The Minstrel Show
Encyclopedia
The Minstrel Show is the second studio album by hip hop
trio
, Little Brother. It followed the critical success of their 2003 debut, The Listening
. The album was highly anticipated and touted as a probable breakthrough for the group, even before its release. The title is a reference to the minstrel shows that were popular in America
during the 19th century (see Minstrel show
).
and Ronald Isley
. Many of the skits contain tongue-in-cheek references to black pop-culture in America
.
's Editor-in-Chief, Joshua "Fahiym" Ratcliffe, announced his retirement due to conflicting opinions on the rating The Minstrel Show was to receive in the next issue of the publication. According to Ratcliffe, his original rating of 4.5 (out of 5) was reduced to 4 by the magazine's Chief Brand Executive, Raymond "Benzino" Scott
and CEO Dave Mays because Ratcliffe gave then-upcoming artist Young Jeezy a rating of 4.http://journals.aol.com/bjonesfmo/ForMyselfandOthers/entries/1003/link After they refused to change the rating back to 4.5 he decided to step down from his editorial position. For his part, Benzino
admitted at the time of questioning, that he had yet to listen to the album for himself and had no problem with Ratcliffe's original rating.http://hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.3507/
While this may have built up anticipation for the album, another more serious obstacle reared its head when the entertainment
network, BET
(Black Entertainment Television), refused to play the group's video for the single, "Lovin' It", deeming it "too intelligent". In a portion of the video, the group lightly pokes fun at the different stylistic aspects of hip hop
sub-genres such as "gangsta
", "backpack", "earthy" and "icy". The rest of it sees them performing to a zealous crowd .
, Little Brother received praises from many powerful forces within the hip hop world, such as XXL magazine
, who gave the album an "XL" rating and most notably, Scratch Magazine
, who gave it a perfect 10 out of 10 rating. Despite all the controversy, The Minstrel Show debuted at a #56 position on the Billboard charts
selling 18,000 copies in its first week out (a much lower number than expected by both fans and critics). A second official single and any further promotion of the album was abandoned by Atlantic Records
, and although the group soon began recording their follow-up album, Getback
, their relationship with the label drew to a close before its release.
Slow It Down
The Becoming
Sincerely Yours
Lovin' It
Hold On (Tellin' Me) (B-Side of "Lovin' It" single)
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...
trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
, Little Brother. It followed the critical success of their 2003 debut, The Listening
The Listening (Little Brother album)
The Listening is the debut album of North Carolina trio Little Brother. It was released in early 2003 on ABB Records. The album became a surprise word-of-mouth sensation among underground rap fans, despite its lack of promotion, guest appearances, or extensive distribution.- Overview :As the main...
. The album was highly anticipated and touted as a probable breakthrough for the group, even before its release. The title is a reference to the minstrel shows that were popular in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the 19th century (see Minstrel show
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
).
Themes
The album has a running concept based on a fictional television network called "UBN" (U Black Niggas Network), which is a satire of stereotypical programs and advertisements. For example, on "Cheatin", Phonte (performing under his alter-ego "Percy Miracles"), spoofs the over-dramatic R&B sagas performed by singers such as R. KellyR. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
and Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
. Many of the skits contain tongue-in-cheek references to black pop-culture in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Controversy
For many reasons, the furor surrounding The Minstrel Show overshadowed the music itself. On August 16, 2005, hip hop magazine The SourceThe Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
's Editor-in-Chief, Joshua "Fahiym" Ratcliffe, announced his retirement due to conflicting opinions on the rating The Minstrel Show was to receive in the next issue of the publication. According to Ratcliffe, his original rating of 4.5 (out of 5) was reduced to 4 by the magazine's Chief Brand Executive, Raymond "Benzino" Scott
Benzino
Raymond Scott from Boston Massachusetts, better known by hisstage name Benzino is an American hip hop media executive, and record producer....
and CEO Dave Mays because Ratcliffe gave then-upcoming artist Young Jeezy a rating of 4.http://journals.aol.com/bjonesfmo/ForMyselfandOthers/entries/1003/link After they refused to change the rating back to 4.5 he decided to step down from his editorial position. For his part, Benzino
Benzino
Raymond Scott from Boston Massachusetts, better known by hisstage name Benzino is an American hip hop media executive, and record producer....
admitted at the time of questioning, that he had yet to listen to the album for himself and had no problem with Ratcliffe's original rating.http://hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.3507/
While this may have built up anticipation for the album, another more serious obstacle reared its head when the entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
network, BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
(Black Entertainment Television), refused to play the group's video for the single, "Lovin' It", deeming it "too intelligent". In a portion of the video, the group lightly pokes fun at the different stylistic aspects of 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...
sub-genres such as "gangsta
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
", "backpack", "earthy" and "icy". The rest of it sees them performing to a zealous crowd .
Reception
In contrast to the reaction of BETBet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
, Little Brother received praises from many powerful forces within the hip hop world, such as XXL magazine
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
, who gave the album an "XL" rating and most notably, Scratch Magazine
Scratch (magazine)
Scratch was a magazine about the art of creating hip-hop. It featured articles regarding producers, musicians and DJs that make beats for rap records, and details the secret methods, stories, partnerships, philosophies and equipment behind the music...
, who gave it a perfect 10 out of 10 rating. Despite all the controversy, The Minstrel Show debuted at a #56 position on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
selling 18,000 copies in its first week out (a much lower number than expected by both fans and critics). A second official single and any further promotion of the album was abandoned by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, and although the group soon began recording their follow-up album, Getback
Getback
Getback is the third studio album from Little Brother, released on October 23, 2007. On October 12, Phonte leaked the album himself to Okayplayer.com-Details:...
, their relationship with the label drew to a close before its release.
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer(s) | Time | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Welcome to the Minstrel Show" | 9th Wonder | YahZarah Chris Hardwick Chris Hardwick Christopher Ryan "Chris" Hardwick is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, podcaster, television personality, and voice artist... |
1:17 |
|
| 2 | "Beautiful Morning" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte |
2:20 |
The Stylistics The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the... |
| 3 | "The Becoming" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte |
2:05 |
|
| 4 | "Not Enough" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte Darien Brockington |
4:30 |
Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade... |
| 5 | "Cheatin'" | Piano Reeves | Percy Miracles (Phonte) Mr. Diggs |
3:43 | |
| 6 | "Hiding Place" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte Elzhi Elzhi Jason Powers is a hip-hop artist from Detroit, Michigan. Many Underground fans know him as "Detroit's Best Kept Secret". As a former member of Slum Village he now records as a solo artist... |
4:00 |
Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40... |
| 7 | "Slow It Down" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte Darien Brockington |
4:19 |
David Ruffin Davis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968... |
| 8 | "Say It Again" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte |
3:47 |
|
| 9 | "5th & Fashion (Skit)" | Nicolay | *Interlude* | 1:19 | |
| 10 | "Lovin' It" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte Joe Scudda |
3:51 |
|
| 11 | "Diary of a Mad Black Daddy (Skit)" | 9th Wonder | *Interlude* | 0:40 | |
| 12 | "All for You" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte |
4:39 |
|
| 13 | "Watch Me" | Khrysis | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte DJ Jazzy Jeff DJ Jazzy Jeff Jeffrey Allen Townes , also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince... (DJ scratches) |
4:19 |
With a Child's Heart "With a Child's Heart" is a song by the singer Stevie Wonder, from his album Up-Tight. The song was released as the b-side to the single "Nothing's Too Good for My Baby".... " by Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... |
| 14 | "Sincerely Yours" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh | 3:15 |
Jerry Butler (singer) Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician... |
| 15 | "Still Lives Through" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte |
3:25 |
A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006... |
| 16 | "Minstrel Show Closing Theme" | 9th Wonder | YahZarah Chris Hardwick |
1:28 |
|
| 17 | "We Got Now" | 9th Wonder | Rapper Big Pooh Phonte Chaundon Chaundon Chaundon is an American hip hop artist from, South Bronx, New York City, who is part of Little Brother's Justus League collective. In 2008 he released his debut album "Carnage" and since has become an internet sensation with his website and his independent music show , as well as his internet blog... |
4:34 |
|
Album Samples Songwriting Credits
Watch Me- "With A Child's Heart" as performed by Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
; written by Victoria Basemore, Henry CosbyHenry CosbyHenry "Hank" R. Cosby was an African American songwriter and record producer for Motown Records...
and Sylvia May
Slow It Down
- "Slow Dance" as performed by David RuffinDavid RuffinDavis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968...
; written by C. Curtis Gadson, Rosslyn Sanders and Rollin Sanders
The Becoming
- "Circles" as performed by Rufus & Chaka Khan; written by Tim Dulaine
Sincerely Yours
- "Whatever Goes Around" as performed by Jerry ButlerJerry Butler (singer)Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician...
; written by T. Callier and L. Wade
Lovin' It
- "One Night Affair" as performed by The StylisticsThe StylisticsThe Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...
; written by R. Joyce, V. Pike and T. Randazzo
Hold On (Tellin' Me) (B-Side of "Lovin' It" single)
- "Sitting On The Edge Of My Mind" as performed by Jermaine JacksonJermaine JacksonJermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
; written by Garfield, Fletcher, O'Hara and O'Hara