Amongst hip-hop fans, Boogie Down Productions' first
two albums - Criminal Minded (1987) and By All Means
Necessary (1988) - both loom very large. And for good
reason: they both captured one of the late 1980s' most
important and influential crews at their highest powers of
lyricism and musical invention.
That being said, too many people sleep on BDP's third LP,
Ghetto Music. Released in 1989, when the hip-hop world
was truly beginning to explode and reach new heights of
sales and exposure around the world, the album is
arguably as powerful as the group's first two.
As on By All Means Necessary, in the wake of the tragic
death of original founder, producer and DJ Scott LaRock,
KRS-One pushed along mightily on the production side,
with help from his extended crew. Musically the sound
created on albums 2 & 3 was funky, catchy, and continu-
ally innovative, giving him the perfect backdrop to build
his "Edutainment" syllabus.
Lyrically there was never a question about KRS' power,
and on Ghetto Music he continues to impress, teach and
ask important questions. Clear cases in point are two of
the album's singles, "You Must Learn" and "Why Is
That?" but he gets even deeper on lesser-jocked tracks
like the anti-police thought-piece "Who Protects Us From
You" (still sadly relevant in 2017), "Ghetto Music" and
"World Peace."
Still as strong and entertaining today as it was almost
three decades ago, this new reissue is a perfect way for
younger fans to embrace one of the most underrated
hip-hop platters of the era.
![KHANATE - CLEAN HANDS GO FOUL [LP] (180 GRAM)](http://strypt.com/5504595_150.jpg "KHANATE - CLEAN HANDS GO FOUL [LP] (180 GRAM) (SACRED BONES RECORDS)")
