Life Story | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 7, 2000 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Hip hop, East Coast hip hop | |||
Length | 69:13 | |||
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Producer |
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Black Rob chronology | ||||
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Singles from Life Story | ||||
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Life Story is the debut studio album by American rapper Black Rob. It was released on March 7, 2000, via Arista Records and Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment. The album was praised by critics for its production and Rob's vocal presence and lyricism being similar to the late Notorious B.I.G. The album spawned two singles: "Whoa!" and "Espacio". Life Story was ultimately certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 1,000,000 copies in the United States on August 17, 2000.
Life Story debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and sold close to 178,000 copies in its first week released. [1] The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1,000,000 copies in America. [2] To date, it is Black Rob's best selling album.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Source | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
USA Today | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Life Story garnered positive reviews from music critics for its production and Rob's musicianship. Roxanne Blanford of AllMusic commended Rob's vocal delivery for being reminiscent of the "smooth, reserved style" of the Notorious B.I.G. and being able to "construct[s] explicit tales with hooks you can feel and lyrics that stick" concluding that, "[W]ith 20 thoroughly bruising cuts, Black Rob's debut may just succeed in helping Puff Daddy regain the street credibility lost when Combs achieved mainstream/crossover status." [3] Kathryn Farr from Rolling Stone gave praise to Rob's skills as a rapper coming across "like a cocky veteran, spitting grim confessions ("Life Story") and baller mantras ("PD World Tour") without breaking a sweat" and Bad Boy's crew of producers supplying the record with "hook-heavy cuts" despite Puff's "threadbare formulas" from previous efforts threatening to pull it down, concluding that "P. Diddy's meddling aside, though, most of Life Story is, well, like whoa!" [4] Vibe contributor Miguel Burke also praised Rob for being "incredibly adept at constructing graphic, autobiographical episodes and intricate tales" and pointed out Puff's "irritating ad-libs ("Make It Hot")" and "wannabe-rough rhymes ("Down the Line")" as negative qualities, concluding with, "But that doesn't change the fact that although the album gets down and dirty, Life Story is a breath of fresh air." [7]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
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1. | "Mrs Barry (Intro)" |
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| 1:00 |
2. | "Life Story" (featuring Cheryl Pepsii Riley & Racquel) |
| Nashiem Myrick & Jay "Waxx" Garfield for the Hitmen | 4:58 |
3. | "Whoa!" |
| Buckwild | 4:04 |
4. | "Drive By (Interlude)" |
| Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence for the Hitmen | 0:47 |
5. | "Lookin' At Us" (featuring Cee-Lo) |
| Nashiem Myrick for the Hitmen | 4:35 |
6. | "Down the Line Joint" (featuring Puff Daddy, Mark Curry, Ma$e & G-Dep) |
| Yogi for the Hitmen | 4:57 |
7. | "Espacio" (featuring Lil' Kim & G-Dep) | Mario "Yellowman" Winans for the Hitmen | 4:05 | |
8. | "You Don't Know Me" (featuring Joe Hooker) |
| Harve "Joe Hooker" Pierre for the Hitmen | 4:50 |
9. | "Can I Live" (featuring The LOX) |
| Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie for the Hitmen | 4:59 |
10. | "Championship (Interlude)" |
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| 1:20 |
11. | "PD World Tour" (featuring Puff Daddy) |
| Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie for the Hitmen | 4:46 |
12. | "Muscle Game" (featuring Mark Curry & Mario Winans) |
| Mario "Yellowman" Winans for the Hitmen | 4:35 |
13. | "Cop Skit (Interlude)" |
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| 1:40 |
14. | "B.R" (featuring G-Dep) |
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| 3:54 |
15. | "Thug Story" |
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| 4:34 |
16. | "Jasmine" (featuring Carl Thomas) |
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| 5:31 |
17. | "Mad Rapper (Interlude)" |
| Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie for the Hitmen | 0:53 |
18. | "I Love You Baby" (featuring Puff Daddy) |
| Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence & Jay "Waxx" Garfield for the Hitmen | 3:36 |
19. | "Spanish Fly" (featuring Jennifer Lopez) |
| Yogi for the Hitmen | 4:03 |
20. | "Rise Up (Interlude)" | R. Ross | Shak Bak | 0:22 |
21. | "I Dare You" (featuring Joe Hooker) |
| Richard "Younglord" Frierson | 4:24 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [13] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |