| Music Madness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1986 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop, electro-funk | |||
| Label | Sleeping Bag | |||
| Producer | Kurtis Mantronik | |||
| Mantronix chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music Madness is the second album by old school hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix. Music Madness was the final Mantronix album released on the independent Sleeping Bag Records label. The hip hop album features club-oriented production by Kurtis Mantronik and MC Tee's b-boy-based rapping. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [2] |
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice , music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B minus and found Kurtis Mantronik's beats to be full of "groove, variety, and (damn right) human touch", but facetiously pitied M.C. Tee for needing "boasting lessons." [3] In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Alex Henderson viewed it as both Mantronix's second best album behind The Album and "proof of how fresh-sounding and creative Mantronix was in the beginning." [1]
In 1987, Sleeping Bag Records released the album on compact disc with the name Music Madness Plus, which included five bonus tracks from The Album .
Billboard Music Charts (North America) - album
| Year | Chart | Chart position |
| 1987 | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | #27 |
Billboard (North America) - singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Chart position |
| 1987 | "Who Is It?" | Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #21 |
| 1987 | "Who Is It?" | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | #68 |
Mantronix was an influential 1980s hip hop and electro funk music group from New York City. The band was formed by DJ Kurtis Mantronik and rapper MC Tee. The group is primarily remembered for its pioneering blend of old school hip hop, electronic, and club music. They underwent several genre and line-up changes during its seven-year existence between 1984 and 1991, and released five albums beginning with their 1985 debut The Album.
EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is a concatenation of the members' names "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. During an interview on college radio station WHOV in 1987, Parrish Smith stated that the name evolved from the original: "We were originally known as "EEPMD", but chose to go with EPMD because it was easier to say." He also stated that they dropped the two "E's" because N.W.A.'s Eric Wright was already using "Eazy-E" as his stage name. The group has been active for 36 years.
Kurtis el Khaleel, known by the stage name Kurtis Mantronik, is a Jamaican-born hip hop and electronic-music artist, DJ, remixer, and producer. He was the leader, DJ, and keyboardist of the influential 1980s hip hop and electro-funk group Mantronix. He currently lives in South Africa where he has produced and remixed house and techno music tracks by artists such as India, Junior Senior, Kylie Minogue, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Michael Gray, Victoria Beckham, Liberty X, and Mim. Mantronik was influential in the development of hip hop music: notably, he laid the foundations for Southern hip hop genres such as Miami bass and trap music, and helped popularize the Amen break.
Bryce Wilson is an American record producer/entrepreneur and actor. He was formerly half of late 1990s duo Groove Theory, and former artist on the early 1990s dance music/electro hip-hop band Mantronix.
Unfinished Business is the second album by hip hop duo EPMD. Released July 25, 1989, the album built upon the success of the group's previous album Strictly Business, which was released the previous year. The lead single, "So Wat Cha Sayin'," was the only charting single released from the album. It was the second album from the group to hit No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
The Album is the debut album by the group Mantronix. The group was a New York-based duo composed of MC Tee and Kurtis Mantronik. Following some live performances together, they recorded a demo tape version of the song "Fresh is the Word" which was noticed by Will Socolov of Sleeping Bag Records. The label released the single and signed them to record an album.
In Full Effect is the third album by the hip hop-electro funk group Mantronix, released in 1988. It was the first Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. In Full Effect was the highest charting hip-hop album for Mantronix, reaching #18 on the 1988 Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The album peaked at No. 39 on the UK Albums Chart. In Full Effect was rapper MC Tee's final Mantronix album.
This Should Move Ya is the fourth album by the American hip hop/electro funk group Mantronix, released in 1990. It was the second Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. This Should Move Ya featured new members Bryce "Luvah" Wilson and Kurtis Mantronik’s cousin D.J. D, who joined founding member Mantronik following the departure of rapper MC Tee.
The Incredible Sound Machine is the fifth and final album by old school hip hop/electro funk group Mantronix, and the third Mantronix album released on Capitol Records. The Incredible Sound Machine featured new member, vocalist Jade Trini, who replaced D.J. D. Trini joined rapper Bryce "Luvah" Wilson, and founding member, DJ Kurtis Mantronik.
Touré Embden, known by the stage name MC Tee, is a Jamaican American emcee and co-founder of the 1980s old school hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix.
Sleeping Bag Records was a New York City-based independent record label founded by musician Arthur Russell and entrepreneur Will Socolov. It was active between 1981 and 1992, and specialized in dance music and hip hop.
Fresh Records was a New York City-based independent record label that operated from 1985 to 1992. The label was a subsidiary of Sleeping Bag Records that sold hip hop music. The label's roster included EPMD, Nice & Smooth, Just-Ice and T La Rock; house-music pioneer Todd Terry; and electro artists Hanson & Davis and Chocolette.
The Best of Mantronix 1985–1999 is a compact disc compilation album by hip hop/electro-funk group, Mantronix. The album was released by Virgin Records on March 15, 1999.
That's My Beat is a compilation album by hip hop–electro funk musician Kurtis Mantronik and features tracks selected by Mantronik and cited as influences to his work with his hip hop/electro funk group Mantronix. The album was released on the Soul Jazz Records label in 2002.
Remixed & Rare is a compact disc compilation album by old school hip hop/electo funk group Mantronix. The album was released by EMI Gold on May 25, 2004.
"Got to Have Your Love" is a song by American hip hop and electro funk group Mantronix, featuring vocals from American recording artist Wondress. It was released by Capitol Records in December 1989 as the lead single from Mantronix's fourth studio album, This Should Move Ya (1990). The song is written by band members Bryce Wilson and Kurtis Mantronik along with Johnny D. Rodriguez, and produced by Mantronix. It reached number four in the UK, number seven in Finland and number eight in Ireland. It is recognized as the group's signature song.
America is the sixth album by rapper Kurtis Blow, released in 1985 on Mercury Records. The album includes the song "If I Ruled the World" from the film Krush Groove, Blow's biggest hit since "The Breaks" and one of the last of his musical career. The album was the first album Kurtis Blow produced in a new deal with Polygram Records that gave Kurtis the title, 'Hip Hop's First Millionaire". The album was released in an era when old school hip hop was being overtaken by a harder sound and attitude. The album includes the first sample loop which revolutionized the music industry. The single, "If I Ruled the World", reached number 24 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1986.
The Best of Mantronix (1986–1988) is a compact disc and vinyl record compilation album by hip hop/electo funk group Mantronix. The album was released on the Ten record label in 1990.
The Fat Boys Are Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group the Fat Boys, released on June 1, 1985, by Sutra Records. The album was produced by Kurtis Blow. The album peaked at number 63 on the US Billboard 200, and number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 9, 1986.
Got to Be Tough is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer MC Shy-D. It was released on August 12, 1987, via Luke Skyywalker Records. The album peaked at number 197 on the Billboard 200 and number 41 on the Top R&B Albums chart.
