On today in 1987, KRS-One, DJ Scott La Rock, D-Good, and the remainder of Boogie Down Productions unleashed their groundbreaking debut album, Felony Minded, on B-Boy Data.
Arriving on the peak of the legendary “South Bronx” vs. “The Bridge” battle—BDP’s struggle on wax towards the Juice Crew—Felony Minded turned an important blueprint for lyrical warfare. As KRS-One later recalled in Beef, the traditional documentary by Quincy Jones III, MC Shan’s response to “The Bridge Is Over” solely fueled BDP’s ascent. With out it, he argued, the group’s rise won’t have been as meteoric.
Past the battle, Felony Minded additionally performed a pivotal position within the evolution of New York Metropolis’s radio wars. With DJ Pink Alert championing BDP on 98.7 KISS FM and Mister Magic and Marley Marl backing the Juice Crew on 107.5 WBLS, their rivalry helped form the aggressive power that later outlined the Scorching 97 vs. Energy 105 period.
The album itself stays a Hip Hop traditional, that includes unforgettable tracks just like the intellectually sharp “Poetry,” the gritty avenue narratives of “My 9mm Goes Bang” and “P Is Nonetheless Free,” the Scott La Rock-inspired “Tremendous Hoe,” and the title monitor’s masterclass in lyricism. Tragically, simply months after the album’s launch, Scott La Rock was killed—a loss that deeply impacted each BDP and the tradition as an entire.
Following Scott’s demise, KRS-One shifted his method, channeling his power into socially aware music. His efforts led to the Cease The Violence motion and the enduring, star-studded anthem, “Self Destruction.”
Immediately, Felony Minded stands as one of the crucial influential albums in Hip Hop historical past, marking the second when BDP declared struggle—and gained.