Hope is the debut album by the hip hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 duo Non-Prophets

Non-Prophets

-History:The duo came to people's attention with their first effort, the "Drop Bass" b/w "Bounce" 12" single on Emerge Music in 1999. The follow-up release came in 2000 as the "All Word, No Play" vinyl single....

, released on Lex Records

Lex Records

Lex Records is an independent record label founded by Tom Brown in 2001. The label was an imprint of Warp Records and run from their North London offices, until September 2005.Lex has a low volume of releases, rarely releasing more than three albums annually...

 in October 2003 (see 2003 in music

2003 in music

-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...

). The album is produced entirely by Joe Beats

Joe Beats

Joe Beats is an American hip hop producer from Rhode Island. He is best known as the co-producer for the duo Non-Prophets.DelCarpini was born in Warwick, Rhode Island.-Non-Prophets:...

 and all vocal duties are handled by Sage Francis

Sage Francis

Paul "Sage" Francis is a hip-hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island.-Biography:Born Paul Francis in Miami, Florida, Sage Francis is a rapper/writer/performer from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of the independent hip-hop record label Strange Famous Records...

.

The album was something of a deliberate attempt by Sage Francis to move away from the weighty and introspective style of his previous album Personal Journals

Personal Journals

Personal Journals has received high reviews from critics. Allmusic gave the album four out of five stars. Pitchfork Media gave it a 8.7 out of 10 ratings. RapReviews.com gave the album a 9.5 out of 10. Robert Christgau gave it a "*" which means an honorable mention...

and make a record which acknowledged and paid homage

Homage

Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....

 to the classic hip-hop the duo listened to while growing up, including but not limited to Black Sheep

Black Sheep (hip hop group)

Black Sheep is an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York, composed of Andres "Dres" Titus and William "Mista Lawnge" McLean. The duo is from New York but met as teenagers in North Carolina, where both of their families relocated. The group was an affiliate of the Native Tongues, which...

, Fu-Schnickens

Fu-Schnickens

Fu-Schnickens was an American hip-hop trio. Similar to Das EFX for their cartoonish lyrics and near-constant allusions to pop culture staples, they were the first Hip Hop artists to rap in backwards fashion. The Fu-Schnickens' popularity was brief but significant in hip hop history...

, Masta Ace

Masta Ace

Duval Clear , known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is a rapper from Brownsville, Brooklyn. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut "The Symphony"...

, Mobb Deep

Mobb Deep

Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...

, Nine

Nine (rapper)

Nine is the stage name of Derrick Keyes , an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City, New York. He also been known as 9MM or Nine Double M...

 and Y'all So Stupid

Y'all So Stupid

Y'all So Stupid is an alternative hip hop group based in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed by H2O, Unkle Buk, Sha Boogie, Spearhead X and Logic in 1991. After performing extensively in Atlanta's underground circuit, the group was signed by Dallas Austin & L.A. Reid to Rowdy Records in 1992. Their...

.

Track listing

1. "Intro" – 1:32
2. "Any Port" – 4:29
3. "Damage" – 5:04
4. "That Ain't Right" – 3:47
5. "Disasters" – 2:11
6. "Fresh" – 3:39
7. "Mainstream 307" – 4:02
8. "Mill" – 0:42
9. "Spaceman" – 4:26
10. "Xaul Zan's Heart" – 5:06
11. "New Word Order" – 5:00
12. "Tolerance Level" – 4:07
13. "Cure" – 5:09
14. "Outro" / "Bounce" (hidden track) – 5:06