Ear to the Street
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Ear to the Street
| type = Studio album
| artist = the Conscious Daughters
| cover = Ear to the Street.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1993|11|30}}
| recorded = 1992–1993
| studio =
| genre = Gangsta rap, West Coast hip hop
| length =
| label = {{hlist|Scarface Records|Priority Records}}
| producer = Paris
| next_title = Gamers
| next_year = 1996
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Ear to the Street
| type = studio
| single1 = Somethin' to Ride To (Fonky Expedition)
| single1date = 1993
| single2 = We Roll Deep
| single2date = 1993
}}
}}
Ear to the Street is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo the Conscious Daughters.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfweekly.com/music/r-i-p-rapper-special-one-of-oakland-duo-conscious-daughters/|title=R.I.P. Rapper Special One, of Oakland Duo Conscious Daughters|date=December 12, 2011|newspaper=SF Weekly}} It was released in 1993 via Scarface Records and Priority Records.{{cite news |last1=Hunt |first1=Dennis |title=Making It in the Macho Rap World |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 28, 1994 |page=F1}} The album peaked at No. 126 on the Billboard 200, at No. 25 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and at No. 7 on the Heatseekers Albums. It spawned two singles, "Somethin' to Ride To (Fonky Expedition)" and "We Roll Deep", both of which made it to the Billboard charts.
Production
The album was produced by Paris, who also wrote the tracks and contributed instrumentation. It was engineered by Eric Valentine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-conscious-daughters-mn0000120023/biography|title=The Conscious Daughters Biography & History|website=AllMusic}} The album came out two years after the duo had given Paris their demo tape.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ear-to-the-street-mw0000106850|title=Ear to the Street The Conscious Daughters|last=Henderson|first=Alex|date=|website=AllMusic|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=November 9, 2018}}
|rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
|rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2006 |publisher=MUZE |volume=2 |page=521}}
}}
Trouser Press deemed the album a "busy-beat debut," calling the group "a young Oakland tag team possessing average skills, big attitudes and no pretense of political awareness."{{cite web |title=Paris |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/paris/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=10 December 2020}} The East Bay Express wrote that the album's two singles "are recognized as classics in the hip-hop canon."{{Cite news|url=https://www.eastbayexpress.com/CultureSpyBlog/archives/2011/12/12/rest-in-peace-special-one|title=Rest in Peace, Special One|first=Rachel|last=Swan|newspaper=East Bay Express}} Complex listed "Fonky Expedition" at No. 46 on its list of "The 50 Greatest Bay Area Rap Songs."{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2011/01/the-50-greatest-bay-area-rap-songs/|title=The 50 Greatest Bay Area Rap Songs|website=Complex}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| title1 = Princess of Poetry
| length1 =
| title2 = Shitty Situation
| length2 =
| title3 = TCD in da Front
| length3 =
| title4 = Somethin' to Ride To (Fonky Expedition)
| length4 =
| title5 = We Roll Deep
| length5 =
| title6 = Showdown (feat. Paris)
| length6 =
| title7 = Wife of a Gangsta
| length7 =
| title8 = Dex Dog
| length8 =
| title9 = Crazybitchmadness
| length9 =
| title10 = Da Mac Flow
| length10 =
| title11 = What's a Girl to Do?
| length11 =
| total_length =
}}
Personnel
- Carla "CMG" Green – vocals
- Karryl "Special One" Smith – vocals
- DJ Yon – scratches
- Oscar Jerome Jackson, Jr. – producer
- Eric Dodd – engineering
- Todd D. Smith – design
- Victor Hall – photography
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| scope="col"|Chart (1994)
!scope="col"|Peak |
|---|
| scope="row" {{album chart|Billboard200|126|artist=The Conscious Daughters}} |
| scope="row" {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|25|artist=The Conscious Daughters}} |
| scope="row" {{album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|7|artist=The Conscious Daughters}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|112258|Ear To The Street}}
{{Authority control}}