Subliminal Simulation is the second studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by Canadian 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 Dream Warriors

Dream Warriors

Dream Warriors were a Canadian hip hop duo from Toronto, Ontario, comprising King Lou and Capital Q. Described as "a pair of deft, intelligent rappers" by Allmusic, they were major contributors to the jazz rap movement of the early 1990s. Their 1991 debut album, And Now the Legacy Begins, is...

, released in 1994 in Canada and worldwide in 1995, on EMI

EMI

The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

/Pendulum Records. The original duo, King Lou and Capital Q, expanded to include Spek

Spek

Hussain Yoosuf, better known by his stage name Spek, is a Canadian hip-hop artist, best known for his singles "Smell the Coffee" and "I'm a Hippie", and as a member of Canadian hip hop group, Dream Warriors.-Early career:...

 and DJ Luv (Michie Mee

Michie Mee

Michelle McCullock , better known by her stage name Michie Mee, is a Canadian rapper and actor. As Canada's first notable female MC, she is considered a national hip-hop pioneer.-Early life and career:...

's former DJ).

Background

Following their well-received debut album, And Now the Legacy Begins

And Now the Legacy Begins

And Now the Legacy Begins is the debut album of Canadian hip hop duo Dream Warriors, released April 23, 1991. It was released worldwide on Island Records and in the United States on sub-label 4th & B'way Records...

, Dream Warriors' second effort featured appearances by Guru

Guru (rapper)

Keith Edward Elam , better known by his stage name Guru, was an American emcee and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts...

 and DJ Premier

DJ Premier

Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...

 of Gang Starr

Gang Starr

Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...

 and Butterfly of Digable Planets

Digable Planets

Digable Planets is an American alternative hip hop trio based in New York City, composed of Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler , Mary Ann "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving . They released their debut album Reachin' in 1993, and their follow-up album Blowout Comb in 1994...

. The collaboration, "I've Lost My Ignorance", was originally released in 1991, though the album version has a different beat. Continuing the jazz rap

Jazz rap

Jazz rap is a sub-genre of hip hop which incorporates jazz influences, developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The lyrics are often based on political consciousness, Afrocentricity, and general positivism...

 trend, spoken word

Spoken word

Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....

 is performed during the interludes. The first single, "Day in Day Out", showcased the newest MC

Master of Ceremonies

A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....

, Spek. The second single was "California Dreamin'".

Reception

The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics. RapReviews.com gave it a 9/10 rating, stating "Dream Warriors successfully recreate the night-at-the-jazz-club feel championed by The Roots

The Roots

The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...

 and classic Tribe

A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...

," also praising it as "A landmark in Canadian hip-hop and hell, hip-hop in general." The Source

The Source (magazine)

The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...

gave the album 3 out of 5 mics, calling it "a positive and ambitious LP." Allmusic gave it 2 out of 5 stars, noting that "Dream Warriors' jazz-rap formula has run out of steam." The album was nominated for Best Rap Recording

Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year

The Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year has been awarded since 1991, and is awarded for the best rap album in Canada. It was awarded under the title Best Rap Recording from 1993 to 2002....

 at the 1995 Juno Awards

Juno Awards of 1995

The Juno Awards of 1995, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 26 March 1995 in Hamilton, Ontario at a ceremony in the Copps Coliseum...

.

Track listing

#	Title	Producer(s)	Featured guest(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Dream Warriors		0:29
2.	"Are We There Yet"	Dream Warriors		3:15
3.	"Day in Day Out"	Dream Warriors		3:55
4.	"Adventures of Plastic Man"	99 and Dream Warriors	99	1:09
5.	"It's a Project Thing"	DJ Premier DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...		4:24
6.	"Paranoia - The "P" Noise"	Dream Warriors		2:59
7.	"I've Lost My Ignorance"	Dream Warriors and Gang Starr Gang Starr Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...	Guru Guru (rapper) Keith Edward Elam , better known by his stage name Guru, was an American emcee and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts...	3:33
8.	"Break the Stereo"	Dream Warriors		4:45
9.	"When I Was at the Jam"	Black Katt	Black Katt	1:34
10.	"Burns 1"	99	99	1:52
11.	"Tricycles and Kittens"	Dream Warriors and Butterfly Digable Planets Digable Planets is an American alternative hip hop trio based in New York City, composed of Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler , Mary Ann "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving . They released their debut album Reachin' in 1993, and their follow-up album Blowout Comb in 1994...	Butterfly	5:22
12.	"California Dreamin'"	Dream Warriors		5:04
13.	"No Dingbats Allowed"	Da Grassroots Music Da Grassroots Da Grassroots are a Canadian hip-hop production team from Toronto, Ontario, composed of Mr. Attic, Mr. Murray, and Swiff. The Juno Award-winning group contributed to the development of Toronto hip hop throughout the 1990s, highlighted by the release of their debut album Passage Through Time in...  and Dream Warriors		4:14
14.	"You Think I Don't Know"	Black Katt	Black Katt	1:22
15.	"Sink into the Frame of the Portrait"	Billy Bryans Billy Bryans Billy Bryans is a Canadian percussionist, songwriter, music producer and DJ, known as one of the founders of The Parachute Club, among other accomplishments in music. He has produced such artists as Dutch Mason and The Downchild Blues Band...  and Dream Warriors		3:36
16.	"I Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya"	Dream Warriors		3:43
17.	"Outro"	Dream Warriors		0:30

Samples

• "Day in Day Out" – Contains a sample of "All the Way Lover" by Millie Jackson
  Millie Jackson
  Mildred "Millie" Jackson is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter and comedienne. Three of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 copies....
  
  
• "I've Lost My Ignorance" – Contains a sample of "Blackjack" by Donald Byrd
  Donald Byrd
  Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd is best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a...
  
  
• "California Dreamin'" – Contains samples of "Go on and Cry" by Les McCann
  Les McCann
  Les McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
  
   and "La Di Da Di
  La Di Da Di
  "La Di Da Di" is a rap song performed by Doug E. Fresh the beatboxer, and MC Ricky D as the rapper. It was originally released in 1985 as the B-side to "The Show". The song has since gained a reputation as an early hip hop classic, having been referenced in other hip hop songs.There are two...
  
  " by Doug E. Fresh
  Doug E. Fresh
  Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
  
   and Slick Rick
  Slick Rick
  Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
  
  

Release history

Region	Date
Canada	1994
United Kingdom	February 1, 1995
United States	April 25, 1995

Personnel

• Alfio Annibalini – Assistant Engineer
• Beans – Producer
• Tim Bran – Engineer, Mixing
• Derek Brin – Programming, Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Billy Bryans – Producer
• Butterfly – Remixing, Assistant Producer
• Tom Coyne – Mastering
• DJ Premier – Producer, Mixing
• Dream Warriors – Producer, Mixing
• G-Spot – Engineer
• Gang Starr – Vocals, Producer
• Tom Garneau – Assistant Engineer

• Rupert Gayle – Executive Producer
• Bruce Grant – Engineer, Mixing
• Huge Voodoo – Producer
• Orin Isaacs – Bass, Engineer
• Black Katt – Poetry, Producer
• Dennis Kelly – Engineer, Mixing
• NinetyNine – Poetry, Producer
• Eddie Sancho – Engineer
• Walter Sobzack – Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Max Vargas – Engineer
• David Williams – Keyboards