The Life | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 3, 2001 | |||
Genre | R&B [1] | |||
Length | 68:42 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer |
| |||
Ginuwine chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Life | ||||
|
The Life is the third studio album from American R&B singer Ginuwine, released on Epic Records in 2001. The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 152,000 copies sold in the U.S. and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. [2] [3] It also spawned a top 5 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Differences". The Life was the first Ginuwine LP not to be primarily produced by Timbaland, who only produced one track, "That's How I Get Down". The song "Two Reasons I Cry" is dedicated to the memory of Ginuwine's parents, who both died a year before the album was released. [4]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Blender | [5] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [6] |
NME | [7] |
Rolling Stone | [8] |
Entertainment Weekly 's Tomika Anderson wrote that on The Life "the R&B stud drops his hardcore playa pretense to reveal a softer, more vulnerable side [...] But it’s when he balances his Romeo routine with a funky club vibe (as on ”That’s How I Get Down,” with Ludacris) that Life gets really good." [6] AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann felt that the songs "mostly range from slow to very slow tempos with such trendy touches as acoustic guitar passages. But all that just serves as a bed for Ginuwine's elastic tenor and his message to the women in his audience. The singer sounds like he's been reading women's magazines and tried to construct a persona that's as appealing as possible [...] The Life looks like another winner for him." [1]
Sam Faulkner from NME remarked that "it was always going to be impossible for Ginuwine to burst back in quite the same fashion as he suddenly first appeared riding his pony. But this set absolutely does no harm in consolidating himself as one of R&B’s brightest stars." [7] Rolling Stone critic Arion Berger felt that "The Life is all naughty, disposable high points [...] With all the trendy touches on his third album, lady-killing crooner Ginuwine is aiming for ultramodernity – or maybe taking his eventual obsolescence for granted." [8] People found that "on his third CD, Ginuwine remains in excellent voice, but there's something missing – and its name is Timbaland [...] There are flashes of the old sass and sexiness [but] in an apparent attempt to win an even wider audience, some of The Life has gone out of his act." [9] Joe Gross from Blender noted: "Branching out on his third album, Ginuwine pitches down-to-earth woo on The Life." [5]
In the United States, The Life debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 152,000 copies. [2] It also debuted and peaked at number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. [10] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on May 4, 2001, and eventually reached platinum on October 5, 2001. [11] By September 2003, The Life had sold 1.38 million copies in the US. [12] [13]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Why Not Me" |
|
| 6:11 |
2. | "There It Is" |
|
| 5:00 |
3. | "2 Way" |
|
| 4:09 |
4. | "Differences" |
| Oliver | 4:25 |
5. | "So Fine" |
|
| 3:14 |
6. | "Tribute to a Woman" |
|
| 4:59 |
7. | "Why Did You Go?" |
|
| 6:05 |
8. | "How Deep Is Your Love" |
| Dawson | 4:21 |
9. | "That's How I Get Down" (featuring Ludacris) |
| Timbaland | 4:13 |
10. | "Show After the Show" |
|
| 4:21 |
11. | "Role Play" |
|
| 3:52 |
12. | "Open Arms" |
|
| 4:45 |
13. | "Superhuman" | Diane Warren | Khris Kellow | 4:10 |
14. | "Two Reasons I Cry" |
|
| 5:15 |
15. | "Just Because" |
|
| 3:42 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "Give It Up" | 3:58 | ||
17. | "Fix It" |
| Soulshock & Karlin | 4:41 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "G's Got a Thing for You" |
| Big Dog Productions, Inc | 5:15 |
2. | "So Anxious (Timbaland's Anxiety Pt. 2)" |
| Timbaland | 4:20 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [11] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American R&B singer. He began his career as a member of the musical collective Swing Mob in the early 1990s. As a solo act, he signed with Epic Records to release his 1996 debut single, "Pony". The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his debut studio album, Ginuwine...The Bachelor (1996), which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second and third albums, 100% Ginuwine (1999) and The Life (2001), both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200, while the latter spawned the single "Differences", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song.
The Blueprint is the sixth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released on September 11, 2001, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Its release was set a week earlier than initially planned in order to combat bootlegging. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2001 at Manhattan Center Studios and Baseline Studios in New York City. Contrasting the radio-friendly sound of Jay-Z's previous work, The Blueprint features soul-based sampling and production handled primarily by Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Bink, as well as Timbaland, Trackmasters, and Eminem, who also contributes the album's sole guest feature.
Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on December 28, 1999, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. According to USA Today critic Steve Jones, the record marked a return to the street-oriented sound of Jay-Z's 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Vol. 3... featured production from Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, K-Rob, DJ Clue, Rockwilder, DJ Premier, and Irv Gotti, among others.
Stephen Ellis Garrett Jr., known professionally as Static Major, was an American R&B and hip hop producer, singer, rapper, and songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky. He is best known for his posthumous guest appearance on Lil Wayne's 2008 single "Lollipop", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song and its music video were both released in memory of his death in February of that year.
Back for the First Time is the second studio album by American rapper Ludacris. It was released on October 17, 2000, via Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam South, marking his major label debut.
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse is the seventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 12, 2002 by Roc-A-Fella Records and Island Def Jam Music Group as a double album. The album serves as a sequel to his sixth album The Blueprint (2001). The album debuted at number one, shipping with first-week sales of 545,000 units. The album is certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. In 2013, Jay-Z cited this album as his second-worst due to an overabundance of songs on the album. A one-disc reissue, titled Blueprint 2.1, was released in 2003.
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 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".
Under Construction is the fourth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records on November 12, 2002, in the United States. The album was primarily produced by Timbaland, with additional production by Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart, Errol "Poppi" McCalla and Elliott herself.
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.
Ginuwine... the Bachelor is the debut studio album by American R&B artist Ginuwine. The second major Swing Mob album, it was chiefly produced by Timbaland and released October 8, 1996, on 550 Music. The distribution was handled through Epic Records. The album peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard 200 and reached number 14 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart. A steady seller, it was certified gold by January 1997. In March 1999, the album was certified double platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), after sales exceeding two million copies in the United States. Ginuwine... the Bachelor featured the singles "Pony", "When Doves Cry" and "Holler".
Ghetto Fabolous is the debut studio album by American rapper Fabolous. It was released on September 11, 2001 through Desert Storm Records and Elektra Records. Production was handled by DJ Clue?, Duro, Armando Colon, DJ Envy, Just Blaze, Mono, Omen, Red Spyda, Rick Rock, Rockwilder, The Neptunes and Timbaland.
Back II da Basics is the fifth album by American recording artist Ginuwine. Released by Epic Records on November 15, 2005 in the United States, production for the album originally began in July 2003. Although Ginuwine initially revealed that he was planning to team with longtime contributor Timbaland on the entirety of the album, their collaboration failed to materialize due to scheduling conflicts. Instead, Ginuwine worked with a diverse roster of collaborators, including Danja, Jazze Pha, Troy Oliver, Trackmasters, and The Underdogs, on most of the tracks.
The Senior is the fourth studio album by American singer Ginuwine. It was released in the United States on April 8, 2003, via Epic Records. The album was primarily produced by Bryan-Michael Cox, with additional production from Scott Storch, R. Kelly, Brandon Howard and Joe Little III. The album debuted at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 122,000 copies and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The Senior was supported with the release of three singles, with all of them appearing on the Billboard Hot 100: "Hell Yeah" peaking at No. 17, "In Those Jeans" peaking at No. 8, and "Love You More" peaking at No. 78.
100% Ginuwine is the second studio album from American R&B recording artist Ginuwine. It was released on March 16, 1999, on 550 Music and distributed through Epic Records. The album peaked at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and reached the second spot on the R&B Albums chart. The album was certified Gold in June 1999 and double Platinum by August 2000. It featured the singles "Same Ol' G", "What's So Different?", "So Anxious", and "None of Ur Friends Business".
Unpredictable is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and actor Jamie Foxx. It was released on December 20, 2005, by J Records. The album was supported by four singles: "Extravaganza" featuring Kanye West, the title track "Unpredictable" featuring Ludacris, "DJ Play a Love Song" featuring Twista, and "Can I Take U Home".
We Are the Streets is the second studio album by hip hop group The Lox. Originally scheduled for a January 11, 2000 release, the album was released on January 25, 2000, by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records. It was their second album as a group, and is mainly produced by Swizz Beatz. Its commercial success was driven primarily by the hit singles "Wild Out," produced by Swizz Beatz, and "Ryde or Die, Bitch", produced by Timbaland.
Tim's Bio: From the Motion Picture – Life from da Bassment is a 1998 album released by Blackground Records. Though nominally the debut solo album by hip-hop/R&B producer Timbaland, the LP is technically a compilation of tracks produced by Timbaland and often – though not strictly – featuring his vocals. A litany of guest stars appear on Tim's Bio, from Timbaland's "Swing Mob" partners Magoo, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Playa, and Skillz, to outside performers Nas, Jay-Z, Twista and others. Tim's Bio notably marks the on-record debut of Ludacris on "Phat Rabbit", later included on his major-label debut LP Back for the First Time (2000).
This article contains the discography of American R&B singer Ginuwine. This includes eight studio albums, 36 singles and four compilation albums.
"Take Away" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott and Timbaland for her third studio album, Miss E... So Addictive (2001), while production was helmed by the latter, with Elliott and Craig Brockman served as co-producers. The downtempo track features guest vocals from R&B singer Ginuwine. While the album version of "Take Away" credits background vocals by 702 member, Kameelah Williams, the single version replaces Williams's vocals with then-newcomer, Elliott's former protégée Tweet.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)