The Last Poets (album)
| The Last Poets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Douglas | ||||
| Producer | East Wind Associates | |||
| The Last Poets chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Last Poets | ||||
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The Last Poets is the debut studio album by
Douglas Records. Recording sessions took place at Impact Sound Studio with production by East Wind Associates, managers of The Last Poets at the time of recording. The album peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and at #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart in the United States.
It spawned a single, "On the Subway", which was sampled by
Notorious B.I.G. and Brand Nubian.[1] The track "Wake Up, Niggers" is featured on the soundtrack album to the film Performance
, also released in 1970.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music |   [3] |
| Uncut | [4] |
Robert Christgau wrote of the group and the album in his 1970 column for The Village Voice:
"A few weeks ago I saw an incredible performance at the
Douglas, is a hot seller (over 350,000) and highly recommended; acerbic and exciting and as politically uncompromising as anything ever recorded. Name of group and record: The Last Poets. Frightening and beautiful."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Run, Nigger" | Alafía Pudím | 1:33 |
| 3. | "Niggers Are Scared of Revolution" | Omar Ben Hassen | 5:16 |
| 4. | "Black Thighs" | Omar Ben Hassen | 1:31 |
| 5. | "Gashman" | Abiodun Oyewole | 2:45 |
| 6. | "Wake Up, Niggers" | Alafía Pudím | 2:49 |
| 7. | "New York, New York" | Abiodun Oyewole | 3:36 |
| 8. | "Jones Comin' Down" | Alafía Pudím | 2:51 |
| 9. | "Just Because" | Abiodun Oyewole | 2:31 |
| 10. | "Black Wish" | Omar Ben Hassen | 1:34 |
| 11. | "When the Revolution Comes" | Omar Ben Hassen | 1:47 |
| 12. | "Two Little Boys" | Abiodun Oyewole | 1:51 |
| 13. | "Surprises" | Alafía Pudím | 2:09 |
| Total length: | 30:36 | ||
Personnel
- Charles Davis – poet, lead vocals (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 9, 12), backing vocals
- Umar Bin Hassan – poet, lead vocals (tracks: 3, 4, 10, 11), backing vocals
- Raymond "Nilaja" Hurrey – percussion
- Danfort Griffiths – engineering
- Doug Harris – photography
Charts
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 29 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] | 3 |
References
- ^ a b "The Last Poets". WhoSampled.
- ^ Duffy, John. "The Last Poets – The Last Poets". AllMusic. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ISBN 978-0857125958.
- ^ Anon. (March 2003). "Review". Uncut. p. 118.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (June 18, 1970). "Consumer Guide (11)". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "The Last Poets Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Last Poets Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
External links
The Last Poets – The Last Poets at Discogs (list of releases)
