Wikipedia

The Villain in Black

(Redirected from Keep It Real (MC Ren song))

The Villain in Black is the second album by rapper MC Ren, released April 9, 1996, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Relativity Records.

The Villain in Black
Studio album by
MC Ren
ReleasedApril 9, 1996 (1996-04-09)
Recorded1994–1996
GenreGangsta rap, G-funk, political hip hop
Length45:09
Label
ProducerExecutive producers
Additional producers
MC Ren chronology
Shock of the Hour
(1993) 		The Villain in Black
(1996) 		Ruthless for Life
(1998)

Background

edit

After the release and success of his critically acclaimed debut studio album Shock of the Hour in late 1993, MC Ren immediately began working on his sophomore album. The deaths of DJ Train and Eazy-E would however prove to be a huge setback and Ren stepped off the scene for a while. Meanwhile, he continued his work with the Nation of Islam, and visited Egypt in mid-1995. Following his return from Egypt, MC Ren continued to work on his album, this time however scrapping all the material he recorded with DJ Train. Enlisting Cold 187um and Dr. Jam to produce his album, Ren began recording new material.

Content

edit

Lyrics

edit

While making The Villain in Black, MC Ren was closely affiliated with the Nation of Islam, which had a large impact on the some parts of the album's content. Khalid Muhammad appeared in the track "Muhammad Speaks," where he spoke about the history of the rights of African-Americans. He also made an appearance on the closing track "Bring It On".

Production

edit

The majority of the album's production was handled by Cold 187um of Above the Law and Dr. Jam. It also features production by Madness 4 Real and Big Jessie.

Album title

edit

The album titles is a reference to MC Ren's nickname, The Villain.

Singles

edit

Two singles were released from the album: "Mad Scientist" and "Keep It Real".

Release and reception

edit

Critical reception

edit
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Billboard(favorable)[2]
Los Angeles Times    [3]
The Source     [4]
Vibe(favorable)[5]

Commercial performance

edit

The album debuted number 31 on Billboard 200, with the first-week sales of 31,000 copies.

Track listing

edit
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Bitch Made Nigga Killa"Cold 187um4:02
2."Keep It Real"Dr. Jam4:52
3."It's Like That" (featuring Bigg Rocc)Cold 187um4:34
4."Mad Scientist"Dr. Jam, Madness 4 Real (co.)4:22
5."Live from Compton 'Saturday Night'" (featuring Cold 187um)Cold 187um5:56
6."Still the Same Nigga"Jessie "Big Jessie" Willard5:27
7."I Don't Give a Damn"Dr. Jam, Madness 4 Real (co.)3:56
8."Mind Blown" (featuring Bigg Rocc)Cold 187um4:42
9."Great Elephant"Jessie "Big Jessie" Willard3:45
10."Muhammed Speaks" (featuring Khalid Muhammad)Cold 187um1:31
11."Bring It On" (featuring Above the Law, Triggerman and Khalid Muhammad)Cold 187um4:42

Personnel

edit

Charts

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "The Villain in Black - MC Ren". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Helson, Havelock (March 23, 1996). "MC Ren Shows He's 'Da Villain'". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  3. ^ Coker, Cheo Hodari. Review: The Villain in Black.
  4. ^ Gordon, Allen S. MC RenDa Villain in Black.
  5. ^ T-Love. Review: The Villain in Black.
  6. ^ "MC Ren Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  7. ^ "MC Ren Chart History: (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Villain_in_Black&oldid=1244263611"