When released at the end of 1990 Brand Nubian's "One For All" emerged into musical
landscape yet to be littered with disposable hip hop. The politically charged and socially
conscious material brought acclaim to the project, both critically and commercially. The
Source granted the album a full on 5 Mics saying Brand Nubian's debut "overflows with
creativity, originality, and straight-up talent."
Even Robert Christgau of the Village Voice, who's reviews often read like a riddle penned
by a hater, laced "One For All" with a solid A-. By the late 90s the record had been named
one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums with the single "Slow Down" on their list of Top
100 hip hop singles of all time. Sure, militant Five Percenter beliefs (among other things)
stirred controversy. Yet the music found here remains relevant and has stood the test of
time. Besides, some of us miss the days when inflammatory rhetoric in hip hop could
cause controversy.