Sex Packets

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Sex Packets
Studio album by Digital Underground
Released	March 26, 1990
Genre	Golden age hip hop Alternative hip hop
Length	65:26
Label	Tommy Boy
Producer	Digital Underground
Professional reviews
Allmusic link The Daily Vault (A) link Entertainment Weekly (C+) link New York Times (favorable) link Rhapsody (favorable) link Rolling Stone link Washington Post (favorable) link
Digital Underground chronology
Sex Packets (1990) This is an EP Release (1991)

Sex Packets is the debut album from the 1990s rap group Digital Underground and is a concept album about "G.S.R.A." (Genetic Suppression Relief Antedotes), a pharmaceutical substance that is produced in the form of a large glowing pill (about the size of a quarter), that comes in a condom-sized package, and is allegedly developed by the government to provide its intended users (Astronauts and the like) with a satisfying sexual experience in situations where the quest-for/attainment-of such experiences would be counterproductive to the mission at hand.

The album was released in the spring of 1990 following the success of its two lead-off singles; the bizarre and outrageous "Doowutchyalike," a moderate club hit; followed by the even more outrageous mega-hit "The Humpty Dance," a humorous dance number that climbed all the way to #11 on the pop charts, #7 on the R&B charts, and #1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart. It was rapped by Shock G's flamboyant alter ego Humpty Hump, and featured a hypnotically-pulsating bassline, flirty samples, and a particularly potent drumtrack that has been sought after by many different artists and producers. (see list below)

Sex Packets delivered on the promise of its singles with an abundance of P-Funk samples, jazzy interludes, and an innovative amalgam of samples and live instrumentation, earning it positive reviews and platinum sales. The album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums in 1998, and was re-issued on February 8, 2005 by Rhino Entertainment. The album is broken down track-by-track by Digital Underground in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.^[1]

In 2008, "The Humpty Dance" was ranked number 29 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop and number 65 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s in 2007. In the video, one can see a young Tupac Shakur in the background.

Album Certification: RIAA certified million seller.

Track listing

CD and LP

1. "The Humpty Dance" - 6:30
   • Single Certification: RIAA certified million seller
   • Samples "[Let's Play House]" by Parliament (1980)
2. "The Way We Swing" - 6:48
3. "Rhymin' on the Funk" - 6:16
4. "The New Jazz (One)" - 0:37
5. "Underwater Rimes" (Remix) - 4:23
   • Samples "Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock (1973)
6. "Gutfest '89" (Edit) - 5:50
7. "The Danger Zone" - 5:31
   • Samples "Flash Light" by Parliament (1977)
8. "Freaks of the Industry" - 5:38
9. "Doowutchyalike" - 8:51
10. "Packet Prelude" - 0:57
11. "Sex Packets" - 7:21
12. "Street Scene" - 0:33
13. "Packet Man" - 4:41
14. "Packet Reprise" - 1:30

Cassette

Side 1 (Safe Side)

1. "The Humpty Dance"
2. "The Way We Swing"
3. "Hip Hop Doll"
4. "Underwater Rimes" (Remix)
5. "Rhymin' on the Funk"
6. "The New Jazz (One)"
7. "The Danger Zone"
8. "Doowutchyalike"

Side 2 (Sex Side)

1. "Freaks of the Industry"
2. "Gutfest '89" (Full)
3. "Sound of the Underground"
4. "A Tribute to the Early Days"
5. "Packet Prelude"
6. "Sex Packets"
7. "Street Scene"
8. "Packet Man"
9. "Packet Reprise"

Use as a source of samples

By 1992, only two years after its release, "The Humpty Dance" had already been sampled in over 25 popular songs, most of them utilizing its drum track. In fact it was sampled so much that Digital Underground humorously devoted an entire song to thanking many of the recording artists who sampled it — "The Humpty Dance Awards" from their album The Body-Hat Syndrome. There are over fifty songs that sample the Humpty Dance, most of which did not credit Digital Underground or Gregory Jacobs (a.k.a. Shock G, the song's author & producer).

Of the five raw elements that make up the Humpty Dance drum track, one is a sample from "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & The Family Stone, in the form of a one-measure-long drum loop. Digital underground incorporated the Family Stone drum loop with four other raw elements; a deep tonal kick drum that alternated between two bass notes, a handclap snare (also a sample, taken from "Theme From the Black Hole" by Parliament), drum-machine hi-hats running continuously throughout which were programmed to 8th-notes, and a guitar hit happening once every bar, all assembled into the now-familiar pattern that forms the Humpty Dance drum track.

Note: Songs that did not sample The Humpty Dance directly are not included on this list.
Included are two composition samples; "Bumbell" and "Wild Wild West". The rest are digital audio samples.

Songs that sample "The Humpty Dance"

title, artist, (description of use)

• A Crazy Break, WC & the Maad Circle (full drum loop)
• Ain't That a Bitch, KAM (full drum loop)
• All We Got Left is the Beat, LL Cool J (drum loop)
• Back to the Underground, WC & the Maad Circle (vocal + snare & kicks used in drum track)
• Behind Closed Doors, WC & the Maad Circle (raw instrumental used as their drum track)
• Blow Your Mind, Redman (drum loop)
• Boom! Shake the Room, Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (looped underneath for kick drum support)
• Buck tha Devil, Da Lench Mob (full drum loop)
• Bumbell, Yukmouth feat Tech N9ne (bassline)
• Can I Party? Ahmad (full loop)
• Can't Truss it, Public Enemy (full drum loop)
• Cherish the Day, (Best of Sade version), Sade (raw instrumental used as drum track for last 30 secs of her song)
• City to City, Straw tha Vegas Don feat Shock G (raw instrumental scratched in first verse)
• Cotex, BWP (full drum loop reversed)
• D.O.G. Me Out, (The Future album version), Guy (piece of loop, muted, as kick drum support)
• Don't Be Afraid, (Juice Soundtrack version), Aaron Hall (full drum loop)
• Don't Be Afraid (Jazz You Up Version), from The Truth album, Aaron Hall (loop chopped underneath)
• Dr. Trevis, Redman (bit of drum loop underneath)
• Dr. Trevis (Signs Off), Redman (bit of drum loop underneath
• Drive By, DJ Premier & Boss (raw instrumental used as their drum track)
• Encore, Redman (kick drums looped underneath)
• Flip Squad's in da House, Big Kap, Flip Squad, Funkmaster Flex (full drum loop + bassline)
• Get a Little Freaky With Me, Aaron Hall (looped underneath)
• Hard Like a Criminal, Das EFX (raw instrumental used as their drum track)
• Hat 2 Da Back, TLC (looped underneath)
• Here We Go Again! Portrait (raw instrumental used as their drum track)
• Hold Onto My Bumper, Dice (full drum loop)
• Holiday Madness, KAM (full drum loop)
• How I'm Comin, LL Cool J (full drum loop)
• How Ya Gonna Reason With a Psycho, Insane Poetry (full drum loop)
• I Made Love (4 Da Very First Time), Little Shawn (drum track doubled up)
• If U Can't Dance, Spice Girls (drum loop + bassline)
• Imma Gitz Mine, Erick Sermon (looped underneath as kick drum support)
• Is It Good to You, Heavy-D & the Boys (drum loop)
• Jackin' For Beats, Ice Cube (raw instrumental)
• Live and Learn, Joe Public (full drum loop)
• Love Makes No Sense, Alexander Oneal (raw instrumental used as his drum track)
• Lost in the Storm, Chubb Rock (raw instrumental used as his drum track)
• Mama Said Knock You Out, LL Cool J (full drum loop)
• Not Your Money, Oaktowns 357 (full drum loop)
• Nuthin, Gold Money (raw instrumental used as their drum track)
• Pick Up the Phone, Aaron Hall (looped underneath)
• PlayGround, ABC (full loop, muted, used for kick drum support)
• Really Doe, Ice Cube (bit of drum track underneath)
• Shit Popper, BWP (drum loop)
• SMPTE, The Boys (full drum loop)
• Somma Time Man, Salt-N-Pepa (raw instrumental used as their drumtrack)
• Teddys Jam, Guy (full loop)
• Teddy's Jam 2, Guy (full loop)
• That Y'all, Craig Mack (chopped drum loop)
• The Break Up, WC & the Maad Circle (full drum loop)
• The Humpty Dance Awards, digital underground (full drum loop + bassline)
• The Money is Made, Detroits most Wanted (full drum loop)
• Time 4 Sum Aksion, Redman (drum track chopped underneath; kick drum support)
• Two 4 the Time, Nubian Crackers (raw instrumental used as their drum track)
• Walk Thru Hell, K-Stone (raw full instrumental)
• Who's the Mack? Ice Cube (vocal sample)
• Wild Wild West, Will Smith (bassline)
• You Gotta Believe, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch (full drum loop)

'"The Humpty Dance" copyright references:

• http://www.faqs.org/copyright/i-made-love-4-da-very-first-time-musical-composition/

References

1. ^ Coleman, Brian. Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies. New York: Villard/Random House, 2007.