The Pretty Toney Album

Last updated
The Pretty Toney Album
The Pretty Toney Album.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 20, 2004 (2004-04-20)
Recorded2003–2004
Genre Hip hop
Length52:13
Label Def Jam
Producer
Ghostface chronology
Bulletproof Wallets
(2001)
The Pretty Toney Album
(2004)
718
(2004)

The Pretty Toney Album is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Ghostface. Originally scheduled for a February 2004 release (as found on the cover art for the Run CD single), the album was released on April 20, 2004, by Def Jam. It is the only album from the artist to be released solely under the moniker "Ghostface" ("Killah" is entirely omitted in any reference to his name on the packaging), and is the first of his albums not to feature any other members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Contents

The album cover is a photograph taken from his performance of the song "Summertime" with Beyoncé at Jay-Z's farewell concert at Madison Square Garden in November 2003. It is an interpolation of the cover of Doug E. Fresh's album The World's Greatest Entertainer. The oversized jewelry he is seen wearing in the photograph was given to him prior to his performance by rapper Slick Rick, as seen in the film "Fade to Black."

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 84/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly A− [4]
HipHopDX 4.5/5 [5]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Pitchfork 8.2/10 [7]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Spin A [10]
Vibe 4/5 [11]

The Pretty Toney Album received critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 84, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 14 reviews. [1] David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "The Pretty Toney Album has a lack of Wu-related references on it. It's Ghostface's album entirely and all the better for it." [2] Tiny Mix Tapes said, "It exemplifies all of the elements that Ghostface has been successful with in the past. Unfortunately, The Pretty Toney Album falls short in replacing what Raekwon had contributed to Ghost's previous album releases, causing the album to feel essentially incomplete." [12]

Rollie Pemberton of Pitchfork said, "Expectedly, minor shortcomings hold the record back from classic status. The lack of his usual obligatory Raekwon collaboration hurts Pretty Toney's variety, and the skits, despite featuring topics and idiosyncratic raps far above the standards of his contemporaries, tend to bog down the album's progress. But all things considered, Pretty Toney far surpasses 2001's Bulletproof Wallets, finally finding the missing link between street cred and commercial respect." [7]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro" Emile Haynie 2:28
2."Biscuits" (featuring Trife da God) True Master 3:24
3."Kunta Fly Shit" RZA 1:00
4."Beat the Clock"
Minnesota2:49
5."Metal Lungies" (featuring Sheek Louch and Styles P) No I.D. 3:07
6."Bathtub" (skit)
 1:35
7."Save Me Dear" Ghostface 3:02
8."It's Over" K-Def 4:10
9."Keisha's House" (skit)Coles 1:04
10."Tush" (featuring Missy Elliott)
  • Coles
  • Derek Trotman
  • Jeff Steinbacher
  • Robert Lee
  • Robert Curington
  • Derrick Trotman
  • Dub Dot Z
3:24
11."Last Night" (skit)ColesK-Def2:31
12."Holla" (featuring Allah Real)
  • Mario Caruso
  • Ghostface
3:19
13."Ghostface"
Digga2:38
14."Be This Way" Nottz 4:09
15."The Letter" (skit)Coles 1:21
16."Tooken Back" (featuring Jacki-O)Nottz5:04
17."Run" (featuring Jadakiss)RZA3:19
18."Love" (featuring Musiq Soulchild and K. Fox)No I.D.3:38
Total length:52:13
Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2004)Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) [13] 38
Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) [14] 22
US Billboard 200 [15] 6
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [16] 4

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References

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