Livin' Like Hustlers
Livin' Like Hustlers is the debut album by American hip hop group Above the Law.[2][3] It was released on February 20, 1990, via Ruthless Records; an advanced promo cassette version was released two months earlier. The ten track record was produced entirely by Dr. Dre and Above the Law and featured a guest performance from N.W.A on the track titled "The Last Song". In addition, Eazy-E served as executive producer of the album. It peaked at number 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 75 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
| Livin' Like Hustlers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 20, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Genre | West Coast hip hop | |||
| Length | 45:52 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Above the Law chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Livin' Like Hustlers | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
The album included two hit singles "Murder Rap" and "Untouchable", which both charted at number one on the Hot Rap Songs. The album's lead single, "Murder Rap", also peaked at number 41 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums Ever.[4]
In popular culture
- "Murder Rap" was featured in the 2009 film Pineapple Express & in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto San Andreas .
- "Freedom Of Speech" appeared on the soundtrack to the 1990 film Pump Up The Volume [5]
Track listing
All songs produced by Dr. Dre and Above the Law.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Murder Rap" | 4:14 | |
| 2. | "Untouchable" |
| 3:45 |
| 3. | "Livin' Like Hustlers" |
| 5:45 |
| 4. | "Another Execution" |
| 4:21 |
| 5. | "Menace to Society" |
| 4:33 |
| 6. | "Just Kickin' Lyrics" |
| 4:22 |
| 7. | "Ballin'" |
| 4:19 |
| 8. | "Freedom of Speech" |
| 4:20 |
| 9. | "Flow On (Move Me No Mountain)" |
| 3:57 |
| 10. | "The Last Song" (featuring N.W.A.) |
| 6:21 |
| Total length: | 45:52 | ||
Sample credits[6]
- "Murder Rap" contains elements from "Ironside" by Quincy Jones (1971), "Hook and Sling - Part I" by Eddie Bo (1969), "Keep Your Distance" by Babe Ruth (1976), "Funky Drummer" by James Brown (1970) and "Sister Sanctified" by Stanley Turrentine & Milt Jackson (1972)
- "Untouchable" contains elements from "Light My Fire" by Young-Holt Unlimited (1969), "Ironside" by Quincy Jones (1971), "Funky Drummer" by James Brown (1970), "Fuck Tha Police" by N.W.A (1988)
- "Livin' Like Hustlers" contains elements from "Hikky Burr" by Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby (1971), "The Champ" by The Mohawks (1968), "Hot (I Need to Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)" by James Brown (1975), "Comm. 2" by The D.O.C. (1989) and "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier (1980)
- "Another Execution" contains elements from "Do Your Thing" by Lyn Collins (1972), "Good Old Music" by Funkadelic (1970) and "Afro-Strut" by The Nite-Liters (1972)
- "Menace To Society" contains elements from "Let a Woman Be a Woman, Let a Man Be a Man" by Dyke and the Blazers (1969), "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown (1965) and "Once You Get It", "This House Is Smokin'", "Do You Like It" by B.T. Express (1974)
- "Just Kickin' Lyrics" contains elements from "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by Isaac Hayes (1969), "More Peas" by Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s (1973), "Papa Was Too" by Joe Tex (1966)
- "Ballin'" contains elements from "Why Have I Lost You" by Cameo (1977)
- "Freedom Of Speech" contains elements from "The Message From the Soul Sisters" by Myra Barnes (1970) and "Funky Drummer" by James Brown (1970)
- "Flow On" contains elements from "Move Me No Mountain" by Love Unlimited (1974) and "Paid in Full" by Eric B. & Rakim (1987)
- "The Last Song" contains elements from "Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)" by The Detroit Emeralds (1972) and "Gangsta Gangsta" by N.W.A (1988)
Personnel
- Gregory Fernan Hutchinson - lead vocals, additional vocals, producer
- Kevin Michael Gulley - lead vocals, additional vocals, producer
- Arthur Lee Goodman III - additional vocals, producer
- Larry Goodman - additional vocals, producer, management
- Anthony Stewart - additional vocals, producer
- Eric Wright - guest vocals, executive producer
- Andre Young - guest vocals, producer
- Lorenzo Patterson - guest vocals
- Michael Sims - additional vocals, guitar, bass
- Andre "L.A. Dre" Bolton - keyboards
- Brian Gardner - mastering
- Donovan Smith - engineering
- Helane Freeman - art direction
- Peter Dokus - photography
- Jerry Heller - booking
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Murder Rap" | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 41 |
| 1990 | "Murder Rap" | Hot Rap Singles | 1 |
| 1990 | "Untouchable" | Hot Rap Singles | 1 |
References
- Henderson, Alex. "Livin' Like Hustlers – Above the Law". AllMusic. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
- "TrouserPress.com :: Above the Law". www.trouserpress.com.
- "The Quietus | Features | Anniversary | Is Above The Law's Livin' Like Hustlers The Best Gangsta Rap Album?". The Quietus.
- "100 Best Rap Albums". The Source. New York (#100). January 1998. ISSN 1063-2085. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
- "Soundtracks". Pump Up The Volume. imdb.com. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
- "Above the Law on WhoSampled". WhoSampled. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
- "Above The Law, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- "Above The Law, BLP". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
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