The Diary (Scarface album)

The Diary
Studio album by Scarface
Released October 18, 1994
Recorded 1993-1994
Genre Gangsta Rap, Southern Hip Hop, Mafioso Rap
Length 43:18
Label Rap-A-Lot Records
Producer Scarface
Mike Dean
N.O. Joe
Uncle Eddie
Scarface chronology

The World Is Yours
(1993)		 The Diary
(1994)		 The Untouchable
(1997)
Singles from The Diary
  1. "Hand of the Dead Body"
    Released: 1994
  2. "I Seen a Man Die"
    Released: November 1, 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
Chicago Tribune [2]
Entertainment Weekly B[3]
NME (8/10)[4]
Q [4]
RapReviews (9.5/10)[5]
Robert Christgau [6]
Rolling Stone (favorable)[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [8]
The Source [9]
Vibe (favorable)[4]
XXL [10]

The Diary is the third album from rapper Scarface. This album is one of the few to receive a perfect rating from both The Source Magazine and XXL. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart, only behind Kenny G's Miracles: The Holiday Album, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on December 5, 1994.

Two singles were released from the album, "Hand of the Dead Body", which featured Ice Cube and Devin the Dude, peaked at 74 on the US charts, while "I Seen a Man Die" peaked at 37 on the US charts, becoming his first top 40 hit. Due to business reasons and for more accessibility, both track titles were changed to "People Don't Believe" and "Never Seen a Man Cry" in their single version. The song "No Tears" was featured in the beginning of the 1999 film Office Space.

Track listing

No. TitleProducer(s) Length
1. "Intro"  Scarface, Mike Dean 1:07
2. "The White Sheet"  N.O. Joe 3:53
3. "No Tears"  N.O. Joe, Scarface 2:26
4. "Jesse James"  N.O. Joe, Scarface, Mike Dean 4:13
5. "G's"  N.O. Joe, Mike Dean 4:39
6. "I Seen a Man Die"  N.O. Joe, Scarface, Mike Dean 4:32
7. "One"  N.O. Joe, Mike Dean 4:43
8. "Goin' Down"  N.O. Joe, Scarface, Mike Dean, Uncle Eddie 4:28
9. "One Time" (Interlude)Mike Dean 0:58
10. "Hand of the Dead Body" (featuring Ice Cube and Devin the Dude)N.O. Joe, Scarface, Mike Dean, Uncle Eddie 4:38
11. "Mind Playin' Tricks '94"  N.O. Joe, Mike Dean 3:40
12. "The Diary"  N.O. Joe 2:23
13. "Outro"  Uncle Eddie 1:30

Samples

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1994) Peak
position
Billboard 200 2
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 2

Singles

Year Song Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles
1994 "I Seen a Man Die" 37 15 2
1995 "Hand of the Dead Body" 74 39 9

References

  1. ↑ AllMusic review
  2. ↑ Chicago Tribune review
  3. ↑ Entertainment Weekly review
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Album reviews at CD Universe
  5. ↑ RapReviews review
  6. ↑ Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
  7. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  8. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 329. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  9. ↑ The Source review
  10. ↑ XXL (2007). "Retrospective: XXL Albums". XXL Magazine, December 2007 issue.