1001 Albums Summary

Reminds me of something I would hear at JCPenney at 9pm or Foust’s car on the way to mars hill

Sex packets? No, it’s not what Coach Kivette reads off of for his 7th grade health class. It’s digital underground’s debut album. This album fluctuates between strong lyricism + unique production and then sounding extremely outdated and corny. If you squint through the misogyny, fatphobia, and racial stereotyping (and this is a pretty massive “IF”), this album has charm. You don’t have to be a hip hop connoisseur to see how digital underground has influenced modern artists (Kendrick Lamar and Thundercat come to mind as using similar theatrics, 4th wall breaking moments, and samplings from Parliament/Funkadelic). Piano man carries this album. If nothing else, this album impressed me with how willing it was to take creative risks and stand out in an era when rap tended to be serious and political. Spending 7 minutes selling a fictional drug that gives you wet dreams says it all. I made Morgan listen to “Freaks of the Industry” so that she could answer the multiple choice quiz mid-song, and I think her reaction to the song pretty much sums it up, “That was… something. They just don’t paint a picture like that anymore.”

I generally enjoyed this album and I like the organ. Ship of fools is an instant classic. Last three songs kind of drag (especially the spy song). 3.4/5