Poor Righteous Teachers

Poor Righteous Teachers

Company type	Hip hop group
Industry	Music
Founded	1989
Headquarters	Trenton , United States
Products	Hip hop music, albums, singles

Poor Righteous Teachers was a hip hop ensemble originating from Trenton, New Jersey, established in 1989. Commonly abbreviated as PRT, the group gained recognition for their socially aware and politically charged hip hop, heavily influenced by the teachings of the Nation of Gods and Earths. The collective's leading voice was MC Wise Intelligent, who stood out as the most notable member, supported by Culture Freedom handling vocals and production duties, alongside Father Shaheed serving as DJ and producer. Wise Intelligent earned a spot at number five on About.com's list of the 10 Most Underrated Rappers, acknowledged for his inventive lyrical style.

Career

PRT made their initial appearance in 1989 with the single "Time to Say Peace" backed with "Butt Naked Booty Bless." Their debut album, Holy Intellect (1990), was released during a period marked by significant pro-Black hip hop records such as Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet and Brand Nubian's One for All. Although it did not achieve substantial commercial success, Holy Intellect received critical praise and included their sole major radio single, "Rock Dis Funky Joint." Additionally, PRT contributed to King Sun’s 1990 project Righteous but Ruthless.

The follow-up album, Pure Poverty (1991), experienced a decline in commercial performance; its lead track "Shakiyla (JRH)" attained modest placement on rap charts. Their third studio effort, Black Business (1993), is often regarded as their strongest work from a critical standpoint despite limited sales figures. The primary single "Nobody Move" garnered only minimal airplay. After a three-year break, PRT returned with their fourth album, The New World Order (1996). Released amid shifts within the hip hop genre, this record did not enter the Billboard 200, though its single "Word Iz Life" reached number 50 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The album nonetheless maintained favorable reviews.

In 2001, PRT released an underground album titled Declaration of Independence. Later, in 2006, a compilation named Rare & Unreleased was issued through Cha-Ching Records, featuring previously hard-to-find tracks and remixes.

The group briefly engaged in a dispute with rapper YZ concerning unreleased tape recordings. Tragically, Father Shaheed died in a motorcycle accident on May 26, 2014.

Albums

Holy Intellect Release Date: May 29, 1990 Billboard 200 Peak: No. 142 R&B/Hip-Hop Chart Peak: No. 17 Notable Singles: "Time to Say Peace"/"Butt Naked Booty Bless", "Rock Dis Funky Joint", "Holy Intellect"/"Self-Styled Wisdom"

Pure Poverty Release Date: September 3, 1991 Billboard 200 Peak: No. 155 R&B/Hip-Hop Chart Peak: No. 23 Noteworthy Singles: "Shakiyla (JRH)"/"Strictly Mash'ion", "Easy Star"

Black Business Release Date: September 14, 1993 Billboard 200 Peak: No. 167 R&B/Hip-Hop Chart Peak: No. 29 Singles: "Nobody Move"/"Da Rill Shit"

The New World Order Release Date: October 15, 1996 R&B/Hip-Hop Chart Peak: No. 57 Singles Included: "Word Iz Life"/"Dreadful Day", "Conscious Style"

Singles

• "Time to Say Peace" (1989)
• "Holy Intellect" b/w "Self-Styled Wisdom" (1990)
• "Rock Dis Funky Joint" (1990)
• "Shakiyla (JRH)" b/w "Strictly Mash'ion" (1991)
• "Easy Star" (1992)
• "Nobody Move" b/w "Da Rill Shit" (1993)
• "Conscious Style" (1996)
• "Word Iz Life" b/w "Dreadful Day" (1996)
• "I Swear Ta God" (2001)