The Body-Hat Syndrome
The Body-Hat Syndrome is the third full-length studio album by American hip hop Digital Underground. It was released on October 5, 1993, via Tommy Boy Records. The album was produced by the D-Flow Production Squad. It peaked at number 79 on the Billboard 200 and number 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States.
The album saw rappers Saafir and Clee were added to the line-up. The opening song, "The Return of the Crazy One", which sampled Parliament's "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)", was released on September 21, 1993, as the lead single before the album's release, and peaked at number 77 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's second single, an anti-racism cultural awareness politico called "Wussup Wit the Luv", which features a guitar solo from the Funkadelic guitarist Michael Hampton and a verse from 2Pac, made it to number 99 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Music videos were released for both of the album's singles. This was the last time 2Pac appeared on a Digital Underground studio album, despite Future Rhythm being recorded entirely before his death in 1996. The album also contains "The Humpty Dance Awards", the group's humorous shout-out to the many artists who sampled "The Humpty Dance" before 1993. Since then the list has grown to over 50 artists.
Critical reception
The Boston Globe called The Body-Hat Syndrome one of 1993's best hip hop albums. Trouser Press wrote: "Musically, Digital Underground is back at the top of its game, but conceptually the group is sounding the retreat".Track listing
;Sample credits- Track 1 sampled "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" performed by Parliament.
- Track 3 sampled "Holly Wants to Go to California" performed by Funkadelic.
- Track 7 sampled "Colour Me Funky" and "Trombipulation" performed by Parliament.
- Track 10 sampled "Computer Love" performed by Zapp.
- Track 16 sampled "Funkentelechy" performed by Parliament.
- Track 20 sampled "The Freeze" performed by Parliament.
- Tracks 1, 5, 6, 12, 14, 16 and 17 features Shock G's alter ego Humpty Hump.
- Tracks 5, 7 and 20 are omitted from all the cassette versions of the album.
- The "Special Italian Vinyl Version" of the album, which is the only LP version containing the original picture sleeve and comic insert.
Personnel
- Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs — vocals, keyboards, turntables, programming, producer, arranger, art direction, illustrations, layout
- Ronald "Money-B" Brooks — vocals
- Reggie "Saafir" Gibson — vocals
- Cleveland "Clee" Askew — vocals
- Tupac "2Pac" Shakur — vocals
- Michael "Dirty-Red" Boston — vocals
- Earl "Schmoovy-Schmoov" Cook — vocals
- David "DJ Fuze" Elliot — keyboards, turntables, programming
- Jeremy "Jay-Z" Jackson — additional vocals, keyboards, turntables, programming
- Ramone "Pee-Wee" Gooden — additional vocals
- Descaro "Mack Mone" Moore — additional vocals
- Shirley "Shassiah" Tabor — additional vocals
- Ronald "Omar" Everett — additional vocals
- Toby "T-Love" Holton — additional vocals
- Ronvell Sharper — additional vocals
- Gwen Everett — additional vocals
- Kim Morgan — additional vocals
- Michael Hampton — lead guitar
- Mark "Mark Sexx" Skeete — additional vocals
- Shawn "The Shah" Trone — additional vocals
- Gary "Mudbone" Cooper — additional vocals
- Garry Shider — additional vocals
- D-Love — additional vocals
- O.B. — additional vocals
- Michael Denten — recording & mixing
- Darrin Harris — recording & mixing
- Steve Counter — recording & mixing
- Mark Slagle — recording & mixing
- Matt Kelley — recording & mixing
- Bob Morse — recording & mixing
- Renwick Smith Curry — engineering
- Malcolm Sherwood — engineering
- Jeff Gray — engineering
- Ken Lee — mastering
- Erwin Gorostiza — art direction, layout
- Mark Weinberg — design