360 Degrees of Power
| 360 Degrees of Power | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | January 1992 |
| Recorded | 1991 |
| Studio | Greene St. Recording (New York, NY) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 43:29 |
| Label | Epic |
| Producer |
|
| Singles from 360 Degrees of Power | |
| |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| RapReviews | 6/10[2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
360 Degrees of Power is the only full-length studio album by American rapper, author, and activist Sister Souljah. It was released in January 1992 through Epic Records.[4] Recording sessions took place at Greene St. Recording in New York. Production was handled by Street Element and The LG Experience.[5] It features guest appearances from Chuck D, Ice Cube and Ras Baraka.[3] The album reached number 72 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and sold only 27,000 copies in the United States. It produced two singles: "Final Solution" and "The Hate That Hate Produced". Music videos of off the albums' songs were banned by MTV.[6]
The album was met with criticism, not only for its performances—most of which were angry spoken-word tirades that Souljah screamed rather than traditional hip-hop rhymes—but also because of its controversial lyrics.[4][7][8]
Critical reception[edit]
Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times called the album "a stark, disturbing primer on black power", writing that Sister Souljah "uses crude street language and scathing humor to convey her controversial ideas".[9] The Deseret News wrote that "the record fails by being too dogmatic to be entertaining, too hateful to be inspiring, too shallow in its musical and lyrical reach to be catchy".[6] Trouser Press wrote that "Souljah’s militant Afrocentricity contains such positive elements as self-reliance, self-defense, entrepreneurship, unity and education, but proceeds into paranoia ... syllogism ... and absurd sexism".[5]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "African Scaredy Katz in a One Exit Maze" | Street Element | ||
| 2. | "360 Degrees of Power" |
| Street Element | |
| 3. | "The Hate That Hate Produced" |
| Street Element | |
| 4. | "State of Accomodation: Why Aren't You Angry" (featuring Chuck D) |
| The LG Experience | |
| 5. | "Nigga's Gotta" |
| Street Element | |
| 6. | "Wild Buck Beer" (featuring MC Just Want To Get Paid) |
| Street Element | |
| 7. | "The Final Solution: Slavery's Back in Effect" |
| The LG Experience | |
| 8. | "Killing Me Softly: Deadly Code of Silence" (featuring Ice Cube) |
| Street Element | |
| 9. | "Umbilical Cord to the Future" (featuring Ras Baraka) |
| Street Element | |
| 10. | "The Tom Selloutkin Show" | Sadler | Street Element | |
| 11. | "Brainteasers and Doubtbusters" |
| Street Element | |
| 12. | "My God Is a Powerful God" |
| Street Element | |
| 13. | "Survival Handbook vs. Global Extinction" |
| Street Element | |
| Total length: | 43:29 | |||
Personnel[edit]
- Al "Purple" Hayes – backing vocals, guitar, bass
- Djinji Brown – backing vocals, engineering assistant
- Robert "The Epitome Of Scratch" Taylor – backing vocals
- Chris Champion – backing vocals
- Derrick Brooks – backing vocals
- Erin Jenkins – backing vocals
- Jimi Fox – backing vocals
- Kedding Etienne – backing vocals
- Kimberly Davis – backing vocals
- Liz Psaros – backing vocals
- Ras Baraka – backing vocals
- Charles Dos Santos – engineering
- Chris Shaw – engineering
- Dan Wood – engineering
- Jamie Staub – engineering
- Tamara Wilson – engineering assistant
- Carlton Batts – mastering
- Dave Harrington – technical studio master
- Steve Loeb – technical studio master
- Todd Gray – photography
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] | 72 |
References[edit]
- ^ Wynn, Ron. "Sister Souljah - 360 Degrees of Power Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (June 20, 2023). "Sister Souljah :: 360 Degrees of Power – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. pp. 495–496.
- ^ a b Mills, David (May 13, 1992). "Sister Souljah's Call to Arms: The rapper says the riots were payback. Are you paying attention?". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b "Sister Souljah". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ a b "SOULJAH'S MILITANT SONGS LACK CLEVERNESS OF TRUE RAP ARTISTS". Deseret News. July 24, 1992. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Rule, Sheila (June 17, 1992). "THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Racial Issues; Rapper, Chided by Clinton, Calls Him a Hypocrite (Published 1992)". The New York Times.
- ^ Sandow, Greg (July 10, 1992). "Rap: the new scapegoat". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Hunt, Dennis (March 7, 1992). "Sister Souljah Gives Voice to Black Anger". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "Sister Souljah Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
External links[edit]
- Sister Souljah – 360 Degrees Of Power at Discogs (list of releases)
- The Hate That Hate Produced on YouTube
- The Final Solution: Slavery's Back in Effect on YouTube
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