''Just a Poet with Soul'' is the debut

alternative hip hop Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confor ...

album by

Def Jef Def Jef is the stage name of Jeffrey Fortson (born September 27, 1970), an American alternative hip hop musician and rapper of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Harlem, New York City. His debut album was 1989's '' Just a Poet wit ...

, released by Delicious Vinyl on November 14, 1989 (see

1989 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989. __TOC__ Specific locations * 1989 in British music * 1989 in Norwegian music * 1989 in American music Specific genres *1989 in country music * 1989 in heavy metal ...

). The album was highly praised upon its release, with critics enjoying the sociopolitical lyrics. Many have called the album a lost classic of hip hop. It was in part produced by the

Dust Brothers The Dust Brothers are a pair of songwriters and producers consisting of E.Z. Mike ( Michael Simpson) and King Gizmo ( John King). They are famous for the sample-based music they produced in the 1980s and 1990s, and specifically for their work on ...

Track listing

#"Droppin' Rhymes on Drums" (with

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

) #"Givin' Em Rhythm" #"On the Real Tip" #"Poet With Soul" #"Give It Here" #"Do You Wanna Get Housed" #"Black to the Future" #"Do It Baby" #"God Made Me Funky" #"Downtown" #"Just A Poet"

Samples

Droppin' Rhymes on Drums *"Blow Your Whistle" by The Soul Searchers Givin'em Rhythm *"Love Rap" by Spoonie Gee and

The Treacherous Three The Treacherous Three was a pioneering American hip hop group that was formed in 1978 and consisted of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee (who left in the late 1970s), with occasional contributions from DJ Da ...

*"Rebel Without a Pause" by Public Enemy On the Real Tip *"Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

*" Got to Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn *"Sing Sing" by Gaz Poet With Soul *"Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band Give It Here *"I Gotcha" by Joe Tex *"Bra" by

Cymande Cymande (pronounced ) is a British funk group that was originally active in the early 1970s. The band name derives from a calypso word for "dove", which symbolises peace and love; "Dove" is also the title of one of their best-known songs. Wi ...

*"Have Your Ass Home by 11:00" by Richard Pryor *"Dance With Me" by Peter Brown *"Holy Ghost" by Bar-Kays *" Give It to Me Baby" by Rick James Do You Wanna Get Housed *"Party" by Van McCoy Black to the Future *"The Ballot or the Bullet" by Malcolm X *" Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss *"Hot Dawgit" by Ramsey Lewis *"

Fly Like an Eagle ''Fly Like an Eagle'' is the ninth studio album by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released in May 1976 by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada and Japan and Mercury Records in Europe. The album was a success, spawning three single ...

" by Steve Miller Band *"UFO" by

ESG ESG may refer to : Groups * Election Support Group, an internationally sponsored organization analyzing and supporting the electoral process in Pakistan * ES Guelma, an Algerian football club based in Guelma * Escuela Superior de Guerra (Argenti ...

Do It Baby *"Action Speaks Louder Than Words" by

Chocolate Milk Chocolate milk is a type of flavoured milk made by mixing cocoa solids with milk (either dairy or plant-based). It is a food pairing in which the milk's mouthfeel masks the dietary fibres of the cocoa solids. Types The liquid carbohydrate ...

Just a Poet *"Hit or Miss" by Bo Diddley *"Mighty Fine" by Peter Jacques Band

References

1989 debut albums Def Jef albums Delicious Vinyl albums {{1980s-hiphop-album-stub