The Devil Made Me Do It

by Paris

Overview

One listen to The Devil Made Me Do It makes one wonder if Paris recorded the album in a cloistered, cold bunker -- or at least the kind of abandoned warehouse he and his crew marched through during his videos. As with early Public Enemy (a primary inspiration) and the two X-Clan records, the best moments of Paris' debut work on two levels. Plenty of these tracks have dark, sleek grooves beneath them, built on expert beat programming and vicious claws instead of hooks. In addition to this, there's Paris' scholarly, tightly wound rhymes, which are crammed with pro-black themes -- odds are Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice and Bobby Seale's Seize the Time were committed to memory long before they were written. In a sea of early-'90s Afrocentric rappers, Paris was one of the most unique and most talented in his field, his angered voice cutting and tense enough to make any listener squirm in her or his seat. As often as these tracks are peppered with samples of Chuck D, Black Panthers, and Malcolm X, Paris is never outshone. Poignant tracks like "Break the Grip of Shame," "The Hate That Hate Made," "The Devil Made Me Do It," and "Wretched" ("Mindless music for the masses makes ya think less of the one that hates ya") make for a joyless listen, but it's just as riveting as the most provocative and hedonistic gangsta record. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	06/29/2004
Label:	Groove Attack / Guerrilla Funk
UPC:	0673793101324
Rank:	95908

Tracks

1. The Devil Made Me Do It
2. 11:66
3. Check It Out Ch'all
4. Time for Peace
5. Musical Madness
6. Bush Killa
7. Assata's Song
8. Coffee, Donuts & Death
9. Guerrillas in the Mist
10. X Factor
11. Break the Grip of Shame
12. The Hate That Hate Made
13. Guerrillas in the Mist
14. Lights, Camera Revolution

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Paris   Primary Artist,Vocals
Sway & King Tech   Primary Artist
Digital Underground   Primary Artist
Sway   Primary Artist
Mad Mike Banks   Scratching
Kenny M.   Guitar

Technical Credits

Oscar Jackson   Composer
Paris   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Performer
Victor Hall   Photography
D.R.   Producer
George Clinton   Composer
Al Macomber   Composer
Dave Walker   Composer
Ice-T   Composer
Kim Simmonds   Composer
Jack DeJohnette   Composer
Rod Temperton   Composer
Jim Dagnesi   Composer
Mike Martin   Engineer