Fruits of Nature is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group the UMC's.[1] It was released in October 15, 1991, via Wild Pitch Records. The recording sessions took place at Such-A-Sound Studio in Brooklyn. The album was produced by member Haas G, RNS, Shlomo Sonnenfeld, and Chip Taylor. It features guest appearances from Kwazi, Prophet, Alton Sharpton, Tonya Wilcox, and Berkeley Carroll Summer Choir. The album spawned two singles: "Blue Cheese" and "One to Grow On".
| Fruits of Nature | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 15, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990–1991 | |||
| Studio | Such-A-Sound Studio (Brooklyn, New York City) | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 51:52 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| The UMC's chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fruits of Nature | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Source |  [3] |
The Christian Science Monitor noted that "the UMC's fit into the East Coast trend toward clever rhyming with a nod toward black musical tradition, while delivering messages of self-reliance, individuality, friendship, education, and respect between the sexes."[4]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Carlos Evans and Kim Sharpton
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One to Grow On" |
| 3:34 |
| 2. | "Kraftworks" | Shlomo Sonnenfeld | 3:34 |
| 3. | "Morals" |
| 3:33 |
| 4. | "Blue Cheese" |
| 3:31 |
| 5. | "Swing It to the Area" |
| 3:17 |
| 6. | "Never Never Land" (featuring Berkeley Carroll Summer Choir) | Chip Taylor | 4:14 |
| 7. | "You Got My Back" |
| 4:03 |
| 8. | "Jive Talk" |
| 3:33 |
| 9. | "Feelings" (featuring Alton Sharpton and Tonya Wilcox) |
| 4:04 |
| 10. | "Any Way the Wind Blows" |
| 3:27 |
| 11. | "Pass It On" (featuring Kwazi and Prophet) |
| 4:26 |
| 12. | "Woman Be Out" |
| 3:31 |
| 13. | "Hey Here We Go" |
| 3:26 |
| 14. | "It's Gonna Last" |
| 3:55 |
| Total length: | 51:52 | ||
Personnel
edit- Carlos "Haas G" Evans – songwriter, producer
- "Kool Kim" Sharpton – songwriter
- Berkeley Carroll Summer Choir – backing vocals (track 6)
- Alton Sharpton – backing vocals (track 9)
- Tonya Wilcox – backing vocals (track 9)
- Kwazi – vocals (track 11)
- Prophet – vocals (track 11)
- Richard Locker – cello
- D.J. Kid Magic – scratches
- Arby "RNS" Quinn – producer
- Shlomo Sonnenfeld – producer (tracks: 2, 8), engineering
- James Wesley "Chip Taylor" Voight – producer (track 6)
- Young Technique – co-producer (track 8)
- Carlton Batts – mastering
- Janette Beckman – photography
Charts
edit| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[5] | 36 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6] | 32 |
References
edit- ^ Hess, Mickey (2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 123.
- ^ Swihart, Stanton. "The U.M.C.'s Fruits of Nature". AllMusic. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
- ^ C., Matty (December 1991). "UMC's Fruits uv Nature". The Source. p. 58. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
- ^ McAdams, Janine (Mar 13, 1992). "Stew Pot of Cookin' Tunes". The Arts. The Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ "UMC's: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
- ^ "UMC's: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
External links
edit- The U.M.C.'s – Fruits Of Nature at Discogs (list of releases)
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