Down by Law (MC Shan album)
Encyclopedia
Down by Law is the debut album by East Coast
hip hop
artist MC Shan
. Released at the height of the Bridge Wars
, a feud between artists from Queensbridge (such as MC Shan) and South Bronx
(such as KRS-One
), the album contains various diss tracks. The most prodigious of these disses are "Kill That Noise" and "The Bridge," which was later re-created as "Da Bridge 2001" by various Queensbridge artists. The album is produced by Marley Marl
. It was the only Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. album that was never initially released on CD
by its distributor. The album was not released on that format until 1995, long after the 5-year distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records
ended. By this time, Cold Chillin' distributed its material independently, mostly from its back catalog. This CD pressing would only be available for a limited time and went out of print
for a few years. It was then re-released in 2001 as MC Shan: the Best of Cold Chillin, which featured all the tracks from Down by Law with a few additional non-album tracks. This version is now out of print as well. In 2007, it was re-released again by its new owner, Traffic Entertainment, in expanded form as a double-disc set with bonus tracks.
In 1998, it was listed in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.
East Coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the East Coast...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist MC Shan
MC Shan
MC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...
. Released at the height of the Bridge Wars
The Bridge Wars
The Bridge Wars was a hip hop rivalry during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, that arose from a dispute over the true birthplace of hip hop music and retaliation over the rejecting of a record for airplay. The Bridge Wars originally involved The South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions, led by...
, a feud between artists from Queensbridge (such as MC Shan) and South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
(such as KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
), the album contains various diss tracks. The most prodigious of these disses are "Kill That Noise" and "The Bridge," which was later re-created as "Da Bridge 2001" by various Queensbridge artists. The album is produced by Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
. It was the only Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. album that was never initially released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by its distributor. The album was not released on that format until 1995, long after the 5-year distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
ended. By this time, Cold Chillin' distributed its material independently, mostly from its back catalog. This CD pressing would only be available for a limited time and went out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
for a few years. It was then re-released in 2001 as MC Shan: the Best of Cold Chillin, which featured all the tracks from Down by Law with a few additional non-album tracks. This version is now out of print as well. In 2007, it was re-released again by its new owner, Traffic Entertainment, in expanded form as a double-disc set with bonus tracks.
In 1998, it was listed in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Jane, Stop This Crazy Thing!" | Marley Marl, MC Shan | MC Shan |
| 2 | "Project Ho" | Marley Marl | MC Shan |
| 3 | "The Bridge" | Marley Marl | MC Shan |
| 4 | "Kill That Noise" (Boogie Down Dis) | Marley Marl | MC Shan |
| 5 | "Down by Law" | Marley Marl | MC Shan |
| 6 | "Left Me Lonely" | Marley Marl | MC Shan, TJ Swan |
| 7 | "Another One to Get Jealous Of" | Marley Marl | MC Shan |
| 8 | "MC Space" | Marley Marl | MC Shan |
| 9 | "Living in the World of Hip-Hop" | Marley Marl | MC Shan |
Chart positions
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Top R&B Albums | 40 |