- No One Can Do It Better
-
No One Can Do It Better Studio album by The D.O.C. Released June 16, 1989 Recorded 1988-1989 at Audio Achievements, Torrance, California Genre West Coast hip hop
Golden age hip hopLength 47:59 Label Ruthless Records
Atlantic Recording CorporationProducer Dr. Dre, Eazy-E (exec.) The D.O.C. chronology No One Can Do It Better
(1989)Helter Skelter
(1996)Alternative cover Inside the booklet of No One Can Do It BetterNo One Can Do It Better is The D.O.C.'s debut album, released on June 16, 1989. It reached number-one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while peaking in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA three months after it was released, and platinum on April 21, 1994.[1] This was the only solo album The D.O.C. was able to record before a car accident resulted in crushing his larynx, permanently changing his voice. He would not release another album until 7 years later, with Helter Skelter (1996).
Contents
Album information
Idolizing East Coast acts such as Run-D.M.C., The D.O.C. always showed more of a lyrical style, not talking about guns, drugs and violence. The album received a Parental Advisory sticker because of the final track on the album ("The Grand Finalé").
Most of the songs were influenced and sampled from funk artists such as Marvin Gaye, Parliament, and Funkadelic, but one track in particular was influenced by other genres, "Beautiful But Deadly", a rock-hip hop track, influenced by Run-D.M.C. with a heavy guitar riff throughout the song (it borrows from Funkadelic's Cosmic Slop).
All five then-current members of N.W.A contributed to this album. Beats were produced by Dr. Dre, with Eazy-E being the executive producer and DJ Yella co-producing "The Grand Finalé".[citation needed] Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and Eazy all provide vocals for "The Grand Finalé", while Ren also provides vocals for "Comm. 2". Yella is the only member of N.W.A. who does not sing on any of the songs, though he performs on "Comm. Blues", "Comm. 2" and "The Grand Finalé" as a drummer.
No One Can Do It Better also features additional vocals by Krazy Dee (who also co-wrote the N.W.A song "Panic Zone" from N.W.A. and the Posse), J. J. Fad, Yomo & Maulkie and Michel'le, who were all part of Ruthless as well. Andre "L.A. Dre" Bolton and Stan "The Guitar Man" Jones, who play keyboards and guitar on some of the tracks respectively, also worked for the label.
Reception
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [2] RapReviews [3] Artistdirect [4] Rolling Stone [5] Rhapsody (Favourable)[6] Answers.com [7] The Source [8] dooyoo.com [9] No One Can Do It Better was praised by most music critics.
Chris Rock ranked No One Can Do It Better 11th on a 2005 list of the Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums ever.[10]
Allmusic - "It's a shame that the D.O.C. never got the chance for a proper follow-up, but in No One Can Do It Better, he at least has one undeniable masterpiece."
RapReviews - "It's hard to adequately describe how much of an unbelievable pleasure it is to listen to "No One Can Do it Better," an album that not only exceeds the expectations anyone had for D.O.C. at the time but which goes down as an unqualified classic in the history of hip-hop."
In 1998, the album was listed in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.
Track listing
# Title Producer(s) Performer(s) Composer(s) Sample(s) 1 "It's Funky Enough" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre YoungFoster Sylvers - "Misdemeanor"
Lightnin' Rod - "Brother Hominy Grit", James Brown - "It's a New Day (Live)" "N.W.A." - 8 Ball"2 "Mind Blowin'" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre YoungMelvin Bliss - "Synthetic Substitution", Heatwave - "Mind Blowin' Decisions", Honey Drippers - "Impeach the President", Sly & The Family Stone - "I Want to Take You Higher", Roy Ayers - "Boogie Back", Kool Moe Dee - "Go See The Doctor" 3 "Lend Me an Ear" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre YoungEddie Bo - "Hook and Sling"
Lyn Collins - "Think (About It)"4 "Comm. Blues" Dr. Dre The D.O.C., Michel'le Tracy Curry
Andre Young5 "Let the Bass Go" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre YoungJames Brown - "Funky Drummer"
Isaac Hayes - "No Name Bar"
The Beastie Boys - "The New Style"6 "Beautiful But Deadly" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre YoungFunkadelic - "Cosmic Slop"
Syl Johnson - "Different Strokes"7 "The D.O.C. & the Doctor" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre YoungFunkadelic - "Good Old Music" 8 "No One Can Do It Better" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre Young9 "Whirlwind Pyramid" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre YoungParliament - "Getting to Know You"
Yellow Sunshine - "Yellow Sunshine"10 "Comm. 2" Dr. Dre The D.O.C., MC Ren Tracy Curry
Andre YoungB.T. Express - "If it Don't Turn You on (You Outta Leave it Alone)", Sly & The Family Stone - "If You Want Me to Stay" 11 "The Formula" Dr. Dre The D.O.C., Dr. Dre Tracy Curry
Andre YoungMarvin Gaye - "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" 12 "Portrait of a Master Piece" Dr. Dre The D.O.C. Tracy Curry
Andre YoungFred Wesley and the J.B.’s - "Blow Your Head", Teddy Pendergrass - "You Can't Hide from Yourself", Charles Earland - "Intergalactic Love Song" 13 "The Grand Finalé" Dr. Dre, DJ Yella The D.O.C, N.W.A Tracy Curry, Lorenzo Patterson, O'Shea Jackson Parliament - "Chocolate City" Cut Tracks
- "Bridgette" - cut from the album because of the sexual content,[11] later released on the Dr. Dre bootleg First Round Knock Out
Singles
Single information "The D.O.C. & the Doctor" - Released: October 5, 1989
- B-side: "SomethingTaBumpInYaCar"
"It's Funky Enough" - Released: 1989
- B-side: "No One Can Do It Better"
"The Formula" - Released: 1989
- B-side: "Whirlwind Pyramid"
"Mind Blowin'" - Released: 1989
- B-side: "Portrait of a Master Piece (Remix)"
Chart positions
Chart (1989) Peak
positionBillboard 200 20 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1 See also
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1989 (U.S.)
References
- ^ "Gold & Platinum Search Results: No One Can Do It Better". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=No%20One%20Can%20Do%20It%20Better&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ RapReviews review
- ^ Artistdirect review
- ^ Rolling Stone review
- ^ Rhapsody review
- ^ Answers.com review
- ^ Kazeem (August 4, 2010). The Complete List Of 5 Mic Hip-Hop Classics. The Source. Retrieved on 2010-12-23.
- ^ dooyoo.com review
- ^ Chris Rocks Top 25 Hip Hop Albums
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r234875
Categories:- Ruthless Records albums
- 1989 albums
- Albums produced by Dr. Dre
- Debut albums
- The D.O.C. albums
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