Straight Out the Jungle
Encyclopedia
Straight out the Jungle is the debut album from hip hop
group Jungle Brothers
. The album marked the beginning of the Native Tongues
collective, later featuring popular artists like De La Soul
, A Tribe Called Quest
, and Black Sheep
.
The single "I'll House You," added to the album in 1989, is known for being the first hip-house record recorded outside of the Chicago
scene, which was a club hit that drastically changed the way the hip-hop and dance-music industries worked. "The Promo" was added when the album was released on compact disc in 1990.
The album received a perfect 5-star rating from both allmusic and The Source Magazine
.
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...
group Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
. The album marked the beginning of the Native Tongues
Native tongues
Native Tongues is a book by the linguist Charles Berlitz.It is a list of words in different languages, etymology and questions with speculations far and wide about words....
collective, later featuring popular artists like De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, and Black Sheep
Black Sheep (hip hop group)
Black Sheep is an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York, composed of Andres "Dres" Titus and William "Mista Lawnge" McLean. The duo is from New York but met as teenagers in North Carolina, where both of their families relocated. The group was an affiliate of the Native Tongues, which...
.
The single "I'll House You," added to the album in 1989, is known for being the first hip-house record recorded outside of the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
scene, which was a club hit that drastically changed the way the hip-hop and dance-music industries worked. "The Promo" was added when the album was released on compact disc in 1990.
Reception
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums Ever.The album received a perfect 5-star rating from both allmusic and The Source Magazine
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
.
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Straight out the Jungle" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 2 | "What's Going On" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 3 | "Black is Black" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee, Q-Tip Q-Tip (rapper) Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest... |
| 4 | "Jimbrowski" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 5 | "I'm Gonna Do You" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 6 | "I'll House You" | Todd Terry | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 7 | "On the Run" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 8 | "Behind the Bush" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 9 | "Because I Got it Like That" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 10 | "Braggin' & Boastin'" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee |
| 11 | "Sounds of the Safari" | Jungle Brothers | *Instrumental* |
| 12 | "Jimmy's Bonus Beat" | Jungle Brothers | *Instrumental* |
| 13 | "The Promo" | Jungle Brothers | Afrika Baby Bam, Mike Gee, Q-Tip Q-Tip (rapper) Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest... |
Personnel
- Dick Charles – Mastering
- Tony D. – Arranger
- Andre Debourg – Engineer
- Andrew "The Record Lord" DeBourg – Engineer
- DJ Red Alert – Engineer, Mixing
- DJ Sammy B – Composer
- The Grand Wizard Oswald – Arranger
- Pam Hall – Composer
- Jungle Brothers – Arranger, Composer, Producer
- Ken Kaufman – Photography, Cover Design
- Michael Smalls – Composer
- Sweet Daddy – Scratching
Samples
- "Straight out the Jungle" contains samples from "Give It Up Or Turnit A LooseGive It Up or Turnit a Loose"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" is a funk song recorded by James Brown. Released as a single in 1969, it was a #1 R&B hit and also made the top 20 pop singles chart...
" by James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, "Weya" by Manu DibangoManu Dibango-External links:*...
, "Mango Meat" by MandrillMandrill (band)Mandrill is an American funk band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1968. The band was formed by three brothers: Carlos Wilson , Lou Wilson and Ric Wilson . The brothers were born in Panama and grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn...
, "(Somebody Got) Soul, Soul, Soul" by The Wild MagnoliasThe Wild Magnolias-History:A group calling itself the Wild Magnolias, participating in the local "Indian masking" traditions and performing New Orleans Mardi Gras music, extends at least back into the 1950s. The group's lead member was called the Big Chief, and at least three Big Chiefs are known to have headed the...
, "Kissin' My Love" by Bill WithersBill WithersWilliam Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
, and "The Message" by Grandmaster FlashGrandmaster FlashJoseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
& The Furious Five. - "What's Going On" contains samples from "What's Goin On?" by Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, "What Would the World Be Like Without Music" by Kool & The GangKool & the GangKool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
, "Let the Music Take Your Mind" by Kool & The Gang, and "N.T." by Kool & The Gang. - "Black Is Black" contains samples from "Sport" by Jalal Mansur NuriddinJalal Mansur NuriddinJalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin, born in Brooklyn, New York, 1944, is one of the founding members of The Last Poets, a group of poets and musicians that evolved in the 1960s out of the Harlem Writers Workshop in New York City.-Biography:...
, "9 Till 5" by The MetersThe MetersThe Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977...
, "Controversy" by PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, and "The Bottle" by Gil Scott-HeronGil Scott-HeronGilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s...
and Brian JacksonBrian JacksonBrian Jackson is the name of:*Brian Jackson , American football cornerback*Brian Jackson , American basketball player for Utah Flash*Brian Jackson , Canadian conductor...
. - "Jimbrowski" contains samples from "Funkin 4 Jamaica" by Tom Browne, "Good Old Music" by FunkadelicFunkadelicFunkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, and "The Black Prince Has Arrived" by Jimmie WalkerJimmie WalkerJames Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
. - "I'm Gonna Do You" contains samples from "Rigor Mortis" and "Groovy Lady" by The MetersThe MetersThe Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977...
. - "I’ll House You” contains a sample from "Can You Party" by Royal HouseTodd TerryTodd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....
and "Optimo" by Liquid LiquidLiquid LiquidLiquid Liquid is a New York City post-punk, post-disco band, originally active from 1980 to 1983. They are perhaps best known for their track, "Cavern", which was covered by the Sugar Hill Records house band as the backing track for Grandmaster + Melle Mel's old school rap classic, "White Lines "...
. - "On the Run" contains samples from "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor Bunch, "The Mexican" by Babe RuthBabe Ruth (band)Babe Ruth are a rock music group, primarily active through the 1970s, from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. Their characteristically 'heavy' sound is marked by powerful vocals from Janita Haan and full arrangements by Alan Shacklock...
, and "Give It to You" by UPPUPPUPP may stand for:*Union for Promoting Progress , a political party in Macao*Pacifying Police Unit, policing and law enforcement program in Rio de Janeiro*United Progressive Party...
. - "Behind the Bush" contains samples from "Joy" by Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, "Get On Up and Dance" by Eddie HarrisEddie HarrisEddie Harris was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ...
, and "Mercy, Mercy Me" by Grover Washington, Jr.Grover Washington, Jr.Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and... - "Because I Got It Like That" contains samples from "You Can Make It If You Try" by Sly & The Family StoneSly & the Family StoneSly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
(album version only) and "Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light OrchestraElectric Light OrchestraElectric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
(remix version only). - "Braggin' & Boastin'" contains samples from "Impeach the President" by The Honey DrippersThe Honey DrippersThe Honey Drippers might refer to*The Honeydrippers, 1980s British-American rock band.*The Honey Drippers , a 1960s and 1970s soul band that had the hit "Impeach the President."...
and "God Made Me Funky" by The HeadhuntersThe HeadhuntersThe Headhunters are an American jazz-funk fusion band, best known for their albums they recorded as a backing band of jazz keyboard player Herbie Hancock during the 1970s. Hancock's debut album with the group, Head Hunters, is one of the best-selling jazz/fusion records of all time.-History:Herbie...
. - "Sounds of the Safari" contains samples from "King Kong" by Jimmy Castor Bunch and "The Jam" by Graham Central StationGraham Central StationGraham Central Station is a funk band named after founder Larry Graham . The name is a pun on New York City's Grand Central Terminal, often incorrectly called Grand Central Station....
.
Singles
| Year | Song | Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "I'll House You" | 16 | 28 |