Theater of the Mind

Last updated

Theater of the Mind
Theater of the Mind.jpg
Studio album by
Ludacris
ReleasedNovember 21, 2008 (2008-11-21)
RecordedJanuary 2, 2007 – September 13, 2008
Genre Hip hop
Length60:15
Label
Producer
Ludacris chronology
Release Therapy
(2006)		Theater of the Mind
(2008)		 Battle of the Sexes
(2010)
Singles from Theater of the Mind
  1. "What Them Girls Like"
    Released: August 7, 2008
  2. "Wish You Would"
    Released: September 2, 2008
  3. "Undisputed"
    Released: October 14, 2008
  4. "Last of a Dying Breed"
    Released: October 21, 2008
  5. "One More Drink"
    Released: October 28, 2008
  6. "Nasty Girl"
    Released: January 20, 2009

Theater of the Mind is the seventh studio album by American rapper Ludacris. [1] It was released in the UK on November 21, 2008 and internationally on November 24, 2008 by Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam South. [2] Ludacris calls the album "theatrical", with guest performers credited as "co-stars". [3]

Contents

Background

The album was slated for release on October 21, but was pushed back to November 24. In April 2008, a song named "Let's Stay Together" appeared on xxlmag.com; [4] supposedly from the new album. It is now an iTunes bonus song on the album. T.I. appeared on a track called "Wish You Would", produced by DJ Toomp. [5] [6]

The album cover was released on October 24, 2008 at wemix.com. The cover is an homage to Sly and The Family Stone's Life album, which had the band appearing as all the cinemas goers in the picture. Ludacris planned on releasing a sequel to this album in 2009. [7]

In ’09, I’m definitely dropping another album. I’m working on a Battle of the Sexes album and a Theater of the Mind 2. With Battle of the Sexes, I’m trying to do some stuff with Shawnna."

Ludacris has been talking to T.I. and Young Jeezy about a tour together. [8]

"I haven't confirmed anything yet. It's little talks here and there. But I'll put it out there: I would love to do a tour where it's me, T.I. and [Young] Jeezy. Me, Tip and Jeezy would be outrageous. But nothing is confirmed at the moment."

Guests

Ludacris stated before the release of the album that, rather than featuring "guests", the tracks would have "co-stars", in keeping with the concept of the album as a "movie". [6] "Co-stars" on Theater of the Mind include Nas, Plies, Jay-Z, T.I., Common, T-Pain, Willy Northpole, Rick Ross, Playaz Circle, Ving Rhames, Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Chris Brown, Sean Garrett, Lil Wayne, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jamie Foxx, and The Game. [9]

Promotion

Ludacris released a "Gangsta Grillz" mixtape, with DJ Drama, titled The Preview . The mixtape was released as a digital download on July 28, 2008. This mixtape was well known for his disses toward George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

Leaks

On October 24, 2008, three songs from Theater of the Mind, "Do the Right Thing", featuring Common and Spike Lee, "I Do It for Hip Hop", featuring Jay-Z and Nas, and "Last of a Dying Breed", featuring Lil Wayne were leaked to the Internet. Ludacris commented on the situation:

Although I don't know where the leaks came from, the 3 songs leaked to the Internet today were unfinished tracks and premature versions of songs. I'm glad that my fans are excited about the new project, but to get the final masterpiece, the album Theater of the Mind premieres on November 24. [10]

Singles

Official singles

Other songs

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 68/100 [11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The A.V. Club (B) [13]
Billboard (favorable) 2008
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
The Boston Globe (favorable) 2008
Robert Christgau Scissors icon black.svg [15]
Entertainment Weekly B [16]
NOW Red N.pngRed N.pngRed N.pngRed N.pngBlank N.PNG [17]
Pitchfork (5.3/10) [18]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [19]
XXL Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg (XL) [20]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]

Theater of the Mind garnered a mild reception from music critics. Addi Stewart from NOW praised the cinematic concept throughout the record, from its title to the vast majority of featured artists on every track. [17] Entertainment Weekly 's Simon Vozick-Levinson said about the overall feel of the album: "Theater feels a bit like yet another Ocean's Eleven sequel. We've watched this movie more than a few times, but it's always fun to see this many talented pals cutting loose together." [16] Josh Eells of Blender felt the lyrical content making up the whole concept record was lacking and too complacent for Luda, saying that "Punch line for punch line, Luda is still the best in the business, but these sex jams and hater disses feel too flat and perfunctory for his thousand-watt personality." He concluded that after the final track "the whole thing seems less like an album than a branding exercise—an obligatory effort to keep the “hip-hop star” line on his CV." [14] The A.V. Club 's Nathan Rabin commended the upbeat tracks and lyrical collaborations with T-Pain, Nas/Jay-Z and T.I. but felt they were only decent retreads of Luda's previous material and lacked the strengths found in his guest verses on other people's records. He also compared it to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak on how it engages its respective fanbases, saying that Mind is "more immediately accessible, but ultimately less resonant" and could benefit from a "radical reinvention" that's similar to Heartbreak. [13] Robert Christgau cited "I Do It for Hip Hop" as a "choice cut", [15] indicating a good song on "an album that isn't worth your time or money." [22] Ian Cohen, writing for Pitchfork , commended the first third for its lyrical boasts, criticized the middle portion's "one dimensionality" and "woefully underdeveloped" party jams and found the final half's hip-hop checklist tracks passable if the listeners can stomach the logic behind them, saying that "[W]hile Theater isn't quite as dire as the above may indicate, like every other Ludacris record, it doesn't grow on you-- in fact, it actually contracts." [18]

Chart performance

The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 214,000 copies in its first week, making it his sixth top 5 album on that chart. It was his first album since 2000's Back for the First Time and 2001's Word of Mouf to not reach number one status, and his lowest charting album in his career. As of March 2010, the album has sold about 671,000 copies, achieving a gold certification. [23]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
 The Runners 1:55
2."Undisputed" (featuring Floyd "Money" Mayweather)
 Don Cannon 4:33
3."Wish You Would" (featuring T.I.)
4:47
4."One More Drink" (featuring T-Pain)
 Trackmasters 3:41
5."Call Up the Homies" (featuring The Game and Willy Northpole)
  • Sparks
  • Kamau Georges
4:04
6."Southern Gangsta" (featuring Rick Ross, Playaz Circle and Ving Rhames)
Streetrunner4:34
7."Everybody Hates Chris" (featuring Chris Rock)
Don Cannon4:54
8."What Them Girls Like" (featuring Chris Brown and Sean Garrett)
4:02
9."Nasty Girl" (featuring Plies)
 Swizz Beatz 4:32
10."Contagious" (featuring Jamie Foxx)
Storch4:45
11."Last of a Dying Breed" (featuring Lil Wayne)
 Wyldfyer 4:10
12."MVP"
 DJ Premier 3:50
13."I Do It for Hip Hop" (featuring Nas and Jay-Z)
Wyldfyer5:22
14."Do the Right Thang" (featuring Common and Spike Lee)
 9th Wonder 5:14
Sample credits

Personnel

Credits for Theater of the Mind adapted from AllMusic. [24]

Release dates

CountryDate
United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan November 24, 2008 [25]
Switzerland, Jamaica December 4, 2008
Poland December 9, 2008
Mexico December 11, 2008
Middle East, Costa Rica January 16, 2009
South Africa January 18, 2009
Italy February 9, 2009
Ireland February 15, 2009
New Zealand March 5, 2009

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [33] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludacris</span> American rapper and actor (born 1977)

Christopher Brian Bridges, known professionally as Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age nine, where he first began rapping. Starting out with a brief stint as a DJ, he formed his own record label, Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s to independently release his debut studio album Incognegro (1999). The album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as his major label debut, Back for the First Time (2000) after its single, "What's Your Fantasy", became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The latter album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned his second top 40 single, "Southern Hospitality".

<i>Word of Mouf</i> 2001 album by American rapper Ludacris

Word of Mouf is the third studio album by American rapper Ludacris. It was released through Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam South on November 27, 2001. It contains four singles: "Rollout ", "Area Codes", "Move Bitch", and "Saturday ".

<i>Crunk Juice</i> 2004 studio album by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz

Crunk Juice is the fifth and final studio album by American Southern hip hop group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. It was released on November 16, 2004, under BME Recordings and TVT Records. The production was primarily handled by Lil Jon himself, who also collaborated in the executive production, alongside Bryan Leach, Rob McDowell, Emperor Searcy, Vince Phillips, the Neptunes and Rick Rubin. The album includes guest appearances from rappers and singers, like R. Kelly, Ludacris, Ice Cube, Usher, Bun B from UGK, Jadakiss, Nas, T.I., the Ying Yang Twins and Pharrell.

<i>Straight Outta Cashville</i> 2004 studio album by Young Buck

Straight Outta Cashville is the major label debut and second solo studio album by American rapper Young Buck. It was released on August 24, 2004 via G-Unit/Interscope Records. The album's title alludes to the N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton and is a neologism for the artist's hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeezy</span> American rapper (born 1977)

Jay Wayne Jenkins, known by his stage name Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream audiences. Jenkins began his career in 2001, releasing two independent albums until signing with Def Jam Recordings to release his major label debut, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (2005). The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, sold 172,000 copies in its first week, and received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); its lead single, "Soul Survivor", peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song.

<i>Hip Hop Is Dead</i> 2006 studio album by Nas

Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 19, 2006, on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam. The album's title was inspired by Nas's view of the music industry and the state of hip hop music at the time. The album features appearances from Nas's then-wife Kelis, Def Jam label-mates Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Chrisette Michele, as well as will.i.am, Snoop Dogg, and The Game, among others.

<i>Lets Get It: Thug Motivation 101</i> 2005 studio album by Young Jeezy

Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 is the commercial debut and overall third studio album by American rapper Young Jeezy. It was released on July 26, 2005, by The Island Def Jam Music Group, Def Jam Recordings, and Young Jeezy's Corporate Thugz Entertainment.

<i>Release Therapy</i> 2006 studio album by Ludacris

Release Therapy is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Ludacris. It was released on September 26, 2006, under Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam South. Production for the album was done by The Neptunes, The Trak Starz, Dre & Vidal, DJ Toomp, The Runners and Polow da Don, and features guest contributions from rappers Young Jeezy, Field Mob, Beanie Sigel, Pimp C and C-Murder and R&B singers Pharrell, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly and Bobby Valentino.

"Grew Up A Screw Up" is the second single from Ludacris' Release Therapy. The song features Young Jeezy and a sample of The Notorious B.I.G. who sings the hook "I grew up a fucking screw up." In the video, Young Jeezy raps a verse different from the one which appeared on the Release Therapy album. The video premiered on BET's 106 & Park as a New Joint on Friday October 13, 2006. The video has already been released on MTV Jams.

<i>Double Up</i> (R. Kelly album) 2007 studio album by R. Kelly

Double Up is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter R. Kelly. It was released by Jive Records on May 29, 2007 in the United States, with distribution handled by Zomba Label Group. The album features the contributions with guest appearances and also the productions, which was handled by R. Kelly, along with Swizz Beatz, The Runners, Snoop Dogg, Khao, Nelly, Chamillionaire and Polow da Don.

<i>Paper Trail</i> 2008 studio album by T.I.

Paper Trail is the sixth studio album by American rapper T.I., released September 30, 2008, on Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. He began to write songs for the album as he awaited trial for federal weapons and possession charges. Unlike his past albums, he wrote his lyrics down on paper, which he had not done since his debut album, I'm Serious (2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovers and Friends (song)</span> 2004 single by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz

"Lovers and Friends" is a song by American rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz featuring American singer Usher and American rapper Ludacris, from the group's fifth and final studio album, Crunk Juice (2004). The song was written by the artists alongside Michael Sterling, while produced by Lil Jon. It was released by BME and TVT Records in November 2004, as the third single from the album. An R&B slow jam, the song consists of a piano melody and hook, and contains a sample of Sterling's song of the same name. The lyrics depict the three artists attempting to seduce women.

<i>The Recession</i> 2008 studio album by Young Jeezy

The Recession is the fifth studio album by American rapper Young Jeezy. It was released on September 2, 2008, by Corporate Thugz Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings. The album was supported by five singles: "Put On" featuring Kanye West, "Vacation", "Crazy World", "My President" featuring Nas, and "Who Dat". The Recession 2, the album's sequel was released in 2020.

"My President" is the fourth official single from rapper Young Jeezy's third studio album, The Recession. The song also features rapper Nas and is produced by Tha Bizness. This song was number 16 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008. Jeezy and Nas recorded the song on the day Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination for the presidency. "My President" is also notable for the unified collaboration between the two artists, who had been having a feud since the 2006 release of Nas' album Hip Hop Is Dead, which contained statements to which Young Jeezy took offense.

<i>Battle of the Sexes</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Ludacris

Battle of the Sexes is the eighth studio album by American rapper Ludacris, released March 9, 2010 on Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam South. The album was recorded during 2008 to 2010 and its production was handled by several producers, including T-Minus, Bangladesh, Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, and The Runners.

<i>Victory</i> (DJ Khaled album) 2010 studio album by DJ Khaled

Victory is the fourth studio album by American disc jockey and record producer DJ Khaled. It was released on March 2, 2010, by We the Best Music Group and E1 Music.

<i>TM103 Hustlerz Ambition</i> 2011 studio album by Young Jeezy

TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition is the sixth studio album by American rapper Young Jeezy. It was released on December 20, 2011, by CTE World and Def Jam Recordings.

<i>The Dreamer/The Believer</i> 2011 studio album by Common

The Dreamer/The Believer is the ninth studio album by American rapper Common. It was released in the UK on December 19, 2011 and in the US on December 20 through Warner Bros. Records alongside Common's newly launched Think Common Music Inc. Common's longtime friend and frequent collaborator No I.D. handled the album's production entirely himself.

<i>Paperwork</i> (T.I. album) 2014 studio album by T.I.

Paperwork is the ninth studio album by American rapper T.I. It was released on October 21, 2014, by Grand Hustle Records and Columbia Records. The album is his first project under Columbia Records, after his contract with Atlantic Records expired, following the release of his eighth album Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head (2012). Paperwork derives its title from T.I.'s most successful project, his sixth album Paper Trail (2008). Paperwork features guest appearances from Chris Brown, The-Dream, Jeezy, Skylar Grey, Nipsey Hussle, Rick Ross, Victoria Monet, Trae tha Truth and Pharrell Williams, the latter of which served as the album's executive producer. Aside from Pharrell, the album's production was handled by several high-profile producers such as DJ Mustard, DJ Toomp, Tommy Brown and London on da Track, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R.I.P. (Young Jeezy song)</span> 2013 single by Young Jeezy featuring 2 Chainz

"R.I.P." is a song by American rapper Young Jeezy, released as the second single from his twelfth mixtape It's Tha World (2012). It features vocals from fellow rapper 2 Chainz and was produced by record producer DJ Mustard.

References

  1. ↑ "Theater of the Mind: Ludacris: Music". Amazon. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Def Jam Recordings : Def Jam News". Archived from the original on November 16, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ↑ (July 16, 2008). Ludacris Gets Theatrical on Sixth Album Rap-Up. Accessed August 3, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Ludacris "Let's Stay Together" audio". Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2008.
  5. ↑ DJ Toomp: Grammy Family Archived 2008-06-11 at the Wayback Machine . Accessed July 6, 2008.
  6. 1 2 Ludacris, T.I. 'Wish You Would' Believe There's No Beef Between Them. Accessed August 8, 2008.
  7. ↑ Ludacris: Audio Cinematic. HiphopDX.com.
  8. ↑ Ludacris In 'Talks' To Tour With T.I. And Young Jeezy, Says Theater Of The Mind Is A 'Classic'. MTV.com.
  9. ↑ Ludacris Interview.
  10. ↑ Ludacris Speaks on Song Leaks. HipHopDX.com. Accessed October 26, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Theater Of The Mind by Ludacris". Metacritic . Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  12. ↑ Jeffries, David. "Theater of the Mind - Ludacris". AllMusic . Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  13. 1 2 Rabin, Nathan (December 17, 2008). "Theater Of The Mind · Ludacris · Music Review". The A.V. Club . The Onion . Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  14. 1 2 Eells, Josh. "Ludacris : Theater of the Mind". Blender . Alpha Media Group. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  15. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "CG: Ludacris". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  16. 1 2 Vozick-Levinson, Simon (November 19, 2008). "Theater of the Mind". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  17. 1 2 Stewart, Addi (November 26, 2008). "Ludacris". NOW . NOW Communications . Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  18. 1 2 Cohen, Ian (January 5, 2009). "Ludacris: Theater of the Mind". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  19. ↑ Hoard, Christian (November 27, 2008). "Theater of the Mind : Ludacris". Rolling Stone . Wenner Media. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  20. ↑ Cantor, Paul (November 19, 2008). "Ludacris:Theater Of The Mind". XXL . Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on March 20, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Ludacris: Theater of the Mind | Music Review". Slant Magazine . December 6, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  22. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Key to Icons". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Ludacris' 'How Low' Single Goes High on the Charts". Billboard .
  24. ↑ "Theater of the Mind - Ludacris | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  25. ↑ Gaerig, Chris (December 3, 2008). "Ludacris: Theater of the Mind". PopMatters. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Ludacris Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Ludacris – Theater of the Mind". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Ludacris Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Ludacris Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Ludacris Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  33. ↑ "American album certifications – Ludacris – Theater of the Mind". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.