The Real Rock is a studio album by the reggae/rap musician Shinehead, released in 1990 via Elektra Records.[1][2]
The album peaked at No. 155 on the Billboard 200.[3]
The album was recorded in New York and Jamaica, with contributions from the rhythm section of Steely & Clevie.[4] It contains interpretations of the songs "Family Affair", "Love and Marriage", and "Till I Kissed You".[5][6] "World of the Video Game" samples the music of Super Mario Bros.[7]
The Los Angeles Times thought that "even the strongest songs are more well-crafted than inspirational, and the cleverest verbal forays are undercut by the musical retrenchment."[11] Trouser Press wrote that "the music on The Real Rock is more sophisticated in terms of technology and styling, but the songs are hit-and-miss."[13] The Washington Post declared that "the album's highlight ... is an inspired remake of Sly Stone's 'Family Affair', which mixes slap bass, scratching, soul singing and speed-rapping into an imaginative defense of black music, black neighborhoods and the black family."[5] The Philadelphia Daily News called Shinehead "the most captivating and versatile of the reggae-rap artists."[14]
AllMusic called the album "one of the best rap releases of 1990," writing that "the East Coast resident wisely avoids being predicable."[8]