Heavy D & the Boyz-Don’t Curse review by John M. Ellison IV

Off of the Peaceful Journey album released in 1991, “Don’t Curse” by Heavy D & the Boyz is an all star cipher track that features influential rappers such as Kool G. Rap, Grand Puba, C.L. Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pete Rock and Q-Tip in a clever concept that plays with using foul language but in actuality doesn’t.

In the early 90’s, the climate for rap was a fairly tense one because of over sensitive parent groups, vote grubbing politicians looking for red herrings and an ignorant to hip-hop culture public who weren’t familiar with rap as a whole felt that the genre was trash and foul because of the content of certain artists. With that being said a song such as “Don’t Curse” proves that foul language wasn’t a necessity to get your point across lyrically.

Produced by Pete Rock, this is a track with a 12-bar song structure and contains sample of “Hip Hug-Her” by Booker T & the M.G.’s. Interesting enough, the 12 bar song structure is often found in blues and considered an anomaly in rap. To those who are more accustomed to the common structure of 16 bar verse and 8 bar chorus this might be strange to you. With 12 bars each from Heavy D, Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, C.L. Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pete Rock and Q-Tip, they say more than most rappers who have 16 bars out now.

Most of the current rappers who are worth their salt can easily trace back their lineage to any of the MC’s on this track. To compare and hint who had the best verse on here would be futile and aside from the point. The track has proven itself and this should be a mandatory for young rappers to study and improve upon the blueprint.

In closing, young rappers don’t take the trails blazed for granted and keep the legacy of all the fallen rappers that came before you alive in your music.