What's good, good people?, I am waiting for some interview material, but I promise to have up interviews with 2 dope New Zealand Hip Hop crews, that don't sound like anyone else out there, they will be up in the next few weeks, in the mean, I thought it would be great idea to start an album of the week post and we set it off like the legendary Antonio Hardy did back in 1988...
As smooth as it floats...
I remember back in 1989, receiving a mix tape a friend did and it had PRT's"Time To Say Peace" on it, that tape got worn out crazy as I was mad on Soul II Soul (by the way their second album Vol II: A New Decade is still really great, have a listen if you haven't heard it in a while) and I was taken by the Soul II Soul samples and dope drums on the track and because I had heard a few other Tony-D projects before this single, I was dying to know if they had an album and I followed magazines like I.D.The Face, NME and more a few others and every issue I picked up had nothing but glowing reviews about it.
At the time I was working in an HMV music store and I asked every record rep what label it would be released through (it was released on the legendary Profile label) and it turned up in about a month's time, a very kind record rep (from Polygram...I think) handed me a tape of the album and as we had a tape deck up in the staff room, that was my lunchtime theme music, I was blown away, the ill and distinctive flows of the New Jersey trio of Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom and Father Shaheed just worked really well and they dropped conscious and intelligent rhymes over dope and funky beats crafted by the late, great Tony Depula.
http://coldrockdaspot.blogspot.com/2009/04/tony-drip.html
My favourite tracks were the very smooth "Strictly Ghetto" (check the bass line and the James Brown guitar sample on the hook), "Time To Say Peace" and of course the serious head nodder "Rock Dis Funky Joint", the very chill and positive "Shakilya", the title track and Tony D ripping up the bouncy "Can I Start This" under his Harvey Wallbanger alias.
Each track was pretty much Hip Hop perfection and it is astounding that this album has reached the 20 year mark, but if you haven't heard it, then please do yourself a favour and track this down and if you do know it then please slide it out of the collection and place it on your stereo promptly, in my honest opinion, Tony D's death was a massive loss to Hip Hop and they don't make albums like Holy Intellect anymore.
PRT released 3 more really good albums after their debut...
1991's Pure Poverty
1993's Black Business
1996's The New World Order
I am not sure if PRT are still together (I hope so) but Wise Intelligent has released three solo albums, with his first solo album in 1996, Killin You For Fun, 2007's The Talented Timothy Taylor (that featured dope beats from Oh No and others) and the collection of unreleased tracks recorded between 1999 and 2005, Blessed Be The Poor album and there has also been 2005's PRT-Rare and Unreleased collection.
Poor Righteous Teachers-Time To Say Peace (Original Version)
http://www.mediafire.com/?muhe7r1l5c1qayi
Poor Righteous Teachers-Rock Dis Funky Joint
http://www.mediafire.com/?muhe7r1l5c1qayi
Poor Righteous Teachers-Strictly Ghetto
http://www.mediafire.com/?muhe7r1l5c1qayi
Poor Righteous Teachers-Rock Dis Funky Joint (On Fire Remix)
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