Pure Poverty
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Pure Poverty
| type = Album
| artist = Poor Righteous Teachers
| cover = Purepoverty.jpg
| alt =
| released = September 3, 1991
| recorded = 1990−1991
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = 52:26
| label = Profile{{cite news |title=Pure Poverty, Poor Righteous Teachers |work=The Star-Ledger |date=October 27, 1991 |department=News}}
| producer = Tony D
| prev_title = Holy Intellect
| prev_year = 1990
| next_title = Black Business
| next_year = 1993
}}
Pure Poverty is the second album by the American hip hop group Poor Righteous Teachers, released in 1991.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/poor-righteous-teachers-mn0000852698/biography|title=Poor Righteous Teachers Biography, Songs, & Albums|website=AllMusic}}{{cite journal |last1=Ehrlich |first1=Dimitri |title=Spins |journal=Spin |date=Oct 1991 |volume=7 |issue=7 |page=103}} "Shakiyla [JRH]" was released as a single.
Production
The album was produced by Tony D.{{cite magazine |title=Pure Poverty by Poor Righteous Teachers |magazine=Billboard |date=Sep 7, 1991 |volume=103 |issue=36 |page=66}} "I'm Comin' Again" references the philosophy of Black Muslims.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z8e5YELGGFAC&pg=PA185|title=Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America|first=Robert Alan|last=Goldberg|date=October 1, 2008|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-13294-6 |via=Google Books}}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/pure-poverty-mw0000268204|title=Poor Righteous Teachers - Pure Poverty Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}}
|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=6 |page=591}}
}}
The Washington Post wrote that "Tony D has put together some more muscular grooves, and Wise Intelligent swift-lips with authority, occasionally doing it dance hall style."{{cite news |last1=Mills |first1=David |title=Public Enemy as Icon: Setting the Standard for Afro-Centric Rap |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=29 Sep 1991 |page=G1}} Newsday deemed the album "Muslim rap at its best, with a strong reggae dancehall feel," and listed it as one of the best albums of 1991.{{cite news |title=The Music Top Tens |work=Newsday |date=29 Dec 1991 |department=Fanfare |page=20}}
AllMusic noted that "if it weren't for the spare, airtight beats and the dexterous samples, their lyrics of cultural awareness, self-sufficiency and religious discipline would probably have fallen flat."
Track listing
| class="wikitable" |
| align="center"|#
!align="center" width="150"|Title |
|---|
| 1
|"Shakiyla [JRH]" |
| 2
|"Easy Star" |
| 3
|"Self-Styled Wisdom" |
| 4
|"Hot Damn I'm Great" |
| 5
|"Strictly Mash'ion" |
| 6
|"The Nation's Anthem" |
| 7
|"Each One Teach One" |
| 8
|"Rappin' Black" |
| 9
|"Just Servin' Justice" |
| 10
|"Freedom Or Death" |
| 11
|"Methods Of Droppin' Mental" |
| 12
|"Pure Poverty" |
| 13
|"I'm Comin' Again" |
Album chart positions
| class="wikitable"
|rowspan="2"| Year |rowspan="2"| Album |colspan="3"| Chart positions |
| Billboard 200{{cite book |last1=Whitburn |first1=Joel |title=Top Pop Albums |date=2010 |publisher=Record Research Inc. |page=618 |edition=7th}}
| Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums |
| 1991
| Pure Poverty | #155 | #23 |
Singles chart positions
| class="wikitable"
|rowspan="2"| Year |rowspan="2"| Song |colspan="3"| Chart positions |
| Billboard Hot 100
| Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles |
| 1991
| "Shakiyla [JRH]" | - | #61 | #9 |
References
External links
- {{Discogs master|124675|Pure Poverty}}
{{Authority control}}