Jazzmatazz, Volume II: The New Reality
Studio album by
Guru
ReleasedJuly 18, 1995 (1995-07-18)
Recorded1994–95
StudioMain sessions

Additional sessions

  • Platinum Island Studios (New York, NY)
  • Matrix Studios (London, UK)
  • Echo Studios (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Unique Studios (New York, NY)
  • EMI Studios (London, UK)
  • The Hit Factory (New York, NY)
  • Brooklyn Sound (Los Angeles, CA)
Genre
Length1:13:53
LabelChrysalis
Producer
Guru chronology
Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
(1993)		 Jazzmatazz, Volume II: The New Reality
(1995)		 Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul
(2000)
Singles from Jazzmatazz Volume II (The New Reality)
  1. "Watch What You Say"
    Released: 1995
  2. "Feel The Music"
    Released: 1995
  3. "Lifesaver"
    Released: 1996
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
Los Angeles Times[3]
Muzik[4]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Spin7/10[6]

Jazzmatazz, Volume II (The New Reality) is the second solo studio album by American hip hop musician Guru. It was released on July 18, 1995, through Chrysalis Records as the second installment of the rapper's Jazzmatazz album series.

Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios and at Firehouse Studio in New York, with additional recording at Platinum Island Studios, Unique Studios and The Hit Factory in New York, at Matrix Studios and EMI Studios in London, and at Echo Studios and Brooklyn Sound in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Guru himself, along with the Solsonics, Carlos Bess, DJ Premier, Mark Sparks, Nikke Nicole and True Master.

It features a large number of contributors, including Big Shug, Branford Marsalis, Courtney Pine, Dee C Lee, Donald Byrd and Ronny Jordan, who previously appeared on the first Jazzmatazz album, as well as Bahamadia, drummer Bernard Purdie, Chaka Khan, Freddie Hubbard, Ini Kamoze, Jamiroquai, Kenny Garrett, Kool Keith, Lucien Revolucien, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mica Paris, Ramsey Lewis, Reuben Wilson and Shara Nelson among others.

In the United States, the album peaked at number 71 on the Billboard 200 and number 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

The album also peaked at No. 8 on the Swiss Hitparade, at No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart (also No. 2 on the UK R&B Albums Chart), at No. 19 on the Sverigetopplistan, at No. 24 on the Offizielle Top 100, at No. 25 on the Official New Zealand Albums Chart, at No. 28 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40, at No. 30 on the Dutch Album Top 100 and at No. 39 on the ARIA Charts.

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Intro (Light It Up) / Jazzalude I / New Reality Style"Keith ElamJez Colin
  • The Solsonics
  • Guru (co.)
1:44
2."Lifesaver" (featuring Baybe and Lucien)
  • Elam
  • A. Evans
  • Guru (co.)
  • Carlos Bess (co.)
4:13
3."Living in This World" (featuring Sweet Sable)
  • Elam
  • Nicole Miller
 
  • Nikke Nicole
  • Guru (co.)
4:29
4."Looking Through Darkness" (featuring Mica Paris)Elam
4:48
5."Skit A (Interview) / Watch What You Say" (featuring Chaka Khan)
4:38
6."Jazzalude II / Defining Purpose"Elam
  • Colin
  • Willie McNeil
  • The Solsonics
  • Guru (co.)
1:02
7."For You" (featuring Me'Shell NdegéOcello)ElamElamGuru4:10
8."Insert A (Mental Relaxation) / Medicine" (featuring Ini Kamoze and True Master)
 
  • Mark Sparks
  • Guru (co.)
4:19
9."Lost Souls" (featuring Jay Kay)
  • Carlos Bess
  • Guru (co.)
4:12
10."Insert B (The Real Deal) / Nobody Knows" (featuring Shara Nelson)Elam
  • Elam
  • Norman Connors
Guru3:58
11."Jazzalude III / Hip Hop As a Way of Life"Elam
  • Colin
  • McNeil
  • Shawn Lee
  • The Solsonics
  • Guru (co.)
1:17
12."Respect the Architect" (featuring Bahamadia)
ElamGuru4:51
13."Feel the Music" (featuring Baybe)Elam
  • Elam
  • Ray Hayden
Guru3:57
14."Young Ladies" (featuring Kool Keith, Big Shug and Patra)
ElamGuru4:12
15."The Traveler"
4:01
16."Jazzalude IV / Maintaining Focus"ElamColin
  • The Solsonics
  • Guru (co.)
1:18
17."Count Your Blessings"ElamElamGuru4:03
18."Choice of Weapons" (featuring Gus Da Vigilante and Dee C Lee)
  • Elam
  • Deron Johnson
 Guru4:24
19."Something in the Past"ElamElamGuru3:19
20."Skit B (Alot on My Mind) / Revelation" (featuring Bu)
  • Elam
  • Steven Johnson
4:35
Total length:1:13:53

Personnel

  • Keith "GuRu" Elam — vocals, arrangement, producer (tracks: 7, 10, 12-15, 17-20), co-producer (tracks: 1-6, 8, 9, 11, 16), mixing, executive producer

Vocalists

  • Kevin Williams — additional vocals (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • A. "Baybe" Evans — vocals (tracks: 2, 13)
  • Lucien "Papalu" M'Baidem — vocals (track 2)
  • Ceybil "Sweet Sable" Jefferies — vocals (track 3)
  • Michelle "Mica Paris" Wallen — vocals (track 4)
  • Yvette "Chaka Khan" Stevens — vocals (track 5)
  • Me'Shell NdegéOcello — vocals (track 7)
  • Cecil "Ini Kamoze" Campbell — vocals (track 8)
  • Derek "True Master" Harris — vocals (track 8)
  • Jason "Jay Kay" Cheetham — vocals (track 9)
  • Shara Nelson — vocals (track 10)
  • Antonia "Bahamadia" Reed — vocals (track 12)
  • Cary "Big Shug" Guy — vocals (track 14)
  • Keith "Kool Keith" Thornton — vocals (track 14)
  • Patra — vocals (track 14)
  • Deron "Gus Da Vigilante" Johnson — vocals (track 18)
  • Diane "Dee C Lee" Sealy — vocals (track 18)
  • Andre "Panchi Da Wild Comanchi" Davis — additional vocals (track 18)
  • Steven "Bu"/"Hannibal Stax" Johnson — vocals (track 20)

Musicians

  • Marc Antoine — guitar (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • Mike Bolto — Rhodes electric piano (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • Jez Colin — bass (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • Willie McNeil — drums (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • Shawn Lee — drums (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • Derrick Davis — alto saxophone & flute (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • Jay Rodriguez — clarinet & flute (track 3)
  • Branford Marsalis — saxophone (track 5)
  • Meshell Ndegeocello — bass (track 7)
  • Kenny Garrett — saxophone (track 7), Rhodes electric piano (track 14)
  • Donald Byrd — trumpet (tracks: 8, 15)
  • Juan "DJ Redhanded" Cordova — scratches (track 8)
  • Stuart Zender — bass (track 9)
  • Wallace Collins — didgeridoo (track 9)
  • Darren "DJ D-Zire" Galea — scratches (track 9)
  • Jan Kincaid — piano (track 10)
  • Ramsey Lewis — Moog synthesizer & piano (track 12)
  • Brian Holt — bass (tracks: 12, 14), guitar & keyboards (track 17)
  • George "DJ Scratch" Spivey — scratches (track 12)
  • Paul "Sequence" Ferguson — piano & keyboards (track 13)
  • Reuben Wilson — organ (track 14)
  • Sean "DJ Sean-Ski" Harris — scratches (track 14)
  • Bernard Purdie — drums (track 17)
  • Dennis Mitchell — keyboards (track 18)
  • Courtney Pine — saxophone & flute (track 18)
  • Freddie Hubbard — trumpet (track 19)
  • Robert "Ronny Jordan" Simpson — guitar (track 20)

Production

  • The Solsonics — producers (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • "Nikke" Nicole Miller — producer (track 3)
  • True Master — producer (track 4)
  • Chris "DJ Premier" Martin — producer (track 5)
  • Mark Sparks — producer (track 8)
  • Carlos Bess — producer (track 9), co-producer (track 2)
  • Donald Byrd — additional producer (track 15)
  • Ronny Jordan — co-producer (track 20)
  • Neale Easterby — executive producer
  • Patrick Moxey — executive producer

Technicals

  • Steve Gursky — engineering (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
  • Carlos Bess — engineering (tracks: 2, 13, 17), mixing (track 9)
  • Joe Quinde — engineering (tracks: 3, 12)
  • Ben Jones — engineering (tracks: 4, 5, 9)
  • Eddie Sancho — engineering (tracks: 4, 7, 13, 18, 20), mixing (track 10)
  • Michael Chukes — engineering (tracks: 5, 7)
  • Ken "Duro" Ifill — engineering (track 7)
  • Robert Caprio — engineering (tracks: 8, 19)
  • Jason Ball — engineering (tracks: 10, 18)
  • Leo "Swift" Morris — engineering (tracks: 14, 15)
  • Yoram Vazan — engineering (track 17)
  • William "Bill-Dog" Dooley — engineering (track 19)
  • Kieran Walsh — engineering
  • Tony Dawsey — mastering
  • Jose "Choco" Reynoso — creative input (track 2)
  • Gordon Franklin — creative input (track 15)
  • Panchi Da Wild Comanchi — creative input (track 18)
  • Mike Rone — creative input (track 20)
  • Thierry Le Goues — photography
  • Henry Marquez — art direction
  • Duff Marlowe — A&R

Charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 39
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[8] 28
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] 30
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] 24
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] 25
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[12] 19
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 8
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 12
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[15] 2
US Billboard 200[16] 71
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] 16

References

  1. ↑ "Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2 (The New Reality) - Guru | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  2. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. Muze. p. 600. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
  3. ↑ Cuda, Heidi Siegmund (September 16, 1995). "Album Reviews : In Brief : * Guru, "Jazzmatazz, Volume 2: The New Reality," Chrysalis/ EMI". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  4. ↑ Ashon, Will (July 1995). "Guru: Jazzmatazz Volume Two: The New Reality Chrysalis" (PDF). Muzik. No. 2. p. 68. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022.
  5. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 322. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ↑ Hunter, James (September 1995). "Spins Records". SPIN. Vol. 11, no. 6. SPIN Media LLC. p. 112. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved March 25, 2021.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Charts.nz – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Guru Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Guru Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
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