Personnel: Bootsy Collins (vocals, guitar); Grandmaster Melle Mel, Abiodun Oyewole, Umar Bin Hassan (vocals); Bernie Worrell (piano, Clavinet, organ, keyboards, synthesizer); Aiyb Dieng (drums, congas, talking drum, tambourine, percussion, bells, gong); Bill Laswell (loops, sampler).
Recording information: Greenpoint Studio, Brooklyn, NY.
Unknown Contributor Role: Aiyb Dieng.
With Holy Terror, the Last Poets lay their claim to be the originators of hip-hop. Containing some of the Poets' most trenchant political and social lyrics, Holy Terror shows the Last Poets, Umar Bin Hassan and Abiodun Oyewole, still as fiery and sharp as ever. "Homesick" and "Pelourinho" are descriptions of slavery that are as vivid and riveting as any movie. "Black Rage" paints a portrait of urban hell that will chill any listener to the bone. The album is also superbly produced, with a funk sound that supports the lyrics while never overshadowing them. Credit is due to seminal producer Bill Laswell, who, armed with a first-class band made up of P-Funk alumni George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell, along with Grandmaster Melle Mel, constructs dense, intricate grooves that are simultaneously modern and traditional. For both fans of the classic Last Poets albums and newcomers interested in one of the missing links between classic funk and modern hip-hop, Holy Terror is worth a listen. ~ Victor W. Valdivia minimize