Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Politically controversial in their time, Brand Nubian doesn't sound like the dangerous, Afrocentric militants they were originally made out to be in some quarters. Maybe it's because their jazzy, post-Native Tongues music is so ingratiating; maybe it's because Grand Puba has such a playful, easygoing presence on the mic; maybe it's just that, in the new millennium, politics are no longer the way rap groups ruffle feathers. Whatever the case, Rhino's The Very Best of Brand Nubian is an essential summation of the uncompromisingly pro-black, often very positive group's career. Grand Puba, clearly their most inventive lyricist, departed after their excellent debut, One for All, and was definitely missed on subsequent albums. So instead of trying to balance the picture, the compilation wisely leans heavily on One for All, from whence come seven of the 16 tracks (eight if you count the Pete Rock remix of "Slow Down"). We also get two Grand Puba solo singles and one track from the group's latter-day reunion with Puba, "Don't Let It Go to Your Head." That leaves three tracks from In God We Trust, just one from the coolly received Everything Is Everything, and another hard-to-find remix (of "Punks Jump up to Get Beat Down"). One could make the case that "Step to the Rear" and "Who Can Get Busy Like This Man" should also have made the cut from the debut, instead of the two remixes, but then again, there had to be a decent reason to buy this comp, even if all the post-One for All material included here is worth rescuing. As for the group's politics, the "white devil" fixation on "Drop the Bomb" and "Wake Up (Reprise in the Sunshine)" can sound paranoid to non-believers. But really, it shouldn't detract from the group's numerous strengths, which make The Very Best of Brand Nubian an extremely high-quality listen.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Brand Nubian, Producer, MainArtist - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Grand Puba Maxwell, Producer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Brand Nubian, Producer, MainArtist - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Grand Puba Maxwell, Producer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Brand Nubian, Producer, MainArtist - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Grand Puba Maxwell, Producer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Brand Nubian, MainArtist - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Skeff Anselm for Skeffington Productions, Producer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
M. Dixon, Composer - Brand Nubian, Producer, MainArtist - J. Gamble, Composer - Grand Puba Maxwell, Producer - D. ROSS, Composer - G. Dajani, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
M. Dixon, Composer - D. Murphy, Composer - Brand Nubian, Producer, MainArtist - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Grand Puba Maxwell, Producer - L.Dechlaus, Composer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Brand Nubian, Producer, MainArtist - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Grand Puba Maxwell, Producer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
M. Dixon, Composer - D. Murphy, Composer - Brand Nubian, Producer, MainArtist - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Grand Puba Maxwell, Producer - L.Dechlaus, Composer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Grand Puba, Mixer, MainArtist - Rob Sutton, Engineer - Bonnie Miller, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Dante Ross, Composer - Maxwell Dixon, Composer - Grand Puba, Mixer, MainArtist - JOHN GAMBLE, Composer, Engineer - Gee Dajani, Composer - THE STIMULATED DUMMIES, Mixer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Brand Nubian, Mixer, MainArtist - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Dave Kennedy, Engineer - Derrick Murphy, Composer - Lee Anthony, Engineer - Gregg "Muthafuckin'" Mann, Engineer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Brand Nubian, Mixer, MainArtist - Davis, Composer - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Dave Kennedy, Engineer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
O'Kelly Isley, Composer - Diamond D, Producer - Brand Nubian, MainArtist - Ronald Isley, Composer - RUDOLPH ISLEY, Composer - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Dave Kennedy, Engineer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
L. Dechalus, Composer - D. Murphy, Composer - Brand Nubian, MainArtist - M. Hucknall, Composer - Lord Jamar for 7G Productions, Producer - Charlie DeSantos, Engineer - N. Moss, Composer - Dave Kennedy, Mixer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
O'Kelly Isley, Composer - Diamond D, Producer - Brand Nubian, MainArtist - Ronald Isley, Composer - RUDOLPH ISLEY, Composer - Lorenzo DeChalus, Composer - Dave Kennedy, Engineer - Derrick Murphy, Composer
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Album review
Politically controversial in their time, Brand Nubian doesn't sound like the dangerous, Afrocentric militants they were originally made out to be in some quarters. Maybe it's because their jazzy, post-Native Tongues music is so ingratiating; maybe it's because Grand Puba has such a playful, easygoing presence on the mic; maybe it's just that, in the new millennium, politics are no longer the way rap groups ruffle feathers. Whatever the case, Rhino's The Very Best of Brand Nubian is an essential summation of the uncompromisingly pro-black, often very positive group's career. Grand Puba, clearly their most inventive lyricist, departed after their excellent debut, One for All, and was definitely missed on subsequent albums. So instead of trying to balance the picture, the compilation wisely leans heavily on One for All, from whence come seven of the 16 tracks (eight if you count the Pete Rock remix of "Slow Down"). We also get two Grand Puba solo singles and one track from the group's latter-day reunion with Puba, "Don't Let It Go to Your Head." That leaves three tracks from In God We Trust, just one from the coolly received Everything Is Everything, and another hard-to-find remix (of "Punks Jump up to Get Beat Down"). One could make the case that "Step to the Rear" and "Who Can Get Busy Like This Man" should also have made the cut from the debut, instead of the two remixes, but then again, there had to be a decent reason to buy this comp, even if all the post-One for All material included here is worth rescuing. As for the group's politics, the "white devil" fixation on "Drop the Bomb" and "Wake Up (Reprise in the Sunshine)" can sound paranoid to non-believers. But really, it shouldn't detract from the group's numerous strengths, which make The Very Best of Brand Nubian an extremely high-quality listen.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 01:08:21
- Main artists: Brand Nubian
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Tommy Boy Music, LLC
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC 2001 Tommy Boy Music, LLC
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.