Top 5 Dead or Alive
| Top 5 Dead or Alive | ||||||||||
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| Studio album by Jadakiss | ||||||||||
| Released | November 20, 2015 | |||||||||
| Recorded | 2010–15 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||||||||
| Length | 60:01 | |||||||||
| Label | D-Block Records, Def Jam Recordings | |||||||||
| Producer | Akon, Arkatech Beatz, Bangladesh, Beat Butcha, Buda & Grandz, Dane Beats, Just Blaze, Lee on the Beats, Mark Batson, Posta, Rico Beats, Scram Jones, Swizz Beatz, Ty Fyffe | |||||||||
| Jadakiss chronology | ||||||||||
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Top 5 Dead or Alive is the fourth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Jadakiss. The album was released on November 20, 2015, by D-Block Records and Def Jam Recordings.[1][2] The album features guest appearances from Akon, Future, Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo, Nas, Nipsey Hussle Styles P, Puff Daddy, Sheek Louch, Swizz Beatz, Wiz Khalifa and Young Buck.
Background
In May 2010, he spoke about the progress of the album, saying: "I got about three good ones. Not even recorded. I got probably two verses off each song. Maybe four good ones. [DJ Drama] sent me something. I’m doing real careful selection on production on this project…Even my street joints, even if it’s a symphony. If every verse got 75 curses in it, I want the production to be big…I was gonna switch the name up. I put it on Twitter, I put it on every website you can imagine, and that came back unanimous. So Top Five, Dead or Alive it is, baby…It’s Def Jam, Roc-A-Fella, Ruff Ryders, D-Block, Aphilliates, Green Lantern, a couple of other white guys [releasing it.] You know how this game is. Everybody is in the pot. But it’s enough money for everybody."[3]
In December 2012, he explained that he was halfway done recording the album, saying: "It's coming baby, first quarter. Anywhere, February, March, April... You know, somewhere around there where it feels right,. It's halfway finished now. When I finish this tour, I'll go home and finish the rest of it and then we strategize the marketing plan and get that thing out to the people."[4]
Singles
On October 16, 2015, the album's first single "Jason" featuring Swizz Beatz was released.[5] On October 30, 2015, the album's second single "Ain't Nothin New" featuring Ne-Yo and Nipsey Hussle was released.[6]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 73/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| HipHopDX | [9] |
| Pitchfork Media | 5.5/10[10] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[11] |
Upon its release, Top 5 Dead or Alive received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 73, based on 5 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[7] David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "A top-notch Lil Wayne appearance plus an unofficial Lox reunion with Styles P and Sheek Louch guesting on the LP help put this one through the uprights, giving veteran Jada one of his best and most ambitious showcases to date."[8] Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX said, "After the first initial play through, this album definitely translates as Jadakiss’ most celebratory to date. The beats are more grandiose, less gutter horror story and more hustler’s celebration. The whole theme plays out like his very own victory lap."[9]
Commercial performance
In the United States, the album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, selling 60,000 copies in its first week.[12]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "First 48 (Intro)" | Ty Fyffe | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Shop Talk (Skit)" | 0:56 | |
| 3. | "You Don't Eat" (featuring Puff Daddy) | Swizz Beatz, Avenue Beatz | 3:00 |
| 4. | "You Can See" (featuring Future) | Lee on the Beats, Dane Beats | 3:15 |
| 5. | "Y. O. (Youthful Offenders)" (featuring Akon) | Akon | 3:52 |
| 6. | "Jason" (featuring Swizz Beatz) | Swizz Beatz, Mark Batson | 4:06 |
| 7. | "Kill" (featuring Lil Wayne) | Bangladesh | 2:48 |
| 8. | "Man in the Mirror" | Pav Bundy | 3:58 |
| 9. | "Synergy" (featuring Styles P) | Just Blaze | 3:51 |
| 10. | "Ain't Nothin New" (featuring Ne-Yo & Nipsey Hussle) | Beat Butcha, Buda & Grandz | 3:46 |
| 11. | "So High" (featuring Wiz Khalifa) | Rico Beats | 3:20 |
| 12. | "Ahaa Interview (Skit)" | 1:32 | |
| 13. | "Critical" (featuring Jeezy) | Rico Beats | 3:14 |
| 14. | "Confetti (Skit)" (featuring Young Adz) | 2:27 | |
| 15. | "Cutlass" | Posta | 3:44 |
| 16. | "Realest in the Game" (featuring Young Buck & Sheek Louch) | Arkatech Beatz | 5:42 |
| 17. | "Rain" (featuring Nas & Styles P) | Scram Jones | 4:54 |
| 18. | "One More Mile to Go" | Pitchshifters | 3:42 |
Charts
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[13] | 4 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] | 1 |
References
- ↑ "Top 5 Dead or Alive by Jadakiss on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 1975-05-27. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
- ↑ "Jadakiss Taps Nas, Lil Wayne, & Future for ‘Top 5 Dead or Alive’". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
- ↑ mtv. "Jadakiss Wants Top Five, Dead Or Alive To Be ‘Just Fire’". MTV. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
- ↑ "Jadakiss Is Halfway Done Recording "Top 5 Dead Or Alive," Reveals The LOX Album Title". HipHopDX. 2012-12-04. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
- ↑ "Jason (feat. Swizz Beatz) - Single by Jadakiss on iTunes". Web.archive.org. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
- ↑ "Ain't Nothin New (feat. Ne-Yo & Nipsey Hussle) - Single by Jadakiss on iTunes". Web.archive.org. 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
- 1 2 "Reviews for Top 5 Dead or Alive by Jadakiss". Metacritic. 2015-12-09. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- 1 2 David Jeffries (2015-11-20). "Top Five Dead or Alive - Jadakiss | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- 1 2 Glaysher, Scott (2015-11-20). "Jadakiss - Top 5 Dead or Alive". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ↑ "Jadakiss: Top 5 Dead or Alive". Pitchfork. 2015-12-02. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- ↑ "Feature for December 15, 2015 - Jadakiss' "Top 5 Dead or Alive"". Rapreviews.com. 2015-12-15. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
- ↑ Keith Caulfield (2015-11-29). "Adele's '25' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart, '21' Returns to Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-15.
- ↑ "Jadakiss – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Jadakiss. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Jadakiss – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Jadakiss. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
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