Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury

Well, that was quick today. I listened to the first three tracks briefly. That's just hip hop. Even if the rap isn't quite as aggressive as so often in this genre, I wasn't interested. The community of my streaming provider seemed to be of a similar opinion. The viewing figures for "Television, the Drug of the Nation" are in the low seven-digit range (which is not much for a over 30 years old song), those for the other first three tracks in the low six-digit range. All others are in the low four-digit range. A silly album cover, by the way. 1/5

Never heard of this one. Interesting, but probably not a repeat listen for me.

I’m at a 4.

This is hyper-socially conscious hip-hop for 1992, filled with a lot of harsh truths, some biting observations, & a lot of musing about society in a way that’s all fair, if a bit heavy-handed at times. This is sort of a mirror to the Arrested Development album we got a while ago, which felt preachy in a positive way, save for the 20% of it that gave me an ick. I don’t really have an ick with the content of this album though – much like the Arrested Development album, I liked around 80% of this, but the 20% that’s nagging at me consists of a few verses & tracks that aren’t “icky”, but more so outdated & pearl-clutchy, at least by the standards of 2025.

Let me be clear: when this album is matching its lyrical prowess with some good vocals, underlined by some production chops that feels very reminiscent of Public Enemy, then it’s absolutely rolling. “Vocals” in this case can mean both rap flow & authoritative tone – “Satanic Reverses” & “California über alles” are great examples of rap flow, but something like “The Winter of the Long Hot Summer” (fantastically prescient track, by the way, my favorite on the album) is a great example of how effective a rhythmic, authoritative tone can feel for a politically driven album like this. If you have a conviction for what you’re saying, people will be more inclined to listen, and I think a lot of this album is worth thinking about at a somewhat deeper level.

The 20% of this album that’s biting at me is still worth thinking about at that deeper level, but it’s undermined by a sort of “holier than thou” thought process that puts an overt emphasis on a lot of the negatives, while neglecting some of the positives present. Take for example, “Television, the Drug of the Nation” – great track through its first two verses, and then it sort of leans into an awkward “won’t we think of the kids!” angle, before rebounding nicely into the power of endorsement… and then totally losing me in the fourth verse. Granted, children’s TV improved tenfold by the early 2000s, so perhaps it’s just an “outdated” moment, but it’s still leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

There’s a few examples of this sort of thing throughout the album: “Everyday Life Has Become a Health Risk” feels fair, if a bit overblown nowadays with a more renewed focus on agricultural oversight & healthy living in the years since. “Socio-Genetic Experiment” feels a little tone-deaf in how it approaches tolerance to bigotry, and by modern standards, you just don’t really give an inch to racists, no matter how well-intentioned you want to be. The hook on “Financial Leprosy” feels like an unnecessary shot – perhaps the idea of modifying natural beauty felt taboo in 1992, but by modern standards, it feels very accepted to do whatever you want to feel comfortable in your own skin, & shaming that is one of the biggest missteps this album takes, undermining a pretty solid track about how people are constantly manipulated into feeling rich even if society is, at large, comprised of the poor.

Those pearl-clutchy, outdated missteps are part of the reason why this is going down to a 4, though I’d be remiss to not acknowledge that sometimes, this album just doesn’t work from a musical standpoint – for as good as the beats are, sometimes they’re a little scratchy or a little overblown. There’s also moments where the vocal flow just feels off, compensating for moments where the lyricism is trying just a little too hard. Overall, I did enjoy this. I totally understand why the critical acclaim is there without the sales to match it, given the heavier political/social elements, but it’s an album that would slide in really nicely into today’s rap/hip-hop landscape (with some tweaks, obviously). For me, it’s a 4, which in retrospect, is probably what I should’ve given “3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of…”, but c’est la vie.

Political/socially charged hip hop. Dude sounds like Public Enemy by times. Surprisingly not too bad. For once, a hip hop group that isn't obsessed with singing about their cocks!

Favorite songs: Television the Drug of the Nation, Satanic Reverses

Least favorite songs: INS Greencard A-19 191 500

3/5

It's just ok

I love the nearly spoken word vocals. They feel effortless but still have so much bite. The instrumentals are raw and stripped back. Very industrial. I'm surprised I've never listened to this before.

It has all the things I like in HipHop. Great lyrics, music to support the message, loose basslines.
And still, it never grabs me by the throat.

Day 24 - I was not very into Hip Hop in the 90s - this was an exception back then - I liked that it was mainly political. However, at some point I traded in the CD...
On this re-listen - It fits my current mood. 3/5 #Musicsky #albumsky

I am too lazy to listen to the full message he wants to send, but I respect this. It sounds ok too.

Listening to this gave me a new appreciation for Flavor Flav. It’s Public Enemy without the fun.

What the fuck? This came out when I was 8?

*double checks release date*

Is Michael Franti a time traveler? Did he escape from our current hellscape back to 1992 to give us a (distressingly unheeded) warning?

I'm sad now.

Intelligent, political hip hop, but at an over an hour it's a trudge.

Public enemy were doing it better around this time, because they made way more fun music.

I'm conflicted on this, but I like it much more than I dislike. The beats on this are really good for the most part and quite forward thinking at times, such as the industrial influences a few of the songs have. The lead is quite good at rapping and some of the political discourse is quite hard hitting, especially for 92. The sampling is also pretty good for it's time.

My big issue I have with this is the preachiness, I agree with most of the political opinions on here but it's done in the most blunt way possible and at times feels more like a political rally than an album. This is possibly the preachiest album I've ever heard, however they pull it off really well occasionally, such as the track "The Winter of the Long Hot Summer" which was quite chilling. When it's done poorly it comes across as an "old man yells at cloud" moment, the biggest offender here being the 7 minute rant against TV.

This album has very competent rapping, beats, and sampling as well as having some great political discourse, however the preachiness is too much at times.

Feels like a less refined Public Enemy

Long album, this guy has something he really wants to tell the world. The sound is very dated..

I hadn't heard of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. From what I gather, they were a short-lived hip-hop ensemble, with Michael Franti on vocals on production, and Rono Tse on percussion and programming. They only worked together on two albums before splitting up - this album Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury and a spoken word album with William S. Boroughs. After listening through the former, I can see why this group was short-lived.

The main problem with this album is that it's a hip-hop album where the lyrics and delivery are lackluster. Michael certainly had the populism in mind with his aim towards America's problems at the time including racial disparity, the backward outlook of the conservative George Bush administration, and the United States' involvement in the Gulf War
and other such atrocities. But Michael's flow is stilted, where more often than not he has to pause himself to stay on beat. Not to mention, the nuance is belittled to the point where there are names roped in that add to the clunkiness such as "Nintendo casualties of the ratings war" or "Well, the only cola that I support/Would be a union C.O.L.A. (Cost Of Living Allowance)".

I will say the production at least salvages this album a bit, as the duo with help from Mark Pistel were able to reasonably mesh chopped-up samples with the industrial beats. However, I find it irritating how most of this record is stuck in the mid-tempo range, where it feels long and songs run together. By the time I got to "Socio-Genetic Experiment", it dawned on me - these guys seriously thought they could be the next Public Enemy. Michael Franti is just a poor man's Chuck D. without the sharp lyrical wit and the ability to keep in a pocket, and the production, while solid, can't match the tenacity of the Bomb Squad.

I genuinely feel disappointed in Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury. It's a political hip-hop album that was not inspiring or thought-provoking to someone like me who would share the same viewpoints, and that's a shame. Decent production is not enough for me to recommend this.

There are some (unintentionally) laugh out loud lyrics here - so earnest! I like the overall sound of it quite a bit, but it did feel a bit like being bludgeoned.

Essential listening. Pairs well with Public Enemy. Franti is _my_ hero.

2.54

This one came and went, enjoyed the vibe. Some tracks were missing in Spotify/YT but I got the gist. 2*