Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album
Riders of the Storm: The Underwater Album is the debut album by rap group Boogiemonsters. It was released on August 9, 1994, through EMI America Records and was produced by the Boogiemonsters and was one of the first albums to feature session work from Scott Storch. The album peaked at #42 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #19 on the Top Heatseekers and spawned two charting singles, "Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress" peaked at #65 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and #19 on the Hot Rap Singles, while  Strange peaked at #43 on the Hot Rap Singles. Lyricism and music. Intending to bring substance to hip hop, Boogiemonsters wrote songs which they felt would add depth to the genre's lyricism, including "Old Man Jacob's Well," which portrayed a child murderer who believes that he is helping children "by taking them out of this evil world." Another example of this lyricism was found in "Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress," which promotes what the group believed were "the benefits of having a carefree spirit." Group member Ivor Myers cited Jim Morrison, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, De La Soul, A  Tribe Called Quest, Yellowman and Bob Marley as influences on the album's music. The group intended to combine these musical influences with a form of abstract spirituality which combined elements of Christianity, Rastafarianism, Eastern mysticism and African religions to form the content of the album's lyrics. Critical reception. "The New York Times" called the album "idiosyncratic, energetic and refreshingly underivative" and "full of head-bobbing pleasures and food for thought."