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Poor Righteous Teachers arrive on the scene to drop knowledge for those who just don't know. The album is contains plenty of guest appearances and is chock full of lyrics for the mind. The New World Order is out to give people ideas about what should be going on in their lives, and what they should be doing to make things right. Step right up, school's in session.
With help from The Fugees, "Allies", this track turns out lovely. If you're going to step to the Poor Righteous Teachers, you better come preapared, cause The Fugees got they back. They all in this shit together, making things work. Only the strong survive, like it goes, 'Now/Put it away and stay the fuck up outta my face/I smack you in your mouth homeboy/And you be missin' taste/What a waste/To everything existin' up to now/So many claimin' butta/But just don't be knowin' how'(track #4 1:41-1:52). To be blunt about it, The Fugees make this track superb. Otherwise, this track would be plain old regular. Check the chorus, you'll know what time it is.
How fitting it is, on a CD dealing with knowledge and power, to have the T-Cha himself, KRS-ONE. He lends his wisdom on "Conscious Style", dealing with the fact that many of us have given up on learning real shit and are learning the ills of life. The cut opens up with, 'Where all the teachers went/With all that poor Black shit/Where all the conscious niggas/That used to chat like this/See I remember yesterday/When y'all was gods on Earth/Egyptians and manifestors on the verge of givin' birth/To understanding/And plantin' seeds that grow/Now everybody's on that bullshit 'bout killin' an' so'(track #10 0:31-0:46). Listen to this cut, and figure out where you need to be at. Even if you know where you're at, still give it a listen.
Other cuts worth giving a listen to are "Miss Ghetto", maybe a bit played out, but still decent; "They Turned Gangsta", with a little touch of reggae; and "Fo Da Love Of Dis", proclaiming one's love for hiphop. More was expected of this album, but it's not a weak effort. For those into elevating one's mind and having thoughts and visions in your head, this is worth the pickup. Check the unlisted track at the end. Like a heavy workout, it does a body (and mind) good.
ORIGINAL HEADz UP! score: 4 out of 6 (converted to RapReviews.com)
TOTAL Vibes: 7 out of 10
Originally posted: December 1996
source: HEADz UP!