''Banned in the U.S.A.'' is the fourth album by the
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew is an American hip hop group from Miami, Florida, which had its greatest commercial success from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The group's most well-known line up was composed of Luke Campbell, Fresh Kid Ice, Mr. Mixx, and ...
. It was originally credited as
Luke's solo album. The album included the hits "
Do the Bart" and the title track. It was also the very first release to bear the
RIAA-standard
Parental Advisory
Advisory (abbreviated PAL) is a warning label introduced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1985 and adopted by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2011. It is placed on audio recordings in recognition of profan ...
warning sticker.
The
eponym
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ous title single is a reference to the decision in a court case that 2 Live Crew's previous album ''
As Nasty As They Wanna Be'' was
obscene
An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin ''obscēnus'', ''obscaenus'', "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Such loaded language can be us ...
(the decision would later be overturned on appeal).
Bruce Springsteen granted the group permission to
interpolate his song "
Born in the U.S.A.
''Born in the U.S.A.'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, released by Columbia Records on June 4, 1984. It topped the charts in nine countries, including the US and UK, becoming his most commercially su ...
" for it.
Displeased over the decision of Florida Governor
Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez (born December 25, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as the 40th governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. A member of the Republican Party, Martinez was the first person of Spanish descent to be elected governor o ...
who, on being asked to examine the album, decided it was obscene and recommended local law enforcement take action against it and over the subsequent action of
Broward County, Florida
Broward County ( , ) is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with over 1.94 m ...
,
sheriff Nick Navarro, who arrested local record-store owners on obscenity charges for selling the group's albums and the subsequent arrest of members of the group on obscenity charges, the group included the song "Fuck Martinez", which also includes multiple repetitions of the phrase "fuck Navarro". The group found two other men with the same names, and had them sign releases, as they thought that this action would make it impossible for Martinez or Navarro to sue them.
Track listing
#"
Banned in the U.S.A." – 4:24
#"News Flash—People in the News" – 0:16
#"Man, Not a Myth" – 3:57
#"News Flash—350 Men" – 0:25
#"Fuck Martinez" – 3:55
#"News Flash—Super Snoop" – 0:10
#"Strip Club" – 3:17
#"News Flash—Nation by Storm" – 0:07
#"
Do the Bart" – 4:28
#"In Color—Men on Records" – 0:39
#"Face Down, Ass Up" – 3:02
#"Hey, Jack!" – 0:55
#"Bass 9-1-7" – 4:42
#"So Funky" – 4:58
#"News Flash—Poll Results" – 0:10
#"Mamolapenga" – 3:02
#"Video No Soul" – 0:09
#"I Ain't Bullshittin' Part 2" – 6:42
#"Commercial—Nasty Motherfuckers" – 0:15
#"This Is to Luke from the Posse" – 5:15
#"News Flash—British Youth" – 0:12
#"Fuck a Gang" – 3:56
#"Commercial—Inquiring Minds" – 0:07
#"Arrest in Effect" – 3:25
#"Mega Mix IV" – 3:31
There were also VHS tape and LaserDisc releases of the group discussing the ban. The album was briefly parodied on a skit of ''
In Living Color
''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in ...
'' in which Campbell, spoofed by
David Alan Grier, is challenged to compose a children's song. Struggling to make a good song, he manages to come up with unoffensive composures until the last line where he must rhyme the word "tucked". The skit is cut off by a narrator saying "The following line is banned in the USA".
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
1990 albums
2 Live Crew albums
Atlantic Records albums
Luke Records albums
{{1990s-hiphop-album-stub