| Seven & Seven | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 18, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 1:17:19 | |||
| Label | East West Records | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| MC Lyte chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Seven & Seven | ||||
| ||||
Seven & Seven is the sixth studio album by American rapper MC Lyte, released on August 18, 1998, by East West Records.
Recording sessions took place at Electric Lady Studios, Quad Recording Studios, Record Plant, 2 Ton Sound, Chung King Studios, Unique Recording Studios and First Priority Labs in New York City, Capitol Studios and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, The Hit Factory and East Digital/Einstein Lab. Production was handled by Milk Dee, Missy Elliott, Giovanni Salah, The Neptunes, Peter Panic, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Marc Kinchen, LL Cool J, Ralph Roundtree, Trackmasters, L.E.S., with co-producers the Dynamic Duo and Royal Krush, and additional producer Sprague "Doogie" Williams. It features guest appearances from Beenie Man, Gina Thompson, Giovanni Salah, Inaya Day, La India, Milk Dee, Missy Elliott, Mocha, Nicci Gilbert, Pamela Long, Space Nine and D Knowledge.
At the time of the album's recording, MC Lyte was also acting for the thriller film Train Ride . According to MC Lyte, the album's title references "a perfect number" twice. She also considered it "an introspective number, which means I looked inside for this album. I didn’t feel pressured by the hip-hop world to do a particular kind of album. I just let the music speak to me and talked about what came naturally." [1]
In the United States, the album did not reach the Billboard 200, however it peaked at number 71 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also made it to number 87 in Germany. Both of its singles, "I Can't Make a Mistake" and "It's All Yours", gained minor success in the UK Singles Chart, landing at No. 46 and 36, respectively.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
| Tom Hull | A- [5] |
Rolling Stone described Seven & Seven as "the hardest, smartest, funniest female rap album of 1998; it’s full of memorable anecdotes, graceful beats and tasteful samples". [1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In My Business" |
| 4:23 | |
| 2. | "Too Fly" (featuring Pamela Long) |
|
| 4:18 |
| 3. | "This Emcee (Interlude)" |
| Milk Dee | 2:09 |
| 4. | "Top Billin'" (featuring Milk Dee) | Robinson | Milk Dee | 2:50 |
| 5. | "Give Me What I Want" |
| Marc Kinchen | 4:21 |
| 6. | "Woo Woo (Freak Out)" (featuring Nicci Gilbert) |
|
| 4:34 |
| 7. | "Playgirls Play" |
|
| 3:53 |
| 8. | "Put It on You" |
| Poke & Tone | 4:04 |
| 9. | "Propa" (featuring Beenie Man) |
|
| 4:12 |
| 10. | "It's All Yours" (featuring Gina Thompson) |
| The Neptunes | 4:41 |
| 11. | "I Can't Make a Mistake" |
| The Neptunes | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Want What I Got" (featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Mocha) |
|
| 3:47 |
| 13. | "Oogie Boogie" |
| Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence | 4:18 |
| 14. | "Party Goin' On" (featuring Inaya Day) |
| Peter Panic | 4:17 |
| 15. | "Break It Down" (featuring La India and Giovanni Salah) |
| Giovanni Salah | 3:50 |
| 16. | "Closer" (featuring Spice Nine) |
| The Neptunes | 4:21 |
| 17. | "Radio's Nightmare (Interlude)" | Moorer | Giovanni Salah | 0:53 |
| 18. | "My Time" |
| L.E.S. | 3:23 |
| 19. | "Assaholic Anonymous (Interlude)" (featuring D Knowledge) |
| Milk Dee | 1:16 |
| 20. | "King of Rock" |
| Milk Dee | 2:22 |
| 21. | "Better Place" |
| Peter Panic | 5:36 |
| Total length: | 1:17:19 | |||
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [6] | 87 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [7] | 71 |
Lana Michele Moorer, better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a full solo album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock. The album spawned the singles "10% Dis" and "Paper Thin". In 1989, she joined the supergroup Stop the Violence Movement, and appeared on the single "Self Destruction", which was the inaugural number-one single on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott, also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began on her musical career as a member of the R&B girl group Sista during the 1990s, of whom were part of the larger Swing Mob musical collective—led by DeVante Swing of Jodeci. The former group's debut album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World (1994) was released by Elektra Records and met with positive critical reception despite commercial failure; she collaborated with album's producer and Swing Mob cohort Timbaland to subsequently write and produce material for other acts, including 702, Aaliyah, SWV, and Total. She then re-emerged as a solo act with numerous collaborations and guest appearances by 1996, and in July of the following year, she released her debut studio album, Supa Dupa Fly (1997). The album quickly saw commercial success and became her mainstream breakthrough, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawning the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 single "Sock It 2 Me".
Charlene Keys, better known by the stage name Tweet, is an American singer-songwriter.
"Back in the Day" is a 2003 hip-hop song by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, featuring guest vocals from Jay-Z and Elliott protégé Tweet. The song appears on her 2002 album Under Construction and was at one time planned for release as a single. It peaked at #86 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in 2003 before being scrapped as a single.
Supa Dupa Fly is the debut studio album by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, released July 15, 1997, on The Goldmind, East West, and Elektra Entertainment Group. The album was recorded and produced solely by Timbaland in October 1996, and features the singles, "The Rain ", "Sock It 2 Me", "Hit Em wit da Hee" and "Beep Me 911". Guest appearances on the album include Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine, 702, Magoo, Da Brat, Lil' Kim, and Aaliyah. The album was recorded in just two weeks.
Miss E... So Addictive is the third studio album by American rapper and singer Missy Elliott. It was released by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records on May 15, 2001, in the United States. The album spawned the club and R&B/hip-hop hits "One Minute Man", featuring Ludacris and Trina, and "Get Ur Freak On", as well as the international club hit "4 My People" and the less commercially successful single "Take Away".
This Is Not a Test! is the fifth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records on November 25, 2003, in the United States. It was primarily produced by Timbaland, with additional production from Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart and Elliott herself.
The Cookbook is the sixth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released on July 4, 2005, by The Goldmind Inc. and Atlantic Records in Germany and the United Kingdom, and on July 5 in the United States and Japan.
Audio Two was the Brooklyn, New York hip hop duo of emcee Kirk "Milk Dee" Robinson and DJ Nat "Gizmo" Robinson, most famous for its first hit "Top Billin'".
"Fighting Temptation" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé and American rappers Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free for the film The Fighting Temptations (2003), starring Beyoncé. It was written by Beyoncé, Elliott, Lana Moorer, Marie Wright, Jonathan Burks, LaShaun Owens, Karriem Mack, and Walter Murphy. An R&B-funk song, "Fighting Temptation" samples Uncle Louie's "I Like Funky Music" (1979). Lyrically, the song makes a reference to fighting against negativity in life as well as waiting for the right person before falling in love. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack for The Fighting Temptations on August 18, 2003, by Columbia Records.
The discography of American rapper, singer, and record producer Missy Elliott consists of six studio albums, three compilation albums, one extended play, seventy-four singles and twenty solo music videos.
"Get Ur Freak On" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written and produced by Elliott and Timbaland for her third studio album Miss E... So Addictive (2001). Based on heavy bhangra elements, a popular music and dance form from the region of Punjab in India, the song features a six-note base that is a Punjabi melody played on a tumbi and rhythm and bassline played on tabla.
"Cop That Shit", also known in its censored form as "Cop That Disc", is the lead single taken from hip-hop duo Timbaland & Magoo's third studio album, Under Construction, Part II. The track features vocals from Missy Elliott. The single was released on September 29, 2003 in Europe, but was not released in the United Kingdom until March 8, 2004. The hip hop track itself refers to people downloading and burning music instead of buying it. All of the tracks' verses are resung verses from classic rap songs, however some of the lyrics are changed. Timbaland's verse is a rewrite of "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim, Missy's verse is a rewrite of Paper Thin by MC Lyte, and Magoo's verse is a rewrite of "I Got It Made" by Special Ed.
Gina Thompson is an American R&B singer. Born to Edward L. Thompson, Sr. and Eugenia Thompson, Gina Thompson began singing at an early age and was signed to her first recording contract with Mercury Records shortly after graduating high school.
Lyte as a Rock is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist MC Lyte. It was released on April 19, 1988 via First Priority and Atlantic Records, and featured production from Audio Two, Prince Paul, King of Chill and his group, Alliance.
Eyes on This is the second studio album American hip hop recording artist MC Lyte. It was released on October 3, 1989, via First Priority and Atlantic Records, and featured production from Audio Two, as well as Grand Puba, The King of Chill, Marley Marl and PMD.
"Paper Thin" is the third single from MC Lyte's debut album Lyte as a Rock. It is produced by King of Chill, who along with Lyte has songwriting credits.
Charlene is the third studio album by American singer Tweet. It was released on February 26, 2016, by eOne Music. "Won't Hurt Me" was released on September 21, 2015, as the album's lead single. The second single "Magic" was released on January 21, 2016, followed by "Neva Shouda Left Ya" on February 11, 2016. Rolling Stone listed Charlene as the 12th best R&B album of 2016.
"Tempo" is a song by American singer and rapper Lizzo featuring American rapper Missy Elliott for her third studio album and major-label debut Cuz I Love You (2019). The song was originally released as a promotional single on March 20, 2019, and its music video was released on July 26, 2019.
"I Cram to Understand U (Sam)" is the debut single by American rapper MC Lyte, in which features their DJ, DJ K-Rock, released in 1987. The song was part of her first album Lyte as a Rock, released the following year.
