Holy Intellect is the debut album by hip-hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 group Poor Righteous Teachers

Poor Righteous Teachers

Poor Righteous Teachers is a hip hop group from Trenton, New Jersey, founded in 1989. Often referred to as PRT by its fans, Poor Righteous Teachers are known as pro-Black conscious hip hop artists, with musical content inspired by the teachings of the Nation of Gods and Earths. Wise Intelligent, as...

, famous for its pro-Five-Percenter

The Nation of Gods and Earths

The Nation of Gods and Earths, sometimes referred to as NGE or NOGE, the Five-Percent Nation, or the Five Percenters is an American organization founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City, by Clarence 13X, a former student of Malcolm X, who left his mosque...

 messages. The album includes the hip-hop classic "Rock Dis Funky Joint", which sampled "Slippin' Into Darkness" by War

War (band)

War is an American funk band from California, known for the hit songs "Low Rider", "Spill the Wine", "The Cisco Kid" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Formed in 1969, War was a musical crossover band which fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae...

, a 1970s funk band.

The album is broken down track-by-track by Poor Righteous Teachers

Poor Righteous Teachers

Poor Righteous Teachers is a hip hop group from Trenton, New Jersey, founded in 1989. Often referred to as PRT by its fans, Poor Righteous Teachers are known as pro-Black conscious hip hop artists, with musical content inspired by the teachings of the Nation of Gods and Earths. Wise Intelligent, as...

 in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique

Check the Technique

Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies is a book by music journalist Brian Coleman that covers the making of thirty-six classic hip hop albums, based on interviews with the artists who created them, also providing a track-by-track breakdown for each album entirely in the words of the...

.

In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums Ever.

Track listing

#	Title	Producer(s)	Performer (s)
1	"Can I Start This?"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
2	"Rock Dis Funky Joint"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
3	"Strictly Ghetto"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
4	"Holy Intellect"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
5	"Shakiyla"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
6	"Time To Say Peace"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
7	"Style Dropped/Lessons Taught"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
8	"Speaking Upon A Blackman"	Eric "A IQ" Gray	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
9	"So Many Teachers"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
10	"Word From The Wise"	Eric "A IQ" Gray	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
11	"Butt Naked Booty Bless"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
12	"Poor Righteous Teachers"	Tony D	Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom

Samples

• "Rock Dis Funky Joint"
  • "Slippin' Into Darkness" by War
    War
    War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
    
    
  • "Funky President" by James Brown
    James Brown
    James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
    
    
• "Shakiyla"
  • "L-Dopa" by Maynard Ferguson
    Maynard Ferguson
    Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
    
    
  • "Be Alright" by Zapp
    Zapp
    Zapp may refer to:*Zapp , a 1980s funk band based in Ohio, USA*Zapp , the debut album by the funk band*Zapp Brannigan, a fictional character from the television series Futurama...
    
    
• "Time To Say Peace"
  • "Soul Travelling" by Gary Byrd
• "Speaking Upon A Blackman"
  • "Good Stuff" by Mel Brown
    Mel Brown
    Mel Brown was an American-born blues guitarist.Brown was nominated for a Juno Award in both 2001 and 2002.Brown, a long-time smoker, died aged 69, on March 20, 2009, in Kitchener, Ontario, of complications from emphysema....
    
    
• "Word From The Wise"
  • "The Boss" by James Brown
    James Brown
    James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
    
    
• "Butt Naked Booty Bless"
  • Soul Makossa
    Soul Makossa
    "Soul Makossa" is a 1972 single by Cameroonian makossa saxophonist Manu Dibango. It is often cited as one of the first disco records. In 1972 David Mancuso found a copy in a Brooklyn West Indian record store and often played it at his Loft parties. The response was so positive that the few copies...
    
     by Manu Dibango
    Manu Dibango
    -External links:*...
    
    

Album

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
1990	Holy Intellect	#142	#17

Singles

Year	Song	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles
1990	"Rock Dis Funky Joint"	17	4
1990	"Holy Intellect"	71	16