U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) (stylized on the cover as U.nited S.tate of A.tlanta) is the fourth studio album by the American hip hop duo Ying Yang Twins. It was released on June 28, 2005 via ColliPark Music and TVT Records. A chopped and screwed version done by Michael "5000" Watts was released later the same year.
| U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
_coverart.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 28, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2004–2005 | |||
| Studio | various
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 1:16:47 | |||
| Label | TVT | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Ying Yang Twins chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) | ||||
| ||||
The recording sessions took place at ColliPark Studio, D-Roc's Crib, Stankonia Recording and PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, The Zone Studios in Norcross, Studio A Recording, Inc. in Dearborn Heights, Studio 7303 and The SwishaHouse in Houston, The Chopper City Studios in New Orleans, Darkside Entertainment and Casa Grande in Miami, Larrabee North Recording Studios in North Hollywood, The Cutting Room Studios in New York, The Record Plant in Hollywood, Hoodstyle Recording Studio and The Bat Cave.
Production was handled by Mr. Collipark, who produced the majority of the album, Midnight Black, Homebwoi, Lil' Jon, The Pentagon and member Kaine. It features guest appearances from Adam Levine, Anthony Hamilton, Anwar, Avant, B.G., Bun B, Countrie Biggz, Da Muzicianz, Homebwoi, Jacki-O, Mike Jones, Pitbull, Teedra Moses, Busta Rhymes, Free Marie, Lil' Scrappy, Missy Elliott and Mr. ColliPark.
In the United States, the album debuted at number #2 on the Billboard 200 and atop the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, with approximately 201,000 copies sold in the first week released, marking the duo's highest-charting album to date.[1] The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 25, 2005 with an excess of one million copies sold.
The album was supported with singles: "Wait (The Whisper Song)", "Badd", "Shake" and "Bedroom Boom". Mr. Pollipark's remix of Britney Spears' "(I Got That) Boom Boom" was initially going to appear on the album but did not make the final cut.
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A–[4] |
| HipHopDX | 2.5/5[5] |
| IGN | 7/10[6] |
| Los Angeles Times | [7] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[8] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[9] |
| RapReviews | 6/10[10] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| Spin | B[12] |
| for U.nited S.tate of A.tlanta (Chopped & Screwed) | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| IGN | 7/10[13] |
| PopMatters | 4/10[14] |
| Stylus | B[15] |
U.nited S.tate of A.tlanta was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76 based on fifteen reviews.[2]
Nick Marino of Entertainment Weekly gave the album "A–" rating, saying it "prove[s] they have something in common with Common: they can be conscious without being soft".[4] Soren Baker of Los Angeles Times called it Ying Yang Twins' "most ambitious album".[7] Tom Breihan of Pitchfork found it "a good-not-great Southern rap album, overlong and weighted down by too many inept slow tracks but boasting enough furious, kinetic dance tracks to make it worth your money".[8] Spin gave the album "B" rating, calling it "a deliriously twerked, end-of-days house party".[12]
AllMusic's David Jeffries wrote: "at 77 minutes and 23 tracks, the sprawling album is weighed down by some filler and redundant numbers, but as a step forward for a party band riding on whatever the Dirty South sound of the moment is, it's surprisingly bold and accomplished".[3] Lee Henderson of PopMatters called it "Black Eyed Peas with swear words".[9] Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone resumed: "at seventy-seven minutes, their new disc is long on crunked-out filler, but there are plenty of hook-filled bangers and club-ready sex rhymes".[11]
RapReviews contributor gave the album mixed review, stating "it's no secret the Twins get gully. Fortunately for listeners, it's very contagious. Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of lyrical content".[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All Good Things (Intro)" | Eric Jackson | Kaine | 1:29 |
| 2. | "Fuck the Ying Yang Twins" |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:56 |
| 3. | "Long Time" (featuring Anthony Hamilton) |
| Midnight Black | 5:16 |
| 4. | "Live Again" (featuring Adam Levine) |
|
| 4:15 |
| 5. | "We at War" (Skit) | Homebwoi | 0:59 | |
| 6. | "Ghetto Classics" |
| Mr. Collipark | 3:58 |
| 7. | "The Courthouse" (Skit) | Homebwoi | 0:28 | |
| 8. | "23 Hr. Lock Down" (featuring Bun B) |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:37 |
| 9. | "Sex Therapy 101" (Skit) | 1:12 | ||
| 10. | "Wait (The Whisper Song)" |
| Mr. Collipark | 2:59 |
| 11. | "Sex Therapy 102" (Skit) | 1:01 | ||
| 12. | "Pull My Hair" |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:12 |
| 13. | "Sex Therapy 103" (Skit) | 0:58 | ||
| 14. | "Bedroom Boom" (featuring Avant) |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:37 |
| 15. | "The Walk" (featuring Da Muzicianz, Countrie Biggz, Homebwoi and B.G.) |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:21 |
| 16. | "Hoes" (featuring Jacki-O) |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:23 |
| 17. | "Badd" (featuring Mike Jones and Mr. Collipark) |
| Mr. Collipark | 3:45 |
| 18. | "Put That Thang Down" (featuring Teedra Moses) |
| Lil' Jon | 3:30 |
| 19. | "Shake" (featuring Pitbull) |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:01 |
| 20. | "My Brother's Keeper" (featuring Anwar) |
| Midnight Black | 5:24 |
| 21. | "Dedication & Upcoming Events" (Skit) | Mr. Collipark | 2:19 | |
| 22. | "U.S.A." |
| Mr. Collipark | 3:32 |
| 23. | "Wait (The Whisper Song) (Remix)" (featuring Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Lil' Scrappy, Free Marie and Mr. ColliPark) |
| Mr. Collipark | 4:35 |
| Total length: | 1:16:47 | |||
- Sample credits
- Track 3 contains an interpolation of "Belle", written by Reuben Fairfax, Al Green, and Fred Jordan.
- Track 6 contains a sample of "Beat Box", written by Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn, J. J. Jeczalik, Gary Langan, and Paul Morley, and performed by Art of Noise.
- Track 14 contains an interpolation of "I Will Always Be There For You", written by Michael Sterling.
- Track 16 contains an interpolation of "I Hate Hoes", written by Jeffrey Thompkins.
- Track 18 contains a sample of "When I Hear Music", written by Tony Butler, and performed by Debbie Deb.
- Track 19 contains a sample of "Din Daa Daa", written and performed by George Kranz.
- Leftover track
- "(I Got That) Boom Boom (Mr. Collipark Remix)" (with Britney Spears)
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[23] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Strait's 'Somewhere' Heads Right To No. 1". Billboard. July 6, 2005. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for USA (United State Of Atlanta) - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David. "USA (United State of Atlanta) - Ying Yang Twins". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Marino, Nick (June 24, 2005). "U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) | Music Review". Entertainment Weekly. p. 162.
- ^ Sims, Brian (July 8, 2005). "Ying Yang Twins - United States of Atlanta". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ Durig, Jim (August 8, 2005). "Ying Yang Twins - U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta)". IGN. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Baker, Soren (July 10, 2005). "Strength in numbers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Breihan, Tom (July 10, 2005). "Ying Yang Twins: U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta)". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Henderson, Lee (July 12, 2005). "The Ying Yang Twins: United States of Atlanta, PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "Ying Yang Twins :: U.S.A.: United State of Atlanta :: TVT Records". RapReviews. July 5, 2005. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Hoard, Christian (July 28, 2005). "Review | New CDs". Rolling Stone. No. 979. p. 84. Retrieved February 22, 2008.
- ^ a b Aaron, Charles; Brod, Doug; Gross, Joe; Harris, Keith; Maerz, Melissa; Matos, Michaelangelo; Ryan, Chris; Wood, Mikael (July 2005). "Breakdown". Spin. Vol. 21, no. 7. SPIN Media LLC. p. 104. ISSN 0886-3032.
- ^ Durig, Jim (October 6, 2005). "Ying Yang Twins - United States of Atlanta: Chopped & Screwed". IGN. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ O'Neil, Tim (September 15, 2005). "The Ying Yang Twins: United States of Atlanta: Chopped & Screwed, PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ Inskeep, Thomas (September 9, 2005). "Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz / Ying Yang Twins - Crunk Juice Chopped & Screwed / U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta) Chopped & Screwed - Review - Stylus Magazine". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ying Yang Twins – U.S.A. - United State Of Atlanta" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 29. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 16, 2005. p. 66. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 29. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 16, 2005. p. 71. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "American album certifications – Ying Yang Twins – U.S.A.: United State Of Atlanta". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
External links
edit- U.S.A. United State Of Atlanta at Discogs (list of releases)