No One Can Do It Better

No One Can Do It Better
Studio album by The D.O.C.
Released	August 1, 1989 (1989-08-01)
Recorded	1989
Studio	Audio Achievements, Torrance, California[1]
Genre	West Coast hip hop[2]
Length	48:25
Label	Ruthless, Atco, Atlantic
Producer	Eazy-E (exec.), Dr. Dre
The D.O.C. chronology
No One Can Do It Better (1989) Helter Skelter (1996) N.W.A chronology Eazy-Duz-It (1988) No One Can Do It Better (1989) 100 Miles and Runnin' (1990) Singles from No One Can Do It Better "It's Funky Enough" Released: 1989 "Mind Blowin'" Released: 1989 "The D.O.C and The Doctor" Released: 1989 "The Formula" Released: 1989

No One Can Do It Better is The D.O.C.'s debut album, released on August 1, 1989. It reached number-one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while peaking in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA three months after it was released, and Platinum on April 21, 1994.^[3] This was the only solo album The D.O.C. was able to record before a car accident resulted in crushing his larynx; in recent years, however, he has been undergoing vocal surgery. He would not release another album until 7 years later, with Helter Skelter (1996).

Album information

Idolizing East Coast acts such as Run-D.M.C. and Public Enemy, The D.O.C. always showed more of a lyrical style, not talking about guns, drugs and violence. The album received a Parental Advisory sticker because of the final track on the album ("The Grand Finalé"). Most of the songs were influenced and sampled from funk artists such as Marvin Gaye, Parliament, and Funkadelic, but one track in particular was influenced by other genres, "Beautiful But Deadly", a rock-hip hop track, influenced by Run-D.M.C. with a heavy guitar riff throughout the song (it borrows from Funkadelic's Cosmic Slop).

All five then-current members of N.W.A contributed to this album. Beats were produced by Dr. Dre, with Eazy-E being the executive producer. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and Eazy all provide vocals for "The Grand Finalé", while Ren also provides vocals for "Comm. 2". Yella performs on "Comm. Blues", "Comm. 2" and "The Grand Finalé" as a drummer.

No One Can Do It Better also features additional vocals by Krazy Dee (who also co-wrote the N.W.A song "Panic Zone" from N.W.A. and the Posse), J. J. Fad, Yomo & Maulkie and Michel'le, who were all part of Ruthless as well. Andre "L.A. Dre" Bolton and Stan "The Guitar Man" Jones, who play keyboards and guitar on some of the tracks respectively, also worked for the label.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Robert Christgau	B[4]
Q	[1]
RapReviews	10/10[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]
The Source	[7]
Sputnikmusic	3/5[8]

In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau said that the first three songs have music that is funky, multi-dimensional, and engaging, but the rest of the album's funk diminishes and leaves listeners having to focus on D.O.C.'s inferior lyrics.^[4] In a retrospective review, Allmusic stated, "It's a shame that the D.O.C. never got the chance for a proper follow-up, but in No One Can Do It Better, he at least has one undeniable masterpiece."^[2] RapReviews wrote, "It's hard to adequately describe how much of an unbelievable pleasure it is to listen to "No One Can Do it Better," an album that not only exceeds the expectations anyone had for D.O.C. at the time but which goes down as an unqualified classic in the history of hip-hop."^[5] In 1998, the album was listed in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

Track listing

• All tracks produced by Dr. Dre

Cut Tracks

• "Bridgette" - cut from the album because of the sexual content,^[9] later released on the Dr. Dre bootleg First Round Knock Out

Singles

Chart positions

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1989 (U.S.)

References