| A Future Without a Past... | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 2, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990–1991 | |||
| Genre | Alternative hip hop [1] | |||
| Length | 66:06 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Leaders of the New School chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A Future Without a Past... | ||||
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A Future Without a Past... is the debut studio album from American hip hop group Leaders of the New School. [2] [3] It was released in 1991 on Elektra Records. [4]
A Future Without a Past... is a loose concept album about high school, divided into three parts. [5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [6] |
| RapReviews | 8/10 [7] |
| The Village Voice |  [8] |
The Baltimore Sun noted that "the group modulates the density of each track, [so] there's always a sense of flow to the sound, of tension and release, buildup and climax." [9]
Stanton Swihart of AllMusic praised the work, calling the group's debut "one of the most infectious rap albums ever created." [1] Trouser Press called the album "highly amiable," writing that the group's "subtle Afrocentric politics came coated in tasty upbeat rhymes." [5] Complex wrote that the album revives "the barbershop quartet-style group dynamics of early hip-hop crews like the Treacherous 3 and the Cold Crush Brothers." [10] Fact called it "a jolly throwback affair ... enlivened by Busta's freewheeling presence and some smart production work." [11]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Homeroom" | 2:25 | ||
| 2. | "Case of the P.T.A." |
| 3:42 | |
| 3. | "Too Much on My Mind" |
| 4:26 | |
| 4. | "What's the Pinocchio's Theory?" |
| 3:43 | |
| 5. | "Just When You Thought It Was Safe..." |
| 2:30 | |
| 6. | "Lunchroom" | 2:30 | ||
| 7. | "Sound of the Zeekers @#^**?!" (featuring Cracker Jacks, Rumpletilskinz and Kollie Weed) | 5:16 | ||
| 8. | "Sobb Story" | 4:51 | ||
| 9. | "Feminine Fatt" | 3:08 | ||
| 10. | "Transformers" |
|
| 4:00 |
| 11. | "Afterschool" | 1:24 | ||
| 12. | "Show Me a Hero" | 4:35 | ||
| 13. | "Trains, Planes and Automobiles" | 4:04 | ||
| 14. | "The International Zone Coaster" |
|
| 5:05 |
| 15. | "Teachers, Don't Teach Us Nonsense!!" | Leaders of the New School | 4:06 | |
| 16. | "My Ding-a-Ling" | 3:41 | ||
| 17. | "Where Do We Go from Here?" | 6:51 |
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 [3] | 128 |
| U.S. Heatseekers | 1 |
| U.S. R&B Albums | 53 |
Trevor George Smith Jr., known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. He has received 12 Grammy Award nominations for his work, making him one of the most-nominated artists without winning.
Leaders of the New School was an American hip hop group based in Long Island, New York.
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