Lyrical Gangsta
Studio album by
Ini Kamoze
Released1995
LabelEast West[1]
ProducerPhilip Burrell
Ini Kamoze chronology
Here Comes the Hotstepper
(1995)		 Lyrical Gangsta
(1995)		 Debut
(2006)

Lyrical Gangsta is an album by the Jamaican musician Ini Kamoze, released in 1995.[2][3] "Listen Me Tic" was the first single.[4]

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

The 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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[13]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[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

Lyrical Gangsta track listing
No.TitleLength
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

  1. ↑ Moton, Tony (August 13, 1995). "After Ini Kamoze hit high on the charts...". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 13.
  2. ↑ Helligar, Jeremy (Aug 14, 1995). "Picks & pans — Lyrical Gangsta by Ini Kamoze". People. 44 (7): 21.
  3. ↑ Moskowitz, David V. (2006). Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. Greenwood Press. p. 147.
  4. 1 2 Atwood, Brett (Mar 4, 1995). "Kamoze competes against himself". Billboard. 107 (9): 8.
  5. ↑ "Ini Kamoze". Billboard.
  6. ↑ Robbins, Ira (2 Apr 1995). "Here Come TWO Hotsteppers". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 2.
  7. ↑ Verna, Paul (Aug 26, 1995). "Album reviews — Lyrical Gangsta by Ini Kamoze". Billboard. 107 (34): 96.
  8. 1 2 MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. pp. 362–363.
  9. 1 2 O'Hare, Kevin (September 10, 1995). "Ini Kamoze, 'Lyrical Gangsta'". The Republican. Springfield. p. C6.
  10. 1 2 3 Thompson, Phil (October 13, 1995). "INI KAMOZE, Lyrical Gangsta". FRIDAY EXTRA!. The Tampa Tribune. p. 21.
  11. 1 2 "Ini Kamoze Lyrical Gangsta Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  12. 1 2 Abram, Malcolm X (September 9, 1995). "HIP-HOP/DANCE HALL". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L16.
  13. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 747.
  14. 1 2 "Lyrical Gangsta". EW.com.
  15. ↑ Sakamoto, John (July 30, 1995). "INI KAMOZE Lyrical Gangsta". Toronto Sun. p. S11.
  16. ↑ Howell, Peter (5 Aug 1995). "Positively peaceful artists taking reggae back to Rastafarian roots". Toronto Star. p. H14.
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