Lyrical Gangsta is an album by the Jamaican musician Ini Kamoze, released in 1995.[2][3] "Listen Me Tic" was the first single.[4]
| Lyrical Gangsta | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Dancehall | |||
| Label | East West[1] | |||
| Producer | Philip Burrell | |||
| Ini Kamoze chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart.[5] A compilation album, Here Comes the Hotstepper, was released right before Lyrical Gangsta, to the consternation of Kamoze and his label.[6][4]
Production
editThe album was produced by Philip Burrell.[7] It was influenced by American hip hop, although Kamoze continued to release purely dancehall singles in Jamaica during the same time.[8] Guru guested on "Who Goes There"; Nine also appears on Lyrical Gangsta.[9][10]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | [12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [13] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[14] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
| The Republican |  [9] |
| The Tampa Tribune | [10] |
The Toronto Sun dismissed the album as "a blatantly commercial brand of dancehall."[15] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution determined that "the second half of the album is a lesson in dance-hall crooning... The Hotstepper wafts his mellifluous tenor over hip swaying reggae beats sounding more natural and carrying more of an impact."[12]
Entertainment Weekly wrote that, "with his sweet, singsong tenor offsetting abrasive dancehall reggae backbeats, Ini Kamoze manages to straddle two worlds."[14] The Toronto Star considered the album "more American hip-hop than Jamaican reggae."[16] The Tampa Tribune concluded that "the beauty of his run-of-the-mill vocals is that he doesn't compete with the music, a product of great studio work."[10]
AllMusic wrote that the "duet performance with Guru (of Gang Starr fame) is a great juxtaposition of two very different rapping styles, and 'King Selassie' is a surprisingly sincere and sweetly melodic example of rootswise dancehall."[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Trust Me" | 0:33 |
| 2. | "Hole in Ya Head" (featuring Nine) | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Listen Me Tic" | 3:51 |
| 4. | "Don't Burn Ya Bridge" | 3:59 |
| 5. | "He Jus Jokin" | 0:39 |
| 6. | "Love Em Doe?" | 4:28 |
| 7. | "Who Goes There" (featuring Guru) | 3:30 |
| 8. | "Ballistic Affair" | 4:19 |
| 9. | "How U Livin" | 4:03 |
| 10. | "King Selassie" | 4:14 |
| 11. | "Hot Steppa" | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Imagine ... In Dub" | 4:30 |
| 13. | "Turn Me On" | 3:14 |
| 14. | "Kildatsounboy" | 3:40 |
| 15. | "Hotter This Year" (Hot Steppa Remix) | 4:54 |
References
edit- ^ Moton, Tony (August 13, 1995). "After Ini Kamoze hit high on the charts...". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 13.
- ^ Helligar, Jeremy (Aug 14, 1995). "Picks & pans — Lyrical Gangsta by Ini Kamoze". People. Vol. 44, no. 7. p. 21.
- ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006). Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. Greenwood Press. p. 147.
- ^ a b Atwood, Brett (Mar 4, 1995). "Kamoze competes against himself". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 9. p. 8.
- ^ "Ini Kamoze". Billboard.
- ^ Robbins, Ira (2 Apr 1995). "Here Come Two Hotsteppers". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 2.
- ^ Verna, Paul (Aug 26, 1995). "Album reviews — Lyrical Gangsta by Ini Kamoze". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 34. p. 96.
- ^ a b MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. pp. 362–363.
- ^ a b O'Hare, Kevin (September 10, 1995). "Ini Kamoze, 'Lyrical Gangsta'". The Republican. Springfield. p. C6.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Phil (October 13, 1995). "Ini Kamoze, Lyrical Gangsta". Friday Extra!. The Tampa Tribune. p. 21.
- ^ a b "Ini Kamoze Lyrical Gangsta". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Abram, Malcolm X (September 9, 1995). "Hip-Hop/Dance Hall". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L16.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 747.
- ^ a b "Lyrical Gangsta". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Sakamoto, John (July 30, 1995). "Ini Kamoze Lyrical Gangsta". Toronto Sun. p. S11.
- ^ Howell, Peter (5 Aug 1995). "Positively peaceful artists taking reggae back to Rastafarian roots". Toronto Star. p. H14.