Sincerely Yours (Iamsu! album)

Sincerely Yours
Studio album by Iamsu!
Released	May 13, 2014 (2014-05-13)
Recorded	2013–14
Genre	Hip hop
Length	56:31
Label	HBK Gang Records, Alternative Distribution Alliance
Producer	Iamsu! (also exec.), Tha Bizness, Jake One, Trackademicks, Chase N. Cashe, P-Lo, YPOnTheBeat, Kuya Beats, Jay Ant, Cal-A, LewiVBeatz
Iamsu! chronology
Kilt II (2013) Sincerely Yours (2014)
Singles from Sincerely Yours
"Only That Real" Released: February 4, 2014 (2014-02-04) "I Love My Squad" Released: April 22, 2014 (2014-04-22)

Sincerely Yours is the debut studio album by American rapper Iamsu!. The album was released on May 13, 2014, by HBK Gang Records and Warner Music Group's Alternative Distribution Alliance. Recording for the album took place during 2013 and 2014. The album's production was handled by Iamsu!, other members of The Invasion, Tha Bizness, Jake One, Trackademicks and Chase N. Cashe, among others. Iamsu! collaborated with various artists on the album including 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Too Short, E-40, Berner, Dizzy Wright, along with HBK Gang members Sage the Gemini, Kool John and Skipper. The album was supported by the singles, "Only That Real" featuring 2 Chainz and Sage the Gemini and "I Love My Squad".

Background

In May 2013, Iamsu! begun his first headlining tour, in promotion of his mixtape Kilt II. Then on June 6, 2013, Iamsu! released Kilt II.^[1] Production on the mixtape was primarily handled by Iamsu! along with other members of The Invasion.^[2] It was met with generally positive reviews from music critics.^[3][4]

In January 2014, Iamsu! announced the album during his freestyle over YG's "Who Do You Love?". In the song Iamsu! raps, "Did the tour, got signed, now the album coming." Four days later, Iamsu! elaborated about the album to hip hop magazine XXL, revealing that it was titled Sincerely Yours and it would be released during April 2014. He spoke on the content of it saying, "I feel like this needs to be really autobiographical, just talking about my whole story. It’s everything I can really stand behind. It’s just me to the core."^[5] In an interview with HipHopWired he said, "It's pretty much a concept album. It's set up in a format of I'm writing directly to the fan. It's certain songs that aren't set up like regular structure."^[6]

In the same interview he said, "I'm not going to say that I did the classic "I came up, now look" rap story. It's a lot of stuff I'm talking about my parents—my relationship with my parents. The whole situation of me being the kind of person that I am, and not being super in the streets or super nerdy; just being a middle ground type of person, trying to find that balance, and trying to really discover who you are in the midst of everybody trying to push your around. [...] It's like the pursuit of happiness and self-realization, and just really trying to take yourself to that level and that plateau."^[7]

Recording and production

The album's recording process begun in 2013 following the release of his mixtape Kilt II and concluded in 2014. The first confirmed collaboration would be with HBK Gang member Sage the Gemini.^[5] Then during SXSW in March 2014, Iamsu! revealed that Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, the entire HBK Gang, E-40, Too Short, Chase N. Cashe, Jake One and Tha Bizness contributed to the album.^[8] The final version of the album featured guest appearances from 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Too Short, E-40, Berner, Dizzy Wright along with HBK Gang members Sage the Gemini, Kool John and Skipper.^[9] He said his favorite feature on the album was Kool John's.^[10] During the recording for it he also collaborated with Andre Nickatina, Problem and Dave Steezy.^[10] He also recorded a song titled "Lifetime", but it was not included on the final track listing.^[10]

On the production side, Iamsu! produced four tracks on the album, and executive produced it. He told XXL that he "just pretty much oversaw the whole thing. I’m super in to being in charge of the sound, the production and the direction of it, so I was really hands-on with every aspect of the album. [...] I wanted it to sound like one of those classic Aftermath albums, like the first album on the label that Dr. Dre puts out for an artist. I wanted to have some of those moments where it was like, scary good. And have that definitive moment, where they encapsulate what their movement and their culture is. So that’s what I was trying to do."^[8] Outside of himself, The Invasion, Tha Bizness, Jake One, Trackademicks and Chase N. Cashe contributed production to the final version of the album.^[9]

Music and lyrics

The album is notably bass heavy throughout, however Iamsu! changes up the sound by switching up flows on his tracks frequently. On various songs he borrows from the southern hip-hop sound and the Pittsburgh sample-heavy vibe. Interestingly enough, the album features several spoken word selections as well, adding a classic touch to the album as a whole.^[11]

Release and promotion

During 2013, Iamsu! built his buzz by releasing multiple mixtapes including, Million Dollar Afro with rapper Problem, Kilt II and the HBK Gang compilation Gang Forever. All three were also released for retail sale via digital download retailers. They were also met with generally positive reviews from music critics.^[12][13]

Then on February 5, 2014, Iamsu! released "Yesterday", a song about his California childhood and how he discovered music. It featured a soulful vocals, muted drums, and an orchestral organ.^[14] It was released as a thank you to fans following the retail release of "Only That Real".^[15] Then in mid-February 2014, HBK Gang released their Heartbreak Camo Pack clothing line in San Francisco, California. Guests at the launch were treated to a surprise show by Iamsu! and a physical copy of a new EP titled Camo, which Iamsu! then uploaded to SoundCloud. The three song EP featured guest appearances from rappers Dizzy Wright and Sage The Gemini.^[16] Production on Camo was provided by Iamsu!, Sage, and YPOnTheBeat.^[17] Also during February 2014, Iamsu! officially signed a deal with Warner Music Group-owned Alternative Distribution Alliance who will promote his album, while he maintains creative control, but with an industry edge to get his music into physical stores.^[18] On March 26, he hosted a listening party at the 333 Recording studio in New York City for Sincerely Yours.^[11]

From March 6, 2014, through April 12, 2014 Iamsu! toured with HBK Gang members P-Lo and Skipper on the "Only That Real" Tour, a mini concert tour to promote the single and Sincerely Yours.^[19] After seemingly abandoning the April release period due to sample clearance issues, on March 26, 2014 Iamsu! announced that the album would be released on May 13, 2014.^[20][21] Shortly after on April 8, he revealed the cover artwork, which was created by famed artist Slvstr. He also published the official track listing and announced that it would be available for pre-order on April 22, 2014.^[9] The album was then released for free streaming via SoundCloud on May 6, 2014.^[22] The cover artwork which displays Iamsu!, represents rising and falling: rising to the occasion, falling in love with music, falling out of love with his ex-girlfriend, among others.^[23] Iamsu! will begin touring with Wiz Khalifa, Tyga, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Homie Quan, and Sage the Gemini on July 24 until August 24, 2014 on the Under the Influence of Music Tour.^[24]

Singles

On January 7, 2014, Iamsu! revealed that the album's first single would feature Sage the Gemini.^[5] The song was premiered online on January 28, 2014 via SoundCloud.^[25] The final version featured fellow rappers 2 Chainz and the previously announced appearance by Sage the Gemini.^[26] The song's production was handled by The Invasion and HBK Gang member P-Lo.^[12][27] February 4, 2014, saw the official retail release of "Only That Real" to digital download music retailers.^[28] Within the next month, the music video was filmed with 2 Chainz, Sage and the rest of the HBK Gang in Richmond, California. A behind the scenes video was released on March 2, 2014.^[29] The music video was originally delayed due to animation sequences in the video.^[21] Then on April 11, 2014, it was officially premiered.^[30]

When the album was made available for pre-order on April 22, 2014, the Wiz Khalifa-collaboration "What You 'Bout" was released as a promotional single.^[31] "I Love My Squad", which is self-produced, was announced to be released as the album's second official single. The music video for it was filmed during early April 2014.^[21] It was officially released as the second single on April 22, 2014.^[32]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	59/100[33]
Review scores
Source	Rating
HipHopDX	[34]
Pitchfork Media	6/10[35]
Rolling Stone	[36]
Spin	7/10[37]
XXL	(L)[38]

Upon its release, Sincerely Yours was met with generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 59, based on 5 reviews, indicating "generally mixed or average reviews".^[33] Rachel Chesbrough of XXL stated that, "Sincerely Yours is a highly listenable sampling of throwback Bay undertones, overlaid with a more modern sound and structure." Closing the review saying, "Iamsu! seems to be leading the pack with an album that is an overall fresh blend of old sonic thematics and new innovations. He proves easy to listen to both as a capable MC with some shining moments, and as a young producer who remains loyal to his city."^[38] Brandon Soderberg of Spin said, "the moments where his lofty sonic ambition is answered with compelling content suggests the potential for a truly singular plateau jump. It just doesn't happen enough, here. Sincerely Yours, then, remains another sturdy addition to the discography of one of rap's more thrilling creatives."^[37]

Fred Thomas of AllMusic stated that, "Iamsu offers bountiful production and a variety of styles over the course of impassioned debut Sincerely Yours. Falling somewhere between the mainstream rap-pop beats of Top 40 rappers like Drake and the hyphy influence of Iamsu's California roots, the album wanders between happy-go-lucky rap ballads like "Girls" and more club-friendly tracks and even the jazzy hybrid beat of "Ascension"."^[39] Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone said, "IamSu!, has nimble rhymes, a killer fashion sense and a catalog of great mixtapes. But he doesn't do enough to stand out on his first proper album. Outside of its strong singles ("Only That Real" and "What You 'Bout"), Sincerely fades into rap's existing trends instead of bucking them."^[36] Sheldon Pearce of HipHopDX stated, "At maximal output, Iamsu! adventurously explores the Bay Area's established terrain with Sincerely Yours, but it doesn't punch with the ferocity of past work." Overall saying it was not as exceptional as his previous solo mixtape Kilt II.^[34]

Accolades

Complex named it the thirty-sixth best album of the first-half of 2014. Writing for them, Justin Davis said, "his debut album is one of the most honest projects of the year. Deciding to curve the tropes of the Bay Area (hard 808s and minimal production), Su gets personal on songs like "Stop Signs" and "Ascension." When the MC decides to turn up, he does it in style, mixing his lyrical approach with a playful attitude on single "Only That Real" (one of the most slept-on singles of the year) and "I Love My Squad"."^[40]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 50 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 5,832 copies in the United States.^[41]

Track listing

Charts

References