Moment of Truth (Gang Starr album)
| Moment of Truth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Gang Starr | ||||
| Released | March 31, 1998 | |||
| Recorded |
1997–1998; D&D Studios New York City | |||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop, jazz rap[1] | |||
| Length | 78:37 | |||
| Label | Noo Trybe, Virgin | |||
| Producer | DJ Premier, Guru | |||
| Gang Starr chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Tribune | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
| NME | 8/10[5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [6] |
| The Source | 4.5/5[7] |
Moment of Truth is the fifth album by hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on March 31, 1998 by Noo Trybe Records and Virgin Records. Gang Starr recorded Moment of Truth in sessions at D&D Studios.
Released four years after its previous album, Hard to Earn, this album could be perceived as a comeback, with a newer, updated style of the group's already-established jazz-tinged hip hop, as stated by Guru in the introduction. Lyrically, the album is more emotional and socially conscious than previous installments.
Recording and production
The album features more guest artists than previous Gang Starr releases. Collaborations include songs with Inspectah Deck, Scarface, G-Dep, Freddie Foxxx, K-Ci & JoJo, M.O.P. and more.
Production on the album features heftier, more melodic, and more mature beats from DJ Premier.
Commercial performance
The album is the group's most commercially successful album to date. Moment of Truth debuted at #1 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. It went on to sell over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 7, 1998.[8] The lead single, "You Know My Steez," became the duo's second Billboard Hot 100 appearance in 1997, peaking at #76. Spin magazine ranked it as the #16 album of 1998.[9]
Legacy
The album's title track was featured in the 2011 Matthew McConaughey film The Lincoln Lawyer.[10][11][12] The title track also appeared in the soundtrack of the 2001 video game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2. The song Work appears on ESPN promos for SC6 with Michael/Jemele.
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer (s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "You Know My Steez" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 4:07 |
| 2 | "Robbin Hood Theory" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 3:44 |
| 3 | "Work" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 2:57 |
| 4 | "Royalty" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru, K-Ci & JoJo | 5:11 |
| 5 | "Above the Clouds" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru, Inspectah Deck | 3:41 |
| 6 | "JFK 2 LAX" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 3:34 |
| 7 | "Itz a Set Up" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru, Hannibal Stax | 3:49 |
| 8 | "Moment of Truth" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 4:07 |
| 9 | "B.I. vs Friendship" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru, M.O.P. | 4:37 |
| 10 | "The Militia" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru, Big Shug, Freddie Foxxx | 4:48 |
| 11 | "The Rep Grows Bigga" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 4:55 |
| 12 | "What I'm Here 4" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 2:45 |
| 13 | "She Knowz What She Wantz" | Guru, DJ Premier (co produced) | Guru | 3:00 |
| 14 | "New York Strait Talk" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 4:14 |
| 15 | "My Advice 2 You" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 2:31 |
| 16 | "Make 'Em Pay" | Guru, DJ Premier (co produced) | Guru, Krumbsnatcha | 4:21 |
| 17 | "The Mall" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru, G-Dep, Shiggy Sha | 3:40 |
| 18 | "Betrayal" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru, Scarface | 5:29 |
| 19 | "Next Time" | DJ Premier, Guru | Guru | 3:06 |
| 20 | "In Memory Of…" | DJ Premier, Guru | DJ Premier, Guru | 3:50 |
Samples
You Know My Steez
- "Flash It to the Beat" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
- "Real Hip Hop" by Das EFX
- "Opening/Crickets" by Chris Rock
- "Drowning in the Sea of Love" by Joe Simon
- "Shadowboxing" by GZA and Method Man
- "Usual Suspects" by Big Noyd
- "B Side Wins Again" by Public Enemy
Robbin Hood Theory
- "The Day After the Dawn" by Albert Dailey
- "Capricorn" by George Duke
Work
- "Devil in the Dark" by The Manhattans
- "Prove Your Love" by Fleetwood Mac
- "Second Transformation: The Ape Man Sequence" by John Corigliano
- "Closer to God" by Krumbsnatcha
Royalty
- "Let's Do It in Slow Motion" by Latimore
Above the Clouds
- "Two Piece Flower" by John Dankworth
- "JFK Speech on Space Flight" by John F. Kennedy
- "Superman - the Man from Krypton - Part II" by Peter Pan Records
- "I Didn't Come Rhythm" by George Clinton
JFK 2 LAX
- "It's Time to Break Down" by The Supremes
Itz A Set Up
- "Beyond Yesterday" by Les McCann
- "Coldblooded" by James Brown
Moment of Truth
- "Let's Fall in Love All Over" by Billy Paul
B.I. vs Friendship
- "Come Live With Me" by Isaac Hayes
The Militia
- "Windmills of Your Mind" by Barbara Lewis
- "Stop and Check Yourself" by Garnet Mimms
- "War of the Worlds" by Orson Welles
- "What Is Hip Hop?" by Greg Tate
- "Wild for Da Night" by Rampage
- "Dark Shadows Theme" by Robert Cobert
The Rep Grows Bigga
- "Come Dancing" by Jeff Beck
- "Off the Books" by The Beatnuts
- "Listen to the Man" by Kev E Kev & AK B
- "C.R.E.A.M" by Wu-Tang Clan
- "Fakin' Jax" by InI
What I'm Here 4
- "R.S.V.P" by Nat Adderley
She Knowz What She Wantz
- "Sunnin' and Funnin'" by MFSB
- "Itzsoweezee (HOT)" by De La Soul
New York Strait Talk
- "It's My Thing" by EPMD
- "Blind Alley" by The Emotions
- "Bastards" by Ruthless Bastards
- "The Natural" by Mic Geronimo
My Advice 2 You
- "I'll Love More Than You'll Ever Know" by Cold Blood
- "Metal Thangz" by Street Smartz
Make 'Em Pay
- "You're Something Special" by Five Special
- "Livin' Proof" by Group Home
- "Repent Walpurgis" by Procol Harum
- "Bull's Eye" by J-Force
The Mall
- "The Rainmaker" by The 5th Dimension
- "Big Ole Butt" by LL Cool J
Betrayal
- "Deliver the Word" by War
- "Queen of Downs" by Giant
Next Time
- "A Good Man Is Gone" by Monk Higgins
- "I Shot Ya (Remix)" by LL Cool J
In Memory Of...
- "Here's That Rainy Day" by Paul Horn
- "You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)" by The Notorious B.I.G.
Chart positions
Album
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[13] | 14 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[14] | 51 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[15] | 70 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] | 94 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[17] | 28 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[18] | 43 |
| US Billboard 200[19] | 6 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[20] | 1 |
Singles
Chart positions from Billboard magazine
| Year | Song | Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | Hot Rap Singles | Dance/Electronic Singles Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "You Know My Steez" | 76 | 32 | 5 | 2 |
| 1998 | "The Militia" | – | 68 | 38 | – |
See also
References
- 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Moment of Truth – Gang Starr". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ↑ Baker, Soren (April 10, 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth (Noo Trybe)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- ↑ Tyehimba, Cheo (April 24, 1998). "Moment of Truth". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ↑ Johnson, Brett (April 26, 1998). "Gang Starr, 'Moment of Truth,' Noo Trybe/Virgin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- ↑ Batey, Angus (April 11, 1998). "Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ↑ McLeod, Kembrew (2004). "Gang Starr". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 322. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ↑ "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth". The Source (104): 145. May 1998.
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum - Gang Starr". RIAA. May 7, 1998.
- ↑ "Spin Magazine's The 20 Best Albums of 1998". Rocklist. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ↑ Barone, Matt (March 18, 2011). "Review: "The Lincoln Lawyer" (Starring Matthew McConaughey)". Complex. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ↑ "The Lincoln Lawyer - Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin. "'The Lincoln Lawyer' Soundtrack Features Erik B. & Rakim, Gang Starr, deadmau5 & More". IndieWire. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ↑ "Gang Starr – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Gang Starr.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Gang Starr | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart
- ↑ "Gang Starr – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Gang Starr.
- ↑ "Gang Starr – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Gang Starr.