This article is about an album by alternative hip hop crew the Jungle Brothers. There is also a short story by Ray Davis with the same title.


Done By the Forces of Nature is the second alternative hip hop album by the Jungle Brothers, released in November of 1989 (see 1989 in music) on Warner Brothers Records. Though the Jungle Brothers have not been remembered as well as chronologically similar alternative groups like De La Soul and Queen Latifah, Done By the Forces of Nature was extremely influential in its time, and critically acclaimed for its subtle, low-fidelity sound and uplifting Afrocentric rhymes. Due to its relative lack of fame (compared to 3 Feet High and Rising, for example), Done By the Forces of Nature is often considered a lost classic album of hip hop.

The song "Doin' Our Own Dang" includes three other members of the Native Tongues Posse, De La Soul, Queen Latifah and A Tribe Called Quest. "I'll House You" is perhaps the first fusion of hip hop and house music recorded outside Chicago's hip house scene; the song was a club hit that drastically changed the way the hip hop and dance music industries worked, proving that intelligent hip hop could be dance music. The song also influentially decried homophobia, when negative speech directed towards homosexuals was standard in hip hop.

Rolling Stone magazine gave the album four stars, claiming that the Jungle Brothers "don't lose a shred of their defness by quoting the Bible, bad-mouthing drugs or espousing vegetarianism. Their joyously Afrocentric message comes through loud and proud – their idea of heaven is a two-month paid vacation in the motherland"[1]. Face, New Music Express and the Village Voice all placed Done By the Forces of Nature on their best-of list for the year more awards and details.

Done By the Forces of Nature peaked at #46 on Billboard's (North America) Top Hip Hop/R&B Albums chart.

The title, Done By the Forces of Nature, may refer to a line from the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindui scripture that says "Those who are deluded by the illusive power (Maya) of Nature become attached to the work done by the forces of nature" (3.28).

Table of contents
1 Track listing
2 Personnel
3 Charting singles
4 External links

Track listing

  1. "Beyond This World" (Jungle Brothers) - 4:08
  2. "Feelin' Alright" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:35
  3. "Sunshine" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:44
  4. "What "U" Waitin' 4?" (Jungle Brothers) - 4:02
  5. ""U" Make Me Sweat" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:59
  6. "Acknowledge Your Own History" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:38
  7. "Belly Dancin' Dina" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:41
  8. "Good Newz Comin'" (Jungle Brothers) - 4:37
  9. "Done by the Forces of Nature" (with DJ Towha Towha) - 3:47
  10. "Beeds on a String" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:32
  11. "Tribe Vibes" (with KRS-One) - 3:53
  12. "J. Beez Comin' Through" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:32
  13. "Black Woman" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:54
  14. "In Dayz "2" Come" (Jungle Brothers) - 3:54
  15. "Doin' Our Own Dang" (with Queen Latifah, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul - 4:16
  16. "Kool Accordin' "2" a Jungle Brother" (Jungle Brothers) - 1:55

Personnel

  • Jungle Brothers - Design, Reproduction
  • DJ Red Alert - Executive Producer, Mixing
  • A Tribe Called Quest - Performer
  • De La Soul - Performer
  • KRS-One - Performer
  • Monie Love - Performer
  • Gregg Mann - Engineer
  • Greg Curry - Engineer
  • Dr. Shane Faber - Keyboards, Engineer
  • Abdullah Rahman - Artwork
  • DJ Tohwa - Design
  • DJ Towha Towha - Performer

Charting singles

Billboard Music Charts (North America)
1990	What "U" Waitin "4"?	Hot Rap Singles	                       No. 19
1990	What U Waitin 4?	Hot Dance Music/Club Play	       No. 13
1990	What U Waitin 4?	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales     No. 6

External links