary as Tribe- but still great.

It is very much a product of its time and for me it doesn’t hold up well.

3.4 Some of the old school hip hop sounds the same to me but the beats/tracks seemed to have a lot of variety. Something I will check out again and see if I can latch on to some lyrics

Had to listen to it on YouTube, but 100% worth it, this is equal parts funky, natural and just fun.

Fun hip hop

Vibes boas pra fechar bem o ano. O disco foi feito antes do gangsta rap dominar inteiramente o gênero na década de 90, de certa forma a sonoridade acaba ficando menos datada que outros álbuns do mesmo período. A instrumentalização é agradável, otimista, animada e energética. Muitos samples legais aqui. As letras são positivas, sem a agressividade que permeou o gênero nos anos sucessores. Importante notar que esse disco antecedeu outros grupos que produziram sonoridades semelhantes, como Tribe ou De La. Há mérito nisso. Mas de qualquer modo, o disco possui defeitos típicos do gênero Rap nesse momento jovial. A duração é um problema, o disco é longo demais e acaba ficando entediante após um certo ponto. É o tipo de álbum que eu ouvi olhando a duração pra saber se faltava muito pra acabar. Não é uma escuta ruim nem desgastante. É um bom disco, mas com a curadoria certa poderia ter sido melhor. 4/5

This album seems to have been scrubbed from streaming entirely, so I must again begrudgingly say thanks, YouTube. A lot of fun. Fresh and creative, eclectic sample work. Thoughtful but definitely not bleak and often funny. Not nearly as dated as some of its contemporaries; the fusion with house music actually keeps it sounding pretty modern. A hidden gem from the golden age of hip-hop (from my perspective, at least. I’d never heard of this group or album before now). I’ve used this phrase a few times across my list journey, so forgive me, but I really mean it: ahead of its time.

TBH based on the group name and fact that it was not available on spotify I thought this might be some grimy UK electro. Instead I'm met with a new (to me) old school hip-hop trio that apparently ran in the same circle with De La Soul and ATCQ. This was an all around enjoyable listen. While early hip-hop can feel a little dated in the beat styling and delivery (this no exception) these guys flowed well, had solid variety, and pulled in good support. For me the highlights that I caught were Feelin' Alright, Belly Dancin' Diva, Beeds on a String, and Tribe Vibes (love this beat). Also really enjoyed the vibey instrumental in the middle, but didn't take note of its name. 4 / 5.

Good News Coming was a stand out. Otherwise this was a solid hip hop album to put on at the start of a work day. I like the collab style and the beats are very good, but not great.

Not really my jam at all and way too long at an hour. Just pretty standard sounding hip hop.

Had its moments but overall was a nothingburger to me. Meh 3.

As a teen, the Native Tongues were on regular rotation for me, which was weird as a goofy spotty white kid from Devon. De La Soul? Fuck yes. A Tribe Called Quest? oh my days yes please, Black Sheep? Go on then, take that. Jungle Brothers? Oh, yeah sure, okay, but maybe we put on De La or Tribe or Black Sheep perhaps. Sadly, always a bit of the third or fourth wheel of a set of options. I owned the album, it was their best album, I liked it, but it got very little rotation because there was so much else that was similar and better. I'm going to give it a 4 as it made me think of so much other greatness and I still enjoyed the listen through.

The hip house sound is still cool even though (and maybe even because) it's dated

Ovo je onaj tipični meni draži opuštajući hip hop što dosadi ali ne iziritira kao neki drugi tipovi.

Lot of funky beats here that make the whole thing seem pretty cool. Good usage of a variety of samples. Fun time overall. Favorites were Feelin’ Alright, Good Newz Comin’, J Beez Comin’ Through, and Doin’ Our Own Dang.

2.5

De beats zijn F U N K Y zeg, holy shit. Maar dit is wel echt taaie early early rap. Gewoon nog heel erg de hippity hoppity hop over boogy woogy enzo. Er zitten wel wat sterkere tracks tussen maar dit voelt nog als een beetje Pre De La qua bars enzo. Oh nee, bars als op Acknowledge your history zijn zeker politiek, maar dan het contrast met de beats, jup dat is early early hiphop alright. Meteen mn issue hiermee; er is zoveel hiphop die beetje hetzelfde klinkt, De La, Jungle Brothers en nog een aantal gebruikten bijna allemaal dezelfde flow en de beats. Dat vind ik nice, maar een uur lang album? pfoeeeei Geen slecht album hoor, dit, maar dit is voor mij wel echt hiphop die is ingehaald door de tijd. Het is wel heel vet dat hier nauwelijks in word gescholden en het is natuurlijk in die tijd sensationeel omdat het zo anders is dan de gangsta rap van NWA enzo. FAVO: What u waitin 4?, Good Newz Comin, Doin our own dang

C'était rigolo tout ça.

I appreciate that it laid part of the foundation for what hip hop would become. Parts of it are cool, other parts not so much. I wonder if they left 20 minutes of tracks on the cutting room floor if it would have been better.

some cool beats, some annoying ones; some awesome lyrics, some questionable ones. pretty uneven, by and large, but Good Newz Comin' is an absolute banger

This is a fantastic album with very little fat to trim. It hits a high mark and just keeps going.

Some nice beats, not as hip-hoppy as I expected, but I'm not familiar with the evolution of the genre.

1/3. The first 1 on my list, I just wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Maybe I'm just not the right demographic or I'm too used to modern rap, but a lot of this just sounds corny to me. There are some cool beat/production ideas here and I'm sure it was very influential in its time, but for the most part I just couldn't get into it. Acknowledge Your History and Doin' Our Own Dang were the highlights for me, the rest was a wash.

not my cup of tea but one or two of the songs were catchy.

When I listen to albums like this, I'm like, really, top 1001? Makes me feel like they really needed to add some filler. This felt pretty run of the mill. Nothing spectacular. It just seems like this list came out at the peak of the "black people complaining about life of black people needs to be recognized" phase. The music was interesting and the beats were awesome, but I heard it all before.

I cannot imagine paying to listen to this "music"

This pretty much had the same beat throughout the whole album. Nevertheless it was kind of enjoyable

Found this kinda boring

Wow! What a great album!! I can’t believe I didn’t get to hear this when it came out in 1989. I probably would have played this a lot back then. Everything about this record is so great; the raps, the scratching, and the production of all those sounds on the backing tracks. Their sense of humour also adds to the upbeatness of it all. I live for days like this with this project when I can have a great listen and discovery of an album I had not heard yet.

This album clearly comes from an important moment in hip-hop’s evolution, and it sounds familiar for a reason. The funkier, jazz-leaning grooves and Afrocentric vibe laid groundwork that a lot of later artists refined and popularized. Listening now, it’s easy to hear how influential it was, especially within the Native Tongues orbit. At the same time, that familiarity works against it a bit. Decades later, the formulas are well worn, and while the album is enjoyable, it doesn’t consistently grab me. There’s a sense that with repeated listens a standout track might eventually reveal itself, but halfway through I wasn’t fully hooked or compelled to keep digging. I like the sound and appreciate what it represents, but it lands more as a respectful listen than a magnetic one. Glad to have heard it, but it doesn’t feel essential to return to. A solid three stars.

Noen dager e det bare helt feil album på helt feil tidspunkt, og det her va et av dem. Det va absolutt ingenting galt med det, men det va absolutt ikke det æ ville høre på mens æ bedreiv julegavehandling i pissregn (akkurat da vil man vel ikke høre anna enn en værmelding som sier at det bedre sæ uansett), så æ satte på ingen måte særlig pris på det, særlig fordi det også framsto såpass sketsjbasert, og det e i utgangspunktet ikke en type rap æ e veldig fan av. Men en anna dag en anna gang hadde det nok truffet helt ok.

This album was just a lot of fun. A little history and politics added to the fun. Proper.

Fresh!

Another awesome old school hip hop album. This is 3.5 stars.

Fun old school hip-hop beats. Playful and chill lyricism. Not really my genre but I'd take this over the murky, unpleasant aggressiveness of Biggie Smalls anyday. 2.5

nah

Litt mykje tidleg hiphop no

3.5/5

Yeah Jungle Brothers Yeah

Veldig mye nice production, elsker hvor lavt kicken og bassen ligger i mixen gjennom hele skiva. Dessverre blir det litt monotont i lengden når de bruker det samme trikset på hver eneste låt av de 16 låtene. Synes heller ikke de er like gode på å skrive låter som å produsere, og det mangler ofte litt edge. 3 Feet High and Rising kom ut samme år og er vesentlig freshere enn dette -- skits til tross.

Native tounges-kollektivet og alle deres etterkommere har nok laget det meste av hiphop-musikken jeg liker best. Jungle Brothers har jeg dessverre neglisjert. Noe som selvfølgelig er synd, ettersom Done by the Forces of Nature er helt der oppe med det beste av De La Soul. Her slipper man til gjengjeld så mange skits også. Gode samples (den er listig den Black Sabbath-samplen på "Beeds on a String"), catchy melodier og good vibes. Eneste trekket jeg har er at lufta går litt ut mot slutten av plata. Merker jeg ofte kritiserer plater for å være for lange, men her kunne de hatt gode fillers til neste plate. Bare sier det.

Rap

Boom bap album nothing crazy

Nice! These guys inspired so much of my favorite music. This was a great listen, shows its age in places but still a great hip-hop record. Favorite Tracks- “Feelin Alright” “J Beez Comjn” “Doin Our Own Dang”

Here for this. Nice beats, nice rhymes. Not going to be spinning it all the time, but nice to add to the rotation. A bit long, but that's alright.

Good. Not really my style, but clearly foundational to a lot of music that I do really like

Jungle boys is the new group name after the move Tri taught at Wednesday 6am class

Positive, funky, dancey Afrocentric rap. Descriptions of the album mention the house music influence which I hear in some acid basslines, which I think is cool. I don’t have any context or point of reference for this, so it’s interesting to read people’s reviews of this who understand it better, and note how this was a contrast to the gangsta rap that later became a dominant form in rap music. I find the album overly long, but it’s a good listen and something I don’t think I would have come across on my own.

I thought this one was fun but maybe a bit repetitive for me. I enjoyed some of the tracks but found it went on a bit long and a few of the songs were too similar. I liked the sampling and the beats. Fav song: Good Newz Comin’ Least fav: J. Beez Comin’ Through

I like the vibe of this quite a lot. Great Beats. It goes on for a tad long maybe. Specific rating - 4.2 Fav song - sunshine Least fav- black woman

Feels like they were having fun making this album! Good beats and fun lyrics, just a really joyful listening experience. Never heard of these guys before and am very happy to have heard this album. Tiny bit too long/repetitive but still overall a good album experience. Favourite song: What "U" Waitin' "4" Least: Belly Dancin' Dina

Hip-Hop from 89.

Didn’t manage the full album but from what I heard it was the type of groovy beat-driven hip hop that De La Soul used to do. Clear vocals, hip, but not especially deep. I can listen to this sort of stuff quite happily.

I've never liked hip hop and this album didn't change my mind. I assume the main point of it is the lyrics but I can't follow the accent and slang used so so it's a lost cause for me.

Fora Old school album

I'm no rap expert and was not aware of these guys before this album was offered up as per ze challenge. One wonders if it was popular, if it twas influential. I can't tell. In could research, but ain't nobody got time fo that. What is obvious is that it's less violent, less visceral than most of the rap I know. Less about the ho, the guns, the money, the streets. More about some other shit, I wasn't paying full attention as I listened in the midst of an encroaching sickness. But to these ears it felt low on samples, drum heavy, low on instrumentation. Still fun in places, still got my feverish head nodding, then regretting such rhythmic movement.

I was ready to give this a review yesterday, when I realized I listened to the wrong album. That album was cheesy LOL funny, antiquated rap. This album is better than that one, still antiquated rap but still good. Listening to older rap album feels like watching 70s NBA basketball with short shorts & you see a guy with dorky glasses shooting Free-throws Granny style. It's dorky, it works & is effective but still awkward. This is the awkward teenage years of rap. I dug this. Good message, pg-13 rap & good use of samples. Good legendary guest stars as well.

Not on Apple Music. Not really my thing.

Pese a ser mega fan de De La Soul y Tribe Called Quest, nunca me había escuchado ningún disco de Jungle Brothers, pese a que sabía que su Straight Out The Jungle había sido el primer disco del movimiento Native Tongues, que fue básicamente God’s gift to Earth. En fin, buen disco en esa onda, buenos temas y el mejor de los mensajes. Hay un tema instrumental hacia el final que va saltando de sample en sample y es una barbaridad que no me esperaba. Me sorprendió la etiqueta de hip house en rym pero luego sí que es verdad que las bases de un par de temas tiran hacia ese rollito. Buen momento para ponerme un clásico que sabía que me iba a gustar y que tendré que seguir disfrutando.

Good old school East Coast hip hop. Had a good time reading up about them and the Native Tongues collective.

Sometimes I struggle (from the heat of going under)

Lots of hip hop on 1001 so far. This felt like entry level, with a melodic background. Enjoyed it.

Did nothing for me

I've enjoyed the introduction to rap that 1001 is giving me. But this album isn't working for me. Not offensive, but not engaging either.

Long and repetitive

Parliament references?????

I was more hopeful for this one when I knew that it was going to be clean, foundational hip hop, but it left me a bit disappointed. Just too repetitive. Plus, always a strike when it’s not on YouTube.

I didn’t care for it, most tracks range from fine but dull to bad

Mid old-school rap.

Loved this

What a fun time! Old school hip-hop, fat bass, funky samples, good lyrics too! I'd never actually encountered these guys until today, and this was a time and a half. Was also interested to find out these guys preceded A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul by a couple of years. I think it falls a little short of being a five for me, but really enjoyable listen and one I think I'll be spending some more time with.

Jungle Brothers never being as popular or recognized as A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul is criminal. A perfect showcase of what some parts of rap were going to at in the years that followed

2.5

I don’t like it

Musica tipo hip hop, no se si hi ha influencies de jazz. No m'encanta, pero ok

het zoveelste rap album... het zoveelste inwisselbare album

This is a great album with an empowering message and some real fun beats. The late 80's, early 90's is definitely my hip hop sweet spot.

This isn't on Spotify but I'm listening to one of the tracks on YouTube. Pretty cool! I like this old 80s rap sound What U Waitin 4 is pretty viby. This was actually pretty cool man, 4 stars.

Just fine

Low/mid 4, super solid record

Amazing album, very hard to find

What a beautiful mystery. We did not know it and so thankful we do now. Right on.

Hell yeah this fuckin rocked, perfect from beginning to end blew my dumb ass idiot mind

Day 83 Could definitely see me middle aged white man dancing to this at a festival whilst people I’m with slowly move away pretending they don’t know me. 6/10 Highlights Sunshine Belly Dancing Dina

In some ways dated, in other ways current. Great samples, though they don't do too much with them, especially when compared with the pretty exhaustive sample work on De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, which came out the same year. The flow is pretty standard 80s, though not so great when compared with De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, which came out the same year. The album as a whole is just OK - overstays its welcome juuust a touch unlike De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, which came out the same year. Mercifully, it doesn't feature any skits, unlike De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, which came out the same year. Not good enough to be great, but not bad. Lost to the sands of time as anything but an artifact because, looking back, not a single part got stuck in my skull. It does feel pretty forward looking, but maybe not as much as De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, which came out the same year. I gave Digital Underground a 3, though, so I can't do this one dirty by doing the same. I think I'm overrating this rap albums. Regardless, it doesn't measure up to De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, which came out the same year.

I’ve got COVID for the second time since it was invented by whichever conspiracy theory you believe. It’s not been too bad, more annoying than anything, but the last couple of nights it’s messed with my sleep. So, I’m tired and listening to rap from 1989 isn’t something that I’m excited to do, but I did, as I was assigned the Jungle Brothers album, Done By the Force of Nature. I’m not sure if I heard of the Junble Brothers or not. I vaguely remember the name, but at this time in my life, I was into 2 Live Crew and N.W.A. The Jungle Brothers are less outrageously violent or into sex, so it didn’t interest me as a teenager in 1989. I will say, the beats, grooves, and samples used on the album harken back to the early days of New York hip-hop, so it was definitely a nostalgic trip into time. The rapping was more fun and less serious, though there were some serious societal themes discussed, but mostly, as Rolling Stone described the album, the Jungle Brothers have a more “positive, spiritual vibe.” The problem with a lot of the hip-hop albums from this time is that by this point in hisotry, we’ve heard it all. Now, is this better than 99% of the stuff put out today? Yes. You can understand the lyrics, and the beats are easy to dance to. For hip-hop scholars and histroains, this is a must listen. For those of you looking for some new party jams, you could do a lot worse than this album. But, as for it being a must listen, you need not add it to your bucket list. I’m going to go take a nap.

Did this entire genre get killed by Will Smith? I quite enjoyed it but every track just sounds a little like Gettin Jiggy Wit It

the beginning of hiphop, it captures an era.

Too 80’s, too hip hop, obnoxiously American. Not for me at all.

Even though hip-hop usually doesn’t click with me, I still enjoyed this album to some extent — but in the end, it didn’t leave a strong impression on me.

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.

Can not play on spotify

Not a huge fan of old school hip hop musically, but lyrically very important and robust. 3/5

This album was sick, it feels like the genesis of jazz rap and was the obvious inspiration behind tribe and de la soul and I'd never heard of it before. Enjoyed it front to back.

So good!

Cheesy like a stinkin bishop and twice as funky. It's like a "Where's Wally" of samples too - Free Bird, Hooked on a Feeling, and no doubt a ton more I missed. Its just so damn dated.

Had no idea this group existed which sucks cause they are awesome, really smooth catchy bars, great beats and great interplay between the members, such a cohesive album too, accidentally on first listen clicked on a song later on in the track list and I was super confused why I was so far down. Definitely one I’ll be playing more often

Gøyal hip hop, litt slitsomt til tider.

Another late 80s hip hop album, and another hour of drum beats and a lyrical mean average of vague civil rights-aligned lyrics that, while relevant, aren’t really impactful. I wish I could say something more about the lyrics here, but that really is it. The other side of the coin, the beats, are pretty damn good for 1989, but still not much in the way of ‘groundbreaking’. Obviously I can’t relate to this at all either, so that’s certainly a factor. I just think that this sort of music has so much to offer in so many more obvious choices of album.

#745. I did with this album what I do with all of them I have to look up on YouTube, I half assed it. I skimmed through a few songs, it seemed fine to me I guess. 3/5: acceptable

I dont normally like hip hop, but this isn't awful. You can listen and the rhythm and lyrics are at times enjoyable.

80

Graced with artwork that would appear in a hastily tagged mural or on a tapestry stuck in a window, I completely approve. Airbrush this on a windbreaker and then give me said windbreaker. Somebody needs to have the coolest jacket in Baie-Comeau. Pipe dreams. The band that gets frequently shouted out on A Tribe Called Quest releases makes an appearance of their own. Will the influence hold a candle to the influence-ee? Beyond This World - We’re getting some 1989 riggity rappin’ here. Rhyming about positivity and also forcing rhymes. Not my favourite, but the beat is very very fun. Feelin’ Alright - This is pretty weird. Are we doing vocal jazz?? Surprisingly, that’s actually kinda alright. Sunshine - We’ve got some lyrics about rain going away and some huffing and puffing. Hmm. Uhh well. Did I mention I think the album cover is fun?? What “U” Waitin’ “4” - The driving bass here is pretty good and I appreciate the direction of butt shaking with the reminder to not break one’s back. An oft forgotten step. This is a very fun track. I mean it’s not very good, from a technical perspective, but it’s clearly very fun. Aside from the extended moaning. We probably could’ve done without that looped in my ear. “U” Make Me Sweat - The letter “U” also makes me incredibly uncomfortable. Oh God I used it AAAHHH NOOO NOT AGAIN. Fortunately I can focus on this incredibly funky beat. Even if funky contains the letter U. Try not to use vowels challenge: Difficult. God this thing rules. It’s so infectious. Acknowledge Your Own History - That’s a left turn. “Hey guys, now that we’ve torn the house down with a Parliament style funk banger, let’s delve into the complexities of history and how the western recording of said history is often inaccurate or dismissive or reductive of other races.” I’m here for it. Belly Dancin’ Dina - This beat is fantastic, but the 19 bars about having an erection at a “Belly Dancin’” bar looking at “her jelly-like belly” isn’t a good look. Hey, I’m laughing. That’s something. Good Newz Comin’ - You’re watchin’ The 6 o’clock newz. Here is your anchor, Big Hoss Cherubio. Good evening, I’m Big Hoss Cherubio. In fat guy newz, the rare species of rhinoceros from which McRib is made has been found extinct. I would’ve ensured that all of you were sitting down as I read that newz, but I feel that’s a safe bet. That’s all the time I have, as I am late for my other job at the butterfly slaughterhouse. Good night and good newz. Done by the Forces of Nature - Hey, we’ve got a bass heavy beat WITH flute? That’s pretty sick. Mostly horrible lyrics (records spun, I like to have fun by the ton) interrupted by an almost terminally lucid takedown of the mega rich only to return to 80’s word association rhymes. Beeds on a String - Uh oh. We’re getting into the long winded territory. This puppy is clocking in at 60 minutes. I mean, how else would we experience an 80’s rap record unless we listen to rhymes like “fun in the sun and I’m eating a bun, that’s a hamburger, I’m ready for a merger” for an hour? Tribe Vibes - Called Quest? This is a good one. That scream in the middle? Very good. The obligatory shout out track. J. Beez Comin’ Through - Excuse me, are you Jimmy Beez? Can I have your autograph? Im a big fan of your work. Yeah somebody has to yell at pigeons in the Bowery. Ohhhh it’s not about legendary hobo Jimmy Beez. It’s a long form way of saying “JB’s.” Black Woman - Sweet like sugar, hot like wine. Guys. We need to be a little less horny on this thing. Of course, respecting women? Lovely. They need it. This track arguably disrespects women and music because this thing is CORNY. And like “her breasts provide nutrition for growth” which don’t rhyme with anything. What is this? Women - great. Song - Dreadful. In Dayz “2” Come - I enjoy the quotation marks. They really acknowledge the wacky, zany spelling of rap records. Doin’ Our Own Dang - What the hell does this mean? Don’t say “Fat funky fruit with a whole lotta tang.” I rag on these guys, but hey, this is a really fun track with some excellent features. Kool Accordin’ “2” a Jungle Brother - Kool Accordion. Rap from this time ranges from incredibly annoying, to quaint, all the way to revolutionary. This album takes in all of that territory and more. We could’ve used some editing here, but we weren’t so lucky, and we ended up with cuts like “Belly Dancin’ Dina” and “Sunshine.” The good moments were incredibly fun and thought provoking. I can see why these guys carved out a place amongst the New York Hip Hop pioneers in this era, and I appreciate the effort. Enjoyable record. Not perfect, but hey, is any of one of you or any of us really?? Now think on thinking on it that or what have you. I have to go. I believe I may have contracted some sort of brain amoeba. 2.5-3 HIGHLIGHTS: “U” Make Me Sweat, Acknowledge Your Own History, Tribe Vibes, Doin’ Our Own Dang

Normally when one of those old golden age hip hop asks me to dance I'm not really inspired to. Maybe the beat's a little flat, maybe the flow ain't all that good, maybe the lyrics ain't up to snuff ... or, I'unno, maybe they're only askin' me 'coz everyone in this era is askin' me to dance? And most times, they ain't special. They ain't gettin' a foot tap out of me, let alone a single shimmy. Get outta here. So you gotta know an album's doin' something right when it gets both a tap **and** a shimmy out of me. Whoo, lookit 'em go. 'Done By The Forces Of Nature' — I mean, let's just cut to the chase: this is a fun as hell album. Straight Tribe kinda golden age shit. Front to back, there wasn't a single I wasn't enjoying myself.. And I didn't think I would with an album that's **60 minutes**, but, goodness me, these Jungle Brothers: they know how to do it. It starts with the beats, the parts I always focus on with hip hop albums. I can't help it; I'm a "melody first" sort of person, y'know? These are some fine as hell beats. Like ... goodness me, I didn't think I'd hear another rap album from the 80's with beats this good. I thought it'd be just 'It Takes A Nation' of 'Paul's Boutique', but damn do the Jungle Brothers and Kool DJ Red Alert have the chops. They boom, they bap, they lock you into a nonstop groove ... oh, and goodness me, the sample work. It's nothing as crazy as what's present on those two albums I just mentioned, but dang n' darn. That "Fly Like An Eagle" sample on "J. Beez Comin' Through" goes crazy. And the whole instrumental track, "Good Newz Comin'"... honestly, when that "Hooked On A Feeling" hook hit, I went nuts. Seriously. Then there's the flows and lyrics. I'm the kind of person who struggle with lyrics, so normally I'd only be able to recognize the flows. And the JB's do got themselves a great flow across the album. But I gotta tell you, the lyrics on here are just as good. They're cleverly written, and, honestly, I just find myself engaged with what they had to say. Part of this review was written while I had a few cuts on the album playing, and I kept getting distracted looking over at the lyrics. And it's real positive stuff, y'know? Tribe Called Quest kinda shit. And I'm not the kind of person who'd demand positive lyrics, but they're just so nice, goodness. But they can take things seriously sometimes, too: "Black Woman" is the prime example, but there's also a part on "Sunshine" where I was honestly like, "Damn." Jus', ooo, goodness. I realize I'm kinda rambling here, without a real structure to speak of. But that's only because I just really do like this album that much. It might really be one of my favorite rap albums I've come across through this list. Certainly it's one of the best I've heard from the 80's. And again, just the fact that they can make 60 minutes feel like nothing, with their beats and their lyrics and ... dang, I didn't even mention their range of topics. This thing is 16 tracks, and it never sounds like they're repeating themselves. That's impressive! And when you hit that monster of a posse cut at the end, "Doin' Our Own Dang", with De La Soul and Queen Latifah ... I'll say it again: goodness! So, yeah, I got nothing I wanna say. It's something 2 dance 2 and it's damn good at it. This ain't one of my better reviews/babbles, but whatever. I'm jus' gonna keep on shimmyin'. Good shit.

Good vibes on this one. Solid 4 Stars.

I’m at a 5. I really should’ve given Queen Latifah a 3. A bit of an irony to both her and Monie Love popping back up on this album’s monstrous posse cut, “Doin’ Our Own Dang”, featuring themselves, Q-Tip, De La Soul, and of course, the stars of the show, the Jungle Brothers. Let’s be real; these guys are basically the cousins of Tribe Called Quest. Hell, apparently, they gave them their name, which isn’t too surprising given all of the references to tribes throughout this thing. This is a super positive rap album for 1989, and yet it doesn’t feel like an outlier next to its peers. I’d honestly argue it’s the second best rap album of the 1980s we’ve gotten so far, right behind “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back”. I found myself in a total groove state here, following along with lyrics & just going to the beat, so I really don’t have too much to say about each track, other than the overarching vibes of positivity, reclamation, & happiness (and one weird outlier track about the rapture). “Black Woman” sticks out, just in terms of lifting up women at a time when the whole genre felt like it was aiming the other, deeply misogynistic way. “Acknowledge Your Own History” probably has the best lyrics on the album, in terms of black empowerment. For a 16-track album, I think it’s a hell of a testament to their writing that nothing really overlaps too much, and their flows feel fresh every time. Instrumentally, I think this thing shines; a solid soft balance between the future jazzier tones that A Tribe Called Quest would bring to the table by “The Low End Theory”, and the sort of cheesier ‘80s Slick Rick / Run-DMC style, whilst blending in a myriad of samples that are recognizable across the board if you’ve heard enough rap. As a result, some of these tracks feel like they’re evoking artists from years later; “Good Newz Comin’” in particular feels like a Tyler, The Creator track & “Tribe Vibes” feels like it could fit into 1994 or 1995, not 1989. KRS-One seems deeply underrated as a producer. Overall, I think it’s an hour that easily speaks for itself; I certainly enjoyed the hell out of this, and as a progenitor of sorts to a vibe / style that De La Soul & A Tribe Called Quest would later refine & make famous, this album really works, especially for 1989. It makes me feel kinda silly for bumping up yesterday’s Queen Latifah album to a 4 when it’s not even really in the same class (even though I liked it!). This is probably my second-favorite ‘80s rap album we’ve gotten so far, and to my ears, it’s a very easy 5. Strong, strong stuff.

This was fun and flowes really well.

ok

Storytelling, eclectic sampling and super-buoyant vibes. Songs like “Sunshine”, “Acknowledge your own history” and “Good Newz Comin’” manage to align mind, body and soul in a righteous bop. Doses of daisy age (“da inner sound, y’all”, according to research) rap that unfailingly puts a smile on my face.

Mest boring. Samma trista beat. Fattar inte hiphop! Tvåa

Utterly top notch, very fun album

Hip hop to its core. I loved the flow, their message throughout and the beats were the cherry on the top!

Overall, this wasn't a very exciting listen for me. I know that some people like that kind of early rap music, but I prefer the more melodic one, as I don't tend to pay attention to the lyrics that much. This was a bit meh and not really for me, but I am sure it has its fanbase.

Very cool album, I can see the inspiration to groups such as De la soul. First of its kind (I think?) with such heavy sampling, hip hop with strong funk basis and beats. 4.5

Fun hip hop

1. Beyond This World - 10 Brilliant hip-hop. Absolutely wicked beat with amazingly well paced lyrics. The switching between the brothers and how they're queued up to enter the track is superb. 2. Feelin' Alright - 5 The rap is good but the "doo doo doo" part I could do without and there's way too much of it on the track. Beat is solid. 3. Sunshine - 7 Decent rap. Not as superb as Beyond This World but it's without the "doo doo doo" part from Feelin' Alright. Sometimes the rap feels a little lyrically forced though. 4. What "U" Waitin' 4 - 8 Great beat and pace. Lyrics are very enjoyable as well. Solid track. 5. "U" Make Me Sweat - 5 Beat is great but I'm not a fan of the lyrics. It's an okay track. 6. Acknowledge Your Own History - 6 The rap is very good as is the supporting singer in the bridge. The beat is okay. Overall musically it could be better but it's a solid track nonetheless. 7. Belly Dancin' Dina - 4 It's not great. The rap just feels lyrically the weakest thing so far. 8. Good Newz Comin' - 4 Purely instrumental. It's okay. 9. Done by the Forces of Nature - 7 Good rap with some lyrics that are incredible at times. It mellows out a bit in the second half of the track. 10. Beads on a String - 7 Another solid rap with a decent beat. 11. Tribe Vibes - 6 Good track with a solid vibe. It's not 100% stood the test of time with the way it sounds but it's still enjoyable. 12. J.Beez Comin' Through - 4 The rap is good but it's nothing fantastic. Definitely no where close to the best thing on the album. 13. Black Woman - 4 The rap starts out strong but the entire last minute to two are not anything great. A pass over track. 14. In Dayz "2" Come - 7 Solid rap with some strong lyrics and a good beat. 15. Doin' Our Own Dang - 9 Very fun track with a great sound. Really solid lyrics and a just overally an amazing track to dance to. 16. Kool Accordin' "2" a Jungle Brother - 2 Pointless track to end the album. Average Rating: 5.94 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 2.97 Rounded Up: 3 Stars

Enjoyable to listen to but would not reach for again

meh

Decent hip hop

Fun old school hip hop in the De La Soul vibe.

Not on Spotify in the US. That said, it's a pretty good rap album. It has all-around chill and funky vibes that provide a stark contrast to most rap.

9/10… old school hip hop 👂

my rhyme attack is a magic attack

var nice det men helt greit

Smooth, lush beats that sound ahead of their time, with elements of funk, jazz, and house. The album just slides from one song to the next. The rapping is more obviously from the 80's. The rhymes are good, but pretty much every song has the same flow. That, combined with the similar beats, means the album kind of stays in the same lane for an hour without a whole lot of memorable songs. The one with De La Soul, Tribe, and Queen Latifah is quite good, and the Afrocentric lyrics on a few other tracks show this is a smart, fun album. But because it's so laid back it can be hard to engage with it. Good for a few songs, less good as a 60 minute album.

When I find myself repeatedly adding tracks to the library, it's time to consider that I just need this album in my life. It's fun, it's funky, the production is outstanding (please can we have a remaster, as it also feels a bit quiet and muddy in the mix?) and lyrically it's smooth, funny and clever. There are influences from jazz, house, R&B and Afrobeat, but they all sit alongside each other seamlessly, reminiscent of Paul's Boutique with its combining of samples with live instruments. I've come back to it repeatedly over the past week and it's had me combing through their other releases for more gems. Now to find myself a copy.

Easy

Loved this—just wonderful funk-based, conscious hiphop. 1989 is early for this, too, so I have to assume they are foundational to this strain of hiphop. I can’t believe I haven’t heard them before. JB’s! High 4

This album is groovin with the beats rhythms with good lyricism. Easy listening chill album or even to get the party started.

Not on Spotify

solid album in the same vein as a tribe called quest and de la soul. i think this one is probably a step down from those, but i really do like this era of hip hop and its beats and samples. it's a fun and engaging listen, i just wish i liked most of the songs better.

Found it on YouTube and forwarded through it all. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to entire songs…skipped ahead on all of them 1 - No.

Standout Songs: Sunshine Belly Dancin' Dina Tribe Vibes Doin' Our Own Dang

I enjoyed this pretty well! They were funkin

Really cool stuff! Good beats, good flow, just all-around a good example of East Coast hip hop.

Not something I’d listen to again, but it wasn’t bad! Some good vibes overall. They sounded like they had fun making it.

Now this is a flavor of east coast hiphop that I can really get down with. Absolutely immaculate production on these beats. It's funny, I found them to have a similar sound to Tribe Called Quest, and I kept being thrown off by the De La Soul references without any Plugs appearing. Turns out they were all part of the same collective, which is a delightful discovery and makes total sense! What I don’t get is why the Jungle Brothers never ended up as widely celebrated as Tribe or De La Soul. The quality here is absolutely on par, and it feels like they deserve just as much recognition. A fantastic record. Standouts: What "U" Waitin "4"? • Acknowledge Your Own History • Belly Dancin' Dina • Good Newz Comin' • Tribe Vibez • J. Beez Comin' Through • Doin' Our Own Thang

Great album. This is not the type of album I usually enjoy (I do not like East Coast hip hop pre-Illmatic) but this was awesome. The sampling is incredible and I love the political conscious stuff and female contribution. What a hidden gem.

Walked so tribe could run

Masters of their genre. Great album

Unavoidable

Not a huge fan of the more conversational style. 3.

Not my style and not very high quality

Delicious hip hop. Never heard this album before. So groovy and funky smooth. Loved it.

Perfect

I’m sure this album is great but I was sadly unable to access it on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music :( Bummer.

I am stupid. I listened to this at 1.5x speed and when I realized it, it was far too late. Forgive me, Jungle Brothers, but I didn't enjoy it enough to re-listen for another hour. 2.5/5.

Hieno matka hiphopin alkulähteille jossa New Yorkin tiedostava rap alkoi saada ääntä.

3.5 stars. Vibe-y African influenced late 80's hip-hop. More musically-focused than the gangster rap albums by various artists that followed in the 90's. Standout is "Doin' Our Own Dang".

Loved it! Simple and groovy

Ood school hip hop.

Fun, funky, thoughtful. The kind of album you can listen and understand the lyrics quite easily. Not that I found them relatable but thats no fault of the artist . Great mixture of genres and samples. Really well produced. An enjoyable listen. 7 5/10

The Jungle Brothers, and their Native Tongues friends A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul lead a movement of Afro centric hip hop that glistened like a precious metal during raps golden era.

Wasn’t available in any streaming service

not for me

not for me Fav song: Done By The Forces Of Nature

I was really excited to get the Jungle Brothers today. Somehow, I'd never heard of these guys before, but I was a bit disappointed by this album. It's not bad, and it's refreshing to have wholesome lyrics with positive messages. To be honest, though, it's kind of boring. There's no single track that really stands out musically, and the group's lyrical delivery has one foot planted firmly in influence by The Sugarhill Gang. I didn't hate it, but I see no reason to revisit it ever again. 3 very plain, beige stars.

I could not find this record on my streaming service

80/1001 :: Jungle Brothers - Done By The Forces of Nature Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: 6 Listen before you die: No In 1989 I probably would have thought this was awesome. I know I had Jungle Boys on mix tapes and had def seen their video on Yo Mtv Raps so I was def a fan. But I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; most Hip Hop in general doesn’t age well. Production here is great and lyrics are good, but honestly it feels dated. Also didn’t help that it’s not on streaming so I had to listen via Youtube. So yeah, influential yes, must listen? I don’t think so…

Hip Hop, 40eme album =>1/5

not my thing

Let’s get this out in the open- rap in the 80s just wasn’t so good compared to rap in the 90s. In terms of beats, flows, style, the 90s just took what the 80s established and made it better. Nothing after the 90s was ever as good either, but what the 80s accomplished was setting up rap for the global success it would eventually become. It had to start somewhere, no? I ramble because as I listen to ¨Done by the Forces of Nature¨ by the Jungle Boys I can’t help but think of how dated this and similar albums sound in comparison to albums that came out five years later. It’s not that it’s bad musically, it’s just not ¨The Chronic¨ or ¨36 Chambers¨ or A Tribe Called Quest. Lyrically, it’s not Nas or Rakim or Biggie. I can’t say what it was like when it came out in 1989, when I was two, but what it sounds like now is nice 80s rap that, like Run DMC, brings one back to those high-top haircuts, people break dancing on cardboard and water hydrant parties in the streets of the Bronx. It’s like ¨Do the Right Thing¨ but Radio Raheem doesn’t die in this one. Best songs: ¨Sunshine,¨ ¨Belly Dancin’ Dina,¨ ¨Tribe Vibes¨

Started off a little slow but once it gets going this album packs a bunch. Social conscious rhymes and interesting beats. One of the best early posse cuts I’ve heard so far. In a similar vein to Tribe.

Never heard this before. Old skool! it's alright...

Nothing special here - not bad, not great.

ok

Never heard of or at least not much from these guys. Definitely fits in with the happy positive hip-hop of the late 80s early 90s. Along with De la Soul and A Tribe Called Quest its good stuff. Would have listened before if it was on Apple music but that's not much of an excuse. Will check out some of their other stuff on there.

Much like other hip from this era, you can tell it hasn't gotten to have aged well, if that makes sense. Sure, this was good for it's era but I wouldn't say it wow'd me. 6/10.

Decent. Production isn't stand out and is a bit dated in places, but could be a grower. Will say I had the title track from Straight Out of the Jungle right after on shuffle, that was really good and better than anything here.

This is an incredibly dated record now. Old school hip hop just sounds so old.

As funky as it is hip-hoppy. As other reviews have noted, it would be a very different world where this uplifting vibe was the dominant force for that particular genre. But, once again, this project has helped deliver by shining a light on an artist / genre that had completely passed me by and would have been unlikely to appear on my radar.

Ok, but not spectacular.

Never before have I been so hyped up about Africa. A very vague continent, it seems. Contains no countries, but it's a good one. Album was fun!

Conscious and funky, a little different than what most remember from the "golden age" of hip-hop. This album is more house-oriented in its production too, featuring a plethora of fitting samples and maintaining a pretty consistent, dance-able energy all throughout. I was vaguely familiar with the Jungle Brothers going in, but was still impressed afterwards. "Doin' Our Own Dang" might be recognizable by most too. I mean, check out the guest artists on this track: De La Soul, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love? Talk about stacked! I don't think this group gets enough flowers for how influential they were in curating the "hip-house", jazz rap sound and overall positive-minded lyricism that briefly swept through hip-hop in the late 80s/early 90s.

Good

Doesn’t elicit strong feelings either way. It’s ok with a few nice tracks.

It's just hip-hop for me. Weak two stars. 1,5

This was actually a really fun late 80s hip-hop album, especially considering how much of this era hasn’t aged all that well for me. But this one still holds up. I’ve known about Jungle Brothers for a long time because of the track they did with house producer Todd Terry, I’ll House You, and it’s cool to hear that connection reflected in this album. Overall, this feels like conscious hip-hop before conscious hip-hop was really a thing. They have a clever way of flipping samples in a way that makes the music feel grounded and relatable, and they even flirt with house music on a track or two, something they’ve continued to explore throughout their career.

The less discussed cousin to De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest. Great stuff.

such a shame this album isn't on spotify. i rlly liked the vibe of this. 8/10

It was cool!

Quite enjoyed this one. I wish it was easier to access because I’d be more inclined to do repeat listen if my main source wasn’t YouTube. I thought the use of samples was good and clever, and the production was solid too. Wish I could give this a 3.5, but I’m rounding down. Really solid album, though, top to bottom.

Mer rap, orkar inte lyssna.

Didn't enjoy this at all. Good rhythms from time to time, but I don't remember anything else about it - and I listened to it just an hour ago.

I had never heard of Jungle Brothers. I was expecting not to like this, but I really enjoyed this. Good old school hip hop with good beats and samples. I’ve discovered through this that I like hip hop a lot more than I thought I did.

Fun and vibey throughout, and some great samples

this is without a doubt a very goofy album, with to very destinct "vibe" of songs through out the album. Some i find playlist worthy like done by the forces of nature with a very catchy beat soothing lyrics with a pretty good flow which i think fits very well with the other songs i listend. on the other hand though we have songs like good newz comin' which come right before done by the forced of nature with the most wacky beat i have heard so far and a total of 4 lines of lyrics that are pretty much just adlibs. this gives an insane amount of whiplash as this happens multiplke times overall i do like the album best song: done by the forces of nature worst song: belly dancin' dina

I'm just not a big hip-hop fan I don't think. There was some interesting lyrics about discrimination and such sometimes but I will not return to this album Standouts Acknowledge Your Own History 2/5

Fantastic hip hop album from ‘89. Just pure vibes from start to finish speaking on not just issues going on, but their own spirituality, religion, and community. I’m curious to see how all those constant reviews complaining about language rate this one. We know some people will find fault in any hip hop, while having Bob Dylan as their top artist. LOL

Really good sampling, nice lyrics and guest appearances. Good album.

scat singing on the 2nd track ?!?@?!? lmfao defo can see how they paved the way for de la soul, tribe called quest. sounds super similar BRO THAT 2ND SONG IS JUST ALL SCAT SINGING i like the ambient type bids on sunshine what u waitin 4 so groovy this sounds like a sample that death grips used itsitsitsits all because of you uyeahahhauuhuhauuuuh you know that song is good when it has Funky Worm sample OOGA CHAKA OOGA OOGA

This was fun. I liked hearing some of the samples that were either from this or from other bands pulling in these sounds.

hip hop is not for me

I like this a lot but it's not quite at the same level as ATCQ or De La Soul. "Good Newz Comin'" was a jam. "Doin' Our Own Dang" was the best track on the album, but the collabs on that track highlights how important the contributions of De La Soul, Q-Tip and others were. A strong four.

O álbum é interessante. Beats legais. QKZxHBB.

This album was unavailable on Apple Music so I’ll have to figure out some other way to access this later cuz I’m too lazy to figure this out rn. Silly stupid Apple Music.

Again I am thankful for not interludes or skits, but I can't imagine ever choosing to listen to this again.

3.3

This was Beyond This World. Something that could only be Done By The Forces Of Nature.

Their second album. Hip Hop. Some funky beats you can bounce along to. Lyrically flat and mostly forgettable album. Nice that it's not Gangsta Rap though.

Sweet grooves of pan African lyrics and hip hop beats that set this up as original and inspired

Proof the not all 80s and 90s hip hop is a must listen. This was OK but no really grit or anything to make it interesting.

This is a new discovery, thanks to the list. The lyricism is great, and it's refreshing to hear some hip-hop that takes a more light-hearted stance. I can hear De La Soul and a Tribe Called Quest in the rhymes and beats. A really enjoyable album

An okay album, I liked What "U" Waitin' "4" the most.

This is a pretty good hip hop album, considering it was released in 1989.

Sick

not available in apple music

Yeah this was better than I expected because I've never heard of the artist. Some toe tappers but probably wouldn't listen to it on a regular cadence.

🎧 Done By The Forces of Nature – Jungle Brothers (1989) This album doesn’t walk—it glides on ancestral rhythm and cultural memory, laced with funk, jazz, Afrocentric philosophy, and beats that sound like they were filtered through a sunbeam. It’s the Jungle Brothers in full spiritual flow, turning a hip-hop record into a pan-cultural manifesto with sneakers on. ⸻ ⭐️ Rating: 4.7 / 5 🌀 Short Review: An earthy, genre-blending classic that feels like an open-air cipher in a botanical garden run by the gods of rhythm and knowledge.

Never listened to this group before. I'm not a lyrics person so I'm generally listening to the music no matter what is being sung/rapped about. The first track is awesome, killer groove. This isn't on Spotify so I listened on YouTube. Now I'm watching a KEXP video from a few years back. These guys kick ass. It's too bad they weren't more popular and mainstream. Extra stars for not having to rap about the size of their penises, violence against women or drugs and guns to sell records.

Call me picky but as a general rule I prefer songs to have some music and singing in them 😐

Perfectly fine but ultimately uninteresting. Just not musical enough for my liking.

Bit run of the mill, messaging more lighthearted that previous outings to the genre, but hey, nothing wrong with some fun beats for the car. This feels very 90s to me so I guess it was ahead of its time.

I have never heard of this group but I really like this album. This is the style and rhythm of hip hop that I grew up with and appreciate. For an album described as so influential, it is interesting that it is not on Spotify.

Good old school hip hop. Was grooving to most of the tracks.

Its ok. Nothing stands out just decent music that is not my preference

I started listening - I stopped.

Nativish

I’m not sure if I missed something here, but this felt as typical as possible for 80s hip hop. Not to say that it was bad, as I still enjoyed listening, but there was certainly no “wow” moment, or anything that got me very invested. It felt like the Sugerhill Gang, but slightly less interesting. But, to clarify, I certainly wouldn’t say it’s a bad album. It’s a perfect 5 out of 10.