Road to the Riches | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 14, 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1986 - 1988 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 47:49 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Marley Marl | |||
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo chronology | ||||
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Singles from Road to the Riches | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
NME | 5/10 [2] |
RapReviews | 9/10 [3] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
The Village Voice | B+ [5] |
Road to the Riches is the debut album by hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, which was released in 1989 on then-prominent hip hop label Cold Chillin' Records. The album is notable for being one of the blueprints for the mafioso rap trend with the title track "Road to the Riches," which received strong rotation on the TV show Yo! MTV Raps , and was later featured on the old-school hip hop radio station Playback FM from the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas . Most of the songs, however, are not crime-related. Other popular songs included "It's a Demo" and "Poison." In 1998, Road to the Riches was selected as one of The Source 's "100 Best Albums". [6]
Kool G Rap and DJ Polo were members of the legendary Juice Crew, led by producer Marley Marl. The duo first premiered on Mr. Magic's Rap Attack radio show on 107.5 in 1986 with its first single "It's A Demo." They spent the next few years releasing singles, and eventually wrote and recorded Road to the Riches in 1988, but wasn't released until early 1989. The album showcases G Rap's signature multisyllabic rhyme style with lyric topics ranging from crime, materialism, braggadocio, to love. The production was entirely handled by fellow juice Crew member Marley Marl, who provided a more hard-edged style of production than that of his previous work.
Road to the Riches is often cited as the beginning of the mafioso rap genre, laying the groundwork for future hip hop stars such as Scarface, Nas, Raekwon, Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., and AZ, among others, however the bulk of the album features battle rap lyrics similar to Big Daddy Kane or Rakim without the explicit mafioso or gangsta rap subjects of the title track. G Rap would begin expanding his vivid storytelling and organized crime themes on his next album, Wanted: Dead or Alive and especially on 1992's Live and Let Die .
According to the liner notes in the Roots' Phrenology , "Men at Work" was the song that brought the group together during a lunch period at their high school.
# | Title | Songwriters | Performer (s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Road to the Riches" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 4:48 |
2 | "It's a Demo" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 4:27 |
3 | "Men at Work" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 5:02 |
4 | "Truly Yours" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 5:07 |
5 | "Cars" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 3:07 |
6 | "Trilogy of Terror" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 2:40 |
7 | "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 5:21 |
8 | "Cold Cuts" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | DJ Polo | 3:52 |
9 | "Rhymes I Express" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 3:47 |
10 | "Poison" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 4:45 |
11 | "Butcher Shop" (CD version only) | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap | 3:44 |
Disc 1
# | Title | Songwriters | Performer(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "Road to the Riches" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
2 | "It's a Demo" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
3 | "Men at Work" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
4 | "Truly Yours" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
5 | "Cars" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
6 | "Trilogy of Terror" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
7 | "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
8 | "Cold Cuts" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | DJ Polo |
9 | "Rhymes I Express" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
10 | "Poison" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
11 | "Butcher Shop" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
12 | "Radio Album Introduction" | N. Wilson | |
13 | "Radio Freestyle" | N. Wilson, Craig Morgan | Kool G Rap & Craig G |
14 | "Radio Interview" | ||
15 | "Riker's Island Radio Promo" | N.Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
16 | "Raw (Demo Version)" | N. Wilson, Antonio Hardy | Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap |
Disc 2
# | Title | Songwriters | Performer(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "It's A Demo (Original 12" Version)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
2 | "I'm Fly (Original 12" Version)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
3 | "Riker's Island (Original 12" Version)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
4 | "Rhyme Tyme (Original 12" Version)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
5 | "Poison (Hip Hop Version)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
6 | "Poison (Dub Version)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
7 | "Poison (Remix)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
8 | "Men At Work (Extended Version)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
9 | "It's A Demo (Original 12" Version Instrumental)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | |
10 | "I'm Fly (Original 12" Version Instrumental)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | |
11 | "Riker's Island (Original 12" Version Instrumental)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | |
12 | "Men At Work (Extended Instrumental)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | |
13 | "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not (Instrumental)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | |
14 | "Men At Work (Acapella)" | N. Wilson, M. Williams | Kool G Rap |
Chart (1989) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [7] | 29 |
Marlon Lu'Ree Williams, better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects located in Queens, New York. He performed in local talent shows during the early days of rap music, further fueling his interest.
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson, better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time, and a pioneer of mafioso rap/street/hardcore content and multisyllabic rhyming. On his album The Giancana Story, he stated that the "G" in his name stands for "Giancana", but on other occasions he has stated that it stands for "Genius".
Shawn Moltke better known by his stage name MC Shan, is an American hip hop and R&B recording artist.
Antonio Hardy, better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper, producer and actor who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hip hop. Rolling Stone ranked his song "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" number 25 on its list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, calling him "a master wordsmith of rap's late-golden age and a huge influence on a generation of MCs".
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Duval Clear, known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is an American rapper and record producer from New York City. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut "The Symphony". He is noted for his distinct voice and rapping proficiency, and has influenced several MCs.
The Juice Crew was an American hip hop collective made up largely of Queensbridge, New York-based artists in the mid-to-late 1980s. Founded by radio DJ Mr. Magic, and housed by Tyrone Williams' record label Cold Chillin' Records, the Juice Crew helped introduce New School artists MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, Masta Ace, Tragedy, Craig G and Kool G Rap. The crew produced many answer records and engaged with numerous "beefs" – primarily with rival radio jock Kool DJ Red Alert and the South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions, as well as the "posse cut", "The Symphony".
Percy Lee Chapman, known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi, is an American rapper and record producer. Chapman hails from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens, New York City, and helped spawn other hip hop artists such as Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, Nas. He is documented to be the first to use the phrase "illmatic" in 1988 on a record called "The Rebel", from the Marley Marl album In Control, Volume 1, which was an inspiration and influence on fellow New York rapper Nas.
Cold Chillin' Records was a record label that released music during the golden age of hip hop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. A producer-and-crew label founded by manager Tyrone Williams and run by Len Fichtelberg, most of the label's releases were by members of the Juice Crew, a loosely knit group of artists centered on producer Marley Marl. In 1998, the label shut down, and the majority of its expansive catalog was bought by Massachusetts-based LandSpeed Records.
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Live and Let Die is the third and final studio album by the American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo. It was released on November 24, 1992, via Cold Chillin' Records. The album features guest appearances from Big Daddy Kane, Bushwick Bill, Ice Cube and Scarface. The singles "Ill Street Blues" and "On The Run" both received consistent airplay on Yo! MTV Raps, and BET's Rap City upon the album's release.
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In Control, Volume 1 is the debut studio album by American hip hop record producer Marley Marl of the Juice Crew. It was released on September 20, 1988 through Cold Chillin' Records with distribution via Warner Bros. Records.
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"The Symphony" is a rap song produced by Marley Marl featuring Juice Crew members Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Craig G and Big Daddy Kane. The track appears on Marley Marl's 1988 Cold Chillin' Records release In Control, Volume 1. Rolling Stone ranked “The Symphony” the 48th greatest hip-hop song of all time, calling it “the first truly great posse cut.”
"It's a Demo" is the 1986 debut single by American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo. Originally a non-album single with "I'm Fly" as a B-side, a remix of the track was featured on the duo's 1989 album Road to the Riches and later on the compilation albums Killer Kuts (1994), The Best of Cold Chillin' (2000), Greatest Hits (2002) and Street Stories: The Best of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (2013).
"Poison" is the first single from American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's 1989 debut album Road to the Riches. It would later feature on the compilation albums Killer Kuts (1994), The Best of Cold Chillin' (2000), Greatest Hits (2002) and Street Stories: The Best of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (2013).
"Road to the Riches" is the second single from American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's 1989 debut album Road to the Riches. It was released as a single with "Butcher Shop" as a B-side and later also featured on the compilation albums Killer Kuts (1994), The Best of Cold Chillin (2000), Greatest Hits (2002) and Street Stories: The Best of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (2013).
"Truly Yours" is the third single from American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's 1989 debut album Road to the Riches. It was released as a single with "Cold Cuts" as a B-side and later also featured on the compilation albums Killer Kuts (1994), The Best of Cold Chillin' (2000), Greatest Hits (2002) and Street Stories: The Best of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (2013).
"Talk Like Sex" is a song by American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, originally recorded for their 1990 album Wanted: Dead or Alive and later released as the second single from 1996's Rated XXX. It was also featured on the compilation albums The Best of Cold Chillin' (2000), Greatest Hits (2002) and Street Stories: The Best of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (2013).