Moment of Truth (Gang Starr album)

Last updated
Moment of Truth
Gangstarrmomentoftruth.jpg
Studio album by
Gang Starr
ReleasedMarch 31, 1998
Recorded1997–1998
Studio D&D (New York City)
Genre
Length78:37
Label
Producer
Gang Starr chronology
Hard to Earn
(1994)		Moment of Truth
(1998)		 Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr
(1999)
Singles from Moment of Truth
  1. "You Know My Steez"
    Released: November 18, 1997 [2]
  2. "The Militia"
    Released: July 28, 1998 [3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [4]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [5]
Houston Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Muzik 7/10 [8]
NME 8/10 [9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Source Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [12]

Moment of Truth is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on March 31, 1998, [13] by Noo Trybe Records and Virgin Records. Gang Starr recorded Moment of Truth in sessions at D&D Studios. It is widely regarded as Gang Starr's magnum opus, and one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Background & Recording

Moment of Truth marked Gang Starr’s fifth studio album, released in 1998 following a four-year hiatus. Prior to the album, both artists were pursuing solo work; with DJ Premier prolifically collaborating with artists such as Jay-Z, Nas, and Biggie during this period, while Guru had released his second instalment of his Jazzmatazz series. This contributed to a refined sound for the album, while maintaining the group’s signature hardcore style. [14]

Guru faced serious legal issues, including a gun charge that could have resulted in a five-year prison sentence. The weight of this potential outcome influenced much of the album’s thematic direction, particularly in tracks such as “Moment of Truth,” which reflected the group’s real-life struggles. [15] Tension over Guru’s drinking habits also briefly led to DJ Premier stepping away from the group during the album’s production. However, the two reconciled and completed the album together. [16]

Commercial performance

The album is the group's most commercially successful album to date. Moment of Truth debuted at #1 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The album sold 97,000 copies in its first week. [17] It went on to sell over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 7, 1998. [18] The lead single, "You Know My Steez", became the duo's second Billboard Hot 100 appearance in 1997, peaking at #76. Spin magazine ranked it as the #16 album of 1998. [19] Pitchfork also ranked it as the 16th best album of 1998. [20]

The album's title track was featured in the 2011 Matthew McConaughey film The Lincoln Lawyer . [21] [22] [23] The title track also appeared in the soundtrack of the 2001 video game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 as well as an episode during the third season of the television show Mr. Robot. The song Work appears on ESPN promos for SC6 with Michael/Jemele . Work also appeared in the 1998 movie Caught Up starring Bokeem Woodbine and was included on the soundtrack. Work was again sampled in 2019 for a Bank of Melbourne television commercial. [24]

Track listing

#TitleProducer(s)Performer(s)Length
1"You Know My Steez"DJ Premier, GuruGuru4:07
2"Robbin Hood Theory"DJ Premier, GuruGuru3:44
3"Work"DJ Premier, GuruGuru2:57
4"Royalty"DJ Premier, GuruGuru, K-Ci & JoJo 5:11
5"Above the Clouds"DJ Premier, GuruGuru, Inspectah Deck 3:41
6"JFK 2 LAX"DJ Premier, GuruGuru3:34
7"Itz a Set Up"DJ Premier, GuruGuru, Hannibal Stax3:49
8"Moment of Truth"DJ Premier, GuruGuru4:07
9"B.I. vs Friendship"DJ Premier, GuruGuru, M.O.P. 4:37
10"The Militia"DJ Premier, GuruGuru, Big Shug, Freddie Foxxx 4:48
11"The Rep Grows Bigga"DJ Premier, GuruGuru4:55
12"What I'm Here 4"DJ Premier, GuruGuru2:45
13"She Knowz What She Wantz"Guru, DJ Premier (co produced)Guru3:00
14"New York Strait Talk"DJ Premier, GuruGuru4:14
15"My Advice 2 You"DJ Premier, GuruGuru2:31
16"Make 'Em Pay"Guru, DJ Premier (co produced)Guru, Krumb Snatcha4:21
17"The Mall"DJ Premier, GuruGuru, G. Dep, Shiggy Sha3:40
18"Betrayal"DJ Premier, GuruGuru, Scarface 5:29
19"Next Time"DJ Premier, GuruGuru3:06
20"In Memory Of…"DJ Premier, GuruDJ Premier, Guru3:50

Charts

Singles

Chart positions from Billboard magazine

YearSong Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot Rap Singles Dance/Electronic Singles Sales
1997"You Know My Steez"761552
1998"Royalty2
1998"The Militia"–197–

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [34] Gold50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [35] Silver60,000‡
United States (RIAA) [36] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Moment of Truth – Gang Starr". AllMusic . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  2. ↑ "You Know My Steez - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  3. ↑ "Militia - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  4. ↑ Baker, Soren (April 10, 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth (Noo Trybe)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  5. ↑ Tyehimba, Cheo (April 24, 1998). "Moment of Truth". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  6. ↑ Jam, Billy (March 29, 1998). "Gang Starr, Moment of Truth, Noo Trybe". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Brett (April 26, 1998). "Gang Starr, 'Moment of Truth,' Noo Trybe/Virgin". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  8. ↑ McPhail, Pete (June 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth (Cooltempo)". Muzik (37): 82.
  9. ↑ Batey, Angus (April 11, 1998). "Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". NME . Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  10. ↑ McLeod, Kembrew (2004). "Gang Starr". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  322. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  11. ↑ Wilson, Elliott (May 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth". The Source . No. 104. p. 145. Archived from the original on January 27, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  12. ↑ Jones, Steve (March 31, 1998). "Gang Starr returns for a big 'Moment'". USA Today .
  13. ↑ Fitzgerald, Trent (March 31, 2023). "Gang Starr Drop Moment of Truth Album – Today in Hip-Hop". XXL . Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  14. ↑ Ambrosia For Heads (2018-03-29). DJ Premier Discusses The 20th Anniversary Of Gang Starr’s Moment Of Truth . Retrieved 2024-10-14– via YouTube.
  15. ↑ "GUN RAP FOR RAPPER WITH ANTI-GANG RIFF". New York Daily News. 1996-02-23. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  16. ↑ Ambrosia For Heads (2018-03-29). DJ Premier Discusses The 20th Anniversary Of Gang Starr’s Moment Of Truth . Retrieved 2024-10-14– via YouTube.
  17. ↑ Gang Starr Bows At No. 6 : Rolling Stone
  18. ↑ "Gold & Platinum - Gang Starr". RIAA . May 7, 1998.
  19. ↑ "Spin Magazine's The 20 Best Albums of 1998". Rocklist. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  20. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 1998". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  21. ↑ Barone, Matt (March 18, 2011). "Review: "The Lincoln Lawyer" (Starring Matthew McConaughey)". Complex . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  22. ↑ "The Lincoln Lawyer - Soundtracks". IMDb . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  23. ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin (23 February 2011). "'The Lincoln Lawyer' Soundtrack Features Erik B. & Rakim, Gang Starr, deadmau5 & More". IndieWire . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  24. ↑ www.umusicpub.com https://www.umusicpub.com/au/FilmAndTv/2019/Gang-Starr-for-Bank-of-Melbourne.aspx . Retrieved 2024-10-14.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ↑ "Gang Starr Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  27. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". Hung Medien.
  28. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
  29. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". Hung Medien.
  30. ↑ "Gang Starr | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  31. ↑ "Gang Starr Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  32. ↑ "Gang Starr Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
  33. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". Music Canada.
  35. ↑ "British album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". British Phonographic Industry.
  36. ↑ "American album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". Recording Industry Association of America.


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