Live from the Styleetron

Live from the Styleetron
Studio album by
Raw Fusion
Released1991
GenreHip hop
Length70:47
LabelHollywood Basic
ProducerMoney-B, DJ Fuze
Raw Fusion chronology
Live from the Styleetron
(1991) 		Hoochiefied Funk
(1994)
Singles from Live from the Styleetron
  1. "Rockin' to the PM"
  2. "Throw Your Hands in the Air"

Live from the Styleetron is the debut studio album by Oakland-based hip hop group Raw Fusion.[1][2] Digital Underground member Ron Brooks, known as Money-B, produced the album with fellow DU member David Elliot, known as DJ FUZE.[3] Tupac Shakur was one of the many DU affiliates to appear on the album. Live from the Styleetron peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Raw Fusion promoted the album by opening for DU on a North American tour.[4]

Production

Digital Underground leader Gregory Jacobs guested on "Funkintoyoear", as both Shock G and Humpty Hump.

The album features eight members of Digital Underground, as well as guests Another Ninja, Cooley Ranks, Daddy Courtney, Jessica Jones, Mac-Mone, Margie Marie Rubio, Ronville, Sean, Styleetron, and Pam Taylor.

2Pac

Tupac Shakur, a roadie and backup dancer for Digital Underground, appeared as a guest artist on the album. Shakur's debut as an emcee had come only nine months prior, with the 19-year-old appearing on the DU track "Same Song", from the motion picture soundtrack to Nothing but Trouble. In October 1991, Shakur appeared on a single track on the DU album Sons of the P.

The track "#1 with a Bullet" was Shakur's third appearance as a rapper. Money-B stated in an interview that Shakur, at that time, was not the most lyrical rapper but was always able to grab the attention of everyone in the room, noting his tremendous work ethic, passion, and drive.[5] Shakur released his first solo album, 2Pacalypse Now, on November 12, 1991, the same day that Live from the Styleetron was released.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]

Trouser Press labeled the album "a forgettable, uneven debut".[7] AllMusic compared Raw Fusion to jazz-influenced hip hop groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.[6]

Track listing

# Title Length Featured Artists Sample(s)
1 "Live from the Styleetron" 3:03 Margie Marie Rubio
2 "Hip Hip/Stylee Expression" 4:09
3 "Don't Test" 5:30 Pam Taylor, Daddy Courtney
4 "Do My Thang" 6:08
5 "Ah Nah Go Drip" 6:34 Mac-Mone, Cooley Ranks, Clee
6 "Nappy Headed Ninja" 4:31
7 "Kill Mi Dead" 5:00 Mac-Mone
8 "Rockin' to the P.M." 7:02 Roniece Levias, Piano-Man
9 "Hang Time" 4:59
10 "Traffic Jam" 5:21 Roniece Levias, Mac-Mone
11 "Funkintoyoear" 4:43 Shock G, Big Money Odis, Pee Wee, Humpty Hump, Schmoovy-Schmoov
12 "Wild Francis" 5:50 Roniece Levias, Mac-Mone
13 "Throw Your Hands in the Air" 4:31 Mac-Mone, Piano-Man
14 "#1 with a Bullet" 3:39 2Pac

Billboard Charts

Year Album details Chart positions
US Heatseekers
[8]
1991 Live from the Styleetron
  • Released: November 12, 1991
  • Label: Hollywood BASIC
 32

Credits

  • Cover Illustration: Scott Anderson
  • Cover Art Concept: Money-B, DJ FUZE
  • Photography: Victor Hall
  • Engineer, Mixing: Steve Counter, Darrin Harris, Matt Kelly, Money-B
  • Mastering: Ken Lee
  • Stylistic Advisor: Money-B
  • Beat Box, Mixing, Scratching, Technician; DJ FUZE
  • Bass, Guitar: Ramone "Pee Wee" Gooden
  • Guitar: Sunny-B
  • Saxophone: Jessica Jones
  • Piano: The Piano-Man

References

  1. ^ Thompson, Dave (2001). Funk. Backbeat Books. p. 301.
  2. ^ Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Touchstone. 2001. p. 262.
  3. ^ "Live from the Styleetron by Raw Fusion". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 3. Jan 18, 1992. p. 53.
  4. ^ Pick, Steve (Apr 2, 1992). "'Nothin' but a Party' with Digital Underground". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 5E.
  5. ^ "Money B & Chopmaster J Remember Tupac On What Would Have Been Shakur's 40th Birthday". Amoeba music. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Live from the Styleetron Raw Fusion". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  7. ^ "Digital Underground". Trouser Press.
  8. ^ "Live from the Styleetron > Charts & Award". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2019.