They Never Saw Me Coming | ||||
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Studio album by TQ | ||||
Released | November 10, 1998 (US) May 8, 1999 (UK) |
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Genre | R&B | |||
Label | Sony, Epic | |||
Producer | TQ (executive producer) Mike Mosley Jazze Pha Femi Ojetunde |
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TQ chronology | ||||
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
They Never Saw Me Coming is the debut album by TQ released on November 10, 1998 in the United States and May 8, 1999 in the United Kingdom.
Contents |
TQ wrote every word on They Never Saw Me Coming, with the lion's share of the sparse, on-point production handled by Mike Mosley of Steady Mobbin Productions. Mosley's outstanding studio work with such artists as Tupac Shakur and E-40 speaks for itself. "Mike and I really like and respect each other," TQ acknowledged. "He's very serious about his work, like I am. By motivating each other, we both gave my project 110 percent."
"Bye Bye Baby", a Mosley/Ty Howard produced track, is based on a true story about a woman shot by a drive-by bullet meant for her man; it's followed by "The Comeback", a soul-searing track detailing the violent revenge wreaked on the shooter. "Darling Mary" is a playful ode to urban life's blunted reality; "When I Get Out", a pulsating ballad between TQ and Ericka Yancey, about an incarcerated brother's insecurity when it comes to his lover on the outside.
A horrifying drug-related incident from TQ's past was the source of "Remember Melinda"; "Gotta Make That Money" is a contemporary hustlers theme song, featuring a guest rap by E-40. "The bottom line," TQ states, "is that this album is about my life, the lives of the people that are close to me, and those that influenced me."
Year | Title | Chart Positions | ||||||||
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US | UK | IRE | GER | SWI | AUT | NL | AUS | NZ | ||
1998 | "Westside" |
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"Bye Bye Baby" |
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1999 | "Better Days" |
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No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Change (Intro)" | 1.12 |
2. | "Westside" | 5.04 |
3. | "If the World Was Mine" | 3.32 |
4. | "Paradise" | 3.39 |
5. | "They Never Saw Me Coming" (featuring Jay) | 4.04 |
6. | "Don Breezio (Interlude)" | 0.32 |
7. | "Gotta Make That Money" (featuring E-40) | 4.35 |
8. | "I Get Around" | 4.44 |
9. | "RememberMelinda" | 4.34 |
10. | "One More Lick" (featuring Tray Deee) | 4.31 |
11. | "Ass or Weed (Interlude)" | 0.18 |
12. | "Darlin' Mary" | 3.32 |
13. | "When I Get Out" (duet with Ericka Yancey) | 5.27 |
14. | "Weed or Ass (Interlude)" | 0.19 |
15. | "Your Sister" (featuring Too $hort) | 4.07 |
16. | "Bye Bye Baby" | 5.24 |
17. | "The Comeback" (featuring Tha Dogg Pound) | 6.05 |
18. | "Better Days" | 4.26 |