Moment of Truth (Gang Starr album)
| Moment of Truth | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by | |
| Released | March 31, 1998 |
| Recorded | 1997–1998 |
| Studio | D&D (New York City) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 78:37 |
| Label | |
| Producer | |
| Gang Starr chronology | |
| Singles from Moment of Truth | |
| |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
| Chicago Tribune | [4] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[5] |
| Houston Chronicle | [6] |
| Los Angeles Times | [7] |
| Muzik | 7/10[8] |
| NME | 8/10[9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
| The Source | [11] |
| USA Today | [12] |
Moment of Truth is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on March 31, 1998,[13] by Noo Trybe Records and Virgin Records. Gang Starr recorded Moment of Truth in sessions at D&D Studios. It is widely regarded as Gang Starr's magnum opus, and one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.[citation needed ]
Background & Recording
[edit ]Moment of Truth marked Gang Starr's fifth studio album, released in 1998 following a four-year hiatus. Prior to the album, both artists were pursuing solo work; with DJ Premier prolifically collaborating with artists such as Jay-Z, Nas, and Biggie during this period, while Guru had released his second instalment of his Jazzmatazz series. This contributed to a refined sound for the album, while maintaining the group's signature hardcore style.[14]
Guru faced serious legal issues, including a gun charge that could have resulted in a five-year prison sentence. The weight of this potential outcome influenced much of the album's thematic direction, particularly in tracks such as "Moment of Truth," which reflected the group's real-life struggles.[15] Tension over Guru's drinking habits also briefly led to DJ Premier stepping away from the group during the album's production. However, the two reconciled and completed the album together.[14]
Commercial performance
[edit ]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. The album sold 97,000 copies in its first week.[16] It went on to sell over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 7, 1998.[17] 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.[18] Pitchfork also ranked it as the 16th best album of 1998.[19]
In popular culture
[edit ]The album's title track was featured in the 2011 Matthew McConaughey film The Lincoln Lawyer .[20] [21] [22] The title track also appeared in the soundtrack of the 2001 video game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 as well as an episode during the third season of the television show Mr. Robot. The song Work appears on ESPN promos for SC6 with Michael/Jemele . Work also appeared in the 1998 movie Caught Up starring Bokeem Woodbine and was included on the soundtrack. Work was again sampled in 2019 for a Bank of Melbourne television commercial.[23]
Track listing
[edit ]All music is composed by Keith Elam and Christopher Martin
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Know My Steez" | Guru | 4:07 |
| 2. | "Robbin Hood Theory" | Guru | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Work" | Guru | 2:57 |
| 4. | "Royalty" | Guru, K-Ci & JoJo | 5:11 |
| 5. | "Above the Clouds" | Guru, Inspectah Deck | 3:41 |
| 6. | "JFK 2 LAX" | Guru | 3:34 |
| 7. | "Itz a Set Up" | Guru, Hannibal Stax | 3:49 |
| 8. | "Moment of Truth" | Guru | 3:35 |
| 9. | "B.I. vs Friendship" | Guru, M.O.P. | 4:37 |
| 10. | "The Militia" | Guru, Big Shug, Freddie Foxxx | 4:48 |
| 11. | "The Rep Grows Bigga" | Guru | 4:55 |
| 12. | "What I'm Here 4" | Guru | 2:45 |
| 13. | "She Knowz What She Wantz" | Guru | 3:00 |
| 14. | "New York Strait Talk" | Guru | 4:14 |
| 15. | "My Advice 2 You" | Guru | 2:31 |
| 16. | "Make 'Em Pay" | Guru, Krumb Snatcha | 4:21 |
| 17. | "The Mall" | Guru, G. Dep, Shiggy Sha | 3:40 |
| 18. | "Betrayal" | Guru, Scarface | 5:29 |
| 19. | "Next Time" | Guru | 3:06 |
| 20. | "In Memory Of..." | DJ Premier, Guru | 3:50 |
Charts
[edit ]
Weekly charts[edit ]
|
Year-end charts[edit ]
|
Singles
[edit ]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 | 15 | 5 | 2 |
| 1998 | "Royalty | 2 | |||
| 1998 | "The Militia" | – | 19 | 7 | – |
Certifications
[edit ]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[33] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[35] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Moment of Truth – Gang Starr". AllMusic . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ^ "You Know My Steez - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic .
- ^ "Militia - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic .
- ^ 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.
- ^ Jam, Billy (March 29, 1998). "Gang Starr, Moment of Truth, Noo Trybe". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- ^ Johnson, Brett (April 26, 1998). "Gang Starr, 'Moment of Truth,' Noo Trybe/Virgin". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- ^ McPhail, Pete (June 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth (Cooltempo)". Muzik (37): 82.
- ^ 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 (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 322. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Wilson, Elliott (May 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth". The Source . No. 104. p. 145. Archived from the original on January 27, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Steve (March 31, 1998). "Gang Starr returns for a big 'Moment'". USA Today .
- ^ Fitzgerald, Trent (March 31, 2023). "Gang Starr Drop Moment of Truth Album – Today in Hip-Hop". XXL . Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Ambrosia For Heads (2018年03月29日). DJ Premier Discusses The 20th Anniversary Of Gang Starr’s Moment Of Truth . Retrieved 2024年10月14日 – via YouTube.
- ^ "GUN RAP FOR RAPPER WITH ANTI-GANG RIFF". New York Daily News. 1996年02月23日. Retrieved 2024年10月14日.
- ^ Gang Starr Bows At No. 6 : Rolling Stone
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - Gang Starr". RIAA . May 7, 1998.
- ^ "Spin Magazine's The 20 Best Albums of 1998". Rocklist. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 1998". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ^ 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 (23 February 2011). "'The Lincoln Lawyer' Soundtrack Features Erik B. & Rakim, Gang Starr, deadmau5 & More". IndieWire . Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ^ www.umusicpub.com https://www.umusicpub.com/au/FilmAndTv/2019/Gang-Starr-for-Bank-of-Melbourne.aspx . Retrieved 2024年10月14日.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Gang Starr Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "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)". Billboard.
- ^ "Gang Starr Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". Music Canada.
- ^ "British album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". Recording Industry Association of America.