Life is the fourth studio album by American rapper Yo Gotti. It was released on May 13, 2003, via TVT Records, serving the rapper's major-label debut and first studio release with the label. Production was handled by the Rap Hustlaz, Paragon, DJ Slice T, Drumma Boy, Swizzo, and Yo Gotti himself, with co-producers DJ Squeeky and Lil' Jon. It features guest appearances from Kia Shine, Ericka Kane, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz, Rich Bum, T-Stit, Da Block Burnaz, D'Nero, Jack Frost, Lil' Flip, Shane and V-Slash. In the United States, the album peaked at number 59 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 38 on the Independent Albums charts.
AllMusic's writer Jason Birchmeier awarded the album three out of five stars and described it as "typical of the genre".[1] Matt Gonzales of PopMatters also gave the album a lukewarm review, viewing Yo Gotti as "lyrically indistinguishable from a sea of bitter, street-hustling rappers exactly like himself".[2] Geoff Harkness, writing for The Pitch saw merit in Gotti's lyrics, but opined that "the played-out beats, the hoary "Dirty South" shout-outs and Gotti's perfunctory delivery ... hinder the album beyond repair".[3] The Memphis Flyer commented on the "vintage Def Jam-style production" and "facility with R&B hooks", and viewed the album as revealing "a wider range of musical and emotional options than is usually heard on Memphis rap records".[4]Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times, reviewing his next album, described Life as "an uncelebrated gem".[5] Several reviewers commented on the cover art, with Gonzales stating that from the cover the album could be mistaken "for a Wayans Brothers project skewering the worn-out conventions of hardcore rap".[2] Harkness described the cover showing Yo Gotti "surrounded by snazzy cars, diamond-encrusted hubcaps and a flurry of $100 bills -- not exactly indicators that songs about the current political climate or uplifting one's spiritual self will be found inside."[3]
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