Sex Packets

Sex Packets
Studio album by Digital Underground
Released	March 26, 1990
Recorded	1987-1990
Genre	Golden age hip hop Alternative hip hop
Length	65:26 (CD) / 81:14 (Cassette)
Label	Tommy Boy / Eurobond Records
Producer	Digital Underground
Digital Underground chronology
Sex Packets (1990) This is an EP Release (1991)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The Daily Vault	(A)[2]
Entertainment Weekly	C+[3]
New York Times	(favorable)[4]
Rhapsody	(favorable)[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]
Washington Post	(favorable)[7]

Sex Packets is the debut album from the 1990s rap group Digital Underground and is a concept album about "G.S.R.A." (Genetic Suppression Relief Antidotes), a pharmaceutical substance that is produced in the form of a large glowing pill about the size of a quarter, which comes in a condom-sized package and is allegedly developed by the government to provide its intended users such as astronauts with a satisfying sexual experience in situations where the normal attainment of such experiences would be counter-productive to the mission at hand.

Release and reception

The album was released in the spring of 1990 following the success of its two lead-off singles: "Doowutchyalike", a moderate club hit, followed by "The Humpty Dance," which reached #11 on the pop charts, #7 on the R&B charts, and #1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart. Sex Packets was released to positive reviews and eventually achieved platinum sales.^[8] The album was re-issued on February 8, 2005 by Rhino Entertainment. The album is broken down track-by-track by Digital Underground in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.^[9]

Legacy

In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums Ever.^[10] It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[11]

Track listing

CD

^[12]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Humpty Dance"	6:30
2.	"The Way We Swing"	6:48
3.	"Rhymin' on the Funk"	6:16
4.	"The New Jazz (One)"	0:37
5.	"Underwater Rimes (Remix)"	4:23
6.	"Gutfest '89 (Edit)"	5:50
7.	"The Danger Zone"	5:31
8.	"Freaks of the Industry"	5:38
9.	"Doowutchyalike"	8:51
10.	"Packet Prelude"	0:57
11.	"Sex Packets"	7:21
12.	"Street Scene"	0:33
13.	"Packet Man"	4:41
14.	"Packet Reprise"	1:23

LP

^[13]

Side A
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Humpty Dance"	6:00
2.	"The Way We Swing"	6:48
3.	"Packet Prelude"	0:57
4.	"Sex Packets"	7:21
5.	"Street Scene"	0:33
6.	"Packet Man"	4:41

Side B
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Freaks Of The Industry"	5:38
2.	"Underwater Rimes (Remix)"	4:23
3.	"The New Jazz (One)"	0:37
4.	"Rhymin' On The Funk"	6:16
5.	"The Danger Zone"	5:31
6.	"Packet Reprise"	1:30
7.	"Doowutchyalike"	4:12

Cassette

^[14]

The cassette version of the album has 3 extra tracks, plus an extended version of "Gutfest '89"

Side 1 (Safe Side)
No.	Title	Details	Length
1.	"The Humpty Dance"		6:30
2.	"The Way We Swing"		6:48
3.	"Hip Hop Doll"	Cassette-only track	5:30
4.	"Underwater Rimes (Remix)"		4:23
5.	"Rhymin' on the Funk"		6:16
6.	"The New Jazz (One)"		0:37
7.	"The Danger Zone"		5:31
8.	"Doowutchyalike"		8:51

Side 2 (Sex Side)
No.	Title	Details	Length
9.	"Freaks of the Industry"		5:38
10.	"Gutfest '89 (Full)"	Cassette-only version	8:17
11.	"Sound of the Underground"	Cassette-only track	5:06
12.	"A Tribute to the Early Days"	Cassette-only track	3:06
13.	"Packet Prelude"		0:57
14.	"Sex Packets"		7:21
15.	"Street Scene"		0:33
16.	"Packet Man"		4:41
17.	"Packet Reprise"		1:30

Samples

• "Underwater Rimes (Remix)"
  • "Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock
  • "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" by Parliament
  • "Paul Revere" by Beastie Boys
• "Doowutchyalike"
  • "I Get Lifted" by KC & the Sunshine Band
  • "Flash Light" by Parliament
  • "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" by Vaughan Mason & Crew
  • "Good Times" by Chic
  • "Agony of Defeet" by Parliament
  • "Sexuality" by Prince
  • "Ain't No Half Steppin'" by Big Daddy Kane
  • "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
  • "Keep Risin’ to the Top by Doug E. Fresh
• "Packet Man"
  • "Four Play" by Fred Wesley and The Horny Horns
• "The Humpty Dance"
  • "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone
  • "Humpty Dump" by The Vibrettes
  • "Theme from the Black Hole" by Parliament
  • "Let's Play House" by Parliament
• "Freaks of the Industry"
  • "Love to Love You Baby" by Donna Summer
• "Gutfest '89"
  • "Theme From the Planets" by Dexter Wansel
• "Rhymin' on the Funk"
  • "Flash Light" by Parliament
• "Sex Packets"
  • "Dr. Funkenstein (Live)" by Parliament
  • "She's Always in My Hair" by Prince
• "The Danger Zone"
  • "Flash Light" by Parliament
  • "Bootzilla" by Bootsy's Rubber Band
  • "You're a Customer" by EPMD
• "The Way We Swing"
  • "Who Knows" by Jimi Hendrix

References

1. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Sex Packets - Digital Underground | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
2. "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Sex Packets". Dailyvault.com. 1997-04-23. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
3. "Sex-Packets Review | Music Reviews and News". EW.com. 1990-02-23. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
4. "Home Entertainment/Recordings: Recent Releases - New York Times". Nytimes.com. 1990-05-13. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
5. Archived June 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
6. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide - Google Boeken. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
7. "Hip-Hop Procedure: Parliamentary Funk". Highbeam.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
8. "Myspace". Viewmorepics.myspace.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
9. Coleman, Brian. Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies. New York: Villard/Random House, 2007.
10. "100 Best Rap Albums". The Source. New York (#100). January 1998. ISSN 1063-2085. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
11. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
12. "Digital Underground - Sex Packets (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
13. "Digital Underground - Sex Packets (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
14. "Digital Underground - Sex Packets (Cassette, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-02-06.

External links

• Sex Packets (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)
• Sex Packets (US Release) (Adobe Flash) at Myspace (streamed copy where licensed)