RBG: Revolutionary but Gangsta

Last updated
RBG: Revolutionary but Gangsta
Rbg cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 30, 2004
Genre
Length44:18
Label
Producer
  • Sean Cane
  • Stic
  • Tahir
Dead Prez chronology
Let's Get Free
(2000)
RBG: Revolutionary but Gangsta
(2004)
Information Age
(2012)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Source Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
Vibe Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]

RBG: Revolutionary but Gangsta is the second studio album by hip-hop duo Dead Prez. It was released March 30, 2004 on Sony Records.

Contents

RBG was described by M-1 as a movement that "comes off the back of the Honorable Marcus Garvey." According to him, RBG means Red, Black and Green, the traditional African colors created by the UNIA, which are featured on the album cover. With this album Dead Prez "made it Revolutionary But Gangsta." [5]

On the album, Dead Prez talks about ending poverty, the mental illness of depression, reliance on the government but of "pimping the system" as a means to this end and to the cause of liberation. On "Hell Yeah," Dead Prez declares "Fuck welfare / we say reparations".

Inside the album liner notes, RBG is variously described as standing for; "revolutionary but gangsta", "real big guns", "real black girls", "ready to bust gats", "reaching bigger goals", "read 'bout Garvey", "rappers be gassed", "red black green", "rider's basic guide", and "rollin big ganja".

The song "Radio Freq" first appeared on Turn Off the Radio: The Mixtape Vol. 1 as "Turn Off the Radio" and is considered an homage to Ice Cube's song "Turn Off The Radio". [6]

In 2003, the song, "Hell Yeah" was featured on the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack.

Track listing

#TitleFeatured guest(s)Producer(s)Length
1"Don't Forget Where U Came From" Stic.man 1:14
2"Walk Like a Warrior" Krayzie Bone Stic.man3:32
3"I Have a Dream, Too"Tahir4:00
4"D.O.W.N."Stic.man2:07
5"Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)"Blue Dead Prez & Downbeat Production Collective4:12
6"W-4"Aisha MicStic.man4:04
7"Radio Freq"D-Prosper, Sean CaneStic.man2:51
8"Fucked Up"Stic.man2:43
9"50 in the Clip"Wu HyltonSean Cane & L.V.2:42
10"Way of Life"Stic.man2:57
11"Don't Forget Where U Goin'"Stic.man2:09
12"Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)" (Remix) JAY Z, BlueDead Prez & Downbeat Production Collective4:20
13"Twenty" (Hidden Track)2:22
14"Hell Yeah" (Rock Remix) (Hidden Track)5:06
Note
Tracks 13-19 are each five seconds of silence, and are followed by two more unlisted tracks, 20: "Twenty" (2:22) and 21: "Hell Yeah" (rock remix) (5:06)

Credits

Production

Related Research Articles

N.W.A was an American hip hop group formed in Compton, California. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eazy-E</span> American rapper (1964–1995)

Eric Lynn Wright, known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead Prez</span> American hip hop duo

Dead Prez is an American hip hop duo composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with lyrics focused on both militant social justice, self-determination, and Pan-Africanism. The duo maintains an ethical stance against corporate control over the media, especially hip hop record labels.

<i>Straight Outta Compton</i> 1988 studio album by N.W.A

Straight Outta Compton is the debut studio album by American gangsta rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with lyrics written by N.W.A members Ice Cube and MC Ren along with Ruthless rapper The D.O.C. Not merely depicting Compton's street violence, the lyrics repeatedly threaten to lead it by attacking peers and even police. The track "Fuck tha Police" drew an FBI agent's warning letter, which aided N.W.A's notoriety, with N.W.A calling itself "the world's most dangerous group."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drop It Like It's Hot</span> 2004 single by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell

"Drop It Like It's Hot" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring fellow American musician Pharrell Williams. It was released on September 27, 2004, as the lead single from Snoop Dogg's seventh studio album, R&G : The Masterpiece (2005). The song was produced by the Neptunes. It is regarded as an iconic song, with Snoop performing the chorus and the second and third verses while Pharrell performs the first verse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masta Ace</span> American rapper (born 1966)

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.

RBG may refer to:

Rodney Panton, also known as Rodney P is an English MC, as well as a radio and television personality who first gained attention via the UK hip hop scene in the 1980s. A former member of UK hip-hop group London Posse, Rodney P is known for rapping in his London accent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Drama</span> American DJ and record executive

Tyree Cinque Simmons, known professionally as DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record executive and music promoter. He initially gained recognition as the official DJ for Atlanta-based rapper T.I. and would continue to gain prominence hosting mixtapes, namely his trademark Gangsta Grillz series. The branding has since been utilized by artists of whom released projects compiled by Drama, including Lil Wayne, Tyler the Creator, Snoop Dogg, Yo Gotti, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Fabolous, Jeezy, Meek Mill, and Gucci Mane, among others. He is also a co-founder of the record label Generation Now, an imprint of Atlantic Records which signed artists including Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow.

stic.man Musical artist

Khnum Muata Ibomu, better known by his stage name stic.man and more recently as stic, is an American rapper, activist and author known for his work as one half of the political hip hop duo dead prez with M-1.

<i>Turn Off the Radio: The Mixtape Vol. 1</i> 2002 mixtape by dead prez

Turn Off the Radio: The Mixtape Vol. 1 is the first mixtape by American political hip hop duo dead prez. It was released under the pseudonym DPZ on November 19, 2002 via Holla Back/Full Clip Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political hip hop</span> Music genre

Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that was developed in the 1980s as a way of turning hip hop into a form of political activism. Political hip hop generally uses the medium of hip hop music to comment on sociopolitical issues and send political messages to inspire action, create social change, or to convince the listener of a particular worldview. It was inspired partially by politically-focused 1970s artists such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as the Black Power movement and revolutionary politics of the 1960s and 1970s. Various hip hop artists emerged in the 1980s espousing political messages and providing social and political commentary, with the American group Public Enemy in particular establishing themselves as one of the first predominantly political hip hop groups. The genre has helped to create a new form of social expression for subordinate groups to speak about their exclusions, injustices, and lack of power.

<i>NYs Finest</i> 2008 studio album by Pete Rock

NY's Finest is the third studio album by hip hop producer and emcee Pete Rock. The album was Rock's first studio album since 2004's Soul Survivor II, and was released on February 26, 2008 through the Nature Sounds record label. The album's cover art was created by Fuse Green and inspired by the cover of James Brown's Hell. The instrumental version of the album was released on May 13, 2008 and includes two additional songs not available on the ordinary release; "It's So G" and "When I Need It".

<i>2 Fast 2 Furious</i> (soundtrack) 2003 soundtrack album by Various Artists

2 Fast 2 Furious is the soundtrack for John Singleton's 2003 action film 2 Fast 2 Furious. It was released on May 27, 2003 via Def Jam South. Production was handled by several record producers, including Keith McMasters, Cool & Dre, the Diaz Brothers, Elite, Just Blaze and The Trak Starz. It features contributions from the film stars Ludacris and MC Jin, as well as 2 Chainz, 8Ball, Chingy, Dead Prez, Dirtbag, Fat Joe, I-20, Joe Budden, Kardinal Offishall, K'Jon, Lil' Flip, Pitbull, R. Kelly, Shawnna, Trick Daddy and Tyrese Gibson.

Sean Merrett, better known by his stage name Big Kuntry King, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is perhaps best known as a member of Southern hip hop group Pimp $quad Click, along with longtime friend and fellow Atlanta-based rapper T.I. After signing to T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint, Big Kuntry King secured a recording contract with Atlantic Records. His debut studio album, My Turn to Eat, was released September 30, 2008.

Hell Yeah or Hell Yeah! may refer to:

Alternative hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising "hip hop groups that refuse to conform to any of the traditional stereotypes of rap, such as gangsta, bass, hardcore, and party rap. Instead, they blur genres drawing equally from funk and pop/rock, as well as jazz, soul, reggae, and even folk."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Taylor (singer)</span> Musical artist

Theodore Taylor was an American blues singer.

Ansar El Muhammad, better known by his stage name Askari X, is a hip-hop artist from Oakland, California. He has released 3 albums, is on numerous compilation albums, and has been a guest on several albums. Stic.man and M-1 of Dead Prez refer to Askari X in their music and credit him as one of their main musical influences. Askari X advocates Black Power, Black Liberation, and Islam in his lyrics. His sound is characterized by slow drum beats and a verbal flow similar to Tupac Shakur. Askari X is philosophically aligned with the African People's Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement. His style may be considered as conscious rap.

"Hip-Hop" is a song by American hip hop duo Dead Prez, released on March 30, 1999 as a single from their debut studio album Let's Get Free (2000). Produced by production group Hedrush and Dead Prez, it is the duo's best-known song.

References

  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r684597
  2. Columnist. "Review: Revolutionary But Gangsta". Rolling Stone : 2004.
  3. Columnist. "Almost Classic". The Source : 2004.
  4. Hsu, Hua. "Review: Revolutionary But Gangsta". Vibe : 2004.
  5. Upping the Anti #6. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: UTA Publications. May 2008. p. 45. ISBN   9780968270431 . Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  6. Dead Prez - RBG (Revolutionary But Gangsta) review from Stylus Magazine