Step in the Arena

Last updated

Step in the Arena
Stepinthearena.jpg
Studio album by
Gang Starr
Released1990 (liner notes)
January 15, 1991 (commercial release)
Studio
Genre East Coast hip hop
Length50:37
Label
Producer
Gang Starr chronology
No More Mr. Nice Guy
(1989)		Step in the Arena
(1990)		 Daily Operation
(1992)
Singles from Step in the Arena
  1. "Just to Get a Rep"
    Released: 1990
  2. "Take a Rest"
    Released: February 14, 1991 [1]
  3. "Lovesick"
    Released: April 11, 1991 [2]
  4. "Step in the Arena"
    Released: August 29, 1991 [3]
  5. "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?"
    Released: 1991

Step in the Arena is the second studio album by hip hop duo Gang Starr, printed as a 1990 release, [4] and commercially released on January 15, 1991. [5] In 2007, it was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by IGN . [6] HipHopDX called it "the album that cemented Gang Starr as a timeless tag team." [7]

Contents

Background

Filmmaker Spike Lee was a fan of Gang Starr's debut No More Mr. Nice Guy , particularly the song "Jazz Music". As Lee was filming Mo' Better Blues at the time of the album's release, he felt the duo needed to expand on the song's theme - which became the single "Jazz Thing". Lee introduced them to a poem written by Lolis Eric Elie, which group member Guru converted to a rap, as the poem didn't rhyme. The song caught the attention of Chrysalis Records, who offered them a deal based on "Jazz Thing". However, DJ Premier said the label had gotten the wrong idea of the group, stating: "When they signed us, they thought we were going to do records like "Jazz Thing" all the time. When we were just doing that for Mo' Better Blues". [8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [5]
Entertainment Weekly B [9]
NME 8/10 [10]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Record Mirror 5/5 [12]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [13]
Select 4/5 [14]
Sounds Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Source 3.5/5 [16]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [17]

In his review for The Source , Rob "Reef" Tewlow wrote: "Step in the Arena stands alone on a musical level, yet it also remains true to hip-hop's underground heritage." [16]

Legacy

In addition to IGN.com and HipHopDX's accolades, Step in the Arena was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [18] In 1998, it was included in The Source's "100 Best Albums" list. [19]

The song "Who's Gonna Take the Weight" was remixed by DJ Premier for use in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV . [20] "Step In the Arena" was on the video games Skate It and Skate 2 , [21] and "Just to Get a Rep" was on Thrasher: Skate and Destroy . [22]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Name Tag (Premier & The Guru)"0:36
2."Step in the Arena"3:36
3."Form of Intellect"3:37
4."Execution of a Chump (No More Mr. Nice Guy Pt. 2)"2:39
5."Who's Gonna Take the Weight?"3:54
6."Beyond Comprehension"3:10
7."Check the Technique"3:55
8."Lovesick"3:22
9."Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"2:16
10."Game Plan"1:06
11."Take a Rest"4:18
12."What You Want This Time?"2:39
13."Street Ministry"1:21
14."Just to Get a Rep"2:39
15."Say Your Prayers"1:20
16."As I Read My S-A"2:35
17."Precisely the Right Rhymes"3:22
18."The Meaning of the Name"2:53
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
19."Credit Is Due"4:51

Personnel

Charts

Album

Chart (1991)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [23] 141
UK Albums (OCC) [24] 36
US Billboard 200 [25] 121
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [26] 19

Singles

YearSongChart position
Hot Rap Singles
1990"Just to Get a Rep"5
1991"Who's Gonna Take The Weight?"9
Lovesick11
"Step In The Arena"5

References

  1. ↑ "Take a Rest - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  2. ↑ "Lovesick - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  3. ↑ "Step in the Arena - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic . Archived from the original on January 20, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ Per album liner notes.
  5. 1 2 Swihart, Stanton. "Step in the Arena – Gang Starr". AllMusic . Retrieved July 30, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Top 25 Hip Hop Albums—Music Feature at IGN". Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  7. ↑ Arnold, Paul (January 25, 2011). "TIMELESS: DJ Premier Revisits Gang Starr's "Step In The Arena"". HipHopDX . Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  8. ↑ Cho, Jaeki. "DJ Premier Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records". complex.com. Complex. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  9. ↑ Mack, Bob (January 25, 1991). "Step in the Arena". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  10. ↑ Halasa, Malu (January 12, 1991). "Gang Starr: Step in the Arena". NME . p. 26.
  11. ↑ Cranna, Ian (March 1998). "Gang Starr: Step in the Arena". Q . No. 138.
  12. ↑ Blackmore, Richie (January 19, 1991). "Gang Starr: Step in the Arena". Record Mirror . p. 16.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ Higginbotham, Adam (February 1991). "Mo' Better Rap". Select . No. 8. p. 69.
  15. ↑ Mardles, Paul (January 19, 1991). "Walk This Way". Sounds . p. 40.
  16. 1 2 Tewlow, Rob "Reef" (February 1991). "Gang Starr: Step into the Arena". The Source . No. 18. p. 54.
  17. ↑ Whitehead, Colson (1995). "Gang Starr". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 164–165. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  18. ↑ Pickering, Andy (2006). "Gang Starr: Step in the Arena". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Universe Publishing. p. 659. ISBN   978-0-7893-1371-3.
  19. ↑ "100 Best Albums". The Source . No. 100. January 1998. Archived from the original on February 14, 2006. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Music stations: THE CLASSICS 104.1". gta4.net. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  21. ↑ "EA Unveils Eclectic Soundtracks for Skate It and Skate 2". ea.com. October 23, 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Thrasher: Skate and Destroy". ea.com. June 12, 1999. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing December 16, 1991". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Gang Starr | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  25. ↑ "Gang Starr Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "Gang Starr Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
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