Unforgiven (X-Raided album)

Unforgiven
Studio album by X-Raided
Released	May 1999
Recorded	December 1998 – February 1999 [1]
Genre	Gangsta rap [2]
Length	1:01:00
Label	Black Market
Producer	X-Raided The Verbal Tek RAW DJ Sharehl
X-Raided chronology
Xorcist (1995) Unforgiven (1999) Vengeance Is Mine (2000)

Unforgiven is the third album by the American rapper X-Raided, released in May 1999 via Black Market Records. ^{[1] [3]} It featured production from X-Raided, The Verbal Tek/Bomb Productions, RAW and DJ Shareil. Unforgiven was X-Raided's first album to make it to the Billboard charts, reaching number 14 on the Top Heatseekers and number 54 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

X-Raided worked on Unforgiven while serving 31-years to life for murder at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, California. Unlike his previous album which contained low quality vocal tracks recorded over the phone, the vocals for Unforgiven were recorded inside the jail, using smuggled equipment.

Recording

Unlike X-Raided's previous album, Xorcist , which was recorded over the phone from Sacramento County Jail, Unforgiven was recorded inside the jail and featured vastly improved sound quality. ^[1] It was rumored that a prison guard helped him smuggle recording equipment. ^[4] According to Vibe magazine, 65 tracks were recorded in total. Some of the leftover tracks were later released on a compilation album Speak of the Devil (2000), ^[5] with him choosing an anonymous pseudonym Nefarious to comply with the Son of Sam law. ^[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
RapReviews	6.5/10 [4]
The Source	[1]

Unforgiven received mixed reviews from music critics, with them highlighting the album's unique recording process. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic thought it is "hard to view it as anything other than a novelty", adding that the vocals sounded isolated from the instrumentals. ^[2] The Source 's Eric K. Arnold wrote: "Considering the extraordinary circumstances under which Unforgiven was produced, the surprisingly clear sound is indeed impressive." He commended X-Raided's vocal performance, but criticized the lack of diversity in his lyrics. ^[1] In a retrospective review, Steve Juon of RapReviews said that Unforgiven is "far from a perfect album", as he believed that while the sound quality improved since the previous album, it was still below other albums recorded in a studio. ^[4]

Track listing

1. "Madman Intro" – 0:37
2. "Misanthropy" – 5:36
3. "Unforgiven" – 3:30
4. "Who Is Ya'll Niggas" – 4:23
5. "Spitten Venom" – 3:20
6. "Mortal Combat" – 4:31
7. "Macaframa" – 5:26
8. "Take Flight" – 4:48
9. "Cemetery Fulla G's" – 3:16
10. "Dead on Arrival Pt. 1" – 4:26
11. "Land of the Lost" – 4:40
12. "Kick It 2-Nite" – 3:14
13. "Mama's Pride & Joy" – 4:35
14. "Whatever It Took" – 3:34
15. "On the Rise" – 4:48
16. "Outro" – 1:05

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
US Top Heatseekers ( Billboard ) [7]	14
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ( Billboard ) [8]	54

References

1. Arnold, Eric K. (August 1999). "X-Raided – The Unforgiven, Volume I". Record Report. The Source . No. 119. New York. p. 234.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Unforgiven at AllMusic
3. "Bum rap?". Encore. The Sacramento Bee . May 23, 1999. p. 3. Retrieved February 16, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (February 21, 2023). "X-Raided :: The Unforgiven Vol. 1". RapReviews. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
5. Jam, Billy (August 1998). "Jailhouse Rap". Vibe . Vol. 6, no. 8. p. 41. ISSN   1070-4701 – via Internet Archive.
6. "X Raided talks Brotha Lynch Hung, Mozzy, C Bo, Menendez Brothers, prison time, and earning degree". Revolt . March 31, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
7. "Top Heatseekers – The Week of May 29, 1999". Billboard . Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
8. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Week of May 29, 1999". Billboard . January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2025.

External links

• Unforgiven at Discogs (list of releases)