Here to Save You All

Last updated
Here to Save You All
Heretosaveyouall.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 9, 1996 (1996-04-09)
Recorded1995–January 1996
Studio
Genre Hip hop
Length1:08:40
Label American
Producer
Chino XL chronology
Here to Save You All
(1996)
I Told You So
(2001)
Singles from Here to Save You All
  1. "No Complex / Waiting to Exhale"
    Released: March 23, 1996
  2. "Kreep"
    Released: July 22, 1996
  3. "Thousands / Freestyle Rhymes"
    Released: October 15, 1996
  4. "Deliver"
    Released: November 12, 1996
  5. "Rise / Jesus"
    Released: February 14, 1997

Here to Save You All is the debut studio album by American rapper Chino XL. It was released on April 9, 1996, through American Recordings. The recording sessions took place at Platinum Island Studios and Firehouse Studio in New York, at Canyon Post Digital and Kitchen Sync Studios in Los Angeles, and at Secret Six Studios. It was produced by B-Wiz, Bird, DJ Homicide, Eric Romero, KutMasta Kurt, and Dan Charnas, who also served as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Gravitation, Kool Keith and Ras Kass.

Contents

The album debuted at No. 56 on the Top R&B Albums and No. 39 on the Heatseekers Albums in the United States.

Background

The lyrical content revolved around dark, hardcore themes (mostly metaphorical braggadoccio), dismissing the commercialized hip hop that was starting to gain momentum at this time. It contains the infamous but well-known song "Riiiot!" which had a line that possibly alluded to the rumor of West Coast rapper 2Pac being raped in prison. 2Pac later called him out on "Hit 'Em Up", and Chino responded with a freestyle diss. Chino himself stated that the line was not meant as a diss, and he and 2Pac were on good terms at the time of his death. [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Muzik Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
RapReviews9.5/10 [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Source Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]

The Los Angeles Times wrote that "Chino XL returns to some of the bold, freewheeling, brutally honest elements that have been missing in the money-hungry, over-commercialized genre, and he does it without fear of what it will do to his standing among his rap peers or in the commercial marketplace." [7]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Here to Save You All" (featuring Rosalin Harris)
B-Wiz0:59
2."Deliver"
KutMasta Kurt 3:29
3."No Complex" (featuring Jut Boogie)
  • Barbosa
  • Stevens
B-Wiz4:40
4."Partner to Swing"
  • Barbosa
  • Stevens
B-Wiz4:15
5."It's All Bad"
  • Barbosa
  • Stevens
B-Wiz5:00
6."Freestyle Rhymes"
  • Barbosa
  • Lamont Holbdy
Bird4:13
7."Riiiot!" (featuring Ras Kass)
Bird4:44
8."Waiting to Exhale" (featuring Gravitation)
  • Barbosa
  • Stevens
  • A. Thatcher
  • D. Youngblood
  • T. Walker
B-Wiz3:26
9."What Am I?"
  • Barbosa
  • Stevens
B-Wiz4:59
10."Feelin' Evil Again" (featuring Jamie Stewart)
  • Barbosa
  • Stevens
B-Wiz3:32
11."Thousands"
DJ Homicide 4:11
12."Kreep"
  • Barbosa
  • Erik Romero
Erik Romero5:18
13."Many Different Ways"
  • Barbosa
  • Stevens
B-Wiz5:07
14."The Shabba-Doo Conspiracy" (featuring Kool Keith)
B-Wiz4:39
15."Ghetto Vampire"
  • Barbosa
  • Stevens
B-Wiz4:47
16."Rise"
Dan Charnas 5:21
17."My Hero"  1:33
Total length:1:08:40
Notes
Sample credits

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1996)Peak
position
US Top R&B Albums ( Billboard ) [8] 56
US Heatseekers Albums ( Billboard ) [9] 39

References

  1. "Today In Hip-Hop: Chino XL Releases Debut Album - XXL". XXL . April 9, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  2. Rabin, Nathan. "Chino XL Here to Save You All". AllMusic . Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  3. Ashon, Will (May 1996). "Chino XL: Here To Save You All" (PDF). Muzik . No. 12. p. 117. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  4. Simelane, Vukile (May 18, 2004). "Chino XL :: Here to Save You All :: American/Warner Bros". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  5. Hardy, Ernest (May 30, 1996). "Rolling Stone : Chino XL: Here To Save You All : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2006-08-18. Retrieved August 18, 2006 via Wayback Machine.
  6. Borrow, Zev (May 1996). "CHINO XL "Here to Save You All" (American)". The Source . No. 80. pp. 70, 72.
  7. Coker, Cheo Hodari (7 Apr 1996). "Record Rack". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 67.
  8. "Top R&B Albums". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 17. April 27, 1996. p. 24. ISSN   0006-2510. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard . Vol. 108, no. 17. April 27, 1996. p. 18. ISSN   0006-2510. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)