Silent Assassin

Silent Assassin
Studio album by
Sly and Robbie
Released1989
GenreReggae, hip hop
LabelIsland
ProducerKRS-One
Sly and Robbie chronology
The Summit
(1988) 		Silent Assassin
(1989) 		Two Rhythms Clash
(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.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
AudioB[8]
Chicago Tribune[9]
Robert ChristgauB+[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]
Houston Chronicle[12]
Ottawa Citizen[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[14]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[15]
St. Petersburg Times[16]

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."[17] The St. Petersburg Times considered "Dance Hall" "arguably the best rap track of 1989."[16] 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."[18]

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."[15]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Rebel"3:46
2."Adventures of a Bullet"3:50
3."Woman for the Job"4:07
4."Man on a Mission"3:30
5."Steppin'"3:08
6."Under Arrest"5:00
7."No One Can Top This Boy"3:35
8."Dance Hall"6:49
9."Party Together"5:22
10."Living a Lie"4:39
11."Come Again"2:40
12."Letters to the President"4:27
13."Ride the Riddim"4:28
14."It's Me"3:25

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Sly & Robbie | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Thompson, Dave (2002). Reggae & Caribbean Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 270.
  3. ^ Darling, Cary (November 26, 1989). "Reggae, hip-hop fusion hot". Orange County Register. p. H20.
  4. ^ Keepnews, Peter (November 17, 1989). "Pop/Jazz; Rap Leads to Respectability and Academia for KRS-One". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b "Sly & Robbie Et Al". Trouser Press. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Records". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Silent Assassin - Sly & Robbie | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  8. ^ Borey, Susan (Mar 1990). "Rock/Pop Recordings: Silent Assassin by Sly & Robbie". Audio. Vol. 74, no. 3. p. 104.
  9. ^ "Sly & Robbie Silent Assassin". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Sly and Robbie". www.robertchristgau.com.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 535.
  12. ^ Mitchell, Rick (November 19, 1989). "Records". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 8.
  13. ^ Erskine, Evelyn (2 Feb 1990). "Musical plea says it's time for rap, reggae to run together". Ottawa Citizen. p. C6.
  14. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 647.
  15. ^ a b Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 360–361.
  16. ^ a b Hall, Ken (12 Jan 1990). "Sly and Robbie Silent Assassin (Island)". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 17.
  17. ^ Dafoe, Chris (16 Nov 1989). "Silent Assassin Sly and Robbie". The Globe and Mail. p. C10.
  18. ^ Miller, Michael (November 17, 1989). "Sly & Robbie, 'Silent Assassin'". The State. p. 11D.