Steven Berke
Being a father who grew up "let(ing) my tape rock 'til my tape pop(ed)" I wanted to listen to my favorite albums with and around my kids. But I didn't want to rely solely on my memory to know what albums were safe to play. Since I didn't find any such lists in existence, I started this list.
Albums not songs: Back in the day we listened to albums. So at the house we have physical albums in LP, CD and Cassette form along with the digital format we want to play. A list of safe songs for creating a playlist is a different list.
Disclaimer This list is no guarantee the songs are clear of all profanity or language you may find offensive. Use at your own risk.
Here is my take on a list based on my listening interests. I'll try to only put albums that have been completely screened...reply and let me know of any mistakes and additions. You can also provide your perspective and ranking to compile a crowd sourced list in ranked order.
Some references I came across while researching this list:
1. Rap Clean Enough for Kids: Top 10 Kid-Friendly Artists and Albums .
2. Rap my kids can listen to on reddit
3. The Best F*cking Article You’ll Read Today: Profanity in Rap Lyrics Since 1985
Thank you to Besttickets.com for publishing data from their profanity report. This was used to identify a few albums to add to the list.
Source: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16fPueLh9RiFM1bLRVqjQrtCoG0s63fua6hxcjkGczKE/edit?usp=sharing
Rock the House is the debut album from the hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The album was released on March 19, 1987, in the United States, and was subsequently re-issued in 1988 in Europe and the United Kingdom. Three tracks from the album were released as singles: "The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff", "A Touch of Jazz" and "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble". When the album was released on CD in 1988, the rerecorded version of the song, which was released as a single after He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper ran its course, replaced the original 1986 recording. The original version also never appeared on the duo’s greatest-hits album.
Find a Biz Markie - Goin' Off first pressing or reissue. Complete your Biz Markie collection. Shop Vinyl and CDs.
Find a Jungle Brothers - Straight Out The Jungle first pressing or reissue. Complete your Jungle Brothers collection. Shop Vinyl and CDs.
Find a Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full first pressing or reissue. Complete your Eric B. & Rakim collection. Shop Vinyl and CDs.
Find a Queen Latifah - All Hail The Queen first pressing or reissue. Complete your Queen Latifah collection. Shop Vinyl and CDs.
King of Rock is the second studio album by hip hop trio Run–D.M.C.. Produced in 1985, the album sees the group adopting a more rock-influenced sound, with several tracks prominently featuring heavy guitar riffs.
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released April 10, 1990 (see 1990 in music) on Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following, however, within the alternative hip hop community. People's Instinctive Travels was praised for its lyrical inventiveness and bizarre sense of humor, mixed with socially aware and literate message tracks. The record was given the perfect rating of 5 mics in The Source in 1990.[9] It is one of three A Tribe Called Quest albums included in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.[11] It also was certified gold by the RIAA on January 19, 1996.
World Class is the first EP recorded and produced by the LA electro-hop group World Class Wreckin' Cru.[1] It was released in 1985 under the Kru-Cut record label. Songs on the album included "Juice" and "Surgery", which were popular singles on the underground West Coast scene.
