Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary

After Scott La Rock's death, KRS-One (a.k.a. Kris Parker) carried on the BDP name with this mammoth album and its uneasy balance between violence and nonviolence, jazz beats and hard-core hip-hop, the pride of boasting and the pride of the teacher he was trying to become. It leads off with KRS's declaration of "My Philosophy"--as philosophy, it was a little inconsistent, but at least it was something, and "Stop the Violence" cuts deep both as philosophy and as a superheavy reggae groove. Kris is funny, too--"Jimmy" introduced a deathless euphemism to the language--but he's mostly concerned here with demonstrating his supremacy ("I'm Still #1"), memorializing his partner, and charting his own growth from a maverick to a leader. --Douglas Wolk Amazon.com

Great... yet also uneven

Not every song is a classic on this album... but My Philosophy is enough to make this album great. February 8, 2008

Another classic among classics

KRS is pissed and more focused than ever. During the making of this album, Scott La Rock, DJ and Producer of BDP was shot and killed. During the making of "My Philosophy" in fact...which in my opinion is when Kris started showing his true colors. It was positive and negative, educational and entertaining..which had become the mantra of KRS ever since. On this album he tells you that Illegal Business controls America. He tells you to enjoy love, but make sure to wear a jimmy hat. He tells you how sometimes love is gonna get you. On this album you learn what the "word" "Unrational" means. Damn..I miss this kind of hip hop. July 30, 2007

Classic 2nd album from Hip-Hop's Teacher!

By All Means Necessary
"Fresh! For 1988, you suckers!" was the signature line from "My Philosophy", the first single off Boogie Down Productions' masterpiece second LP, By All Means Necessary. In the interim between their debut on 1987's Criminal Minded and the summer release of By All Means, founding member DJ Scott La Rock was tragically murdered. Frontman KRS-One soldiered on, bringing junior member D-Nice and KRS's brother Kenny Parker into the mix as turntable operators.

Produced by the artist and engineered by Ivan "Doc" Rodriguez, KRS-One maintains the momentum of Criminal Minded with streetwise battle raps, but he incorporates more narratives about ghetto lifestyles and the dangers of street violence. The lyrics to "I'm Still #1" are loosely based on a rhyme contest between KRS and rap legend Melle Mel at NYC's Latin Quarters. "Illegal Business" dismisses the easy targets of the "War on Drugs" policy, making the point that the illegal drug trade is not divorced from the American economy. "Jimmy" makes a case for safe sex, and could be considered a sequel to "Super-hoe". The reggae shuffle of "Stop the Violence" of course features the unforgettable hook, "1, 2, 3, the crew is called BDP, and if you want to go to the tip-top, stop the violence in hip-hop, why-oh!"

The most surprisingly enjoyable song is "Ya Slippin'": "So assume you're doomed when you step in the room; I'll be the witch and you'll be the broom.." taunts KRS, as he rhymes over Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" guitar riff combined with his own, slowed-down "Poetry" rhythm track. "Necessary" is a sonically-sparse nod to spoken word poetry at the end of the LP, a first for rap albums. This album could be re-released with remixes (such as an alternate take of "I'm Still #1"), and perhaps even a drum-&-bass remix of "Necessary" that surfaced in the late 90's.
June 4, 2007

by all means liston to this cd!!

this record along with several others at the time advanced hip-hop to another level. if anyone who is a lyricist wishes to learn how to construct rhymes and make it listenable to the audience, grab the teacher! November 4, 2006

BDP IN FULL EFFECT

Yo Im a old schooler to the heart and this album you should have in your old school rap collection. "My Philosophy" is the one jam I remember playing on the radio back in Chicago 1988 and it blew my mind. The beat and the lyrics and the way KRS-ONE flows on this track is unbelievable. "Stop the Violence" was another that would get major air time,but my personal favorite was Illegal Business. October 11, 2006

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