Poor Righteous Teachers

Emerging within a wave of rap acts centered on Islamic themes and teachings, Poor Righteous Teachers took shape in Trenton, New Jersey. Teenage associates Culture Freedom and Wise Intelligent, whose songwriting credits appear under the names S. Phillips and T. Grimes, came together with the aim of building a more constructive alternative to gangsta rap, a style they have consistently opposed. Once DJ and producer Father Shaheed completed the lineup, the trio released Holy Intellect in 1990 and Pure Poverty the following year, placing emphasis on their spiritual convictions and worldview. Although the projects occasionally subordinated musical elements to doctrinal content, both achieved solid commercial results. Black Business, issued in 1993, stood out as their strongest musical effort, earning notice for Wise Intelligent’s adoption of the cadence and delivery associated with reggae and dancehall toasters, yet drawing rebuke for its frequent homophobic references. New World Order arrived three years later.