''The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel'' is the second studio album by hip hop supergroup Gravediggaz. Released on September 16, 1997 via

Gee Street Gee Street Records was a British hip hop record label started by Jon Baker in 1985. The label's name came from its original location, a converted warehouse on Gee Street (off Old Street) in London, EC1. Between 1980 and 1984, label head Ba ...

, V2 and

BMG Records Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music co ...

, the album has a more socially conscious sound and is considerably calmer than its predecessor; it features heavy production input by the RZA and his production team the Wu Elements. In contrast to the group's debut album, Prince Paul had less involvement in the production of this album. He did produce the outro and the skit preceding "Hidden Emotions." He was still billed as an official member of the group, however, and appeared on the cover and inserts of the album. Two singles were released from the album, "Dangerous Mindz" and "The Night the Earth Cried," though neither made it to the ''Billboard'' charts.

Critical reception

'' Spin'' called the album a "fanciful dystopia," writing that "each rap suggests a creative act of desperation."

Track listing

Track listing information is taken from the official

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...

. Notes * "Fairytalez" features background vocals by Kelis Rogers. * "What's Goin' On" features background vocals by Blue Raspberry. Samples * "Unexplained" contains a sample of "Wild Flower" by

New Birth Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...

. * "Fairytalez" contains a sample of "Themes From

Montreal Olympics Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

" by

The Salsoul Orchestra The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing band of session musicians for many acts on the New York City label Salsoul Records and, under its own name, recorded several hit singles and albums between 1975 and 1982. History The orchestra was formed i ...

. * "Never Gonna Come Back" contains a sample of "Love Serenade" by

Barry White Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel, The 1997 albums Gravediggaz albums Gee Street Records albums V2 Records albums Albums produced by Prince Paul (producer) Albums produced by True Master Albums produced by 4th Disciple