Thug Mentality 1999

Thug Mentality 1999
Studio album by Krayzie Bone
Released	April 6, 1999
Recorded	1997–1998
Studio	Audio Vision (Miami) Studio 56 (California) Back Room Hit Factory (New York City) Quad (New York City) Urban Chung King Studios (New York City) Buchanan Westlake (West Hollywood) Cotton Row (Memphis) Ocean Way (Los Angeles)
Genre	Hip hop gangsta rap R&B horrorcore
Length	1:34:12
Label	Ruthless Relativity Mo Thugs
Producer	Stephen Marley Romeo Antonio Michael Seifert Damizza T-Mix Leiahola Jones Nightfiend Tombstone Anthony President Brainz Alex Marlow Erik "E" Nordquist DJ U-Neek Gusto "40" Moss Tony "C" Steve Pageot Dewey "Duke" Sanders KayGee Falonte Moore Rated R DJ Nasty
Krayzie Bone chronology
Thug Mentality 1999 (1999) Thug on da Line (2001)
Singles from Thug Mentality 1999
"Thug Mentality" Released: March 20, 1999 "Paper" Released: October 1999

Thug Mentality 1999 is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Krayzie Bone. It was released April 6, 1999, on Ruthless Records, Relativity Records and Mo Thugs Records.

The double-disc album featured a large selection of guest appearances, including Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Mariah Carey, the Marley Brothers, Big Pun, Fat Joe, Cuban Link, Gangsta Boo, E-40, 8Ball & MJG, Kurupt, Treach and Snoop Dogg.

The album was supported by two singles: "Thug Mentality" and "Paper". The album's lead single, titled "Thug Mentality" was released on March 20, 1999. The song was produced by Michael Seifert, it peaked at number 47 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and at number 36 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.

Thug Mentality 1999 debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with 140,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on May 10, 1999.^[1] The album has sold 1,000,000 copies in the United States. The albums marks the third solo album by a member of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

The album featured a large selection of guest appearances, including singer Mariah Carey and rappers Snoop Dogg, Big Pun and more.

In an interview with HipHopDX, Krayzie Bone spoke on the creation of the album:

I’d have to say that was the easiest album to make because I had so much material and so much stuff backed up. We was fresh, still not that far from being on the streets. I still had a lot of material that I had that I wanted to get off my chest. It was a breeze. A lot of those tracks, I had the ideas [first] and then I went in and laid them straight out. Some of the stuff was from what we didn’t use from Art Of War. On Art Of War, I would basically start the songs off and everyone else would just come in and do what they do. What dudes didn’t use, I just kept stashed away and when it was time work on my album, I just brought them out.^[2]

Krayzie Bone wrote and recorded over 150 songs for the album, of which thirty-eight made the album's final cut as a double album.

The album's lead single, titled "Thug Mentality" was released on March 20, 1999. The song was produced by Michael Seifert. It peaked at number 16 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and at number 31 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.^[3]

The album's second single, titled "Paper" was released in October 1999. The song was produced by Krayzie Bone himself. The song's accompanying music video was later released that year.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
RapReviews	5/10[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
The Source	[9]
USA Today	[10]

Thug Mentality 1999 was met with generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic wrote: "Krayzie doesn't hesitate to accentuate the already smooth surfaces of his music. Some of these cuts are positively smoove, which stands in direct contrast to the gangstafied lyrics, but that's always been a part of the Bone trademark". The journalist criticized the excessive length of the album, calling it "ridiculously inflated" and adding that "there are enough songs to make a very good record, possibly one of the best things Krayzie has been involved with".^[4] Entertainment Weekly's Matt Diehl called it "the best solo release so far from one of the Ohio speed rappers".^[5] Pete T. of RapReviews wrote: "Krayzie displays a wide range of flows and deliveries, often on single tracks." He highlighted fast rapping on the track "Heated Heavy", saying that "Krayzie could give Twista a run for his money any day."^[7] Soren Baker, in his review for Los Angeles Times, wrote that "the husky-voiced rapper keeps pushing the music's aural boundaries", commending both the production that features "an eclectic range of instruments" and Krayzie Bone's vocal delivery. He also criticized the album's length.^[6] Kris Ex of Rolling Stone described Thug Mentality 1999 as "self-indulgent – but consistently engaging", while also taking issue with some of its lyrical content, such as a "vivid date rape" in the track "Look At You Now", which he named "one of the most disturbing moments ever put to wax".^[8] The Source magazine's reviewer believed that with this album Krayzie Bone takes a "gigantic step toward establishing himself as a soloist of the highest caliber", praising his vocal performance, ranging from "hard-core and rapid-fire to the softer, more sing-songy".^[9] This was also highlighted by USA Today's Steve Jones, who believed that the artist "shows himself adept at a variety of delivery styles". He described the production of the album as "smooth grooves and pounding rhythms".^[10]

Thug Mentality 1999 debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with 140,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in May 10, 1999.^[1] The album has sold 1,000,000 copies in the United States.

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an co-producer

Sample credits

• "Paper" contains elements of "Closer Than Friends" & "You Are My Everything", written by David Townsend and Bernard Jackson, and performed by Surface.
• "Dummy Man (Skit)" contains replayed elements from "The Candy Man", written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, and performed by Sammy Davis Jr.
• "Thug Alwayz" contains elements from "Share My Love", written by J. Bradford and G. Jones, and performed by Rare Earth.
• "Smokin' Budda" contains elements from "Sara Smile", written by Daryl Hall and John Oates.
• "We Starvin'" contains replayed elements from "Theme From The Young & Restless", written by P. Botkin Jr. and B. DeVorson.
• "Murda Mo" contains elements of "Moments in Love", written and performed by Art of Noise.