Just like this decade, Hip Hop music has been very instrumental in expressing cultural aspects, political views, social perspectives and attitude towards a particular group in the 80’s. Criminal minded was widely considered to be the foundation of the hardcore rap, that announced its overall intentions with just a cover photo of its artists- Kris-One and Scott La Rock. These artists posed with weapons which was unheard musical gesture since the year 1987. Boogle Down production was a rap tailored to explain about the inner city violence and drugs. There existed no explicit mention of the real gangs who conducted the aforementioned on criminal minded. However, it immensely expounded the range of the so-talked about subject matter that was then put on the musical records. This is one song that made a big impact on account of its launch with a shear force. Not only the unvarnished depictions of KRS-one about the harsh urban regions, but it also illustrated its boom delivery and La Rock, lean booming and hard backing tracks which sounded a little bit skeletal. It was then fashionable at that time.
In this respect, it will be the contention of this paper to espouse on the album, Criminal minded so as to analyze the distinct perspectives of the artist, producer, the performance, the lyrics, the beat as well as the social context.
Since the beginning, criminal minded typifies the elegance in the hip hop in New York since 1980. This is illustrated by the hefty drum lines as well as the engrossing lyrical templates that are designed on every track. This is the album opener which is one perfect example of the table setter fro the rest of the album. As if this is not enough, a minimalist banger which constitutes of rhythmic scratches as well as a hard charging drum pattern spices the entire music atmosphere. This gives the artist Scott la Rock who in this case interacts with relative ease through the musical lyrics. Kris on the other hand, mesmerizes the audience with pinpoint rhymes whilst Scott la Rock scratches are very well measured and placed. They are within the artist (Kris) verses and during the breaks in the criminal minded. This is a combination tribute song dedicated to the place where this album was created. It is a drama starter that is meant for the juice crew front liner. For a period of 5 minutes, Kris one Criminal minded overshadows Shan for his anthem – THE BRIDGE- which gives us a historical lesson of the evolution of the hip hop in BX from some activities in some regions such as Bronx river houses or the Cedar Park. Following this, Kris amazingly utilizes dueling James Brown samples so as to put his group on the map so as to commence the most contending part of his rap-The Bridge Wars. Just after M Shan response to South Bronx, that is Kill That Noise, Boogle Down Productions slammed the door on the juice crew by launching The Bridge is over. In this case, the dancehall bouncer is seen to emasculate Mister Magic who thereof becomes instrumental in defaming Roxanne Shante.
Criminal mindedness is a part of the larger efforts of BDP to bring to the light the combustible mix of talent as well as creativity that can be used to bring forth entertainment. The ragamuffin 9mm goes to bang gives a recommendable support for Kris lyrics- Spiraling Street fable which in this respect commences with him hunting down the rival drug peddlers after which the action leads to him dodging an ambush endeavor from the rival’s crew and thereof driving away in Scott La Rock BMW. The Remix For P is ever Free is one sound rattler system that has been utilized by KRS so as to speak of the commercial sex workers, who in this case offer their very essence in a bid to exchange their sentiments.
Boogie down Productions- Criminal minded illustrates the blackness in the Bronx region that could be associated with the Jamaicanness in the 1980 decade. KRS foregrounds his Westernized Indian heritage on what is believed to be the seminal hip hop album. Boogie Down Production brush, dub accented production, ‘’ragamuffin’’ language, dancehall crafted tunes generally glorified violence making an immense impression on the hip hop scene that was then used to set a template for what would later be referred to as Gangsta rap. This explains of the tag of war that existed between the South Bronx and the Queen Bridge over the rap’s place of birth or how it generally commenced way back then. KRS efficiently represented the authentic hip hop in a fashion that heftily indebted to reggae whereof it was hallmarked by otherness. Obviously, what this illustrated was that Jamaicanness was no longer coupled with the same stigmatized sense of otherness. In this case, it was believed to have been reaccented when Boogie Down Productions took a classic reggae bass line and thereof re-imagined itself as a stiff, break beat-saddled piano riff.
It is therefore not surprising that KRS embraced the signifiers of Jamaicanness on the Criminal Mindend, despite of the personal connection that they had.
BDP constituted of Kris one, DJ Scott Da Rock who was then assassinated in the year 1987 following the release of BDP debut album- criminal minded. The name of this music crew was derived from the nickname South Bronx region of the Bronx which in this case is amongst the five boroughs of the New York City. This is one group that facilitated the culmination of the dancehall reggae as well as the hip hop music and their debut LP criminal minded which constituted of the sincere description of the life in South Bronx region in the late 80’s.
Whilst criminal minded comprised of the clear description of the South Bronx street life, Boogle Down Productions changed following Scott’s death. The producer – Smith was thereof dropped whilst KRS commended a deliberate endeavor of creation of a political and social conscious hip hop. BDP was an immensely influential and a provoking political and social consciousness although the crew was hugely overshadowed by the political hip hop crafted by their public enemy.
The Jamaican influence in the album Criminal minded is very well showcased by the frequent use of the words such as mad, moreover, it is also spiced up by the diseases rid dims that were crafted early in the year 1981 by the reggae star Yellow man. This song was furthered by artists such as Black star which was an album that was regarded by many as the commencement of the gangsta rap movement. In this case, criminal minded was very instrumental in reaffirmation of the social acceptance of anchoring themselves in the Jamaican roots. To this point it is very apparent that Boogle down Productions referenced reggae in a fashion that assisted in solidification of the Jamiaca’s place in the modern hip hop culture.
A decade following the launch of Criminal minded, mos def endeavored to channel the sounds of the Jamaicans through the Bronx to make Brooklyn-based statement concerning hip hop that many listeners would hear as pure hip hop classicism. This is a testament which deeply disagrees with the perceptions of the hip hop music lexicon which had then absorbed a reggae accent. On a Black Star definition. Mos Def brought forth a dance hall oriented fashion to the flow of employing a steady and staccato rhyme. He borrowed this from the melody that KRS had then borrowed from the reggae star Yellow man, although he slots in some of the Jamaican slang for the good measure of the lyrics. This includes lines such as -lord have mercy- or- follow me not.
Ironically, this takes this hip hop album to soul searching on account that its subject is centrally employed as a sample of BDP’s Remix for P. This is the same sample that the crew selectively appropriated from Jamaica riddims. This includes the beats that spice up the music which constitutes of The DJ’s musical accompaniment in a particular song which is actuated by distinctive bassline, drum beats amongst other musical characteristics.
Criminal minded actually has achieved a canonical status because of the Boogle Down productions which by default commits KRS one numerous borrowings from the reggae and dancehall songs that are directly associated with dancehall songs.
WORKCITED
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Gladney, Marvin J. Black Arts Movement And Hip Hop. 16 February 2014. 19 May 2014 <http://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-17534803/the-black-arts-movement-and-hip-hop>.
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