Hempstead High is the second studio album by American rapper A+ .[ 6] It was released in 1999 through Kedar Entertainment /Universal Records .[ 7] Recording sessions took place at Unique Recording Studios and Battery Studios in New York and at Urban House Studios, Inc. in Houston . Production was handled by Bink! , DJ Clark Kent , Lil' Shawn, Mo-Suave-A, Smith Brothers Entertainment and Ty Fyffe , with Kedar Massenburg serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Canibus , Cardan, Chico DeBarge , Erykah Badu , MJG , Psycho Drama and the Lost Boyz . The album peaked at #60 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #19 on the Top Heatseekers in the United States, and at number 72 in the Netherlands.
Vibe thought that A+ "can't decide whether he's a hardcore man or a playful youth on his understated sophomore album".[ 8] The Plain Dealer wrote: "By the time the disc reaches the scary 'Staggering and Stuttering' with Psycho Drama, A+ establishes his versatility and assured, confident flow".[ 9]
Title Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "Intro (Classroom)" (featuring Lawrence Page) Smith Bros. Entertainment 1:51 2. "Enjoy Yourself " Sugarless 3:38 3. "Up Top New York" (featuring Mr. Cheeks ) Bink! 4:56 4. "Gotta Have It" DJ Clark Kent 4:09 5. "Boyz 2 Men" (featuring the Lost Boyz and Canibus ) Bink! 3:54 6. "Watcha Weigh Me" (featuring MJG ) Mo-Suave-A Productions 4:11 7. "Understand the Game" (featuring Erykah Badu ) Bink! 3:48 8. "Don't Make Me Wait" Little Shawn 3:57 9. "Interlude - The Score" Smith Bros. Entertainment 1:09 10. "It's on You" (featuring Chico DeBarge ) Smith Bros. Entertainment 4:31 11. "What the Deal" (featuring Cardan) Levins Pierre Jones Harrell III Bink! 3:37 12. "Price of Fame" Smith Bros. Entertainment DJ Clark Kent (add. ) 3:35 13. "Staggering and Stuttering" (featuring Psycho Drama) Jeffrey Robinson Akula Segal T. Jones Mo-Suave-A Productions 5:18 14. "Parkside Gardens" Bink! 5:18 Total length: 53:52
Sample credits
Andre "A+ " Levins – main artist
Terrance "Mr. Cheeks " Kelly – featured artist (tracks: 3, 5)
Germaine "Canibus " Williams – featured artist (track 5)
Marlon "MJG " Goodwin – featured artist (track 6)
Erica "Erykah Badu " Wright – featured artist (track 7)
Jonathan Arthur "Chico " DeBarge – featured artist (track 10)
Pierre "Cardan" Jones – featured artist (track 11)
Jeffery "Buk" Robinson – featured artist (track 13)
Akula "Psyde" Segal – featured artist (track 13)
Lawrence Page – performer (track 1)
Keanna Henson – backing vocals (track 2)
Crystal Johnson – backing vocals (track 5)
Eric "E-Bass" Johnson – bass (track 3)
Robert "Storm" Jordan – Rhodes electric piano and strings (track 5)
Mike Cerullo – guitar (track 7)
Charles Smith – producer (tracks: 1, 9, 10, 12) , associate executive producer
Joseph Smith – producer (tracks: 1, 9, 10, 12) , associate executive producer
Tyrone Fyffe – producer (track 2)
Roosevelt "Bink! " Harrell III – producer (tracks: 3, 5, 7, 11, 14)
Rodolfo "DJ Clark Kent " Franklin – producer (track 4) , additional producer (track 12) , mixing (track 2)
Mo-Suave-A Productions, Inc. – producers (tracks: 6, 13)
Tyrone "Shawn Pen " Wilkins – producer (track 8)
Ed Miller – recording (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9-11, 12, 14) , mixing (tracks: 5, 7, 11)
Tim Donovan – recording (track 2)
Kenny Ortiz – recording (tracks: 4, 8) , mixing (tracks: 4, 8, 10, 12)
Tristan "T-Mix " Jones – recording (track 6)
Neil Jones – recording (track 13)
Cuz – mixing (track 2)
Leo "Swift" Morris – mixing (track 3)
Simon "Crazy C" Cullins – mixing (tracks: 6, 13)
James Hoover – mixing (tracks: 6, 13)
Tony Smalios – mixing (track 14)
Dana Walsh – engineering assistant (track 2)
Denise Barbarita – engineering assistant (track 3)
Daniel Wierup – engineering assistant (track 8)
Tom Coyne – mastering
Kedar Massenburg – executive producer
Sandie Lee Drake – art direction
Susan Bibeau – design
Stephen McBride – photography
Ray Copeland – management
^ Conaway, Matt. "Hempstead High - A+ | Songs, Reviews, Credits" . AllMusic . Retrieved November 14, 2021 .
^ Tucker, Ken (March 26, 1999). "THE WEEK: MUSIC". Entertainment Weekly . No. 478. p. 86.
^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (July 16, 2024). "A+ :: Hempstead High" . RapReviews . Retrieved July 16, 2024 .
^ Osorio, Kim (December 1998). "A+ – Hempstead High". Record Report. The Source . No. 111. New York. p. 214.
^ Vivinetto, Gina (April 16, 1999). "Hempstead High". St. Petersburg Times . Weekend. p. 16.
^ Baker, Trevor (October 23, 1999). "Hempstead High". Melody Maker . 76 (42): 38.
^ "Music Notes". New Pittsburgh Courier . No. 38. May 12, 1999. p. B3.
^ "Revolutions" . Vibe . Vibe Media Group . February 27, 1999 – via Google Books.[permanent dead link ]
^ Reynolds, Mark (May 30, 1999). "LISTEN UP". The Plain Dealer . p. 8G.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – A%2B – Hempstead High" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
^ "A Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved November 15, 2021.
^ "A Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved November 15, 2021.