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{{Infobox album
| name = Holy Intellect
| type = [[Album]]
| artist = [[Poor Righteous Teachers]]
| cover = Holyintellect.jpg
| alt =
| released = May 29, 1990
| recorded = 1989−1990
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
| length =
| label = * [[Profile Records|Profile]]
* [[Arista Records|Arista]]<br /><small>01515-11289</small>
| producer = * [[Tony D]]
* [[:de:Eric IQ Gray|Eric IQ Gray]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = [[Pure Poverty]]
| next_year = 1991
}}
'''''Holy Intellect''''' is the debut album by [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] group [[Poor Righteous Teachers]], famous for its pro-[[The Nation of Gods and Earths|Five-Percenter]] messages.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reeves |first1=Marcus |title=Somebody Scream! Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power |date=2009 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |page=86}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Leland |first1=John |title=The Trick Is Keeping It Positive |work=Newsday |date=Mar 3, 1990 |department=Part II |page=17}}</ref> It includes "Rock Dis Funky Joint", which sampled "[[Slippin' into Darkness]]" by [[War (American band)|War]], a 1970s funk band.

The album is broken down track-by-track by Poor Righteous Teachers in Brian Coleman's book ''[[Check the Technique]]''.<ref>Coleman, Brian. ''[[Check The Technique]]: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies''. New York: Villard/Random House, 2007.</ref>

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic1">{{cite web|author=Andy Kellman |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/holy-intellect-mw0000689983 |title=Holy Intellect Poor Righteous Teachers |website=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=May 28, 2014}}</ref>
}}
''[[The Washington Post]]'' stated that Poor Righteous Teachers "promote black unity, a 'knowledge of self', which, combined with swinging grooves, tasteful samples and swift rapping, makes for a funky, uplifting experience."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mills |first1=David |title=Rap and the Righteous; The Hip-Hop Movement's New Message Music |work=The Washington Post |date=Aug 12, 1990 |page=G1}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' noted the "nimble, free-associative raps over riffs that change just often enough".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pareles |first1=Jon |title='Radical' Rap: Of Pride and Prejudice |work=The New York Times |date=Dec 6, 1990 |page=A1}}</ref>

In 1998, the album was selected as one of ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]''{{'}}s "100 Best Rap Albums".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/source.htm#100albums |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060214200158/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/source.htm#100albums |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 14, 2006 |title=100 Best Rap Albums |accessdate=November 24, 2007 |magazine=The Source |issue=#100 |date=January 1998 |location=New York |issn=1063-2085}}</ref>

== Track listing ==
*All tracks produced by [[Tony D]], except tracks 8 and 10 produced by Eric IQ Gray

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|#
! style="text-align:center;"|Title
! style="text-align:center;"|Performer (s)
|-
|1
|"Can I Start This?"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|2
|"Rock Dis Funky Joint"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|3
|"Strictly Ghetto"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|4
|"Holy Intellect"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|5
|"Shakiyla"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|6
|"Time to Say Peace"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|7
|"Style Dropped/Lessons Taught"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|8
|"Speaking Upon a Blackman"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|9
|"So Many Teachers"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|10
|"Word from the Wise"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|11
|"Butt Naked Booty Bless"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|-
|12
|"Poor Righteous Teachers"
|Wise Intelligent, Culture Freedom
|}

== Charts ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

=== Weekly charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1990)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/search?artistname=Poor+Righteous+Teachers&charttitle=&label=&chartcode=TLP|title=Poor Righteous Teachers, TLP|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=April 2, 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
| 142
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/search?artistname=Poor+Righteous+Teachers&charttitle=&label=&chartcode=BLP|title=Poor Righteous Teachers, BLP|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=April 2, 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
| 17
|}
{{col-2}}

=== Year-end charts ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1990)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1990/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990|work=Billboard|accessdate=April 2, 2021}}</ref>
| 42
|}
{{col-end}}

=== Singles ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Song
! [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks]]
! [[Hot Rap Singles]]
|-
| 1990
| "Rock Dis Funky Joint"
| align=center|17
| align=center|4
|-
| 1990
| "Holy Intellect"
| align=center|71
| align=center|16
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Discogs master|124672|Holy Intellect}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1990 debut albums]]
[[Category:Profile Records albums]]
[[Category:Poor Righteous Teachers albums]]

{{1990s-hiphop-album-stub}}

Holy Intellect - Revision history

imported>Ser Amantio di Nicolao: add {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}