The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel
| The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Gravediggaz | ||||
| Released | October 14, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996–1997 | |||
| Genre | Horrorcore, East Coast Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop | |||
| Length | 60:24 | |||
| Label |
Gee Street/V2/BMG Records 63881-32501 | |||
| Producer |
RZA (also exec.) Neil Robertson (exec.) 4th Disciple True Master Poetic Darkim Be Allah Frukwan Prince Paul | |||
| Gravediggaz chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork Media | 6.5/10[2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
| Yahoo! Music | (favorable)[5] |
The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel is the second studio album by horrorcore supergroup Gravediggaz. Released on October 14, 1997, the album has a more socially conscious sound to it and is considerably more calm than its predecessor, and features heavy production input by the RZA and his production team The Wu Elements.
Prince Paul was barely involved in the making of this album although he did produce the outro and the skit preceding "Hidden Emotions". He was still billed as an official member of the group however, and appeared on the cover and inserts of the album. Two singles were released from the album, "Dangerous Mindz" and "The Night the Earth Cried", though neither made it to the Billboard charts.
The vocals in the song "The Night The Earth Cried" was sampled in Raw Man's "Lovers"
Reception
- Rolling Stone (9/18/97, p. 104) - 3 stars (out of 5) - "...an exotic, multilayered soundscape that is often melancholic, but also melodic....the Gravediggaz deliver plenty to sink your pick into."
- Spin (12/97, p. 160) - 7 (out of 10) - "The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel is less hyperbolic satire than playfully serious caution--for Gravediggaz, the ghetto's particular nightmare has now come to Main Street. Grieving over lost lovers, friends, and family, the group observes the culture of death as part of the everyday landscape."
- Entertainment Weekly (10/31/97, p. 108) - "...guest rappers Killah Priest, Omen, and Hell Razor spin oblique horror stories from ghetto hell over bruising beats by RZA and Prince Paul." - Rating: B
- Q (1/98, p. 112) - Included in Q magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997."
- Vibe (11/97, p. 149) - "This second offering from Gravediggaz...finds the Wu-Tang boardsman moving away from production and immersing himself fully in the power of words....RZA is a master MC."
- Option (11-12/97, p. 100) - "Individually, it seems the Gravediggaz are trying to outdo each other (and every other MC) by writing and rapping denser, more complex rhymes than anybody....they maintain remarkable flow."
- Melody Maker (09/13/97, p. 50) - "...machetes injustice, decapitates the real criminals, and burys the lot of 'em in a festering, snake-filled pit."
- Rap Pages (11/97, p. 110) - "There's a lifetime supply of meta-force wordplay for the heads, enough braggadocio for the hard-core and plenty of hooks for the pop quadrant."
- NME (12/20-27/97, pp. 78–79) - Ranked #20 in NME's 1997 Critics' Poll.
Track listing
| # | Title | Time | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Intro" | 1:16 | The RZArector |
|
| 2 | "Dangerous Mindz" | 4:54 | 4th Disciple(co-produced by RZArector) |
|
| 3 | "Da Bomb" | 4:10 | True Master |
|
| 4 | "Unexplained" | 2:58 | Grym Reaper |
|
| 5 | "Twelve Jewelz" | 2:51 | Darkim Be Allah |
|
| 6 | "Fairytalez" | 4:46 | Goldfinghaz |
|
| 7 | "Never Gonna Come Back" | 3:48 | Goldfinghaz |
|
| 8 | "Pit of Snakes" | 4:19 | True Master(co-produced by RZArector) |
|
| 9 | "The Night The Earth Cried" | 4:32 | 4th Disciple (co-produced by RZArector) |
|
| 10 | "Elimination Process" | 5:37 | Grym Reaper |
|
| 11 | "Repentance Day" | 5:18 | Grym Reaper |
|
| 12 | "Hidden Emotions" | 6:17 | True Master (Intro skit produced by Undertaker) |
|
| 13 | "What's Goin' On?" | 4:32 | Rzarector |
|
| 14 | "Deadliest Biz" | 3:03 | Gatekeeper |
|
| 15 | "Outro" | 1:17 | Undertaker |
|
References
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