The Young OG Project

The Young OG Project
Studio album by Fabolous
Released December 25, 2014
Recorded 2014
Genre Hip Hop
Length 49:10
Label Desert Storm, Def Jam
Producer O.Z, The MeKanics, Mally The Martian, DJ Relly Rell, Mark Henry, Phonix Beats, Vinylz, The Superiors, Detrakz, Count Justice, Boi-1da, C-Sick, Chase N. Cashe
Fabolous chronology

The S.O.U.L. Tape 3
(2013)		 The Young OG Project
(2014)		 Loso's Way 2: Rise To Power
(TBA)
Singles from The Young OG Project
  1. "Lituation"
    Released: December 5, 2014
  2. "Ball Drop"
    Released: December 14, 2014

The Young OG Project is the sixth studio album by American rapper Fabolous; it was released on December 25, 2014, by Desert Storm Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album serves as the follow-up to his fifth album Loso's Way, which was released on July 28, 2009.[1]

Background

Fabolous said the album would be "very '90s-inspired and '90s-themed", "I was introduced to hip-hop in the '80s, but the '90s is when it flourished and you saw different people, different styles and different regions emerge it was a very diverse and versatile time and that's another reason why it sticks to me," he told MTV.[2] Fabolous said, that the whole goal for the album was about his perspective of the '90's, where he came from and where he is today. He also said, it could bring back memories of the guys who really lived in it and it could influence the people who didn't live in it, they could also go in the vibe of it or look up the songs where it came from.[3]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [4]
DJBooth [5]
HipHopDX [6]

The Young OG Project received mixed reviews from music critics. Andrew Gretchko of HipHopDX said, "It’s an album filled with features – Rich Homie Quan, Chris Brown, French Montana and even Kevin Hart – and beats that are a mix of the wavy, electronic sounds so prevalent today and the anthemic rhythms of ‘90s-style tracks, each with plenty of bass to back the lyrics. With intros delivered by The Notorious B.I.G. and even a sampling of Drake’s “Fancy” flow, The Young OG Project has tracks for fans of the many subgenres of Hip Hop, from ‘90s beats to both commercial and street hooks. And while Fabolous may not excel on all of the album’s bouncier tracks the way he does over the laid back beats, his Christmas present to the world hits the right notes."[6]

David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "While 2014 was supposed to see the sequel to Fabolous' 2009 release Losos Way, the album The Young OG Project landed instead, celebrating the rapper's love of '90s hip-hop. As such, old-school act Brand Nubian get a righteous tribute with the opening "Lituation," but it takes until track three for the sound of the decade to power the aptly titled "All Good," while later, "Bish Bounce" bumps like Das EFX in their prime. Otherwise, the '90s influence is less palpable as cloud rap beats ("We Good" floats, stutters, and dissolves) and an appearance from comedian Kevin Hart (during the Digable Planets-ish highlight "Cinnamon Apple") make this an album for the 2014-2015 season, while guest appearances from Rich Homie Quan, Chris Brown, and French Montana are as populist as they are contemporary. Still, Fabolous is invigorated by this slight slide into the past, and offers up numerous highlights (including the not-yet-mentioned "Ball Drop," a great New Year's Eve cut where everything is renewed) with a strong second line in support.[4]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 71,000 copies in the United States.[7] In its second week, the album dropped to number 20 on the chart, selling 25,000 copies, bringing its total album sales to 96,000 copies.[8]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Lituation"  John David Jackson, Dwight "Mally The Martian" Brandon, Alberto MorenoMally The Martian 3:42
2. "We Good" (featuring Rich Homie Quan)Jackson, Dequantes Devontay Lamar, Darius "Phonix Beats" Barnes, Ahmed Jamal, Darren AnthonyPhonix Beats 4:17
3. "All Good"  Jackson, Javon Reynolds, Sidney Reynolds, Detric Jamal Jackson, Jimmy Barnes, Avery Chambliss, Evans J. Clark, Sean Combs, Kasseem Dean, Aubrey Graham, Clifford Harris, Jr., Aubrey Johnson, James Mtume, Jean-Claude Olivier, Matthew Jehu Samuels, Noah Shebib, Christopher Wallace, Hermon Weems, Henry ZantThe Superiors, Detrakz 3:45
4. "You Made Me" (featuring Tish Hyman)Jackson, Diane Bernstein, Jesse Woodard IV, Ted Mills, William NealeChase N. Cashe 4:10
5. "She Wildin'" (featuring Chris Brown)Jackson, Christopher Brown, J. Reynolds, S. Reynolds, Chris Justice, Michael Epps, Jabari Jones, Nasir Jones, Didier Malherbe, Eugene O'Gray, Lamont PortyThe Superiors, Count Justice 3:49
6. "Ball Drop" (featuring French Montana)Jackson, Kharim Kharbouch, Rico Evans, Michael Hernandez, Ozan "OZ" YildirimThe MeKanics, OZ 5:24
7. "Bish Bounce"  Jackson, Samuels, Anderson HernandezVinylz, Boi-1da 3:59
8. "Rap & Sex"  Jackson, Johnathan Burks, Shawn Carter, Charles Dumazer, Timothy MosleyC-Sick 4:30
9. "Gone For The Winter" (featuring Velous)Jackson, A. Hernandez, Tyler Bryant, Ted Creech, Lee Erwin, Terrell RobertsDJ Relly Rell, Vinylz 6:17
10. "Cinnamon Apple" (featuring Kevin Hart)Jackson, BarnesPhonix Beats 3:14
11. "Young OG II" (featuring Abir Haronni)Jackson, Abir Haronni, Mark Henry, Thomas Bangalter, Brandon, Keith Carter, Mike Dean, Christo Homem, Malik Yusef Jones, Elon Rutberg, Che Smith, Derek Witkins, Kanye West, Cydel YoungMark Henry 6:04
Total length:
 49:10

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[11] 12
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[12] 3
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[13] 3

References

  1. ↑ Baker, Soran (December 15, 2014). "Fabolous "The Young OG Project" Release Date, Cover Art, Tracklist & Album Trailer Snippet". Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  2. ↑ Martin, Erika Benton (December 18, 2014). "Fabolous Unveils Tracklist for 'The Young OG Project': Album Slated to Feature Rich Homie Quan, Chris Brown And More". Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ Lilah, Rose (December 23, 2014). "Fabolous Speaks On "The Young OG Project"". Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 David Jeffries. "The Young OG Project - Fabolous - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Fabolous - The Young OG Project". Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gretchko, Andrew (December 27, 2014). "Fabolous - The Young OG Project". Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Taylor Swift's '1989' Spends Seventh Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Hip Hop Album Sales: Nicki Minaj, J. Cole & Iggy Azalea". HipHopDX. 31 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Detrakz Producer Profile". Who Sampled. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  10. ↑ http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/fabolous-she-wildin-feat-chris-brown-new-song.1961038.html
  11. ↑ "Fabolous Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for Fabolous. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Fabolous Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Fabolous. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Fabolous Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Top Rap Albums for Fabolous. Retrieved January 7, 2015.