prt performed at 50 years of hip hop celebration in trenton.
Poor Righteous TeachersĀ was aĀ hip hopĀ group fromĀ Trenton,Ā New Jersey, founded in 1989.[1]Ā Often referred to as PRT by its fans, Poor Righteous Teachers was known as a socially and politicallyĀ conscious hip hopĀ group, with musical content inspired by the teachings ofĀ the Nation of Gods and Earths. Wise Intelligent, as the lead MC, was the most visible and well known member of the group. Culture Freedom provided vocals and production, and Father Shaheed served as a DJ and producer.Ā About.comĀ ranked the group's lead MC,Ā Wise Intelligent, number five on its list of the 10 Most Underrated Rappers, calling him "one of the most creative MCs of our time."[2]
PRT debuted in 1989 with the release of the single "Time to Say Peace" b/w "Butt Naked Booty Bless." The trio released its first album,Ā Holy Intellect, in 1990,[3]Ā amid a number of similarly pro-Black albums such asĀ Public Enemy'sĀ Fear of a Black Planet,Ā X-Clan'sĀ To the East, Blackwards, andĀ Brand Nubian'sĀ One for All. While not as commercially successful as these albums,Ā Holy IntellectĀ received critical acclaim and spawned the group's only major radio hit, "Rock Dis Funky Joint." PRT returned in 1991 with its second album,Ā Pure Poverty.[3]Ā The album was not as commercially successful as its debut, and was not as acclaimed. The lead single "Shakiyla (JRH)", became a minor rap hit that year. The group's third, and possibly most successful release to date,Ā Black Business, was released in 1993.[3]Ā Sales were once again limited, but the album was a critical success. The album's lead single, "Nobody Move", received little radio airplay. After a three-year hiatus, PRT returned as a group in 1996 with its fourth album,Ā The New World Order.[3]Ā Released in a new Hip Hop era, the album received little attention, failing to reach theĀ BillboardĀ 200Ā album chart. The album's lead single, "Word Iz Life", was barely able to reach theĀ Hot Rap SinglesĀ chart, peaking at the chart's lowest position, #50. Despite the lack of significant attention, the album, like its past releases, received significant acclaim.
In 2001, Poor Righteous Teachers dropped the rare underground releaseĀ Declaration of Independence.[3]Ā In 2006, Cha-Ching Records releasedĀ Rare & Unreleased, a compilation of rare Poor Righteous Teachers songs and remixes.[4][5]
PRT had a short feud withĀ rapper YZĀ over reels of tapes that YZ would not give back to their owner, PRT.[6]
Father Shaheed died on May 26, 2014, from a motorcycle accident.[7]
^Ā Huey, Steve.Ā Biography of Poor Righteous TeachersĀ atĀ AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
^Ā "10 of the Most Underappreciated Rappers".Ā Rap.about.com. RetrievedĀ 7 AugustĀ 2018.
^Ā Jump up to:aĀ bĀ cĀ dĀ eĀ Discography for Poor Righteous TeachersĀ atĀ AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
^Ā Discography of Compilations for Poor Righteous TeachersĀ atĀ AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
^Ā "Poor Righteous Teachers - Rare & Unreleased".Ā Discogs.com. RetrievedĀ 2012-02-19.
^Ā "Cocaine Blunts & Hip Hop TapesĀ Ā» Blog ArchiveĀ Ā» Wise Intelligent Interview".Ā Cocaineblunts.com. 2006-07-16. RetrievedĀ 2012-02-19.
^Ā "RIP Father Shaheed: DJ Of Poor Righteous Teachers Dies".Ā Allhiphop.com. 26 May 2014. RetrievedĀ 7 AugustĀ 2018.
^Ā "Pure Poverty - Poor Righteous Teachers | Release Info".Ā AllMusic. RetrievedĀ 25 JuneĀ 2021.