City High (album)
Encyclopedia
City High was the debut and only album by R&B trio City High
. It was released in 2001
.
became successful. In order to stand out, the producers decided to add a female member. They choose Ortiz, another group member from their high school. During production, all three members did writing on the songs. The trio focused on trying to make lyrics that told a story, Toby noting that he got some inspiration for writing songs that tell stories from country music
. A large amount of the songs are based on real-life experiences the trio has experienced, such as "What Would You Do?
".
The group recorded "What Would You Do?
" two years prior to the release of album, as it was featured in the Eddie Murphy
film Life
. However, it was not formally released until 2001.
This helped with the sale of the album once it was released, and the album became a hit. The group disbanded in 2003, failing to release another album, despite their debut's success.
praised the album's lyrical content, "In City High's songs, as in life, wounds don't always heal." John Raftery raved that "'City High' seem to be part of a movement, alongside Lucy Pearl and Spooks, which is letting the world know that black America is about more than just blunts and guns. That alone makes this classy album stand out from the crowd."
However, some critics were not as pleased. Maurice Bottomley of Pop Matters gave the album a mixed review, citing some songs' having bad lyrical content, such as City High Anthem's "collection of clichés beyond any chance of redemption" and that "“15 Will Get You 20” is catchy to the point of irritation".
and was certified Gold by the RIAA months later. The first single "What Would You Do?
" reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The single was nominated for a Grammy in Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group.
They Went to Willingboro High School in Willingboro, NJ.
City High
City High was an American R&B/hip hop trio, consisting of rappers/singers Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz. City High is best known for their song, "What Would You Do?", which earned a Grammy nomination.-Career:...
. It was released in 2001
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
.
History
The group began as Pardlo signing on as a solo artist. However, soon Pardlo's high school friend Toby, and the producers decided that it should be a two-man group featured in the album. Soon after the two-man group began to work on the album, The Product G&BThe Product G&B
The Product G&B is an R&B duo made up of Sincere and Money Harm . They were associated with Wyclef Jean's The Refugee Camp and managed by Troy Moet...
became successful. In order to stand out, the producers decided to add a female member. They choose Ortiz, another group member from their high school. During production, all three members did writing on the songs. The trio focused on trying to make lyrics that told a story, Toby noting that he got some inspiration for writing songs that tell stories from country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. A large amount of the songs are based on real-life experiences the trio has experienced, such as "What Would You Do?
What Would You Do? (City High song)
"What Would You Do?" is the debut single released by American R&B/hip hop trio City High from their self-titled album in 2001. The track was originally included on the 1999 soundtrack of the film Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.-Content:...
".
The group recorded "What Would You Do?
What Would You Do? (City High song)
"What Would You Do?" is the debut single released by American R&B/hip hop trio City High from their self-titled album in 2001. The track was originally included on the 1999 soundtrack of the film Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.-Content:...
" two years prior to the release of album, as it was featured in the Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
film Life
Life (film)
Life is a 1999 American comedy-drama film directed by Ted Demme, and starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. The supporting cast includes Obba Babatundé, Bernie Mac, Anthony Anderson, Miguel A. Núñez Jr. and Bokeem Woodbine...
. However, it was not formally released until 2001.
This helped with the sale of the album once it was released, and the album became a hit. The group disbanded in 2003, failing to release another album, despite their debut's success.
Reception
Critical
The album received generally favorable reviews. Allmusic's Jon Azpiri noted "it stands as an impressive debut". Jon Caramanica of Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
praised the album's lyrical content, "In City High's songs, as in life, wounds don't always heal." John Raftery raved that "'City High' seem to be part of a movement, alongside Lucy Pearl and Spooks, which is letting the world know that black America is about more than just blunts and guns. That alone makes this classy album stand out from the crowd."
However, some critics were not as pleased. Maurice Bottomley of Pop Matters gave the album a mixed review, citing some songs' having bad lyrical content, such as City High Anthem's "collection of clichés beyond any chance of redemption" and that "“15 Will Get You 20” is catchy to the point of irritation".
Commercial
City High's debut album did excellently on the charts debuting at #34 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and was certified Gold by the RIAA months later. The first single "What Would You Do?
What Would You Do? (City High song)
"What Would You Do?" is the debut single released by American R&B/hip hop trio City High from their self-titled album in 2001. The track was originally included on the 1999 soundtrack of the film Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.-Content:...
" reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The single was nominated for a Grammy in Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group.
They Went to Willingboro High School in Willingboro, NJ.
Standard
| # | Title | Composer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Didn't Ya" | Remi, Salaam/Toby, Ryan | 3:45 |
| 2. | "What Would You Do? What Would You Do? (City High song) "What Would You Do?" is the debut single released by American R&B/hip hop trio City High from their self-titled album in 2001. The track was originally included on the 1999 soundtrack of the film Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.-Content:... " |
Bailey, B./Broadus, C./Toby, Ryan/Young, A./Pardlo, Robby | 2:54 |
| 3. | "Why" | Toby, Ryan/Pardlo, Robby | 3:32 |
| 4. | "Caramel Caramel (song) "Caramel" is the second single released from American R&B/hip hop trio City High's self-titled debut album in 2001. It is the group's second most successful single, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in the U.S. in January 2002.The... " |
Toby, Ryan/Duplessis, Jerry "Te Bass"/Pardlo, Robby/Xavier, Giscard | 3:35 |
| 5. | "You Don't Know Me" | Dickson, Tim/Paul, Terill/Pardlo, Robby | 4:10 |
| 6. | "15 Will Get You 20" | Brooks, Lethal/Franklin, R./Jean, Wyclef | 3:30 |
| 7. | "Song for You A Song for You "A Song for You" is a soulful love song written and originally recorded by rock singer-songwriter and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album 'Leon Russell', which was released in 1970 on Shelter Records. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understanding from an estranged lover, the tune... " |
Hathaway, Donny | 4:35 |
| 8. | "Cats and Dogs" | Pardio, Bobby/Toby, Ryan/Jean, Wyclef/Duplessis, Jerry "Te Bass"/Pardlo, Robby/Ortiz, Claudette | 3:30 |
| 9. | "Best Friends" | Gilmore, Walter/Toby, Ryan/Pardlo, Robby/Avant, Gerard | 4:50 |
| 10. | "Three Way" | Toby, Ryan/Davis, Vidal | 3:30 |
| 11. | "Sista" | Toby, Ryan/Harris, Andre | 3:51 |
| 12. | "The Only One I Trust" | Battle, Jerrell/Toby, Ryan/Duplessis, Jerry "Te Bass"/Pardlo, Robby/Avant, Gerard | 4:17 |
| 13. | "So Many Things" | Duplessis, Jerry "Te Bass"/Pardlo, Robby | 4:08 |
| 14. | "City High Anthem" | Pardio, Bobby/Toby, Ryan/Pardlo, Robby/Ortiz, Claudette | 5:19 |
Bonus Track Edition
| # | Title | Composer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Didn't Ya" | Remi, Salaam/Toby, Ryan | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Three Way" | Toby, Ryan/Davis, Vidal | 3:30 |
| 3. | "Why" | Toby, Ryan/Pardlo, Robby | 3:32 |
| 4. | "Song For You" | Hathaway, Donny | 4:35 |
| 5. | "15 Will Get You 20" | Brooks, Lethal/Franklin, R./Jean, Wyclef | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Cats and Dogs" | Pardio, Bobby/Toby, Ryan/Jean, Wyclef/Duplessis, Jerry "Te Bass"/Pardlo, Robby/Ortiz, Claudette | 3:30 |
| 7. | "Caramel Caramel (song) "Caramel" is the second single released from American R&B/hip hop trio City High's self-titled debut album in 2001. It is the group's second most successful single, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in the U.S. in January 2002.The... " |
Toby, Ryan/Duplessis, Jerry "Te Bass"/Pardlo, Robby/Xavier, Giscard | 3:35 |
| 8. | "Best Friends" | Gilmore, Walter/Toby, Ryan/Pardlo, Robby/Avant, Gerard | 4:50 |
| 9. | "Sista" | Toby, Ryan/Harris, Andre | 3:51 |
| 10. | "What Would You Do? What Would You Do? (City High song) "What Would You Do?" is the debut single released by American R&B/hip hop trio City High from their self-titled album in 2001. The track was originally included on the 1999 soundtrack of the film Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.-Content:... " |
Bailey, B./Broadus, C./Toby, Ryan/Young, A./Pardlo, Robby | 2:54 |
| 11. | "So Many Things" | Duplessis, Jerry "Te Bass"/Pardlo, Robby | 4:08 |
| 12. | "The Only One I Trust" | Battle, Jerrell/Toby, Ryan/Duplessis, Jerry "Te Bass"/Pardlo, Robby/Avant, Gerard | 4:17 |
| 13. | "City High Anthem" | Pardio, Bobby/Toby, Ryan/Pardlo, Robby/Ortiz, Claudette | 5:19 |
| 14. | "You Don't Know Me" | Dickson, Tim/Paul, Terill/Pardlo, Robby | 4:10 |
| 15. | "Caramel Caramel (song) "Caramel" is the second single released from American R&B/hip hop trio City High's self-titled debut album in 2001. It is the group's second most successful single, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in the U.S. in January 2002.The... " (Trackmasters Trackmasters The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke and Tone , sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, best known for their commercial hit records in the late 90s and early 2000s. Throughout their career they have worked with various hip-hop and R&B artists including R... remix feat. Eve) |
3:40 |
Personnel
- Kwaku Alston – PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Gerard Avant – ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Ron Banks – MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Vidal Davis – ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Engineer - Jerry Duplessis – ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Executive Producer, Mixing - Jason Dyer – Mixing, Assistant
- Serban Ghenea – Mixing
- Andy Grassi – Engineer, Mixing
- Jessica Harley – A&R
- Andre Harris – Producer
- Wyclef Jean – Producer, Executive Producer, Mixing
- Carlton Jones – StylistStylistStylist can refer to:* Hair stylist, a person who cuts and styles hair* Personal stylist, a person concerned with the style of a single individual* Wardrobe stylist, a person who chooses clothing and accessories...
- Clark Kent – Producer, Mixing
- Sonny Kompanek – StringStringGenerally, string is a flexible piece of rope or twine which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects.Examples of string use include:* For flying kites* string figures, designs formed by weaving string around one's fingers...
Arrangements - Alex Ndione – Mixing
- Robby Pardlo – Producer, Engineer, Executive Producer, Mixing, Vocals
- Salaam Remi – Producer, Engineer, Vocal Arrangement, Mixing, Vocal Producer
- Ryan Toby – Producer, Engineer, Executive Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Mixing, Vocal Producer, Vocals
- Joe Yannece – Mastering
- Claudette Ortiz- Producer, Vocals
- Cus - Mixing
Chart positions
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
34 |
| Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
23 |
Singles
- "What Would You Do?What Would You Do? (City High song)"What Would You Do?" is the debut single released by American R&B/hip hop trio City High from their self-titled album in 2001. The track was originally included on the 1999 soundtrack of the film Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.-Content:...
was the leading single off the album. It peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, Number One on Hot Rap Singles, Number 13 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number three on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It still remains the most successful single by the group to date, and it was the one that made the album popular.
- "CaramelCaramel (song)"Caramel" is the second single released from American R&B/hip hop trio City High's self-titled debut album in 2001. It is the group's second most successful single, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in the U.S. in January 2002.The...
was the second single by the group. Although not as successful as their first, it still managed to peak at nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
- "City High Anthem" was intended to be the third single by the group. However, it was unsuccessful and did not chart.