Criminal Minded is the debut album by Boogie Down Productions, released on March 3, 1987 on B-Boy Records. Considered a highly influential hip hop album, it is also credited with providing a prototype for the East Coast gangsta rap which emerged in the following decades. The album's samples and direct influences were unusual at the time, ranging from liberal use of dancehall reggae (as well as the more commonly used James Brown) to rock music artists such as AC/DC, The Beatles and Billy Joel.