The Realness
| The Realness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 24, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2000–2001 | |||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop | |||
| Label | Legal Hustle, LandSpeed | |||
| Producer |
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| Cormega chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Realness | ||||
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The Realness is the debut studio album by American rapper Cormega. It features guest appearances from Mobb Deep and Tragedy Khadafi, as well as production from Havoc of Mobb Deep, J-Love, and The Alchemist, among others.[1] It was released via Legal Hustle Records and LandSpeed Records.
The Realness was re-released in 2007 with The True Meaning, Cormega's second album from 2002, in a double special-edition package.
Background
Cormega rose to fame in the mid-90s as an original member of The Firm hip hop group, along with Nas, AZ and Foxy Brown, appearing on the song "Affirmative Action" from the Nas album It Was Written.[2] After being booted from the group, Cormega signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings, and recorded his first album The Testament. The album was eventually shelved, and Cormega was dropped from label, joining LandSpeed Records for his first official release.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| HipHopDX | [4] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[5] |
The Realness received mostly positive reviews. J-23 of HipHopDX praised the album's production, calling it a "pleasant surprise".[4] Matt Conaway of AllMusic stated that the album paints Cormega as "one of the most promising thug poets to emerge in quite sometime".[3]
Track listing
| # | Title | Featured guest(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dramatic Entrance" | J-Love | 2:18 | |
| 2 | "American Beauty" | Cormega | 2:03 | |
| 3 | "Thun & Kicko" | Prodigy | Havoc | 3:56 |
| 4 | "The Saga" | Big Ty | 4:00 | |
| 5 | "R U My Nigga?" | Jae Supreme | 3:18 | |
| 6 | "Unforgiven'" | Spank Brother | 2:06 | |
| 7 | "Fallen Soldiers" | J-love | 3:39 | |
| 8 | "Glory Days" | Jae Supreme | 3:22 | |
| 9 | "Rap's a Hustle" | Ayatollah | 3:38 | |
| 10 | "Get Out My Way" | Sha Money XL | 4:29 | |
| 11 | "You Don't Want It" | Godfather Don | 2:56 | |
| 12 | "5 for 40" | 0:47 | ||
| 13 | "They Forced My Hand" | Tragedy Khadafi | Spunk Bigga | 4:01 |
| 14 | "Fallen Soldiers (Remix)" | The Alchemist | 4:27 | |
| 15 | "Killaz Theme II" (Hidden Track) | Mobb Deep | Havoc | 4:07 |
Sample credits
- American Beauty
- "I've Been Watching You" by Southside Movement
- R U My Nigga?
- "Night Moves" by Frank McDonald
- Unforgiven'
- "4th Movement: Passacaglia" by Yusef Lateef
- Rap's a Hustle
- "I Choose You" by Willie Hutch
- Fallen Soldiers
- "Beggar's Song" by Wet Willie
- They Forced My Hand
- "Signal Your Intention" by Hodges, James and Smith
- Glory Days
- "Each Day I Cry a Little" by Eddie Kendricks
- You Don't Want It
- "Alone in the Ring" by Bill Conti
- Fallen Soldiers (Remix)
- "Time" by Morning, Noon & Night
Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 111 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] | 24 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[8] | 4 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 2001 | Cassette | LandSpeed |
| Vinyl | |||
| CD | |||
| 2014 | Digital download | Slimstyle | |
| Streaming |
References
- ^ Weinstein, Max (July 24, 2016). "THE MAKING OF CORMEGA'S 'THE REALNESS'". XXL. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ "The Making of Nas' "It Was Written"". Complex. May 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ a b Conaway, Matt. "Cormega - The Realness Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ a b J-23 (September 2, 2001). "Cormega - The Realness". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Mr. S (October 20, 2001). "Cormega :: The Realness :: Landspeed Records". RapReviews. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ "Cormega Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Cormega Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Cormega Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.