A Future Without a Past...
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A Future Without a Past... is the debut studio album from American hip hop group Leaders of the New School. It was released in 1991 on Elektra Records.
Production
A Future Without a Past... is a loose concept album about high school, divided into three parts.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| RapReviews | 8/10 |
| The Village Voice |
The Baltimore Sun noted that "the group modulates the density of each track, [so] there's always a sense of flow to the sound, of tension and release, buildup and climax."
Stanton Swihart of AllMusic praised the work, calling the group's debut "one of the most infectious rap albums ever created." Trouser Press called the album "highly amiable," writing that the group's "subtle Afrocentric politics came coated in tasty upbeat rhymes." Complex wrote that the album revives "the barbershop quartet-style group dynamics of early hip-hop crews like the Treacherous 3 and the Cold Crush Brothers." Fact called it "a jolly throwback affair ... enlivened by Busta's freewheeling presence and some smart production work."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Homeroom" | 2:25 | ||
| 2. | "Case of the P.T.A." | Bryan HigginsTrevor Smith Jr.James JacksonSheldon Scott | Cut Monitor Milo | 3:42 |
| 3. | "Too Much on My Mind" | HigginsJacksonMarlon King | The Vibe Chemist Backspin | 4:26 |
| 4. | "What's the Pinocchio's Theory?" | HigginsKing | The Vibe Chemist Backspin | 3:43 |
| 5. | "Just When You Thought It Was Safe..." | HigginsSmithJacksonEric Sadler | Eric "Vietnam" Sadler | 2:30 |
| 6. | "Lunchroom" | 2:30 | ||
| 7. | "Sound of the Zeekers @#^**?!" (featuring Cracker Jacks, Rumpletilskinz and Kollie Weed) | HigginsSmithJacksonScottDesmon GordonB. FreedomShawn OliverK. PorterT. PierceE. RomeroKoolie Weed | Busta Rhymes | 5:16 |
| 8. | "Sobb Story" | HigginsSmithJacksonSadler | Eric "Vietnam" Sadler | 4:51 |
| 9. | "Feminine Fatt" | SmithKing | The Vibe Chemist Backspin | 3:08 |
| 10. | "Transformers" | HigginsSmithJacksonJohn GambleDante RossNajeeb Dajani | John GambleMr. Dante RossGeeby Dajani | 4:00 |
| 11. | "Afterschool" | 1:24 | ||
| 12. | "Show Me a Hero" | SmithKing | The Vibe Chemist Backspin | 4:35 |
| 13. | "Trains, Planes and Automobiles" | HigginsSmithJacksonSadler | Eric "Vietnam" Sadler | 4:04 |
| 14. | "The International Zone Coaster" | HigginsSmithJacksonJohn GambleDante RossNajeeb Dajani | John GambleMr. Dante RossGeeby Dajani | 5:05 |
| 15. | "Teachers, Don't Teach Us Nonsense!!" | HigginsSmithJackson | Leaders of the New School | 4:06 |
| 16. | "My Ding-a-Ling" | JacksonScott | Dinco DCut Monitor Milo | 3:41 |
| 17. | "Where Do We Go from Here?" | HigginsSmithJacksonScott | Charlie Brown | 6:51 |
Charts
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 128 |
| U.S. Heatseekers | 1 |
| U.S. R&B Albums | 53 |
Personnel
- assistant engineering – John Gamble
- engineering – Dr. Shane Faber, Mike Mangini, Christopher Shaw
- mixing – Busta Rhymes, Charlie Brown, Geeby Dajani, John Gamble, Dante Ross, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler
- production – Busta Rhymes, Charlie Brown, Cut Monitor Milo, Geeby Dajani, Dinco D, John Gamble, Leaders of the New School, Dante Ross, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler
Notes
External links
- at Discogs