Reviews (page 5 of 7)
The jungle-y vibes is pretty nice but an hour of it felt a bit too much
This is a really underrated album from the golden age of sampling. Lots of little bits of other songs mixed in to make these tracks. The rapping straddles the gap between old school hip-hop and the more modern style that started to dominate in the 90s. The messaging is very positive as well 4/5
feels more similar to de la soul than ATCQ, even though q-tip is on it, its quite cool, and very early, as it definitely sounds like something from the 90s. Beats are minimal, but that's what makes the good ones good, however, some of them are probably too repetitive, or the thing being repeated is not that good in the first place. Nothing bad to say about vocals though. Favorite songs: what u waitin for, u make me sweat, belly dancin' dina, tribe vibes, in dayz to some, doin' our own dang. Overall around 7/10
if this album were 12 tracks it would've been a 4.
this definitely has a dated energy to it with the run DMC/sugarhill gang-style cadence in most of the songs. overall it tends to sound a bit corny but in a way that i find really charming. it’s also interesting the strains of the early 90s hip hop sound coming through—it straddles the 80s and 90s styles. albums that provide a transitional vehicle for one distinct era into another are always cool and i think this is a good example of one!
That was fun! A bit long and some of it is kind of corny, but I do really love their delivery style. Two lyrics I loved: “Shake your butt but don’t break your back” (how thoughtful of them) “It’s easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the gates of heaven” Best tracks: Good Newz Comin’, Tribe Vibes
The Jungle Brothers are further evidence that 80s hip-hop is peak hip-hop, by a wide margin. The 80s saw R&B and rap being fused with almost jazz- or blues-like instrumental licks (whether sampled or not), whereas the 90s tended to avoid those licks in favour of stronger political messaging. As a listener who tends not to pay much attention to lyrics, I definitely prefer the 80s style, and Done By The Forces Of Nature fits my groove. The first half of the album is consistently strong, with standouts like Feelin' Alright and What "U" Waitin' "4". (Putting the "texting" abbreviations in quotation marks feels like something my grandparents would do. I love it.) The keyboard is great whenever it makes an appearance. So are the (acoustic) drums, which inject a raw, rocking energy to the music. Later songs like Beeds on a String, Good Newz Comin', and the title track slightly abandon the melodic and harmonic elements in the background, and hence deal some critical blows to the flow of the album. I enjoy the interweaving male and female vocals on Black Woman and the excellent keyboards on Doin' Our Own Dang, but otherwise, the latter half of the album really loses steam. Most of this half of the record should cut out, particularly as the album is unusually long in its current form. 3/5 Key tracks: Doin' Our Own Dang, Feelin' Alright
A seminal record but one that’s a bit dated sounding.
Good.
A positive vibe Dance centric, story telling Hip hop to chill to
It's fine, but sounding a bit dated now.
Love me some hippity hop
Fun listen that ran a little long and sounded a bit dated at times. Some of the beats were great, specifically on Tribe Vibes. Would have benefited from some trimming but still good fun. 3 stars
Felt like the precursor to Jurassic 5 which I was very into.
Groovy
Very much not a fan of hip-hop, so I'm not the best judge. But definitely not impressed by this one. That said, it wasn't aggravating or unlistenable to me, as a lot of hip-hop is. So 2 stars for that. Also always glad to see rappers that don't feel the need to hop on the stupid gangsta-bandwagon.
Good but doesn't top some of the other hiphop on here
This is what I’m talking about!! Tribe is my favorite but never got into Jungle Brothers. It is excellent! Will save and listen in rotation.
Enjoyable listen. Good variety and positive lyrical content.
Classic hop hop album that would pave the way to De LA Soul and Tribe Called Quest. All knowledge zero 'My name is...and I'm here to say" it's awesome to see hip hop heading back in this direction.
Kinda boring. Might have been ahead of it's time in terms of sampling though.
Corny but in a good way. Fun rap overall
Funky stylish beats. Solid lyrics and clean to boot, a far comparison to modern hip hop where it's rare to hear a track with cursing or violent themes. Well done
I'm a huge fan of this late '80s/early '90s native tongue sound and I know that the Jungle Brothers were hugely important in this movement. But the whole time while listening to this album, I just wanted to throw on A De La or Tribe album instead. The production on the album here isn't as colorful or fantastical as your average De La album, and the loops aren't as engaging as ATCQ's. The rapping is solid, and on par with the members of those respective groups, but the songs are often bogged down by these unflattering choruses, especially on a song like 'U Make Me Sweat'. The song 'What U Waiting 4' was painfully cheesy as well, I wasn't a fan of the dance approach that a few of the songs here went in. There were still some highlights though, like 'Acknowledge Your Own History', a song about the whitewashing of school-taught history. The instrumental song 'Good Newz Comin'' may have the most standout production here, it has that eccentric, "all-over-the-place", Coldcut reminiscent production that I was hoping for out of this album - I love the bright guitars closing it out on those cluttered drums. 'Tribe Vibes' picks up the speed, momentum, and energy - and holds the album's best rapping performances. Come to think of it, the second half was much better than the first - it does contain 'Doin' Our Own Dang', a song that reminded me of Digable Planets a lot, and just like on Queen Latifah's 'Ladies First', it showcases Monie Love's impeccable flow. Some decent moments here but it's not quite as memorable as other albums of its ilk. While goofy, and fun in essence, the music backing it all lacks the character I was hoping for.
Wanted to love this but it's boring as fuck.
Never listened to Jungle Brothers before (afaik). Not a bad record at all, golden age hip hop, it grooves for sure, fun listen.
I really like this album. It reminded me a lot of arrested development, although obviously they came later.
Loved this! So fresh!!!!!
I had a great time bopping to this at work, upbeat and funky rhythms abound. I will revisit.
It was nice enough
I hadn’t heard of the Jungle Brothers before. From what I gather, they were the first hip hop group to work with a house music producer, establishing the progressive rap sound that would be identified with the likes of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. In fact, members of those groups showed up on the penultimate track of this album “Doin’ Our Own Thang” alongside a young Queen Latifah, since they all knew each other from high school. The rest of Done by the Forces of Nature is a collection of funky hip hop tunes with solid production, eclectic sample choices and Afrocentric lyrics that are largely about having a good time but also meant to empower black people and spread that positivity to those marginalized. I’d say my only complaint with this album is the runtime. Clocking in at just over an hour, it does run long enough where halfway through songs start to blend into one another with little distinction, save for one or two songs with samples I recognized. Overall, I did have a fun time with Done by the Forces of Nature, and can appreciate how far intellectual rap has come from roots like this. In that regard, it is getting a solid recommendation.
5/10 Like the positive vibes, but don't really care for the music or any of the songs.
This should be required listening. It is 80's hip-hop, sure... but so much jazz and James Brown and just MORE than Sugar Hill or harder, rougher genre samples.
Jo men gött ändå och kul med lite gladare tema än annan hiphop kanske, vad vet jag. Borde kapats med en fjärdedel. Stark trea
Quite catchy hip-hop. Some good beats but it didn't really hold my attention too much.
Yawn
Some uplifting 80s hip hop. The most obvious thing is how much this stands apart from the grittier hip hop that would soon dominate the genre. It's tempting to dismiss The Jungle Brothers as a lesser copy of De La Soul. But on closer listen, the music is different. It's got more funk, it's more danceable, and it's even got some influence from African music. But the Jungle Brothers never got the same level of fame. Maybe the lyrics come across as a little preachy at times. Maybe it's too eclectic for a genre that was only just being discovered. Maybe it was just bad timing. Either way, it's a great discovery and helps fill the gaps of upbeat 80s hip hop.
Decent. Nothing mind blowing. 3.5
Old school hip hop where you can understand the words that they are rapping
Found this immensely boring
I enjoyed it. I wish it was a bit shorter.
Some of these beats are really nice but the delivery is so limp it gets boring really quick
The limpest Hip-Hop album ever made? The beats are alright, but the delivery just doesn't have any strength to it.
I had never heard of this one, despite being a great old school hip-hop fan. Within the first tracks, I was thinking that it could be a great one, but it slowly became so flat and powerless... It was way too long for the low energy level of the delivery. A few great beats and... That's it for the Jungle Brothers.
Find yourself someone who loves you as much as Robert Dimery loves Native Tongues-era hip-hop.
Pretty reasonable!
Not my cup of tea, but seems to be solid.
This was cool because it was on the way to but it was NOT G-funk. I enjoy G-funk quite a bit but this was more like funky sociopolitical hip-hop. This is a little too early to have the studio polish of the G-funk era. Socially conscious lyrics and really creative selection of samples made this a fun listen, but it wasn't quite commercial enough for me to want to devote multiple listens to it despite it clearly being an achievement for the genre. "Doin' Our Own Dang" was the best one on the album to me.
Aika chilliä ysäriräppiä, ei tule naamalle vaikka yhteiskunnalliset teemat onkin. Kiltti, helppo kuunneltava. Jää jopa liian helpoksi eli ei herättänyt isoja tunteita. Paitsi sen, että 1 h on vähän liian pitkitetty mitta, vikat biisit kyllästyttää. Kolmonen jos ois jäänyt enemmän mieleen.
Kävin tämän kanssa läpi eräänlaisen sisäisen matkan: ajattelin ensin, että tämä on ihan hyvä, mutta että minua ei myöskään kauheasti haittaisi, vaikka levy jo päättyisi. Kun pääsin loppuun, toivoin, ettei se päättyisikään. Tämä johtuu osittain siitä, että toiseksi viimeinen raita on helvetin kova, mutta myös siitä, että koko LP - enemmän kuin melkein mikään muu kuulemani rap-levy samalta ajalta - saa ymmärtämään, että rytmi on meille kaikille huomattavasti tärkeämpi hyvän musiikin kriteeri kuin uskommekaan.
I'm not really a hip hop fan, but I genuinely enjoyed much of this album. I appreciate the more upbeat tone and that the album doesn't rely on slurs to invoke an emotional response. It does go on a little too long, if it was a tighter package I could picture myself coming back to it occasionally. Favorite tracks: "Feelin' Alright" and "Doin' Our Own Dang"
Fun album and fun group, and great influence. Just not my favorite, but still a good listen and I know why people like it. It's just not not an album I'll go out of my way for.
Hip Hop gemischt mit anderen Musikstilen finde ich grundsätzlich eine gute Sache. Auch die Produktion ist richtig cool. Trotzdem Stelle ich fest, dass ich 3 - 4 Stücke hören kann, es für gut finde, aber dann wieder eine Pause brauche. Wie bewertet man das?
Quite fun and propelled me along easily.
The sample of Rapture in Days 2 Come was fun.
This was OK. Honestly, I listened to it days ago and never got the chance to post this, so it's not fresh in my memory. It was never my favorite, but didn't cause upset.
This was all right. I dug its positive vibes. My problem with a lot of message-heavy music is that it tends not to be very poetic. Such was the case here, but whatever. It's chill. I don't know that I thought this was a must-listen, but at the same time I'd never heard it before, and I enjoyed it well enough, and I guess that's the point of this endeavor. So there's that.
Some good songs; the entire album could have been 12-15 minutes shorter.
Just okay, kind of got tired of the album about halfway through
All I know is I saw them when they were opening for *NSYNC or BSB back in the day and that was a weird booking choice.
I enjoyed this...I think I need to spend some more time with old hip hop.
It’s a fun listen mostly, but some of the samples on this were already way overused by 89’ when this came out. Having said that, It’s still good, it just could’ve been better.
this thing is so alive. Full of fun one off production notes, jazz, even some house, and is just a joy to listen to, honestly. I don't think i've ever heard a rap record that oozes as much positivity and joy as this one does. Can be a little straightforward in the lyrics to the point of a couple cringey lines but for the time im not mad at it. 1. sunshine 2. tribe vibes 3. black woman
Obviously very influential album
Wild that the JBs did every single beat on here, and every one is fresh. No misses.
The Good: There are lions in the jungle… The Bad: The lion hasn’t been able to eat anything for a while, and it’s getting hungry… The Ugly: I guess the mess the lion will leave behind once he’s able to kill something… Yes, as you can tell, there isn’t much positive I can say about this album. I have had to sit through 4 hip-hop albums this week, and thought this one isn’t the worst of them all, my level of irritation is. So please, if you happen to belong to the fan club of Jungle Brothers, don’t cry about my low score… cry about the poor family of whomever it was that the lion ate! 1*
Groovy hiphop
Not bad I guess
Хороший олдскульный хип хоп
This is really fun. Nice, easy to enjoy hip hop. Interesting, different, good mixing, good flow. Some decent party tracks, too. Nothing to complain about. 4/5
tem uns beats muito bons, especialmente os mais puxados pro house. ainda assim, achei meio parado demais pro meu gosto
me pegou num dia ruim gostei nao
This is #day66 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here's to a real gem of the golden age hip-hop! What a fitting name for such an iconic genre. This era, spanning the mid-'80s to the early '90s, resonates deeply with me, not just for its innovation, experimentation, and undeniable vibe but for the way it captures a unique cultural moment. I can almost picture the sound systems, boom boxes, street dances, and rap battles that defined this time. The album brilliantly blends hip-hop with jazz, house, and funk, creating a sound that feels just as fresh 35 years later. I particularly enjoyed the interpolations of jazz. Done By The Forces Of Nature is a perfect embodiment of the creativity and spirit of its time. This is a strong 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day67.
I dig it. Some beats and bars
A classic of the golden age, when everyone involved in hip-hop knew the four elements - and used them to elevate their blocks, boroughs, and cities.
1/2
This album feels warm and easygoing. There’s a lot of rhythm that moves you, with layered beats and smooth rhymes. It’s a bit like De La Soul’s early work, playful and conscious at the same time. The jazz influences blend well with the overall vibe, keeping it laid-back. Some tracks stand out more than others, but it all flows together pretty naturally.
Favorite Tracks: Doin’ Our Own Dang Sunshine Acknowledge Your Own History
Really good album. Almost no songs that missed for me, but occasionally songs dragged a bit long
I can see how this album continues to influence hip hop music even to this day. However, its really not my kind of hip hop.
Prob 3.5. Lot of funs tracks. The only JB track i knew was Doing Our Own Dang, and just learned Q-Tip, Queen Latifah and De La Soul are all on it.
I loved this album. Had never heard of these guys before, which shows my limited rap knowledge. I’ve always thought the reliance on samples was one of hip hops biggest limitations. But after this album I feel like I finally get it - here, they aren’t just used to evoke nostalgia or lift an already proven hook, but more like unique instruments that combine to create something new. “Good news coming” really drove that point home to me. Elsewhere, I just like the way these guys sound and how their rhyming patterns play off and on the beat. It’s upbeat but not corny. I also love whenever anyone unironically refers to their ‘funky rhymes’ . Don’t know why, just gets me.
Not a huge fan, but I did enjoy a few tracks. J-Beez Comin Through was my favorite
Fine stuff overall. Nothing remarkable compared to what came later, but apparently this album pioneered a lot of the sound that became rampant in the 90s (especially funk and jazz beats)? I don't think this era of rap has aged too well, though – every song feels like they found something cool and stuck with it for 3-4 minutes with no variation. But at the time it was revolutionary, I guess. For my money, from this era I'll take Souls of Mischief over this, but a real RAP HEAD might school me on how much Souls of Mischief owes to Jungle Brothers anyway.
Fun sounds from the same collective as Tribe. Feelin' Alright stood out, and I had fun throughout the rest, but it was a bit of a blur, other than Know Your Own History, which stood out as being, well, not good. Overall, not something I'll return to, but cool to hear some of the wider context of the era - funny to learn that Queen Latifah also came from this same collective.
Just a touch too old school for my tastes, but I appreciate that they were innovative for the time.
I respect oral poetry musicalized, I really do but I just don't always find it musically soothing to listen to. 2 stars
Good shit
More hip hop? Sigh...well let's give this a listen...well, it's pretty dull samey stuff throughout. Not my thing at all.
Great old school hip hop
Nice breaks, dated though
Just not for me.
Loved this! The beats were fun, and I think this is my favorite era of hip hop.
This was enjoyable to listen to. Comfortable, like a soft pair of jeans. Can’t explain it.
Another band known but unheard until today, the purposeful awkwardness, the harshness of sample transitions, and surprising air of menace offset the idealism and hop of the record. Prepared for the usual overlong hour, I was impressed with the variety and, on a couple of occasions, the banging dance rhythms that had me on my toes in the kitchen this afternoon, a rare experience for me and this list. Only one listen, so not sure if this has a claim to the pantheon. Close if not.
Starts auspiciously enough with a snatch of "White Lines", unfortunately all downhill from there. Another daisy age doze, with guest appearances from some of the chief dullards of the period (KRS-One, Monie Love (corblimey!)); sounds *very* late-80's, some interesting lyrics in part but quite FUBU overall. You can see how LL Cool J was considered "hardcore" in context
I'm glad I discovered this album, it sounds good and inoffensive (for a rap album). Which is also my gripe - I like my rap with a rougher edge. This sounds a bit too mainstream/poppy almost. But it's a good album. Some funky touches. The lyrics are meaningful (and I believe the whole album is, from a cultural and black identity perspective) but IMO not especially cleverly written. So, for me, a fine album but a bit "meh".
The lion jams in the jungle
This list shows me that with few exceptions, early hip hop just sounds naive to me.
Nostalgic with some pleasant summer vibes. Good News Comin' was a real banger.
A seminal early native tongues release. Loved it.
либо быстро привыкла к самому альбому, либо эти песни чаще встречаются в культуре чем можно представить по имени группы
“U” better believe that I like this album! Definitely leaning 4, I think this could click with me more over time.. there’s some standout beats as well that I didn’t note the names of but, good album!
Really vibed with this!
Really good and fun golden age hip hop... i loved it and haven't heard any JB albums but Straight out the Jungle... and thought this one was way better!! will explore further
Really nice in concept. I love the golden age hip hop in combinations with African beats and themes. I found myself longing for more pronounced African influence though, it doesn’t feel as apparent as I would like it to be.
Not my cup of tea
Will Smith vibes
Its not bad, it just sounds outdated for the time- like a relic from the early 80s. With all the other great hip hop of 1988/1989 (Beastie Boys, NWA, Public Enemy, EPMD), I don't see how they were included on this list.
nice beats. basic lyrics
You can simultaneously hear the influences that inspired this album, but you can also hear the influence this album had on hip hop/rap in the years that were to come. 'Done By The Forces Of Nature' is a hybrid record if I ever heard one; featuring infectious 80's hip hop beats, dance/funk that damn near rivals the likes of 'Earth, Wind & Fire', and unpretentious commentary on both a large societal scale and a smaller introspective scale. While 'Jungle Brothers' aren't exactly technically proficient rappers, they more than make up for it in top notch production, strong lyricism, and an amazing pop sensibility. ‘Sunshine’, ‘What U Waitin’ 4’, ‘Acknowledge Your Own History’, ‘J.Beez Comin’ Through’, and ‘Doin’ Our Own Dang’ are all strong highlights are for me. On top of that, the instrumental track ‘Good Newz Comin’’ is an absolute banger, too. A mixture of fun funk production and musicianship, with a layer of lyricism that addresses societal injustices and self reflection on their own part; but don’t think their lyrics lack any sense of fun, because there is plenty of that, too. It’s almost like the antithesis to the birth of gangsta rap that started with ‘Straight Outta Compton’ the year before - in which the aggression is turned down considerably in favour of more accessibility. I feel like without these guys, you might not have had other legendary hip hop acts like Outkast, or Wu-Tang Clan. It is an underrated album judging from the fact that it did not sell on the level of their peers, nor is it talked about all that much in any circles. But its influence is totally undeniable. The only problem is that it could have used a little trimming, as it is slightly bloated at 16 full tracks. But otherwise, it should be listened to by any fan of rap and hip hop.
- sunshine geiler banger - meine Meinung zu altem HipHop verändert sich durch dieses Album aber trotzdem nicht - Auch textlich geht das alles eher in die Kategorie cringe. ist hierbei aber auch dem Zeitgeist geschuldet - zum nebenbei hören war's Ber irgendwie trotzdem ganz nett. 2,75/5
Surprisingly wholesome and upbeat hip-hop
Interesting messages here. I enjoyed the album less and less as it went on, but I'd still give most of it a second listen, personally.
This is 100% what every white person over 45 thinks hip hop is.
it pretty good. yeah. 🤷♂️
Pre-listening thoughts: I have never heard of this album/group. I saw it was hip hop and I'm ngl I'm a little excited cause this era of hip hop is so fun and distinct. Post/during listening thoughts: While the actual rapping is not as impressive as contemporary rap and sometimes the flow is awkward to squeeze in a rhyme, I think overall this is a decent body of work. Sometimes the beats are lacking complexity but I honestly don't mind that cause it allows me to focus on the lyrics, arguably the most important part of hip hop/rap. The scatting in Feelin' Alright is making me laugh a little bit. I love the samples in this album - they're used so well without overtaking the song (cough cough Jack Harlow mumbling over Fergie's song). This is such good music to walk to and dance to. I really need to listen to more rap/hip hop especially from the 80s/90s. I know a lot of people don't like that era of hip hop but I have such a soft spot for it. I would however weed this album's song count down by 2-3 songs. 7.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: not necessarily but also I think everyone should hear some rap/hip hop songs from this era so this isn't a bad place to start Fav tracks: Feelin' Alright, What "U" Waitin "4"?, "U" Make Me Sweat, Tribe Vibes, Doin' Our Own Dang Least Fav tracks: none really
Felt like I was back in school in the 90s. I had visions of commercials, the fashion, popular movies.... just really took me back in time. So good.
Really dug this album. It transported me to 90s New York.
I really liked this album. I might run it again this weekend. Thumbs up. :)
A decent golden age hip-hop album, but not one that really stands out for me.
This album by the Jungle Brothers is pretty diverse and sets itself apart from the growing trend of Gangsta Rap that started with N.W.A.'s debut. It is playful and conscious and has some nice Jazz inspirations throughout. It was definitely an influential album and I think that this might be the kind of influence that got A Tribe Called Quest to make "The Low End Theory". The album starts with 'Beyond This World' which combines Hip Hop with some House music and some Jazz inspirations. It feels like the bridge between Planet Rock (which is mentioned here) and The Low End Theory. It's got a pretty interesting beat and the lyrics are quite alright with some mainly funny highlights. It's overall an alright song that does some things but doesn't really end up sticking with me as the performances feel a little unfocused and too much like they try to impress their contemporaries instead of doing their own thing. That song transitions into 'Feelin' Alright' which removes some of the House and goes more into Jazz Rap and Boom Bap which results in it working much better. It's a pretty great song with some really well done verses and performances. They all just harmonize much better together. The hook is great, the playful and silly details are fun and the beat is simple but oh so effective. The only problem is that it streches a bit too much towards the end. 'Sunshine' adds a little nursery rhyme twist to it and with the whole theme of sun just makes this a really cute song even if there are some deeper topics worked into it. It's a pretty great and catchy song though with the radio interludes and some pretty well made verses. The slight House grooves come back on 'What "U" Waitin' 4?' but the result is much better as the song is pretty awesome. The beat is phenomenal, the hook is really fun and the verses are performed really great. It's a really incredible song with some of the best arranged and thought through moments on the entire album. '"U" Make Me Sweat' keeps the things its predecessor did great and adds some more sincerity to it. It works as well with a great beat and performances. It's a really fun listen with a great groove even if the hook is something that I'll not get used too. I just don't like the sound of it much but it doesn't make the whole song unlistenable just that part a little weird. The track 'Acknowledge Your Own History' talks about how the black community is put down by how their own history is teached and they now try to get the young generations of black kids to learn about their actual own history. It's a lovely song with some pretty funny bars and a great vibe to it. I just feel like they should've done a little more with the beat even if the lyrics and meaning is the main thing that is supposed to shine here. The end also feels a little streched. 'Belly Dancin' Dina' is a pretty horny track but not in a bad way. It doesn't feel like he's about to rip off her clothes and more like just a shy but still pretty horny crush. It's pretty funny and some of the rhymes are pretty good. It just doesn't really achieve the high points that some other songs got to. The song 'Good Newz Comin'' which closes the albums first half is actually purely instrumental showcasing what they could do with a turntable. Even if there is no Rap to be found here it is still filled to the brim with funny details and added sounds that turn the song into a pretty nice moment on the album. I really enjoy this song all the way through. Side 2 of the album starts with the title track 'Done by the Forces of Nature' which is a pretty good title, no doubt there, and the song itself has some really nice additions in the beat which is the main thing that I like about this song. The beat is done so well, just phenomenal. The Rap performances are also pretty good especially some of the rhymes and the added sax and flute moments that are tied to with the lyrics. It's just a great and stunning listen especially with the beat. I just love it that much. In comparison, 'Beeds on a String' is a much more common and standard Hip Hop song. It's pretty good, especially the beat, but it has too many pauses that don't really add that much. The whole Rap performance is pretty average and doesn't really work here. It's an alright song. The beat of 'Tribe Vibes' feels similar to 'Good Newz Comin'' with some of the vocal chops and the detail work here is pretty well made as are the performances. The songs energy is pretty much unmatched on the album, it feels just very energetic and raw and just like so much fun. The song Is so much fun to listen to. It transitions into the next song 'J. Beez Comin' Trough' which has a really silly beat at the start but it works actually pretty well. The song is pretty good but they could've turned it into much more as the performances are pretty short and the chorus is just way too long. It feels just a little unfocused with pretty much everything here but there are still some nice moments. Even if 'Black Woman' might have inspired one of the best moments on To Pimp a Butterfly, the song itself feels forced and ends up being pretty boring instead of being though provoking and conscious. It's just not a good song but it also doesn't annoy, it just moves past me without anything really sticking not even instrumentally. 'In Dayz "2" Come' starts with a snippet from a tv show which reminded me a bit of BLOOD. by Kendrick Lamar (again). The song itself is alright. I think they had something bigger planned with it but the result feels unfocused and with not enough substance. There are still some nice details worked into all of it but it isn't more than just a good song. Remember how I mentioned A Tribe Called Quest at the start? Well, they are actually featured on this song together with Queen Latifah and De La Soul. Four legendary Hip Hop artists/groups in one song is just a match made in heaven. This is a perfect showcase of what some parts of rap were going to in the years that followed. Anyway, it's funky, has some incredible performances and this is a perfect song... That's it: Perfect! The albums short outro 'Kool Accordin' "2" a Jungle Brother' is alright... Like, they didn't need it but it is kind of silly and kind of puts a nice end to the album in a way that it fits but the track itself doesn't really carry much that would make me return to it. favourites: Doin' Our Own Dang, What "U" Waitin' 4?, Feelin' Alright, Done by the Forces of Nature, Sunshine least favourites: Kool Accordin' "2" a Jungle Brother, Black Woman, Beeds on a String, Beyond This World Rating: decent 7 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
Some good head banger beats. Too long. Most sound the same. 3.5
Idc
Fun. I hadn't heard good articulate rap in a while
Just listening to the Jungle Brothers brought me back to junior high right at the beginning of the Golden Age of Rap. This was a fun album to listen to despite the fact I don’t think I’d ever heard of them before. Their sound reminded me a lot of Digable Planets, Bell Biv DeVoe, and even us threes “Cantaloupe”. Songs for me where you make me sweat And Sunshine, they were just fun songs to listen to and made me feel like I was a kid again listening to Rap for the first time .
Solids listen. I'm not feeling too wordy today. Respect this as a pioneer album. Nothing really jumped out at me. Hey, wait a minute! No skits. I did like that. Anyway, mad props to these trailblazers. There are other rap albums I'll be cranking or listening to again.
Old school cool.
No thanks :(
Just more irritating crap.
Jungle it again!
Kinda digging it, and at least it wasn't as cringeworthy as others.
I don't like this much but the rhyming has some interesting parts. 2 stars or D.
A great album by a solid undervalued group. As solid and groundbreaking as their partners in the Native Tongues.
A rap album that feels a bit dated, but with some good licks and beats.
Gotta love late 80s/early 90s hip-hop. Great flow and a surprisingly uplifting tone.
Good and quietly influential in the urban spiritualist/conscious rap mode but comes across as a little too hat backwards, we've-had-a-lot-of-fun-today nowadays. I think it's the flow, since that type of rap was popular when educators who should've been pastors began trying to be cool with the kids, so it became the de facto hiphop style of the daggy trying to seem down with the kids. none of that is jungle brothers' fault though, but it makes de la soul better to listen to
Decent.
Possède bien la cadence, le débit de cette époque. La chanson sur la « danse du ventre », c’est vraiment n’importe quoi (selon moi qui la pratique depuis plus de 12 ans). Mais bon on échappera pas aux clichés d’il y a 30 ans
Historical record but not my thing
Solid beats, very conscious and sometimes African-centric rhymes. I can see how it would be a stepping stone for groups that came after, like Arrested Development and A Tribe Called Quest, but I feel it's been surpassed. Favorite tracks: "J. Beez Comin' Through", "What U Waitin' 4?"
Early hip hop
Would be a 3 star just on the power of "I'll House You", but fortunately the rest of the album is dope as well
This reminds me of the way pandas eat. It's a fascination for a select few, but to the rest of us it's not a rather useless way to spend time
Really ahead of it's time.
It's perfectly enjoyable, but not very profound.
Great early Hip Hop Groove.
Felt like I witnessed the real time evolution of A Tribe Called Quest
Defined the genre
Extra points for influencing the hip hop music I like
Hated it
Really good! Peaceful, intelligent, informative, cool and groovy. Well done Jungle Brothers, I get why this is a Must Listen
I actually like this -it's quite clever and easy to listen to but...... I switched the playlist to Grandmaster Flash who was doing this a decade before. Why vote for plagiarists?
Good stuff.
I was more familiar with the JB’s debut album and was never really able to get into it. This one on the other hand really hits the Golden Era hot spot.
Absolutely so 80s. I hadn’t ever listened, but thoroughly enjoyed. Loved the 80s radio show cut.
Menevää räpäti räppiä. Myös vähän jazz vaikutteita. Nopea tempoisia hyviä biittejä. Parhaat: Feeling Allright, Belly Dancin Dina, In Dayz 2 Come, Doin Our Own Dang
Nothin wrong with this but I expected to be more into it. Beats feel very plain and the tracks mostly run together. Some funk, but I want more.
I get it but don't like it
not for me
Pretty chill album that I had never heard of before. Will I listen to again: 75%
Another one from the Native Tongues! Personally I would recommend Strait Out The Jungle over this one mainly because I feel like the beat production and mix is more gritty which I prefer but it’s the Jungle Brothers, you can’t really go wrong. All in all another great hip hop classic. 3.5
I've always heard the name, but never listened. This sounds like a classic, but more diverse samples than their counterparts. There's break-beats, rock, piano, and funkadelic. It's dope! I realize now that The Prodigy (Liam Howlett) had sampled these guys, and is heavily influenced by them. I like Doin' Our Own Dang.
1989? I was closely paying attention to music by then, absorbing everything I could from MTV and radio. How did The Jungle Brothers come in under the radar? I know it's the old man in me, but I appreciate the lack of need for a parental advisory sticker on here. The rhymes are decent, the vibe is intelligent and cool-tempered, but what is apparent is how far beats have come since 1989; compared to the modern production of the 2020’s, these beats sound flat and out-of-the-box. The jazzy backing melodies are a key ingredient to their sound, but the hits aren't slappin'. Still pretty good for the time. I really like the vibes of "Good Newz Comin'."
I knew nothing of the Jungle Brothers except their name, but this was a delightful listen. It takes me back to an era I was really too young to ever experience, but I can appreciate it now. Lyrically the album centers a lot around black power, black history...even black women. The messages are empowering and uplifting. I remember afrocentrism having such a moment in hip hop at that time. Do American rappers ever still rap about Africa these days? I loved all the sampling, really well done and from such very sources. It kind of seemed to blend hip hop into jazz and even dance music. Well written lyrics, even though the delivery has that old school cadence to it that places it firmly in the late 80s/early 90s (I don't mind it). Good energy and vibes overall.
I dug all the positivity on this old school hip hop album. Great sampling also. I am pretty sure this is my first time listening to a Jungle Brothers album.
Okay
Pretty solid early hip-hop album. Nothing special IMO, but I liked it.
This is my kind of hip hop. Social commentary, tongue in cheek, having a good time. Faves: Acknowledge Your Own History, Kool Accordin' "2" a Jungle Brother.
Wow, I'm blown away by this. Sounds amazing for 1989 - has aged considerably more gracefully than a lot of hip-hop from around then and a bunch of it still sounds fresh as hell! Ugly Duckling are one of my fave recent hip-hop acts and I know they're deliberately trying to hark back to golden age hip-hop, and I reckon this is the album they have in mind. I gave this a second play through right away, and I'm gonna listen to their first album next. Great stuff! Fave tracks - "Acknowledge Your Own History", "Tribe Vibes", "J. Beez Comin' Through", "Black Woman", "Doin' Our Own Dang"
I initially had this at 2.5 stars; although I appreciated the lyrical content right away, I found it to be a bit long and one-note. It musically revealed itself a bit more to me on second listen, and even though I’d probably still cut a few songs (and it’s not my preferred era of this genre), I think it could still continue to rise for me. 3/5
It took just 3 seconds to recognise that I wouldn't like this - but in the interests of fairness I gave it 3 more minutes to be sure. Yep. I really don't like this. Early, 1980s rap music wasn't as absurdly racist, mysoginistic, violent, braggadocious, foul-mouthed and vile as modern rap, but it still wasn't much to listen to.
Fun hip hop before it got violent.
It’s so nice to hear hip hop that’s fun, playful, positive, and well put together. I just cannot listen to any rap or hip hop that’s full of gang violence, hustle culture, misogyny, and homophobia. Like, I have no time for any of that. I’d rather listen to artists like Jungle Brothers, or (ignoring some religious themes) Arrested Development, or (ignoring some of the controversies) Public Enemy.
So old school, I loved it
I don't like
I listened to a bunch of similar stuff when I was younger but don’t know that I listened to any JBs. What a mistake. This was great. Loved Doing Our Own Dang. Listened like three times in a row to the album. jBs coming through.
I liked this.
2/5
Good rap I don’t want to talk about.
Mi dispiace ragazzi, ma credo proprio di aver sviluppato un’insofferenza per l’hip-hop old school. Dopo un po’ le canzoni sembrano assomigliarsi tutte e gli album sembrano non finire mai. Sono sicura che questo tipo di musica abbia i suoi meriti, ma il fatto che il sito proponga costantemente album di questo genere ha irrimediabilmente inficiato la mia esperienza di ascolto (e alla fine la valutazione di un album, essendo soggettiva, non può che basarsi su questo).
high side of meh.
A pioneering rap album. I really enjoyed the themes, which mainly include being African and celebrating that. A real endeavour of creative output. From a group I formerly knew nothing about
Whatever, it's fine. I mean, some of the lyrics are really cringey. But overall it's okay.
2.5. Vähän turhan pitkä. Toisena päivänä voisi pyöristyä ylöspäinkin.
Feelin' Alright Acknowledge Your Own History Tribe Vibes Black Woman Doin' Our Own Dang
Definitely could have lived without enduring this.
This was actually hip hop I liked pretty well.
Absolute class.
I like this but it is just missing some decent hooks which were rich in the De La Soul debut.
File under: nothing objectively wrong, just not doing it for me.
Not a big rap fan but found this more accessible then most of the newer rap I accidentally hear blasting out of people's car windows.
Wasn’t for me
Reminds me a lot of Kid n Play, but with a bit more edge.
This was great
I really like this, but boy did things level up like right after this! This would be perfect to put on background at a party.
✅✅ album is fun as hell. low key corny, but they've got enough charisma to power through that corniness. cool beats tho, makes me wanna listen to Tribe.
2 hip hop albums in a row? Please! More pleasant and musical than the other dozen or so I've listened to in this project - this is in the Fresh Prinz vein - yawn.
I so wanted to love this album. Probably just wrong day for me to listen, honestly. I've listened to a handful of conscious rappers in my time, but all are them are form the mid 90s or so. So their style had transformed because of gangsta rap. Plus, thematically, the back to Africa themes are only tangentially interesting to me. Lyrically, it's for that 80s vibe. Some of the songs on the back half seemed to have potential. Just today wasn't my day for listening to it.
Some catchy songs but I don’t think I’ll listen to it again.
A fun listen with a nice mix of samples and live instruments. I appreciate not having to work to overlook the offensiveness of the lyrics.
I’m not familiar with the Jungle Brothers, but I’ve enjoyed a lot of the hip hop albums that I’ve gotten to review, and people’s opinions of this album seem to be pretty favorable, so let’s get to it! I really enjoyed the album’s opening track “Beyond This World,” and it gave me high hopes for the rest of the album. The samples on this track were great (especially the use of “White Lines”), and I loved the Afro-centric lyrics. As the album went on, I thought it was fine, but it didn’t blow me away. Musically, there were plenty of great samples, and incredibly fun beats, and I loved the elements of house music that were woven into the album. The socially conscious and generally upbeat lyrics and tone were nice as well, and it was an interesting contrast to the growing popularity of gangsta rap at the time. “Acknowledge Your Own History” was far and away my favorite track. The lyrics about the white washing of history are still incredibly relevant today, as people in power are still trying to promote a vision of the past that ignores the atrocities committed against people from Africa while also diminishing their accomplishments. As much as I enjoyed those things about the album, there were still a few detractors that held this album back in my opinion. I didn’t think the rapping was noteworthy, and it never felt like any members of the group established their own vocal style. Also, the production wasn’t great, and there were a few tracks that were severely muted compared to the rest of the album. Maybe that’s a Spotify issue, but I don’t know. In the end, there were some elements to this album that really worked, but if I’m in the mood for hip hop, there are other things I’d rather listen to.
Too much jungle not enough brothers
Good combo of electronic music with hip hop. Even if not my style.
Fire classic rap 👍
Sure, it's fun, varied and inventive, but where's the misogyny, feuding with other rappers, and petty diss tracks?
i miss hip hop like this
3/10 What? Really? Ok, no. 5-28-2024
didn't like it that much
Day 7 of listening to 1001 albums one by one everyday. It is definitely very upbeat and happy album which is definitely a refreshing look. The album was the very obvious beginnings of groups to later shape and experiment with hip hop. From De La Soul to Tribe Called Quest being on this album and contributing to it. This showed the very first glimmer of success for the Zulu nation.
Was really good. A cross between A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. Solid.
Not too bad for a classic hip hop album but still pretty repetitive over time
Two weeks is such a 2010s era indie pop song to me that it’s weird to know it came out in 2009. And even weirder that it came from this album because it’s definitely different (but not drastically) from the rest of the album. It’s definitely a standout track along with all we ask and I love with you but the whole album was exactly the kind of indie music I grew up with in high school and college so I enjoyed it all around.
This was groovy and I liked it a lot. It has Tribe Called Quest vibes to it. I'm sure Q-Tip and Phife were listening to this album while they were writing their own. The album has diverse beats and non-stop bars. It's got that classic golden-era sound to it. I did get a little bored by the end, it had a 1hr runtime which is a little long for me. I really love a musical interlude, and Good Newz Comin' was a fun listen. I think my favorite song was right at the end - 'Doin' Our Own Dang', it woke me up again from zoning out a little. I didn't give this album the time it deserved to really dig into the lyrics, so I acknowledge that I'm missing a big part of it. I'll revisit this in the future perhaps, but for now it gets an 8 from me. 8/10
Good vibes but nothing incredible. - 6/10
Sounds emblematic of old school hip hop. The album most similar to this that I have listened to is Low End Theory, which had more interesting production and flows, along with a tighter tracklist. This one was nice to listen to but I got bored of the songs.
To contextualize my pessimism: i am writing this rn and it is 10:54(past my bedtime) and I am sat on the floor of my garage next to my dog waiting for the family friends we had over for dinner to leave. No hate to them but I’m tired and wanna sleep. This album did nothing to help my mood. So mid. It’s been too long since I’ve given an album a 5. I want to be fired up and excited and got going. This didn’t do anything for me and I hope the next albums are better. Again there was nothing wrong w it but it was just fine 5/10
Enjoyed this, very original. 6.5/10
4/10 - I am confused by the naming formats of the songs. Why are the Us and 2s and 4s in quotes. I understand that its not the normal spelling but I think people will get what they mean. When listening to the first six songs I was like I am not going to like anything on this album probably but Good Newz Comin' (good news is what?) was pretty good. Also having ain't no mountain high enough as a sample caught me off guard. I found it interesting how most pieces had a special drum that was unique to that song. Like the more classical bongoish drums, jingle bells and random other stuff.
This was alright. Not great, not bad.
Ok
Ok so this was alright - I probably liked it a lot because it was so much better than de la soul and that elevates it somewhat
Another hip hop album I loved from this time period. I enjoyed the whole thing but not sure how often I would throw a song from here on but it might grow on me. Rating: 4.3
Often mundane music, but the lyrics were good.
The good outweighed the boring for me on this one. 3.5 rounded to a 4. There should be more songs like Black Woman.
Right on! Old skool hip hop! I hope there is more of this on the list.
Great album. Great beats, samples, lyrics, delivery. These guys never had a hit single like the other guys but they clearly influenced the Beasties, De la Soul, Tribe, Wu Tang. Bring back old school hip hop. Get off my lawn
Competent dance music.
Ok, trochę funk
one of my faves. i personally wouldnt put this above tribe or de la but its still a golden age conscious gem
Solid 80s rap. Sounds like a lot of the other albums I love from that era. I'm surprised I haven't heard of it before. I enjoyed how many big recognizable samples there are in it too.
80s rap.
Jag ska skicka en brevbomb till författaren.
Brilliant! The samples are ace. It’s all over the place with so many genres. Loved it. 4.7
Highly enjoyable! Danceable rhythms and a playful vibe, with creative sampling. Lyrics that are fun but with plenty of genuine substance. There's so much to enjoy here. Fave Songs: Feelin' Alright, What U Waitin' 4, Tribe Vibes, Good Newz Comin, In Dayz 2 Come, Sunshine, Doin' Our Own Dang, Beyond This World, Acknowledge Your Own History
Cool stuff, had never heard of this one before. Wouldn't call the MCing amazing and there isn't a ton of variety in the flow, but then every time I thought the album was starting to stagnate the production would do something neat. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
Very nice sampling here. Loved the Good News song that had Hooked on a Feeling and then all the different guitar samples.
Like De La Soul, Digable Planets, and even Digital Underground, the Jungle Brothers delivered some funky, jazzy beats with insightful and fun lyrics. This is a good example of the late 1980's alternative hip-hop. Recommended.
Jájá, þetta er ágætt. Engin gargandi snilld, en ég renndi tvisvar og inn á milli var bara nokkuð skemmtilegt stöff.
Does nothing for me
Really cool album where I recognised samples that lots of other bands used in their music, from Snoop Dogg to The Prodigy.
Not for me I'm afraid
What a blast revisiting this criminally underrated masterpiece from the hip hop golden age (underrated in the sense that it's still forgotten in some retrospective best hip hop albums lists). *Down By the Forces of Nature* is the quintessential Native Tongues (and Zulu Nation-adjacent) album. And as such, it paved the way for the commercial success of De La Soul (who had already released *3 Feet High And Rising* in 1989) and A Tribe Called Quest (who would release their own debut the year after). Both acts (plus Monie Love) feature in the funky party cut *Doing Our Own Dang" by the way, and you can find the latter towards the end of this tracklist--another reason this record is "historical" for all hip hop heads out there. Forget "Daisy Age" rap, a term mentioned in one of the reviews up there--this was just a joke De La Soul used to promote their debut LP, and they quickly disowned that reductive tag. The name of that collective was NATIVE TONGUES: conscious and afrocentric-minded lyrics, some humourous moments to give a human spin to the latter, and most of all, rich, multi-layered music piling up tribal rhythms, infectious basslines, Parliament-Funkadelic-like guitars, house music-tinted trippy synth touches, and huge sprinklings of jazzy textures and tones. It's probably hard for younger listeneners to realize this today, but the overall sound of this album marked a *huge step forward* for the whole rap genre, and this almost singlehandedly. Just compare this to 90% of the other rap albums released in 1989. So the influence of *Down By the Forces Of Nature* cannot be overstated. The Pharcyde and Souls Of Mischief also owed a lot to this record, for instance. And oddly enough, so did West Coast gangster rap: listen to snarly "U Make Me Sweat" and good-spirited "Belly Dancin' Dina" (the subtle lyrics of both cuts about how women can entice and obsess men, coincidentally--but without any blatant misogyny either) and once you've listened to those two cuts, make the connection yourself. Here it is, in "Belly Dancing Dina": the same winks and quotes going back to the George Clinton songs that Dr. Dré would recycle a few years later for Snoop Dogg. Dré listened to that album for sure. Funny how you can find hidden bridges between those two parts of the rap world that were officially "competing" with each other at the time... Speaking about rap and misogyny, "Black Woman", featuring Soul II Soul's Caron Wheeler, makes it clear woman-hating and women-objectifying has no place in the Jungle Brothers world. Of course, that good-natured track also exemplifies the few moments on this LP that sound a little too naive or dated today (In terms of the rap flows and some of the instrumentals used for instance--but also when it comes to the cheesy artwork on the cover). After all, *Down By The Forces Of Nature* was released in 1989, so it can't have aged *that* well. But the minor flaws are easily outweighed by the manifold assets present in this record. Take moody-yet-tight-and-driven opener "Beyond This World", airy-yet-lively "What U Waiting 4?"--with its sci-fi-adjacent synth loop coupled with hard P-funk rhythm--or "Acknowledge Your Own History", a proud and dignified track--both lyrically and musically--aptly explaining why systemic issues in education got Black students uninterested in history classes given how white and European-centered the latter were... Even more impressive is the *perfect* string of cuts gracing the middle part of this album. Starting with the wonderful, cinematic instrumental highlight "Good Newz Comin'" (what a stellar breakbeat!--and don't miss the frankly incredible electric guitar flourishes at the end of the instrumental!), that admirable string of tracks then lines up bangers after bangers: the title-track, "Beeds On A String" (beads on a string indeed, ha ha), "Tribe Vibes (featuring KRS One!) and "J Beez Coming Through". As some other reviewers on this app, I wish that sort of album had taken precedence over the more mind-numbing (yet more commercially successful) Gangster Rap albums that followed--even though I like or even love some of them, and readily recognize their cultural importance as well. Unfortunately, Western societies--including American society--are indeed *violent*, competitive societies. Hence why the utopia represented by that sort of hip hop record couldn't take hold. I have the CD of this album in front of me, and on its back cover, I can see a logo saying "Stop the 🔫" ("Stop the guns and violence", in case that emoji doesn't look clear enough for you guys). In this day and age, one cannot praise *Down By The Forces Of Nature* enough for pointing the way towards a sort of rap entertainment that promotes political consciousness and positivity, and this over music that slaps as hard as this on an artistic level! Here's me hoping new versions of that sort of rap albums can go back in style one day. And I also hope some of you concur, especially younger listeners. I can admire rappers such as 21Savage or Future these days. Doesn't mean other philosophies and aesthetics aren't possible. And this even today. Food for thought, I guess... 4.5/5 for the purposes of this app, rounded up to 5. Which translates to a 9.5/10 grade for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 219 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 339 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 199 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 251
A lot to like here. Not much to say that the professional critics have not. Great tracks throughout the album, fast, smart and funky. Edge of a 5 star rating.
Hard to rate… I like this style of late 80s hip hop, but today it felt a little stale and overly cheesy. This probably would’ve gotten a higher rating on another day - I put the fault more on my mood than the music, which has nothing wrong with it.
I probably would have enjoyed this more if my last album hadn't also been 90s hip Hop this is the most "golden age of hip hop" album I've ever heard
Great, conscious, afro-cenrtric, thoughtful raps, great beats and good vibes.
+1 star for fully committing to replacing all instances of "you", "to" and "for" with U, 2 and 4
Good, fun hip hop album.
Hard to not compare to tribe called quest / the pharcyde / de la soul (unknown who was first and not looking it up) yet this record still has some great beats/ideas. Beyond this world has a really trippy part on the first chorus and good newz comin has a great guitar/beat breakdown at the end. Part of my issue is that there are some great moments on a lot of the songs but the songs themselves don't hold up during their whole runtime. The record scratches and some of the line delivery can also date the record a bit. I'd say I prefer tracks/records from all the groups previously listed but this genre is just to overall listenable to me to not enjoy the grooves regardless of what you think of lyrical content.
Never heard of these guys before, but they’ve got a cool vibe and some funky beats. It’s a very laidback mood, but socially conscious and a bit smarter than the average rap act.
Good
Innovative and fun. Pretty cool to learn this is the longest activity running rap group ever.
Old-school, funky hip-hop
It's my type of hip hop, it's just not amazing
Done by the Forces of Nature is the second album by American hip hop group Jungle Brothers. It is an influential and classic album from the golden age of hip hop that was praised for its smart lyrics, house-inspired beats, wide range of samples from many different genres, and its Afrocentric themes. It's an underrated classic that's been overlooked by the general public, but the quality of the production is high just like the vibes on the album. I really enjoyed the classic hip hop on this Jungle Brothers album. The lyrics were quick and witty, with enriching themes about African-American culture and its urbanized naturalism. It's comfort music for the inner city youth that spreads positivity instead of violence or hate. I recommend this album.
Initially the sound was fun and nostalgic. But after a while it became monotonous - the same beat, same rhythm, same delivery on every song.
When I started listening to this yesterday, it was a 3. Today, when I picked it up, I'm not sure if my mood was better, it was sunnier, because it was Friday or maybe the second half of the album is better... but it hit me more like a 4. Maybe tomorrow it will be a 3 again.
Shades of Tribe, De La - and shockingly contemporary sounding for being so early in hip hop's era.
I was skeptical when I saw a rap album from 1989 because lots of early rap is corny and overly long and not very interesting. This album surprised me with its catchy beats and well-produced songs. Even in "Doin our Own Dang" the ideas of sell outs and copycats are discussed , showing that Jungle Brothers had something worth emulating. The Mc's don't always have very insightful bars, but their flow is alright. Even at an hour long I didn't think any song overstayed its welcome. Like, 3.75 stars
5/5. A danceable and super upbeat rap album despite having lyrical themes of social politics and the "good ol' days." It feels so real and well-produced, so smooth and flows well like they knew they were making a great album but still having fun with it. Full of black love and reminding people that black people are not always mad about life but have a good reason to be so while still keeping love at the forefront. Best Song: Beyond This World, Acknowledge Your Own History, Doin' Our Own Dang
I had never heard of this group and they feel very ahead of their time. This is some peak 1991-1993 pre-gangsta rap here. While there is disappointingly no references to murder and there is not a sufficient number of curse words on each track, this is still quality rap. "Acknowledge Your Own History," Feeling Alright," and "Doin' Our Own Dang" are the standout tracks. I feel remiss in not having heard of this group before.
no esta mal pero a mi no me gustò, supongo q es por q no es mi estilo
Hip Hop
Personally, I think this album is boring. That first mid 80s generation of hip-hop when they were still trying to figure things out, no real variances just the same beat pattern, the same rhyme pattern over a regular snare. Meh
amazing album, where have you been all my life
i can respect jungle brothers being on this list! i don't know as much about hip hop, but i can appreciate the classic style of hip hop and the variety of samples used on this album. some of them were unexpected but still delightful. and for a song like "black woman" to be released in 1989? i'm impressed! unless if i missed something glaringly offensive, i didn't catch any misogyny, which is always a highlight.
I'm no hip-hop expert, but it was fun to hear what was largely a positive and upbeat hip hop album. Misogyny is often so present in hip hop music, even songs that are supposedly "praising" women, and so the song "Black Woman" was a refreshing, truly positive listen. While all of hip-hop maybe didn't maintain that "positive" sound that this album reflects, I do feel like this is a standout of that era, musically!
It was ok. A little too long of an album where it all kind of sounds the same. I was ready for this one to be done. 2 stars.
Lasted about 15 minutes. That was so bland it's impressive. I'm not sure if I'm meant to feel anything towards that.
Fat and funky baselines and old school raps. Smart, political, socially conscious lyrics. But the music is also a lot of fun with plenty of playful moments. “Belly Dancin’ Dina” is a cool one. The music has that high-pitched Dr. Dre g-funk synth and one of the rappers even has a Snoop Dogg flow for a moment. And this was 1988, four years before “The Chronic.” A lot of interesting production throughout this album. It kept surprising me. The dense sampling is a lot of fun too. Lots of “Ooh I recognize that! What song is this from?” moments.
Fun 80s/90s funky / new jack swingy hip hop. I've always liked this sound, and appreciated this era of hip hop that happened just before gangsta rap started to become so prevalent. I do really love gangsta rap, but this sound was so fun and light and loose and musical. It's like it had more intentional musicality and the voices were intended to mesh with the music more, as opposed to gangsta rap where the voice is the main instrument that stands on top of the beat / music. "What "U" Waitin' "4"" is a super fun quintessential 80's hip hop track. Cool album cover too.
I think I just wasn’t in the mood for this 2*
Bog standard.
Alle Songs mit „U“, mit Apostroph- oder Gänsefüßchen sind schlicht schlecht und alle anderen noch schlechter. Es ist HipHop Rap mit nerviger Stimme und sinnlosen Bongos. Diese Musik wäre 1989 möglicherweise die Rettung der Stasi-PR Abteilung vor dem Mauerfall gewesen … so kann ich nur zur Aufnahme im 1-Star Club gratulieren.
This was pretty awesome, definitely very influential on a lot of stuff I love (Tribe). Ultimately I got a bit bored with it but I get why it is on this list, might need to revisit this for another listen
Keeps the pulse throughout, inventive instrumentation and overall positive messages of empowerment and institutional critique. Occasionally the flow falls prey to the eighties propensity to rhyme in cadence with an obvious word choice. Honestly if it wasn't for this happening a little too often, I think we'd have a timeless classic on our hands. Instead, we have a classic of its time — which is no small achievement.
Well – I tried, but that was absolutely awful… And over an hour, really – weren’t the first 5 or 6 tracks enough of this drivel… It reminded me of a cross between The Sugarhill Gang from the early 80’s, and early DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince albums – all of which came before this… Nothing wrong with that, but there is absolutely nothing new in terms of the style, and I can’t believe that the Jungle Brothers didn’t get bored recording this themselves – as every freakin’ song sounds just like the last – only with a few different lyrics… Same beat, same style, just on and on, and on… Best song is the title track “Done By The Forces Of Nature” – and that’s NOT because it’s particularly good, it’s just that it’s a bit different from everything else that totally sucked on this album… No redeeming qualities, I’d give it a “0” if I could, and have absolutely no idea how this album wound up on the 1,001…
not bad for hiphop
говнорэпчик со скучным продакшеном
I understand we would not have modern day hip-hop without groups like the Jungle Brothers. However, I simply do not enjoy this very old style of rap music.
Wow what an album!. Had me nodding constantly with their beat and lyrics although not a serious hip hop fan myself. Almost a perfect 5 if it wasn't for some religion theme.
o.o
This is an interesting one. Load of New Yorkers who've clearly never been to the south of Africa rapping about the Zulu Nation... I was very much expecting to not like it, but I found it growing on me steadily.
This feels somewhere between a DJ mix and a dated Golden Age Hip-Hop album. Clearly, the fact that it exists in that grey area is historically important, but the result is oddly boring. The growing pains of that innovation are evident. Even as a fan of both genres, early House can feel a bit repetitive, and early hip-hop flows can lack a bit of charisma while also feeling lyrically preachy. Combined here, during both genres' toddler years, the result is bit of a drag, sonically and intellectually, and requires a lot of active listening for something that isn’t actively engaging, at least not by modern standards. The length is certainly not a benefit, and the inclusion of cool jazz elements only ties an anchor to the album's foot. Now, most of this would be forgivable – this is one of the first albums to Do This™ sort of thing, after all – and even if I found it bland by today's standards, I'd have to respect it for setting up those standards. But all that goes out the window the second they're joined by their contemporary peers, who all sound so modern and fresh on the penultimate track. That alone basically negates any credibility I was about to give this album out of “respect.” The thing is, though, I really liked their debut when I was going through the Rolling Stone Top 200 Hip-Hop Albums list a year ago. Maybe because that album had clear standouts and obvious singles. And maybe that’s why this was included in the book over their debut; this is clearly meant to be an album-length statement. There’s brief glimpses of something like a single here and there, but those are cut off in favor of the DJ mix element, and I think that makes this inferior. I get the sense from some lyrics on this record that they were a bit bored by the idea of chart success, but "I'll House You" is miles above any highlight I could find here, and feels more historically important, too. Sure, this is also an important album, but important albums aren’t required listening if they're not enjoyable. And while none of it is ever technically bad even despite its age, sometimes I think being boring is a worse offense, especially when you’re supposed to have been the inventors of hip-house, a subgenre that's all about energy. If time mellows your art out to the point where you sound like the antithesis of your creative mission, then maybe you never achieved the original goal in the first place. I worry that sounds harsh, because again, my main complaint is that it's just a poorly-aged product of its time, but I physically cannot imagine anyone rating this highly if they never grew up listening to it when it came out.
2.5 maybe
Starts out with promise and starts to ease up about 3 songs in, so it rolls out rather middle of the road, good but not fun enough to warrant going back and running through more than a listen and a half.
Pretty good. Enjoyable. Sounds like something that would play in the background at Record Collector in Iowa City.
Really loved this one as well. I was completely unfamiliar with Jungle Brothers but will have to check out more. Fun old school hip hop with a toe dipped in the more 90s house style. Very fun!
This had some old school hip hop vibes. I enjoyed it, and it definitely had its peaks, but it didn’t blow me away.
3.75
Love the Native Tongue stuff.
i feel bad whenever i get older rap albums on here because i generally feel the same way about them. not ever bad but never anything special. this one was really close to that but some cool instrumentals in the second half brought it higher for me
Éste reto me está ayudando también a familiarizarme con el hip hop, un género que conozco poco y nada porque nunca he tenido gran interés en él, más que en algún que otro artista. Álbum discreto, con buenas mezclas, que ayuda a mantenerse arriba.
I had this on a tape since it first came out. Love it still to this day. One of the great examples of sampling.
Pretty forgettable album.
Not terrible, but there were much better imitations of this album.
Great beats and messages. Classic hip-hop.
I’m not a fan of most rap. Including this one