Craming for a Concert

February 12, 2008 10:40 AM

Please help me prepare for a Dead Prez show this week.

Hi AskMe! Dead Prez is playing my school on the 14th, and I've heard enough praise for this group to want to catch the show. I liked what I heard when I saw them on Chapelle's Block Party, but that's my only exposure to the group. I was hoping any of you MeFites who were also Dead Prez fans could catch me up on the group's essential works, and maybe recommend some personal favorites.

Thank you!

posted by EatTheWeak to media & arts (13 comments total)

Let's Get Free

I'm not a hunger, but I'm told....
posted by milarepa at 10:43 AM on February 12

They're bigger than Hip Hop.

Just go buy Let's Get Free and listen to that over and over.
posted by klangklangston at 10:44 AM on February 12

HUNTER
posted by milarepa at 10:45 AM on February 12

'Hip Hop' is probably the only 'essential' track.

(Personally, I think dead prez makes Rage Against the Machine look like Noam Chomsky, and Soulja Boy look like Rakim, but, hey, to each their own.)
posted by box at 10:46 AM on February 12 [1 favorite]

Oh, shit, I forgot about 'Mind Sex.'

Seconding klang, except I'd say just get the 'Hip Hop' 12".
posted by box at 10:47 AM on February 12

Let's Get Free is most definitely Dead Prez' best album. I personally think it's brilliant more or less from beginning to end.
posted by sveskemus at 10:57 AM on February 12

'Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)' might be worth hearing too, if only for the Jay-Z verse.
posted by box at 10:58 AM on February 12

Mind Sex is the worst track on there. Ugh. I remember having to analyze that for my hip hop class, and it was fucking dreadful.
posted by klangklangston at 11:08 AM on February 12

Let's Get Free (great album IMO) is much better than Revolutionary But Gangsta

Turn Off the Radio (a mixtape in reality) is somewhere in between
posted by nameless.k at 11:11 AM on February 12

Oh, yeah, 'Mind Sex' is just awful. It's one of the worst hip-hop love songs ever recorded, and that's saying something.
posted by box at 11:12 AM on February 12 [1 favorite]

Yeah, listen to Hell Yeah. They're pretty racist dudes, but the music itself is pretty great. If you're not black, prepare to feel a tad uncomfortable.
posted by phrontist at 11:29 AM on February 12

Let's get free is their classic album. The other ones are spotty at best. They did some guesting with other groups (for instance, on the Coup's Party Music), but Let's Get Free is their one insanely good album that should be in virtually everyone's music collection. Ignore the haters, the whole album is sick. When it came out, I had several friends who could recite the entire album. Now, if you really want to do your homework, you'll go look up the Uhuru Movement.
posted by history is a weapon at 2:28 PM on February 12

Mind Sex is like the funniest, stupidist thing I've ever heard.

The whole white-people-are-evil-but-they-dig-us thing is kind of tiring.

I just can't believe this is not a comedy album. Weird Al would have trouble topping this:

Now I know you think I wanna fuck, no doubt
But tonight well try a different route, how bout we start
With a salad, a fresh bed of lettuce with croutons
Later we can play a game of chess on the futon

That's pretty fresh!
posted by sully75 at 3:34 PM on February 12