The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel
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| The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel | |||||
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| Studio album by Gravediggaz | |||||
| Released | October 14, 1997 | ||||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop, horrorcore | ||||
| Length | 60:24 | ||||
| Label | Gee Street/V2/BMG Records 63881-32501 |
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| Producer | 4th Disciple True Master |
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| Professional reviews | |||||
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| Gravediggaz chronology | |||||
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The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel, released October 14, 1997, was the second album by the Gravediggaz, an influential hip hop supergroup.
This album had a more socially conscious sound to it and was considerably more calm than its predecessor. On the album, R&B singer Kelis is featured on the track “Fairytalez,” said to be Kelis' first studio appearance of her career, recorded two years before her debut album Kaleidoscope was released.
[edit] Reception
Professional reviews:
- Rolling Stone (9/18/97, p.104) - 3 stars (out of 5) - "...an exotic, multilayered soundscape that is often melancholic, but also melodic....the Gravediggaz deliver plenty to sink your pick into."
- Spin (12/97, p.160) - 7 (out of 10) - "The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel is less hyperbolic satire than playfully serious caution--for Gravediggaz, the ghetto's particular nightmare has now come to Main Street. Grieving over lost lovers, friends, and family, the group observes the culture of death as part of the everyday landscape."
- Entertainment Weekly (10/31/97, p.108) - "...guest rappers Killah Priest, Omen, and Hell Razor spin oblique horror stories from ghetto hell over bruising beats by RZA and Prince Paul." - Rating: B
- Q (1/98, p.112) - Included in Q magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997."
- Vibe (11/97, p.149) - "This second offering from Gravediggaz...finds the Wu-Tang boardsman moving away from production and immersing himself fully in the power of words....RZA is a master MC."
- Option (11-12/97, p.100) - "Individually, it seems the Gravediggaz are trying to outdo each other (and every other MC) by writing and rapping denser, more complex rhymes than anybody....they maintain remarkable flow."
- Melody Maker (09/13/97, p.50) - "...machetes injustice, decapitates the real criminals, and burys the lot of 'em in a festering, snake-filled pit."
- Rap Pages (11/97, p.110) - "There's a lifetime supply of meta-force wordplay for the heads, enough braggadocio for the hard-core and plenty of hooks for the pop quadrant."
- NME (12/20-27/97, pp.78-79) - Ranked #20 in NME's 1997 Critics' Poll.
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer(s) | Time |
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| 1 | "Intro" | RZA | RZA | 1:16 |
| 2 | "Dangerous Mindz" | 4th Disciple & RZA | Poetic, RZA, Frukwan | 4:54 |
| 3 | "Da Bomb" | True Master | Frukwan, Poetic | 4:10 |
| 4 | "Unexplained" | Poetic | Poetic, Frukwan | 2:58 |
| 5 | "Twelve Jewelz" | Darkim Be Allah | RZA | 2:53 |
| 6 | "Fairytalez" | Goldfinghaz | Frukwan, Poetic, Kelis | 4:46 |
| 7 | "Never Gonna Come Back" | Goldfinghaz | Frukwan, Poetic | 4:05 |
| 8 | "Pit of Snakes" | True Master & RZA | RZA, Frukwan, Poetic | 4:19 |
| 9 | "The Night The Earth Cried" | 4th Disciple & RZA | Poetic, RZA, Frukwan | 4:32 |
| 10 | "Elimination Process" | Poetic | Poetic, Frukwan, Shabazz the Disciple, Omen, The Aleem Brothers | 5:35 |
| 11 | "Repentance Day" | Poetic | Poetic, Killah Priest, Hell Razah | 5:20 |
| 12 | "Hidden Emotions" | True Master | Poetic, Frukwan, True Master | 6:18 |
| 13 | "What's Goin' On?" | RZA | RZA, Poetic, Frukwan, 9th Prince, Blue Raspberry | 4:53 |
| 14 | "Deadliest Biz" | Frukwan | Poetic, Frukwan | 3:03 |
| 15 | "Outro" | Prince Paul | RZA, Poetic, Frukwan | 1:22 |
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