Fruits of Nature

Fruits of Nature is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group the UMC's.^[1] It was released in October 15, 1991, via Wild Pitch Records. The recording sessions took place at Such-A-Sound Studio in Brooklyn. The album was produced by member Haas G, RNS, Shlomo Sonnenfeld, and Chip Taylor. It features guest appearances from Kwazi, Prophet, Alton Sharpton, Tonya Wilcox, and Berkeley Carroll Summer Choir. The album spawned two singles: "Blue Cheese" and "One to Grow On".

Fruits of Nature
Studio album by the UMC's
Released	October 15, 1991 (1991-10-15)
Recorded	1990–1991
Studio	Such-A-Sound Studio (Brooklyn, New York City)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	51:52
Label	Wild Pitch EMI
Producer	Chip Taylor Haas G RNS Shlomo Sonnenfeld
The UMC's chronology
Fruits of Nature (1991) Unleashed (1994)
Singles from Fruits of Nature
"Blue Cheese" Released: 1991 "One to Grow On" Released: 1992

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Source	[3]

The Christian Science Monitor noted that "the UMC's fit into the East Coast trend toward clever rhyming with a nod toward black musical tradition, while delivering messages of self-reliance, individuality, friendship, education, and respect between the sexes."^[4]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"One to Grow On"	Haas G RNS	3:34
2.	"Kraftworks"	Shlomo Sonnenfeld	3:34
3.	"Morals"	Haas G RNS	3:33
4.	"Blue Cheese"	Haas G RNS	3:31
5.	"Swing It to the Area"	Haas G RNS	3:17
6.	"Never Never Land" (featuring Berkeley Carroll Summer Choir)	Chip Taylor	4:14
7.	"You Got My Back"	Haas G RNS	4:03
8.	"Jive Talk"	Shlomo Sonnenfeld Young Technique (co.)	3:33
9.	"Feelings" (featuring Alton Sharpton and Tonya Wilcox)	Haas G RNS	4:04
10.	"Any Way the Wind Blows"	Haas G RNS	3:27
11.	"Pass It On" (featuring Kwazi and Prophet)	Haas G RNS	4:26
12.	"Woman Be Out"	Haas G RNS	3:31
13.	"Hey Here We Go"	Haas G RNS	3:26
14.	"It's Gonna Last"	Haas G RNS	3:55
Total length:			51:52

All tracks are written by Carlos Evans and Kim Sharpton

Personnel

• Carlos "Haas G" Evans – songwriter, producer
• "Kool Kim" Sharpton – songwriter
• Berkeley Carroll Summer Choir – backing vocals (track 6)
• Alton Sharpton – backing vocals (track 9)
• Tonya Wilcox – backing vocals (track 9)
• Kwazi – vocals (track 11)
• Prophet – vocals (track 11)
• Richard Locker – cello
• D.J. Kid Magic – scratches
• Arby "RNS" Quinn – producer
• Shlomo Sonnenfeld – producer (tracks: 2, 8), engineering
• James Wesley "Chip Taylor" Voight – producer (track 6)
• Young Technique – co-producer (track 8)
• Carlton Batts – mastering
• Janette Beckman – photography

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[5]	36
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6]	32

References

1. Hess, Mickey (2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 123.
2. Swihart, Stanton. "The U.M.C.'s Fruits of Nature". AllMusic. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
3. C., Matty (December 1991). "UMC's Fruits uv Nature". The Source. p. 58. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
4. McAdams, Janine (Mar 13, 1992). "Stew Pot of Cookin' Tunes". The Arts. The Christian Science Monitor.
5. "UMC's: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
6. "UMC's: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.

External links

• The U.M.C.'s – Fruits Of Nature at Discogs (list of releases)