360 Degrees of Power

360 Degrees of Power is the only full-length studio album by American rapper, author, and activist Sister Souljah. It was released in January 1992 through Epic Records.[4] Recording sessions took place at Greene St. Recording in New York. Production was handled by Street Element and The LG Experience.[5] It features guest appearances from Chuck D, Ice Cube and Ras Baraka.[3] The album reached number 72 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and sold only 27,000 copies in the United States. It produced two singles: "Final Solution" and "The Hate That Hate Produced". Music videos of off the albums' songs were banned by MTV.[6]

360 Degrees of Power
Studio album by
Sister Souljah
ReleasedJanuary 1992
Recorded1991
StudioGreene St. Recording (New York, NY)
Genre
Length43:29
LabelEpic
Producer
  • Street Element
  • The LG Experience
Singles from 360 Degrees of Power
  1. "Final Solution"
    Released: October 24, 1991
  2. "The Hate That Hate Produced"
    Released: February 11, 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
RapReviews6/10[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]

The album was met with criticism, not only for its performances—most of which were angry spoken-word tirades that Souljah screamed rather than traditional hip-hop rhymes—but also because of its controversial lyrics.[4][7][8]

Critical reception

Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times called the album "a stark, disturbing primer on black power", writing that Sister Souljah "uses crude street language and scathing humor to convey her controversial ideas".[9] The Deseret News wrote that "the record fails by being too dogmatic to be entertaining, too hateful to be inspiring, too shallow in its musical and lyrical reach to be catchy".[6] Trouser Press wrote that "Souljah’s militant Afrocentricity contains such positive elements as self-reliance, self-defense, entrepreneurship, unity and education, but proceeds into paranoia ... syllogism ... and absurd sexism".[5]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."African Scaredy Katz in a One Exit Maze"
Street Element 
2."360 Degrees of Power"
  • Williamson
  • Robert Taylor
Street Element 
3."The Hate That Hate Produced"
  • Williamson
  • Sadler
Street Element 
4."State of Accomodation: Why Aren't You Angry" (featuring Chuck D)
The LG Experience 
5."Nigga's Gotta"
  • Williamson
  • Sadler
Street Element 
6."Wild Buck Beer" (featuring MC Just Want To Get Paid)
  • MC Just Want To Get Paid Act Like I'm Down With The Black Movement
  • Sadler
Street Element 
7."The Final Solution: Slavery's Back in Effect"
  • Williamson
  • Michael Shinn
The LG Experience 
8."Killing Me Softly: Deadly Code of Silence" (featuring Ice Cube)
Street Element 
9."Umbilical Cord to the Future" (featuring Ras Baraka)
  • Williamson
  • Taylor
Street Element 
10."The Tom Selloutkin Show"SadlerStreet Element 
11."Brainteasers and Doubtbusters"
  • Williamson
  • Sadler
Street Element 
12."My God Is a Powerful God"
  • Williamson
  • Taylor
Street Element 
13."Survival Handbook vs. Global Extinction"
  • Williamson
  • Sadler
  • Taylor
Street Element 
Total length:43:29

Personnel
  • Al "Purple" Hayes – backing vocals, guitar, bass
  • Djinji Brown – backing vocals, engineering assistant
  • Robert "The Epitome Of Scratch" Taylor – backing vocals
  • Chris Champion – backing vocals
  • Derrick Brooks – backing vocals
  • Erin Jenkins – backing vocals
  • Jimi Fox – backing vocals
  • Kedding Etienne – backing vocals
  • Kimberly Davis – backing vocals
  • Liz Psaros – backing vocals
  • Ras Baraka – backing vocals
  • Charles Dos Santos – engineering
  • Chris Shaw – engineering
  • Dan Wood – engineering
  • Jamie Staub – engineering
  • Tamara Wilson – engineering assistant
  • Carlton Batts – mastering
  • Dave Harrington – technical studio master
  • Steve Loeb – technical studio master
  • Todd Gray – photography

Charts
Chart (1992) Peak
position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] 72

References
  1. Wynn, Ron. "Sister Souljah - 360 Degrees of Power Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  2. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (June 20, 2023). "Sister Souljah :: 360 Degrees of Power – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. pp. 495–496.
  4. Mills, David (May 13, 1992). "Sister Souljah's Call to Arms: The rapper says the riots were payback. Are you paying attention?". The Washington Post.
  5. "Sister Souljah". Trouser Press. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  6. "SOULJAH'S MILITANT SONGS LACK CLEVERNESS OF TRUE RAP ARTISTS". Deseret News. July 24, 1992. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  7. Rule, Sheila (June 17, 1992). "THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: Racial Issues; Rapper, Chided by Clinton, Calls Him a Hypocrite (Published 1992)". The New York Times.
  8. Sandow, Greg (July 10, 1992). "Rap: the new scapegoat". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  9. Hunt, Dennis (March 7, 1992). "Sister Souljah Gives Voice to Black Anger". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  10. "Sister Souljah Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
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