The Beatnuts "Self-Titled" LP NM OOP In Shrink Orig Fat Joe Big Pun

$

25

The Beatnuts "Self-Titled" LP Relativity Records (US)

Vinyl is NM, Jacket is NM Still In Shrink!!

Out of Print!!

Original Press.

Track Listing:

The Beatnuts are a New York-based hip hop group and production duo from Queens, New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu is a Dominican from Corona and Psycho Les is a Colombian from Jackson Heights. The Beatnuts are the only Latino members of the Native Tongues Family. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged by Q-Tip, who has shouted them out at least twice on record (once in 1991 and once in 1996). The Beatnuts were originally a trio before Kool Fashion, now known as Al' Tariq, left the group to start a solo career. The Mighty V.I.C. (Groove Merchantz, Ghetto Pros) was also a member of the Beatnuts' production team for a while.

Origins

Both Junkyard Juju and Psycho Les grew up in different communities in Queens, New York. Psycho Les started producing beats and DJing at age 15 under aliases including DJ Les Jams and DJ Incredible. At a high school in Flushing, Queens, a friend DJ Loco Moe introduced Les to fellow producer Juju. While crate digging, both Beatnuts ran into hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. Bambaataa introduced them to fellow Native Tongues including De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and the Jungle Brothers. At this time, Juju and Psycho Les were DJing parties under the alias Beat Kings. The Jungle Brothers claimed that they were not kings, but rather two nuts for their comical nature. They thus changed their name and "it stuck." The two Beatnuts members later met up with rapper Kool Fashion.

Early production work

The Beatnuts entered the recording industry in 1990 producing two tracks for the electronica group Stereo MCs. Over the next two years, they produced songs for rappers including Common, Pete Nice & DJ Richie Rich and Kurious, as well as a full album for Chi-Ali. As of 1992, Juju had not appeared on a record, but fellow Beatnuts rappers Fashion and Psycho Les appeared on tracks that he produced. In 1993, The Beatnuts produced more songs for the artists they had previously collaborated with as well as Fat Joe, Suprême NTM and Da Youngsta's. At the same time, The Beatnuts made their name as remix specialists by remixing songs for MC Lyte, Da Lench Mob, Naughty by Nature, Jomanda and others.

Debut albums

The Beatnuts' early production work earned them a record deal with Combat Records in 1992. The Beatnuts planned on releasing a "mini-LP" through that label, but its release was delayed when Kool Fashion was sentenced to six months of jail for drug convictions (p. 31). After Fashion completed his sentence, The Beatnuts left Combat Records and signed deals with Violator Management and Relativity Records. On April 6, 1993, The Beatnuts released their debut album, Intoxicated Demons: The EP, though their new labels. It featured 11 songs, including the two singles "Reign of the Tec" and "No Equal." The album was characterized by its hedonistic party-style lyrics and sample-heavy jazz beats. It was a critical success receiving favorable reviews by Allmusic, The Source and Entertainment Weekly.

Intoxicated Demons was followed in 1994 with the eponymous full length album The Beatnuts: Street Level. Street Level followed its preceding EP in style, but slightly surpassed its commercial success by charting on the Billboard 200. It featured two singles, "Props Over Here" and "Hit Me with That," neither of which were commercial hits. Street Level was the last Beatnuts album released before Fashion left the group to become a devout Muslim and solo artist under the alias Al' Tariq. He left The Beatnuts on good terms and collaborated with his former group on future albums.

Return to underground

In November 2001, it was announced that Loud Records—whose father label Relativity Records had released all Beatnuts albums since their 1993 debut—had cut ties with The Beatnuts. The decision was followed by the release of two greatest hits: 2001's Beatnuts Forever and 2002's Classic Nuts, Vol. 1. While The Beatnuts were free agents, a rumor surfaced that Juju and Psycho Les were going to collaborate with Al Tariq under the group alias 'Intoxicated Demons'. The Beatnuts did not reunite with Al Tariq, but instead signed with the underground label LandSpeed Records. In 2002, they released The Originators, a commercial failure that did not reach the Billboard 200 or contain charting singles. The album was still was a critical success because of its catchy hooks and creative beats. Steve Juon of RapReviews.com remarked on the correlation between The Beatnuts' critical and commercial success:

If they are less known and don't sell as well being on an indie imprint like LandSpeed Records, it will still be worth it if the increased quality of their beats and rhymes remain this high.

Instead of remaining on LandSpeed Records, The Beatnuts signed to Penalty Recordings before releasing their 2004 album Milk Me. Although Penalty was also an underground label, Milk Me was still able to scrape the bottom of the Billboard 200. The album was almost unanimously held to be solid. Nonetheless, three singles and an Akon guest appearance did not propel the album to the commercial success of prior Beatnuts albums.

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