Classic Album Review: Boogie Down Productions, "Criminal Minded"

Hip-hop and music fans could argue till the end of time about where "gangsta rap" really originated from, but one thing that is certain in the debate is that KRS-One was heavily involved in the process.

When Kris Parker (KRS-One) met social worker Scott Sterling (Scott La Rock) while homeless and staying at a group home, neither could have known how far their collaboration would go, and the impact on the game they would leave. After running into each other a few weeks later the two eventually formed a crew, later recruiting D-Nice as well.

Originally comprised of the trio (KRS-One, D-Nice and DJ Scott La Rock), Boogie Down Productions helped lay down the foundation of what would become true gangsta rap on their debut album, "Criminal Minded".

Released on March 3, 1987, the album was controversial for many reasons, including the cover of the album, which showed Parker and Sterling surrounded by an arsenal of weapons, and was hip-hop’s first major release to feature members holding firearms. While this is significant, what's even more important were the blunt, realistic descriptions of life in the South Bronx.

The album is filled with some amazingly crafted tracks, including "South Bronx", "9mm Goes Bang", "The Bridge Is Over", "Criminal Minded", and "Poetry". And although there's some matter of dispute over who the true musical architect of the album was (some say Ced Gee of the Ultramagnetic M.C.'s was a "ghost producer" on the album) there's no disputing that it was a game-changer.

"Poetry" is the opening track on the album, and on top of just showing the pure rhyming skills of KRS-One the track emphatically sets the tone for the rest of the album. In our current 'playlist' era many fans forget that in the past some artists actually wanted people to listen to tracks in a certain order---this was one of those times. He rhymes about how hip-hop is poetry and I think KRS-One sums things up perfectly when he spits "If this meaning doesn't manifest put it to rest/I am a poet."



He spits one of the best verses on the entire album as he raps: "So tell me what is this?/See I come from the Bronx so just kiss this/Boogie Down Productions is somewhat an experiment/The antidote for sucka MC's and they're fearin it/It's self-explanatory, no one's writin for me/The poetry I'm rattlin is really not for battling/But if you want I will simply change the program/So when I'm done you will simply say 'damn'."

One of my personal favorite tracks is "Word From Our Sponsor," which I think is an underrated piece on the album. The group does an excellent job of being honest about the hood mentality, bringing together the culture of the system with an ethical code of the streets.



There's another fantastic verse on the track, perfectly illustrating where the group is coming from and what they stand for: "So go ahead and consume/A new era, KRS-One comes better/Bite another lyric? Never/Cos I'm too clever, however/ I own my own label/Partners with Scott LaRock, he's on the turntable/And partner Lee Smith/I'm exercising a true gift just to uplift."

The most recognizable track on the album is probably "The Bridge is Over", but it's also one of the best. The group gained some notoriety for their feud with MC Shan, Marley Marl, the Juice Crew and rappers from Queens, and this track is considered to be a diss song classic, aimed at that crew.



The beat is great, and the simple chorus of "I say, the bridge is over, the bridge is over, biddy-bye-bye!/The bridge is over, the bridge is over, hey, hey!/The bridge is over, the bridge is over, biddy-bye-bye!/The bridge is over, the bridge is over" is one of the most recognizable of all-time.

The track is filled with memorable lines, my personal favorite being: "Tell them again, me come to te-ell them/Manhattan keeps on makin it, Brooklyn keeps on takin it/Bronx keeps creatin it, and Queens keeps on fakin it."

One thing that makes the track so unique is how the group gives a slight nod to Billy Joel, with the song's lyrics at the end set to the tune of the famous song "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." The track is one of the group's most significant, and one of the best out there.

In 1987, things were on the cusp, and "Criminal Minded" represented a seismic shift in hip-hop and illustrated a blueprint for the genre’s next decade. Basically it established the prototype for East Coast gangsta rap, and its effects can still be felt today. Sadly, DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of the debut album, and ironic twist of fate for the group and the album.

Either way the album was a benchmark in hip-hop, and is most assuredly a classic.