And Now the Legacy Begins is the debut album by Canadian hip hop duo Dream Warriors.[1] It was released on April 23, 1991, by 4th & B'way Records, with an international release through Island Records. And Now the Legacy Begins is regarded as one of the finest alternative hip hop records of the golden era (1985-1995).[2]
| And Now the Legacy Begins | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 23, 1991 (U.S.) | |||
| Recorded | 1990–1991 | |||
| Genre | Canadian hip hop, jazz rap | |||
| Length | 54:15 | |||
| Label | 4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram 444 037 | |||
| Producer | Dream Warriors, Richard Rodwell (aka Maximum 60), Split Personality, Ron Nelson, Krush and Skad | |||
| Dream Warriors chronology | ||||
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| Singles from And Now the Legacy Begins | ||||
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Singles
edit"My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style", the album's most successful single, sampled Quincy Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova" — which was also known to Canadian audiences as the longtime theme music of the television game show Definition and later was known as theme for the Austin Powers movie series. The song was a hit in both Canada and Europe, winning a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 1992.[2] "Wash Your Face in My Sink" and "Ludi" were also notable singles.
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide |  [4] |
| NME | 10/10[5] |
| RapReviews | 7.5/10[6] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia Nineties Music | [7] |
Spin highly recommended the album, praising its "stunning, almost seamless sample-driven tracks."[8] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave the album an honorable mention and quipped that it was "West Indian daisy age from boogie-down Toronto", choosing the tracks "Ludi" and "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style" as highlights.[9] The Edmonton Journal stated: "Drawing on their own roots and the music of Chinese, Spanish and Italian friends they grew up with, they've produced an original sound that capsulizes the ebb and flow of '90s dance music."[10]
Ned Raggett of AllMusic noted that "the duo plays around with any number of inspired samples and grooves, from jazz to harder-edged beats, with style and skill."[3]
It peaked at No. 18 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 34 in Canada, where it received gold certification. Over 800,000 copies were sold worldwide.[2][11][12]
In 2013, the album made Ballast's list of the top 50 Canadian albums of all time.[13] In 2018, the album won the Polaris Heritage Prize Jury Award in the 1986-1995 category.[14]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mr. Bubbunut Spills His Guts" | Dream Warriors | 0:16 |
| 2. | "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style" | Dream Warriors | 4:17 |
| 3. | "Follow Me Not" | Split Personality | 3:02 |
| 4. | "Ludi" | Dream Warriors | 3:03 |
| 5. | "U Never Know a Good Thing Till You Lose It" | Dream Warriors | 4:04 |
| 6. | "And Now the Legacy Begins" | Krush and Skad | 3:08 |
| 7. | "Tune from the Missing Channel" | Dream Warriors | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Wash Your Face in My Sink" | Dream Warriors | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Voyage Through the Multiverse" | Ron Nelson | 6:14 |
| 10. | "U Could Get Arrested" (feat. Split Personality) | Split Personality | 3:19 |
| 11. | "Journey On" | Ron Nelson | 4:38 |
| 12. | "Face in the Basin" | Dream Warriors | 3:44 |
| 13. | "Do Not Feed the Alligators" | Split Personality | 3:35 |
| 14. | "Twelve Sided Dice" | Dream Warriors | 4:25 |
| 15. | "Maximum 60 Lost in a Dream" | Maximum 60 | 0:03 |
| 16. | "Answer for the Owl" | Dream Warriors | 3:20 |
| Total length: | 54:15 | ||
Samples
edit- "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style" – Contains a sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones
- "Follow Me Not" - Contains a sample of "Pressure Gauge" by Brother Jack McDuff
- "Ludi" – Contains a sample of "My Conversation" by Slim Smith & the Uniques
- "U Never Know a Good Thing Till You Lose It" – Contains samples of "Sing a Happy Song" by War and "Wild and Loose" and "The Walk" by the Time
- "And Now the Legacy Begins" – Contains samples of "Shine Your Light" by the Graingers and "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club
- "Tune from the Mission Channel" – Contains samples of "Oh Honey" by Delegation, "Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers and "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" by James Brown
- "Wash Your Face in My Sink" – Contains a sample of "Hang On Sloopy" by Count Basie
- "Face in the Basin" – Contains samples of "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins and "Funky Stuff" by Kool & the Gang
- "Twelve Sided Dice" – Contains samples of "Riding High" by Faze-O and "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake
- "Answer for the Owl" – Contains a sample of "Just Kissed My Baby" by the Meters
Chart positions
edit| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Albums Chart[15] | 34 |
| Australian ARIA Charts[16] | 53 |
| UK Albums Chart[11] | 18 |
Accolades
edit| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eye Weekly | Canada | Canadian Critics Poll - Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 1991 | 25 |
| The Face | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 1991 | 13 |
| Melody Maker | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 1991 | 26 |
| Musik Express/Sounds | Germany | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 1991 | 20 |
| NME | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 1991 | 18 |
| Q | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 1991 | * |
| Rock de Lux | Spain | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 1991 | 3 |
| RoRoRo Rock-Lexicon | Germany | Most Recommended Albums[citation needed] | 2003 | * |
| Vox | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 1991 | * |
| Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize | Canada | Winner - Critic's Selection (1986-1995 era) | 2018 | * |
(*) signifies unordered lists
Personnel
editAdapted credits from the liner notes of And Now the Legacy Begins.[17]
- Pete Ashworth – Photography
- Dream Warriors – Producer, Mixing
- Krush – Producer
- Maximum 60 – Producer, Engineer, Mixing
- Ron Nelson – Producer, Engineer
- Split Personality – Producer, Mixing
- Swifty – Artwork
- Wrighty – Artwork
References
edit- ^ Cooper, Kim; Smay, Dave, eds. (2005). Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed. Taylor & Francis. pp. 67–68.
- ^ a b c Dream Warriors > Overview AllMusic. Accessed on January 20, 2010.
- ^ a b AllMusic review
- ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 184.
- ^ "21 1990s Albums NME Has Given 10/10 - NME". NME. 10 March 2014.
- ^ "Dream Warriors And Now the Legacy Begins". RapReviews.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin Books. p. 133.
- ^ And Now the Legacy Begins CD CD Universe. Accessed on October 8, 2010.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (July 30, 1991). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice.
- ^ Metella, Helen (Feb 18, 1991). "Dance! Scorned by purists, dance music now rules". Edmonton Journal. p. B5.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 168. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Canadian Music Week 2004 Archived 2009-11-10 at the Wayback Machine Canadian Music Week. Accessed on December 26, 2008.
- ^ Unger, Andrew "The 50 Greatest Canadian Albums of All Time" Archived 2013-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, "Ballast", Feb 13, 2013 accessed Feb 14, 2013.
- ^ "Rush, Alanis Morissette, Kid Koala Among Polaris Heritage Prize Winners". Exclaim!, October 23, 2018.
- ^ Top Albums/CDs - Volume 53, No. 19, April 13 1991 RPM. Accessed on June 29, 2010.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ And Now the Legacy Begins (liner notes). Dream Warriors. Island. 1991. 3913102.
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