Sex Packets
Digital Underground
1990
Album Summary
Sex Packets is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Digital Underground, released on March 20, 1990 (1990-03-20).
WikipediaOne of my favorite rap albums of all time. Uniquely entertaining with a funny flow. Also responsible for helping to launch the career of Tupac. RIP Tupac and Shock G
There are some really fun moments on this album, and I was really grooving to them. "Humpty Dance" is, as always, a fun funky classic. I like the way they swing on "The Way We Swing" (schwing!). "Rhymin' on the Funk" and "Underwater Rimes" continued the fun and I was really getting into this album. I liked how they seemed to really be having fun with this and not taking themselves too seriously. (Did I wince several times? You bet. It's early 90s hip hop. You're gonna wince.) The rest of it, however, while always funky, didn't feel as fun. "The Danger Zone" seemed out of place. Grim. By the time it got to "Freaks of the Industry" it was a little cringy. And then came the songs about the titular ;-) sex packets that were just...strange and creepy. Anyway, it's hard to rate because I did move to this music and I liked their sound so much. I just don't wanna hear about the underage fetish sex packets anymore.
Kinda fun, but so incredibly dated. Not really for me. Also I wasn't expecting multiple songs about a sci-fi sexual fetish, but they may have been the highlight of the album.
This album isn't that bad. The only problem is that it's a concept album that revolves around being horny. I guess I should've tailored my expectations with a name like Sex Packets but still. The album is mixed great, and it sounds really good; however, I wouldn't ever be able to listen to this casually due to how uncomfortable it makes me. Favorite track: Sex Packets
Such a good album! My favourite so far. Every tune was great and the influence it had on all the hip hop I love is clear. Loved it!
Weirdly, I really like this. Conceptually, I feel like I would hate a rap concept album about a futuristic sex drug, but the variety and prowess of the rhymes feel futuristic even thirty years later. The production is really clean which is pretty anachronistic in terms of what was popular at the time. There are some duds in the middle of the album, but I like the rest of it enough to give this album a 5. Additionally, the comedic tongue-in-cheekness of the album and the idea of sex packets is very funny and adds to the futuristic tone and themes in the album. The skits aren't overbearing and are used pretty sparingly which is great for its replay-ability. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes hip-hop and conceptual albums. Highlights: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, and 13.
Gloriously weird in conception, totally hilarious (a component often lacking in the genre) and super detailed in execution. Love what got pulled off here.
Incredibly fun(ny) shockingly good album. You can't tell me that the rhyme scheme/flow of Packet Man didn't influence Hamilton though
Unapologetically arrogant and objectifies women and men in a sexual storyline carried throughout the album. I fucking loved it.
This is quite a cool sound, very summery especially to bring out at a party.
A worthy debut from Digital Underground. If you didn't quite like this one, the true essential entry from them is Sons of the P. RIP Shock G
This was genuinely so much fun to listen to. Some of the lyrics are just mad and I love how unserious it is. 10/10 story telling too.
Everyone loves the Humpty Dance, but I don't remember listening to the whole album before.
As this Era of hip-hop is more of a blindspot for me, I quite enjoyed getting a taste of Westcoast classics, and seeing where my tastes originate from a bit.
A bit too long, but at its good moments it is a perfect hip hop funk jazz record to make you feel... just great!!
Really cool vibes. Like the Beastie Boys, another album with sampling at it's heart. But this one has been sampled itself a LOT by all kinds of people, really interesting to read and listen to all those tracks too. Big influence on backpack hiphop. Best discovery of this thing so far 7.5/10
90s backpack hip hop? Yes please. Great lyrics, funky production and all round good vibes. Saved to Spotify.
totally hated the first few tracks on this album but it really started growing on me. extra comedic virile Tribe Called Quest vibes. some creative old-school beats too
Really enjoyed this, loads of big samples and amazing how many peeps have sampled this album!
Very entertaining , fun, funny album. The music is not as compelling for me as Fun Lovin' Criminals, but still really good and enjoyable, just as a general commentary....Rap / hiphop albums tend to be TOO LONG!!! Please, please, please being back the 40 minute album. 3.75 🌟
What's interesting about this album is that so many of the samples sound familiar, but I can't tell if they originate here or are sampled from something famous. Certainly there is a huge P-Funk influence on this album, which fits into the context of what was happening elsewhere in West Coast hip-hop. A lot of the rap from this era doesn't age well because of the mysogeny, homophobia, and cartoonishly violent content, but this album still sounds good 4/5
The Humpty Dance is a bop. Gutfest 89 is fun. The sheer amount of Parliament samples is quite impressive. Doowhutchyalike is a send up to early 90's hedonism. Its an afrofuturistic hedonistic album about sex and unrequited desire.
Great album - really funky early hip hop, with the iconic Humpty Dance and several other head bobbing tracks. Definitely some mature subject matter, but absent a lot of the "I'm going to kill everyone" lyricism of the genre from later in the decade.
An album that doesn't get enough praise from the golden era / sample era of hip hop. I think most tracks could shave a minute or so off of them.
This album definitely grew on me as it went on. The songs do run a bit long for no good reason, but overall this album was a very fun listen.
The group, mostly Shock G by the sound of it, produce sex-raps in a low-gonzoness/high-legibility vein. That niche and the unique sound of the thing quickly earned my respect. That said, I continue to not get the p-funk beats which underlie Sex Packets: Just too slow and low-fi. The listening experience was a descent into discomfort.
Strong an consistent rap album from the golden age that i was not familiar with in advance.
Kolejny pik ktorego bym sie nie spodziewal po bialej wyspiarskiej liscie, bo murzynski rap z gatunku konceptowych wariacji lat 90, Sex Packets to debiutancki krazek grupy Digital Underground, ktorej twarza, a raczej nosem byl Shock G, ale kolektyw znany byl z tego, ze przewinelo sie przez niego sporo postaci z rapowej gry zachodniego wybrzeza, nawet 2pac troche sie wypromowal zaakrecajac sie na projektach digitalowych, co do samego krazka, to plyta pochodzi z poczatku lat 90, wiec jest bogato wyprawiona w sample. az dziwne ze nadal wisi na spotifaju, bo sporo materialu z tamtego okresu jest zbyt osamplowane, zeby mozna bylo je grac na strimingu, ponad godzina funkodeli z tlustymi rymami o zabarwieniu mocno hedonistycznie komicznym, bo konceptem plyty jest genetic suppression relief antidotes, wiec pigula po ktorej ma byc czlekowi dobrze, gdy nie moze zrobic sobie dobrze, bo ma wazne zeby do roboty, ale oczywiscie czarne zloczynce uzywaja ich do niecnych celow o ktorych opowiada wlasnie ten album, od strony instrumentalnej slychac parliamentowe sample, daddy kane, hendrixa czy hancocka, wiec czarno to sluchac, na tym funkowych instrumentalach czesto dochodzi do dialogow, monologow i prawdziwych dysput, bo mimo tego ze glownym bohaterem jest pan Shock G jako Humpty Hump, ale przewijaja sie takze inny bohaterowie jak Kenny K, czy Money B, ktory rowniez wnosza cos lirycznego od siebie, wiec nie jest to nudna godzina, fajnie sobie odswiezyc takiego klasyka, zwlaszcza ze brakuje na liscie albumow z jajcem, a taki wlasnie humorek przemyca sex packets, na plejke leci openingowy the humpty dance i doowutchyalike, tak w ogole nie czuc tego, ze jest to debiutancki material grupy, bo tworza az tak pewna atmosfere jak prawdziwe freaki tego industri, ale z drugiej strony nie kojarze duzo z ich pozniejszej dyskografii
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: doowutchyalike, sex packets, freaks of the industry
There sure aren't all that many hip hop concept albums, and this might even be the first. The first few tracks had me questioning my sanity. Is this ICP? Nope. ICP don't rap about underwater concerts. With 30 years reflection, this seems - well - kinda childish. I'd imagine that some 14 year olds would snigger along to the lyrics. Despite that, it's classic hip hop done actually pretty well, with good beats and excellent flow. Sure, some tracks needed the judicious application of the "skip" button but in the main, I quite enjoyed it.
"Man, if I get another VCR imma hurt somebody." is possibly the best closing line to any album ever. Loved the production on this, some of it is obviously dated, but mostly it was just good fun.
I knew nothing about the band or the album. And when listening to the opening track, The Humpty Dance, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear much more. Then the Hendrix sample on The Way We Swing got me totally interested & I have to say I loved this album. The title track is terrific, as is Rhymin On The Funk, both with Parliament samples, and I was also taken by Underwater Rimes, which felt like a hip-hop version of The B-52’s Rock Lobster. The impersonation of Edward G. Robinson’s gangster persona is a scream. And I loved the final track, Doowutchyalike. It said a lot about the band’s approach to music, as well as life. This is one of the most soulful hip-hop albums I’ve ever heard. A great listen.
Wish I’d heard these guys in 1990! Sadly (?), my limited listening time today was focused on getting geared up for the Oils’ last ever show at the Palais. But from what I heard, I’ll be back to hear the rest.
Incredibly hilarious!!! Concept album!!! Hehheh... Ei paljoa meikäläistä naurata... Hyvä flow.. Dumtsiga dum dum...
bay area rap from the 90s is fucking insane the samples on this record rule, 90s rap rules, long live digital underground
Some cringeworthy, outdated themes but I do love me some old school hip hop.
With a hip hop album from this time period, there are bound to be more than a few incredibly dated moments. This album is no exception. It is however, a very fun album that samples prodigiously from funk and soul records giving Digital Underground a very tangible connection to the music they are descended from. Lyrically, this album is all over the place. I laughed out loud at several points, and found the sex packets song cycle a bit out of place interesting though it was. I suppose that's why this album is on this list; it is a fascinating slice of hip hop history.
More than just the two big singles this album is so dope! The musicianship is outstanding, Shock G was a beast and really underrated, they were hip hops answer to Parliament Funkadelic!
Reminds me of the late 80s & the school dances I'd go. Loved doing the Humpty Dance. Good times.
Classic album. I had it on cassette back in the day, and this was a fun trip back in time. "The Humpty Dance" is legendary, but there's plenty more to like here. "Freaks of the Industry" and "Doowutchyalike" are particularly memorable, and "Underwater Rimes" is a silly track that's always reminded me of Kip Addotta's pun-filled "Wet Dream." And that's one of the thing's that sets the Underground apart from most hip-hop acts; in an age where gangsta rap was starting to take hold of the industry, they weren't afraid to ditch the bravado, slap on a giant fake nose, and get goofy with it. Gotta love it.
Seminal hip hop album. Like most of its ilk though... 15-20 mins too long!
Dope beats, tekst is heel erg jaren '90 - zo onschuldig nog. Vind het verder niet echt een tof album ofzo, heb hem niet afgeluisterd.
Interesting album. Clear rap lyrics. Was this an influential album? otherwise can't understand why is this is on this list. It does have the humpty dance on here.
Bra! Jävligt oldschool, tidsmaskin till 80/90, det va coolt. Bra musiker. Men hela Sex Packets-delen?? Hahah va i helvete hände med texten? Aja, det va coolt, uppskattade att lyssna på det men vet inte om jag kommer lyssna igen.
This is a throwback to school dances. Gotta admit I’ve only heard Humpty before this listen. The rest of pretty good, funky samples decent rhyming. Considering the era this is pretty darn good. RIP Shock G who just passed.
It was alright. Seemed pretty typical late 80s, early 90s rap from what I remember.
Did really enjoy it. Some mega bants tunes. Did lose me 3/4 in. So will be revisiting
Ik vond het een stuk minder erg dan ik vooraf gedacht had. Best vrolijke rap eigenlijk.
very catchy bits in some of the songs. had me singing lyrics i didn't even know
Buen disco. No me atrapo alguna canción en particular, fue más como una sola unidad. Interesante y fresco
Ekalla kuuntelukerralla jutut jaksoi hymyilyttää, mutta tokalla kerralla oli vähän raskaampi setti. Jätkillä on varmaan siistit Civicit, sen verran kovia panomiehiä olivat. Ja jonkun virtuaalipillerinkin olivat keksineet. Ei tämä mikään huono ollut, joten tarjotaan perus kolmosta.
Strong 3 stars. It’s a good blend of hip hop and funk, but I find it very self aggrandizing.
Okay, in one respect, Sex Packets isn't all that impressive. The rhymes and rhythms aren't especially inventive, and since rap and hip hop are generally judged on these elements, that would seem to be a deal breaker. But Sex Packets has a few things in its favor. First, there is the amiable, relaxed quality of the raps. There is no misogyny or homophobia to be found here--this is a party record. On the breakout hit, The Humpty Dance, the subject is putatively sex, but the way these guys approach it, they're just joking around. The raps are reasonably humorous. It's a nice change. The second factor is, freed from the pressure to impress, the raps are fluid and effortless. Finally, and most importantly, the tunes are built on samples from the P-funk library and one Hendrix tune, so the musicianship is excellent by default. Okay, let's not get carried away. This is not a great record by any stretch. I mean, 90% of the music is by other artists, but even if it is good, but Digital Underground uses it in the least imaginative way possible. The lack of ambition, which allows Digital Underground to perform within their abilities, is a two-edged sword. While Sex Packets is a painless listen, it's a shallow one.
Some real bangers in this album, some other songs were like cabbage island.... only okay.
Fun, eclectic group of songs with a party vibe and a sense of humor. The concept part of the album is ridiculous, but they make it work somehow. Sampling could be more subtle, but hey, I like P-Funk. I'll allow it. Fave Songs: Doowutchyalike, Rhymin' on the Funk, The Danger Zone, The Humpty Dance
Hip-hop can be corny, too. It wasn’t all gun battles and baby mama drama. (5/10) FT: The Way We Swing
Humpty Hump always seemed like a fun joke song, and to be clear it isn't like DU is taking themselves too seriously here. But it's got some real jams and grooves. This is a fun album that is a lot more than skin deep
Wow, not my normal kind of listen but interesting and fun to go through nevertheless!
Some funk, some New Jack sound, love Shock G’s smooth voice/raps—gives me jazz hip hop/alt hip hop feels (a La Digable Planets, Tribe Called Quest, US3 etc). Very listenable—the lyrics/tracks don’t make come back though.
I knew Humpty, but for the rest of this album, it was a first. It really grabbed my attention…for a while. The funky beats with the silly raps are very 90s danceable. I enjoyed the nostalgia of the sound. The bulk of the sexual themes were mostly uninteresting to me, and after a while it felt like it was too drawn out. I connected with many of the samples, and I enjoyed how DU used them…but then I just wanted to go listen to the sources of the samples.
The Humpty Dance, Dowhatchalike, etc. Love the raunchiness. Takes me back to middle school dance parties.
I sat in this album for weeks before I listened because I couldn’t imagine the album famous for The Humpty Dance would be particularly good, but it was actually decent. There were some clever rhymes but the general feel was like a knock-off De La Soul. Even if I didn’t think it was GREAT hip hop, it was enjoyable. 3.5/5 stars