War Zone | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 23, 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1997–1998 | |||
Studio | D&D (New York City) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 1:01:12 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Black Moon chronology | ||||
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Singles from War Zone | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Los Angeles Times | [2] |
RapReviews | 7/10 [3] |
Rolling Stone | [4] |
The Source | [5] |
War Zone is the second album by American hip hop trio Black Moon. It was released on February 23, 1999, [6] through Duck Down/Priority Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York City. Production was entirely handled by Da Beatminerz, who also served as executive producers together with Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman and member Buckshot. It features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Heather B., Louieville Sluggah, M.O.P., Q-Tip, Rock, Smif-N-Wessun and Teflon. The album peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200 and number 9 on the Top R&B Albums. It was supported by two singles: "Two Turntables & a Mic" and "Worldwind (This Is What It Sounds Like) (Remix)".
The album was released almost six years after its influential debut Enta da Stage . The group began a lengthy legal battle with Nervous Records in 1995 over the licensing of their name, which finally settled soon before the release of War Zone. Though many of the albums released from the Boot Camp Clik family between 1997 and 1999 received mediocre reviews, War Zone garnered some strong acclaim and moderate sales. Member 5ft, who only appeared on three tracks on Enta da Stage, provides verses on six songs.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro" | Kenyatta Blake | 0:43 |
2. | "The Onslaught" (featuring Busta Rhymes) | 3:53 | |
3. | "War Zone" | 3:21 | |
4. | "This Is What It Sounds Like (Worldwind)" |
| 4:39 |
5. | "Freestyle" |
| 3:36 |
6. | "Five" (Interlude) | Reid | 1:13 |
7. | "For All Y'all" (featuring Heather B.) |
| 4:40 |
8. | "Come Get Some" (featuring Louieville Sluggah) |
| 5:00 |
9. | "Weight of the World" |
| 3:29 |
10. | "Evil Dee Is on the Mix" | E. Dewgarde | 0:59 |
11. | "Show Down" (featuring Q-Tip) |
| 3:41 |
12. | "One-Two" |
| 3:43 |
13. | "Frame" (featuring Cocoa Brovaz) |
| 3:59 |
14. | "Buckshot (Interlude)" | Blake | 1:11 |
15. | "Two Turntables & A Mic" |
| 3:56 |
16. | "Annihilation" (featuring M.O.P. and Teflon) |
| 4:08 |
17. | "Duress" |
| 4:00 |
18. | "Throw Your Hands in the Air" |
| 4:19 |
19. | "Outro" (featuring Rock) | Bush | 0:42 |
Total length: | 1:01:12 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
20. | "The Streets" |
| 3:09 |
21. | "Just Us" |
| 5:37 |
Total length: | 1:09:59 |
Guest musicians
| Technical
|
Chart (1999) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200 [7] | 35 |
US Top R&B Albums ( Billboard ) [8] | 9 |
Year | Song | Chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rap | ||
1999 | "Two Turntables & a Mic" | 82 | – |
"This Is What It Sounds Like (Worldwind)" (Remix) | – | 13 |
Da Beatminerz are an American hip-hop production crew from Bushwick, Brooklyn, known for their dark, gritty sound that is very popular with the underground hip-hop scene.
Black Moon is an American underground hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 1992 by East Coast rappers Buckshot and 5ft and record producer DJ Evil Dee, they debuted in 1992 with the release of the single "Who Got da Props". The group was most notable for their debut album Enta da Stage, and their affiliation with the Boot Camp Clik. As of 2024, the group has released four studio albums.
Smif-N-Wessun, also known as Cocoa Brovaz and Tek-N-Steele, is an American hip hop duo from Brooklyn, New York City. It is composed of rappers Tekomin "Tek" Williams from Bedford–Stuyvesant and Darrell "Steele" Yates from Brownsville. The duo comprise one quarter of supergroup Boot Camp Clik, together with Buckshot, Heltah Skeltah and Originoo Gunn Clappaz. Both members are known for their Jamaican Patois during their raps, which was more evident during the earlier stages of their career.
Boot Camp Clik is an American hip hop supergroup from Brooklyn, New York City, which is composed of Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C.. Most of the members are from Brownsville, but Buckshot is from Crown Heights and Tek is from Bedford-Stuyvesant.
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Kenyatta Blake, known professionally as Buckshot, is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, best known as a frontman of hip hop groups Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik. He rose to prominence with Black Moon's debut 1993 album Enta da Stage, which is critically acclaimed and influential in hip-hop.
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Duck Down Music Inc is a New York City based record label, talent management, music-marketing, and consulting company founded by Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman and Kenyatta "Buckshot" Blake in 1995. In Duck Down's 20-year existence, the company has released over 40 albums and sold more than 3 million collective copies worldwide. Home of established hip hop artists such as Boot Camp Clik, Pharoahe Monch, Black Rob, 9th Wonder, KRS-One, B-Real of Cypress Hill, The Away Team, Statik Selektah, Random Axe, Promise, David Dallas, Marco Polo, Ruste Juxx, Torae, Blue Scholars, Special Teamz and Kidz in the Hall.
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