Silent Assassin Explained

Silent Assassin
Type:studio
Artist:Sly and Robbie
Border:yes
Released:1989
Genre:Reggae, hip hop
Label:Island
Producer:KRS-One
Prev Title:The Summit
Prev Year:1988
Next Title:Two Rhythms Clash
Next Year:1989

Silent Assassin is an album by the Jamaican musicians Sly and Robbie, released in 1989 via Island Records.[1] [2]

Production

The album was produced by KRS-One, at the suggestion of Island; it was KRS's desire to make a "commercial" rap album.[3] [4] [5] Queen Latifah and Young M.C., among others, make guest appearances on Silent Assassin.

Critical reception

The Washington Post wrote that "the rhythm grooves on Silent Assassin are deeper, sexier and more melodic than those on almost any other rap record."[6] The Globe and Mail deemed the album "a tough, articulate, rhythmically powerful blend of modern reggae and rap and hip hop."[7] The St. Petersburg Times considered "Dance Hall" "arguably the best rap track of 1989." The State called the album "a powerful melding of reggae, funk and hip hop, and thanks to contributions from rap stars ... it's credible as well as accessible."[8]

Trouser Press called it "an ambitious undertaking," writing that "Latifah rules the mic on 'Woman for the Job'."[5] The Spin Alternative Record Guide thought that it "was scrupulously intelligent and involving, yet it was an '80s-style consolidation instead of a true fusion or '90s-style deconstruction."

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sly & Robbie | Biography & History. AllMusic.
  2. Book: Thompson . Dave . Reggae & Caribbean Music . 2002 . Hal Leonard Corporation . 270.
  3. News: Darling . Cary . Reggae, hip-hop fusion hot . Orange County Register . November 26, 1989 . H20.
  4. News: Pop/Jazz; Rap Leads to Respectability and Academia for KRS-One. Peter. Keepnews. November 17, 1989. The New York Times.
  5. Web site: Sly & Robbie Et Al. . Trouser Press . 20 June 2021.
  6. News: Records . The Washington Post . 20 June 2021.
  7. News: Dafoe . Chris . Silent Assassin Sly and Robbie . The Globe and Mail . 16 Nov 1989 . C10.
  8. News: Miller . Michael . Sly & Robbie, 'Silent Assassin' . The State . November 17, 1989 . 11D.