Jungle Brothers Albums (8)
'All That We Do'
Release Date 10/29/2002
Tracks 12
Label Jungle Brothers
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What The Critics Say
Fifteen years after they formed, barnstorming hip-hop mainstays Jungle Brothers kept struggling for a degree of respect and recognition, releasing their third straight album for a different label (this one is basically self-released). For a producer, the duo made an odd choice: veteran house legend Todd Terry, who had rarely worked in hip-hop before but boasted a long pedigree in New York's club scene (he'd also produced the Jungle Brothers' club crossover "I'll House You" more than a dozen years earlier). Except for a few odd tracks where Terry and the JBs attempt to duplicate the pimp roll of the Dirty South, his broad talents are a perfect fit for the rangy JBs, who move easily from smooth, summer-day soul ("Candy") to stark electro-bass ("You in My Hut Now," "What's the Five O") to energetic old-school party music ("Do Your Thing," "Buggin'"). The raps and tracks rarely vary, but Mike G and Afrika's sexed-up tales are hilarious and display a Neptunes-style weirdness that puts them right back into the hip-hop mainstream. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'You in My Hut Now'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 17
Label Sound Design
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What The Critics Say
By the time the Jungle Brothers signed with Gee Street, there was a full decade between them and the days of artistic freedom and respect from critics and discerning hip-hop fans. Seeking a creative rebirth, they hooked up with British producer Alex Gifford of big beat dance group the Propellerheads -- who'd actually sought out the J.Beez first to appear on their own album. The Jungle Brothers had embraced contemporary dance music right from the start, and their groundbreaking collaboration with Todd Terry, "I'll House You," gave them a lasting credibility in dance circles. The result of the team-up, V.I.P., pretty much gives up on appealing to the masses or the purists, instead setting their sights on dance-music fans who enjoy hip-hop as well. And if you aren't expecting a return to the sounds and attitudes of the J.Beez's glory years, V.I.P. is fun, funky, and infectious -- a party record where everyone sounds like they're having a blast. They try a little of everything, making for a pretty eclectic mix: the slamming big beat title track, a straight-up house groove on "Get Down," the blues pastiche of "Playing for Keeps," gonzo experiments in "Party Goin' On" and "JBeez Rock the Dancehall," and some cheerfully over-the-top love-man schtick on "Sexy Body" and "Freakin' You." Plus, there are a few reminiscences of hip-hop back in the day and hints of techno and drum'n'bass sprinkled throughout. Truth be told, the Jungle Brothers were never the most virtuosic MCs in the Native Tongues, and their rhymes can sound a little simplistic here -- not just because it's 2000, but they also tend to lay back when Gifford's grooves take over the show. Plus, a few cuts are a little too long, making V.I.P. a qualified success. But even so, it's still pretty difficult to resist. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Jungle Brothers' career was plagued with delays and setbacks, which resulted in each of their albums being released several years after they were officially due. Their fourth effort, Raw Deluxe, is no different. The Jungle Brothers remain one of hip-hop's most inventive crews, crafting remarkably sophisticated, jazzy beats and rhyming with skill and intellegence, but they sound more as if they were aligned with late-'80s trends, not the styles of the late '90s. This isn't a bad thing, since they are musically and lyrically gifted, but it also makes Raw Deluxe sound more like an artifact than a blazing comeback. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'J. Beez Wit the Remedy'
Release Date 6/22/1993
Tracks 14
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
Willfully difficult, ceaselessly sarcastic and playful, the Jungle Brothers had more talent than virtually all of their contemporaries in alternative rap, but often squandered it taking detours that did little to endear them to hip-hop fans. Four long years after their Native Tongues family had emerged with the success of De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, the Jungle Brothers finally returned with their third record. Expectations were very high, from fans and their label (Warner Bros.), but if the JBs didn't exactly bring the remedy with this one, they still featured an obtuse playfulness sorely lacking in hip-hop. Mike Gee and Baby Bam didn't have as much to say as A Tribe Called Quest or even De La Soul; most of the songs here are loved-up sex raps or weed fantasies, and the group deliberately blurs the lines between the two, getting dangerously close to objectifying a woman on "Spark a New Flame," but speaking lovingly of marijuana on "I'm in Love With Indica." The chorus on the hilariously titled satire "My Jimmy Weighs a Ton" (a clear Public Enemy reference) skates back and forth between a sweet diva and a hardcore jam. The productions, virtually all of them by the Jungle Brothers alone, are freewheeling and unpredictable, but vary in quality from intriguing to downright misguided. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Done by the Forces of Nature'
Release Date 11/14/1989
Tracks 16
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
The follow-up to their groundbreaking debut, Done By the Forces of Nature is the point where the Jungle Brothers' production catches up to their musical ambition. There's still a ruddy, lo-fi edge to the record, but the samples are more abundant and intricately woven, and there's an altogether fuller sound that gives the group a greater presence. Moreover, the group's non-musical ideas come into greater focus as well. The Native Tongues' Afrocentric philosophy gets a more extensive airing here than on the debut, filling the record with positive consciousness-raising, both cultural ("Acknowledge Your Own History," "Black Woman," "Beyond This World") and spiritual (the title cut, "In Dayz 2 Come"); there are even the occasional lyrical asides concerning good dietary habits. All of this makes Done by the Forces of Nature one of the most intellectual hip-hop albums released up to that point, but as before, the group tempered their cerebral bent with a healthy sense of humor and fun. Thanks to the improved production, the J.Beez are able to take it to the dancefloor better than ever before, and toss in some pure, good-time, booty-shaking grooves in the hits "What U Waitin' For" and "U Make Me Sweat." There's also "Belly Dancin' Dina," a narrative that echoes the playful come-ons of the debut, and proves that progressive thinking and respect for women don't necessarily have to cool the libido. Late in the album, the posse cut "Doin' Our Own Dang" offers the chance to hear most of the Native Tongues -- Tribe, De La, and Latifah -- dropping rhymes all in one place. Through it all, the J.Beez construct an eclectic musical backdrop borrowed from jazz, early R&B, funk, African music, and more. Even if Straight out the Jungle was the historical landmark, Done by the Forces of Nature feels more realized in many respects, and is arguably the more satisfying listen. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The landmark opening salvo from the Jungle Brothers, Straight out the Jungle was also the very first album from the Native Tongues posse, which would utterly transform hip-hop over the next few years. That alone would be enough to make it a groundbreaking release, but Straight out the Jungle also contains the musical seeds for a number of soon-to-be-dominant trends. Their taste for jazzy horn samples helped kick-start the entire jazz-rap movement, and their concurrent James Brown fixation was one of the first to follow Eric B. & Rakim's lead. Plus, the group's groundbreaking collaboration with legendary house producer Todd Terry, "I'll House You," is also here; it paved the way for numerous hip-house hybrids that shot up the dance and pop charts over the next few years. The lyrics were often as cerebral as the music was adventurous and eclectic, appealing to the mind rather than the gut -- and the fact that rap didn't necessarily have to sound as though it were straight off the streets was fairly revelatory at the time. "Black Is Black" and the title cut are some of the first flowerings of Afrocentric hip-hop, but the group isn't always so serious; "I'm Gonna Do You," "Behind the Bush," and the sly classic "Jimbrowski" are all playfully sexy without descending into misogyny. To modern ears, Straight out the Jungle will likely sound somewhat dated -- the raw, basement-level production is pretty rudimentary even compared to their second album, and makes the jazz-rap innovations a bit difficult to fully comprehend, plus the album ends on several throwaways. But it is possible to hear the roots of hip-hop's intellectual wing, not to mention a sense of fun and positivity that hearkened back to the music's earliest Sugar Hill days -- and that's why Straight out the Jungle ultimately holds up. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
