The Sun Rises in the East
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [1] |
| Billboard | favorable[2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[4] |
| Melody Maker | favorable[5] |
| NME | 7/10[6] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |  [7] |
| RapReviews | 10/10[8] |
| The Source |  [9] |
| Stylus | favorable[10] |
The Sun Rises in the East is the debut album of American hip hop rapper Jeru the Damaja, released May 24, 1994 on PayDay Records. Production on the album was handled by DJ Premier. The album features fellow Gang Starr Foundation member Afu-Ra. The album cover depicts the World Trade Center on fire only one year after the 1993 bombing of the North Tower.[11]
The Sun Rises in the East was well received by most music critics upon its release. It is considerably significant in hip hop, as it contributed to the revival of the East Coast hip hop scene, along with albums such as Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993), Nas's Illmatic (1994) and Black Moon's Enta Da Stage (1993). The album has been considered by critics to be Jeru the Damaja's best work.[11]
Reception
- The Source (8/94, p. 86) - 4 mics - Slammin' - "...the music both contrasts and complements his disjointed flow and deep poetical lyricism."
- Melody Maker (8/13/94, p. 33) - Bloody Essential - "...hypnotic and chilling as a blues party on Pluto...Another step forward for hip hop."
- NME (6/18/94, p. 34) - Very Good - "Jeru is more original than most...there are delights aplenty here." [12]
Track listing
- All songs produced by DJ Premier
| # | Title | Length | Songwriters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Intro (Life)" | 0:50 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin |
| 2 | "D. Original" | 3:36 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin |
| 3 | "Brooklyn Took It" | 3:24 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin |
| 4 | "Perverted Monks in Tha House (Skit)" | 1:15 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin, A. Phillip, W. Garfield, C. Clay |
| 5 | "Mental Stamina" (featuring Afu-Ra) | 2:21 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin |
| 6 | "Da Bichez" | 3:52 | *Uncredited* |
| 7 | "You Can't Stop the Prophet" | 3:53 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin |
| 8 | "Perverted Monks in Tha House (Theme)" | 1:02 | *Uncredited* |
| 9 | "Ain't the Devil Happy" | 3:45 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin |
| 10 | "My Mind Spray" | 3:45 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin, B. James |
| 11 | "Come Clean" | 4:57 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin, C. Parker, F. Scruggs, K. Jones, T. Taylor |
| 12 | "Jungle Music" | 3:51 | *Uncredited* |
| 13 | "Statik" | 3:07 | K.J. Davis, C. Martin |
Samples
Intro (Life)
- "Part 1" by Katsuhisa Hattori
- "Uphill Peace of Mind" by Kid Dynamite
- "Cerecka" by Miroslav Vitous
D. Original
- "Give It to You" by Upp
- "I'm the Man" by Gang Starr
- "We Write the Songs" by Marley Marl, Biz Markie and Heavy D
Brooklyn Took It
- "Yes, You May (Remix)" By Lord Finesse
- "The Bridge Is Over" by Boogie Down Productions
Perverted Monks in Tha House
- "Epilogue" by Miroslav Vitous
- "Uphill Peace of Mind" by Kid Dynamite
Mental Stamina
- "I'm the Man" by Gang Starr
- "Sensitize" by Roy Ayers
- "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson
Da Bichez
- "All Night Long" by Mary Jane Girls
- "Whispering Pines" by The Crusaders
- "A Bitch Iz a Bitch" by N.W.A
You Can't Stop the Prophet
- "Chain Reaction" by The Crusaders
- "Ode to Billie Joe" by Lou Donaldson
- "Yes, I'm Singing" by Lee Oskar
- "The Shit Is Real (Remix)" by Fat Joe
Ain't the Devil Happy
- "Side Two" by Redd Foxx
- "Our Road" by Lee Oskar
- "Bouncy Lady" by Pleasure
- "After the Laughter Comes Tears" by Wu-Tang Clan
My Mind Spray
- "Nautilus" by Bob James
- "Love's Theme" by Fausto Papetti
Come Clean
- "Infinity" by Shelly Manne
- "Kool Is Back" by Funk, Inc.
- "Throw Ya Gunz" by Onyx
Jungle Music
- "Dialogue" by Ahmad Jamal
- "Ike's Mood I/You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by Isaac Hayes
- "Straight Out the Jungle" by Jungle Brothers
- "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose (Remix)" by James Brown
Statik
- "You'll Like It Too" by Funkadelic
- "How the Fuck Would You Know" by Positive K
Singles
| Single information |
|---|
"Come Clean"
|
"D. Original"
|
"You Can't Stop The Prophet"
|
Chart history
- Album
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[13] | 36 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] | 5 |
- Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1993 | Come Clean | 88 | 53 | 10 | 6 |
| 1994 | D. Original | - | 74 | 22 | 6 |
| You Can't Stop the Prophet | - | - | 45 | 19 | |
In popular culture
"You Can't Stop the Prophet" is featured on the soundtrack of the video game NBA 2K16. The soundtrack was partially curated by DJ Premier.[15]
References
- ^ Bush, John. Review: The Sun Rises in the East. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-08-03.
- ^ Nelson, Havelock. "Payday Set Marks Jeru the Damaja's Rise". Billboard: 24. June 11, 1994.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. Review: The Sun Rises in the East. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-08-03.
- ^ Bernard, James. Review: The Sun Rises in the East. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-08-03.
- ^ Columnist. "Review: The Sun Rises in the East". Melody Maker: 33. August 13, 1994.
- ^ Columnist. "Review: The Sun Rises in the East". NME: 34. June 18, 1994.
- ^ Columnist. "Review: The Sun Rises in the East". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 20. August 26, 1994.
- ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash'. Review: The Sun Rises in the East. RapReviews. Retrieved on 2009-08-03.
- ^ Columnist. "Review: The Sun Rises in the East". The Source: 86. August 1994.
- ^ Drake, David. Review: The Sun Rises in the East. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-08-03.
- ^ a b "The Sun Rises in the East at CDUniverse.com". Retrieved December 20, 2006.
- ^ "Jeru The Damaja - Sun Rises In The East CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 1994-05-24. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ "Jeru The Damaja Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Jeru The Damaja Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany. (July 24, 2015). "Get your groove on with the official NBA 2K16 soundtrack". VG247. Retrieved October 17, 2015.