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Hard To Earn is the fourth album from the hip hop duo Gang Starr . It was released in March 8, 1994 and featured the singles "Mass Appeal", "DWYCK" and "Code Of The Streets". Musically the album is constructed around a harder, more stripped-down sound that is distinctively less melodic than the duo's previous work.
Guest appearances on the album come from Group Home , Jeru the Damaja , and Big Shug . At the time, all were part of the Gang Starr Foundation , which made the album a stepping-stone for future DJ Premier-helmed projects by Group Home and Jeru. The single "DWYCK" recorded in 1992 also featured hip hop duo Nice & Smooth . The track "Now You're Mine" originally appeared on the 1992 Soundtrack "White Men Can't Rap".
Hard To Earn is also the duo's first album to carry the "Parental Advisory " label.
Track listing
#
Title
Songwriters
Producer(s)
Performer (s)
1
"Intro (The First Step)"
DJ Premier, Guru
*Instrumental*
2
"ALONGWAYTOGO"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
3
"Code Of The Streets"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
Guru, DJ Premier(co-produced)
Guru
4
"Brainstorm"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
5
"Tonz 'O' Gunz"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
6
"The Planet"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
7
"Aiiight Chill..."
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
*Skit* featuring MC Eiht , Nas
8
"Speak Ya Clout"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam, Jeru Kendrick Davis, Heath
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru, Lil Dap, Jeru the Damaja
9
"DWYCK"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam, Greg Mays, Daryl Barnes
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru, Nice & Smooth
10
"Words From The Nutcracker"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam, Felder
DJ Premier, Guru
Melachi the Nutcracker
11
"Mass Appeal "
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
12
"Blowin' Up The Spot"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
13
"Suckaz Need Bodyguards"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru, Melachi the Nutcracker
14
"Now You're Mine"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
15
"Mostly Tha Voice"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
16
"F.A.L.A."
Keith Elam, Cary Guy
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru, Big Shug
17
"Comin' For Datazz"
Christopher Martin, Keith Elam
DJ Premier, Guru
Guru
Samples
"DWYCK"
"Aiiight Chill"
"ALONGWAYTOGO"
"Blowin' Up the Spot"
"Brainstorm"
"Community Auditions Theme" by Dave Maynard
"Comic Strip" by Mikey Dread
"Code of the Streets"
"Comin' for Datazz"
"F.A.L.A."
"Intro (The First Step)"
"Mass Appeal"
"Mostly Tha Voice"
"Now You're Mine"
"Speak Ya Clout"
"Suckas Need Bodyguards"
"The Planet"
"Tonz 'O' Gunz"
"Fire & Fury Grass Roots Speech (Side One)" by Malcolm X
"Breakthrough" by Isaac Hayes
"Just to Get a Rep" by Gang Starr
"Words From the Nutcracker
Charts
Singles chart positions
References
^ a b http://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-to-earn-mw0000107963
^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Hard to Earn – Gang Starr" . AllMusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved October 25, 2013 .
^ Doggett, Tom (May 24, 2005). "GangStarr:: Hard to Earn :: Chrysalis Records" . RapReviews. Retrieved October 25, 2013 .
^ "CG: Gang Starr" . Robert Christgau . Retrieved October 25, 2013 .
^ Nelson, Havelock (June 2, 1994). "Hard To Earn : Gang Starr : Review" . Rolling Stone . Wenner Media . Archived from the original on November 20, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2013 .
^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PA322&dq=rolling+stone+gang+starr&cd=1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=gang&f=false . Page 322
^ The Source review
^ "Gang Starr | Artist | Official Charts" . UK Albums Chart . Retrieved April 19, 2016.
^ "Gang Starr Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved October 25, 2013.
^ "Gang Starr Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved October 25, 2013.
Big Shug
DJ Suave D
Damo D-Ski
DJ 1 2 B-Down
Studio albums Compilations Singles Related articles