Straight Out The Jungle

Performer: Jungle Brothers
Artist: Q-Tip
Engineer: DJ Red Alert; Andre Debourg; Andre Debourg
Producer: Jungle Brothers
Distributor: RED Distribution

Notes: Jungle Brothers: Afrika Baby Bambaataa, Mike G. (vocals); Sammy B. (DJ). Additional personnel: Q-Tip (vocals); Sweet Daddy (scratches). Recorded at T.T.O. Studios, New York, New York. All songs written by The Jungle Brothers. Composers: DJ Sammy B; Michael Smalls; Jungle Brothers; Pam Hall. Personnel: Sweet Daddy (scratches). Audio Mixer: DJ Red Alert. Recording information: TTO Studios, NY. Photographer: Ken Kaufman. Arrangers: The Grand Wizard Oswald; Jungle Brothers; Tony D. Although outdistanced in popularity and sales by contemporaries and kindred spirits De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers were equally important in ushering in a bold, innovative new movement in hip-hop. In an era when rap's early pioneers were fading and gangsta rap had yet to leave the getto full force, the Jungle Brothers helped establish the Native Tongues collective and, subsequently, a style of hip-hop that would come to define the Golden Age. Cuts like "Jimbrowski" and the title track are classics and perfectly illustrate the Jbeez's mix of jazz-inflected grooves, politically conscious lyrics, Afrocentricity, and a keen sense of fun. An independent release (on a dance label no less), STRAIGHT OUT THE JUNGLE suffered a bit from lack of exposure, and its lo-fi production has, unfortunately, worked against the album over time. But none of this should dull the impact of the strides made here. The JBeez's were among the first to use jazz samples, James Brown riffs, club beats (see "I'll House You"), and other elements that later became common currency in the genre, to say nothing of their dexterous and highly intelligent wordplay. This is a landmark album in the development of rap music, and an undeniable, drop-everything must for any self-respecting hip-hop fan.

NME (Magazine) (9/25/93, p.19) - Ranked #38 in NME's list of The 50 Greatest Albums Of The '80s.

Afrocentric James Brown fanatics from New York City, the Jungle Brothers were members of the loosely formed Native Tongues collective of the early 1990s. Offering enlightened rhymes over jazzy beats and production, the Jbeez helped create the sound of hip-hop's Golden Age. As fearless experimenters, they were also one of the first rap acts to incorporate sounds that were considered outside of the traditional hip-hop sample base--most notably house music and, later, club beats. Though never a commercial smash, the Jbeez remain one of rap's most influential groups.

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