| Coming of Age | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 3, 1999 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 50:13 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Memphis Bleek chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Coming of Age | ||||
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Coming of Age is the debut studio album by American rapper Memphis Bleek. It was released August 3, 1999, via The Island Def Jam Music Group, Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records on August 3, 1999. The album spawned the hit single "Memphis Bleek Is...".
The album debuted and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200, with 118,000 units sold in its first week. [1] The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 14, 1999, for shipments and sales of over 500,000 units in America.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
| The Source | [5] |
| USA Today | [6] |
Matt Diehl of Entertainment Weekly praised Bleek for holding his own lyrically alongside guest artists Ja Rule and N.O.R.E., and displaying striking sensitivity on "Regular Cat". He also noted how the album's production of "ominous inner-city symphonies and raw street beats" was ageless. [3] Keith Farley from AllMusic noted how Bleek's vocal delivery was more "street-level" than Jay-Z's, along with the album containing an "urban funk" style like most of his material, concluding that "Still, Coming of Age is a fine debut that shows Memphis Bleek already leaps and bounds ahead of most rappers." [2] In a dual review with Ja's Venni Vetti Vecci , Rolling Stone 's Rob Sheffield felt that Bleek came across as a cliché-filled rapper that lacked witticism in his lyrics and wasted the beats given to him by his producers. [4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pain in da Ass Intro" | 0:43 | ||
| 2. | "Who's Sleeping" (featuring Reb) |
| Pat Viala | 2:40 |
| 3. | "Memphis Bleek Is..." |
| Swizz Beatz | 4:08 |
| 4. | "What You Think of That" (featuring Jay-Z) | Buckwild | 4:40 | |
| 5. | "Murda 4 Life" (featuring Ja Rule) |
|
| 4:47 |
| 6. | "You're All Welcome (Pain Interlude)" | 0:37 | ||
| 7. | "Stay Alive In NYC" |
|
| 4:14 |
| 8. | "You a Thug Nigga" |
|
| 4:14 |
| 9. | "N.O.W." (featuring Da Ranjahz) |
| Dark Half | 4:16 |
| 10. | "Everybody" |
| Omen | 4:00 |
| 11. | "I Won't Stop" (featuring Dark Half) |
| Bernard "Big Demi" Parker | 3:07 |
| 12. | "My Hood to Your Hood" (featuring Beanie Sigel) |
|
| 3:47 |
| 13. | "Why U Wanna Hate For" (featuring Noreaga) |
| The Burn Unit | 3:49 |
| 14. | "Regular Cat" |
| J-Runnah | 5:12 |
Sample credits
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) [10] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Black on Both Sides is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999, by Rawkus and Priority Records.
Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994. Carter issued his debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996) as the label's first release, in a joint venture with Priority Records. The label has signed and released albums for acts including Kanye West, Cam'ron, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Juelz Santana, Freeway, Jadakiss, Teairra Marí, State Property, and The Diplomats before its dissolution in 2013.
Malik Deshawn Cox, known by his stage name Memphis Bleek, is an American rapper. He is best known for his affiliation with fellow New York City-based rapper Jay-Z, with Cox often described as his hype man and protégé. Cox signed with his Roc-A-Fella Records label imprint in the late 1990s, through which he has released four major label studio albums: Coming of Age (1999), The Understanding (2000), M.A.D.E. (2003), and 534 (2005). He has since founded his own labels: Get Low Records in 1998, and Warehouse Music Group in 2016—through which he signed rapper Casanova.
The Dynasty: Roc-La-Familia is the fifth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, featuring prominent appearances from signees of Roc-A-Fella Records. It was released on October 31, 2000, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Its lead single, "I Just Wanna Love U ", produced by the Neptunes, became one of Jay-Z's most successful singles peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, with 557,789 copies sold in its first week. The album is certified double platinum by the RIAA. The album received positive reviews from critics, and became the 20th highest-selling R&B/Hip-Hop album of the 2000–2010 decade according to Billboard.
Venni Vetti Vecci is the debut studio album by American rapper Ja Rule. It was released on June 1, 1999, by Def Jam Recordings and Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records. It was the first album to be released on Murder Inc. Production was mostly handled by Irv Gotti, with additional work provided by Lil Rob, Ty Fyffe, Erick Sermon and Self Service. The album features guest appearances from Jay-Z, DMX, Case, Memphis Bleek, Black Child, Ronald Isley and Erick Sermon, among others. The album title alludes to the Latin phrase "veni, vidi, vici", meaning "I came, I saw, I conquered".
M.A.D.E. is the third studio album by American rapper Memphis Bleek, released by Get Low Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, and Def Jam Recordings. Originally scheduled for a summer 2003 release, the album was ultimately released on December 16, 2003. The album reached #35 on the Billboard 200 charts.
Out of Business is the sixth studio album by American hip hop duo EPMD. The album was originally scheduled for a December 1998 release under Def Jam Recordings, but had been delayed numerous times as a result of a merger between Seagram's PolyGram and Universal Music Group's MCA Records, combining Def Jam and Island Records' operations together under the Island Def Jam Music Group. Ultimately, the album was released on July 20, 1999. It is the first official Def Jam album released under the newly-formed Island Def Jam Music Group and the group's last album released under the label as they left the imprint a year later before going inactive for the second time.
The Reason is the second studio album by Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel, released on Roc-A-Fella Records. Originally scheduled for a June 12, 2001 release, the album was ultimately released June 26, 2001. The album contains 14 tracks, and special guests include Memphis Bleek, Jay-Z, Freeway, Omillio Sparks, Scarface, Daz, Kurupt, and Rell.
The Understanding is the second studio album by rapper Memphis Bleek, released by Get Low Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, and Def Jam Recordings on December 5, 2000. As of October 2002, the album has been certified gold by the RIAA for shipment of over 500,000 units.
Pleasure & Pain is the fifth studio album by American R&B group 112. It was released by Def Soul on March 29, 2005 in the United States. Named after the song "Pleasure & Pain" on 112's 1996 eponymous debut album, 112, the album did not fare as well as their first three albums, but the album did manage to spawn one hit single in 2005; the single "U Already Know" peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second single "What If" reached #74. It was the first 112 album to get a Parental Advisory sticker. The single, "U Already Know", has two official remixes, the official Murder Remix featuring Ja Rule & Harry O and the official Roc-A-Fella Remix featuring Foxy Brown.
Malpractice is the fifth studio album by rapper Redman. The album was ultimately released on May 22, 2001. It reached number four on US Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA on July 21, 2001. To date, the album has sold 683,000 copies. It boasted two singles: "Let's Get Dirty " and "Smash Sumthin'".
534 is the fourth studio album by rapper Memphis Bleek. It was released by Get Low Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, and Def Jam Recordings on May 17, 2005. The album was executive produced Bleek's mentor and childhood friend Jay-Z, who also recorded the song "Dear Summer" for the album. Other guests include Young Gunz, M.O.P., and Rihanna, whose appearance on the song "The One" was the major label debut.
Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis is the third solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Erick Sermon. It was released on June 27, 2000, via DreamWorks Records.
From Nothin' to Somethin' is the fourth studio album by American rapper Fabolous. The album was released on June 12, 2007, by Desert Storm Records, Street Family Records and Def Jam Recordings. The production on the album was handled by Akon, Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, Just Blaze and Polow da Don, among others.
The Professional is the debut studio album by American record producer DJ Clue?. It was released on December 15, 1998, via Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, and DJ Clue's Desert Storm Records.
Brothers from Another is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Young Gunz. It was released on May 24, 2005 via Roc-A-Fella Records. Production was handled by Chad Hamilton, Swizz Beatz, Boola, Bangladesh and Kanye West, with Jay-Z serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Pooda Brown, 112, Daz Dillinger, John Legend, Kanye West and Memphis Bleek.
Backstage: Music Inspired by the Film is the soundtrack to the Chris Fiore's 2000 documentary film Backstage. Originally scheduled for a Fall 1999 release, it was then delayed to a January 11, 2000 release. The album was ultimately released on August 29, 2000 by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings.
Sidney Brown, better known as Omen is an American record producer from Harlem. He has produced for artists such as Drake, Beyoncé, Action Bronson, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Fabolous, Vado, Memphis Bleek, Redman, Keith Murray, Immortal Technique, and Amil.
Dear Diary is the only studio album by American rapper Cha Cha. It was released on September 14, 1999 through Epic Records.
The Tunnel is a collaborative album by American DJs Funkmaster Flex and Big Kap. It was released on December 7, 1999, via Def Jam Recordings.
