Party Music

The original cover of the album, created in June 2001 depicted Boots Riley and Pam the Funkstress destroying the twin towers of the World Trade Center using what appeared to be a detonator.[9] The apparent detonator was actually an electronic tuner. The album was originally scheduled for release in September of that year, but after the September 11 attacks, the band decided to postpone the album’s release until November, so they could create new cover art.[10]

In an interview with Seattle newspaper The Stranger, Boots Riley spoke about his fight to keep the album cover following the events of September 11:

There's been a whitewash in the media over the past couple days over what the U.S.'s role in the world is, and the fact that they kill hundreds of thousands of people per year to protect profit. Now how can I get to the point where I could be saying that on the world stage, and interrupt the lies that CBS, CNN, NBC, and everyone is saying? In my view, that [would be] by keeping the cover. Not because I think by looking at the cover you get all of this message that I'm telling you, but as a way to have a platform to interrupt the stream of lies that are being told right now.[11]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85 based on 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[1]

Spin included it on the "20 Best Albums of 2001" list.[12]

Credits adapted from liner notes.

The Coup

• Boots Riley – vocals, claps, snaps, claves, synthesizer, drum programming, production, recording
• Pam the Funkstress – turntables

Additional musicians

• Mike Tiger – synthesizer (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11), clavinet (3, 7, 8, 11), piano (4, 6, 8, 10, 12), keyboard bass (9, 12), organ (12)
• David James – guitar (1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
• Martin Luther – vocals (2, 3, 5, 11)
• Elijah Hassan – bass guitar (2, 4, 7, 10)
• Guy Hubbard – whistle (3)
• Keith McArthur – bass guitar (3, 8)
• T-Kash – vocals (4, 9)
• Alisha Calhoun – violin (4)
• M1 – vocals (5)
• Stick – vocals (5)
• Tahir – keyboards (5), drum programming (5), production (5)
• Lenon Honor – vocals (6, 12)
• Funkyman – vocals (6, 7)
• Keneice – vocals (8, 10)
• Josh Jones – congas (10), bells (10)

Technical personnel

• Bob Brown – recording
• Matt Kelley – recording, mixing
• Tony Dawsey – mastering
• Victor Hall – cover image
• Brandon Arnovick – package design

• Party Music at Discogs (list of releases)