The Shining (Violent J album)
Encyclopedia
The Shining is the second solo album
of American
rapper
Joseph Bruce
, better known as Violent J. Released on April 28, 2009, it is the rapper's first full-length album and second solo release, following the extended play
Wizard of the Hood
. A music video for "Jealousy" was released on May 2009.
states that he was not interested in developing a career as a solo performer, "but it was my turn at bat, and I wanted to deliver for any Violent J fans that might be out there". Unlike Wizard of the Hood
, The Shining does not focus on a single concept or storyline, but instead focuses on multiple stories, themes, and subjects. The title of the album refers to charisma and confidence.
Bruce attempted to provide a variance for listeners by performing with different rapping
styles on each track. Mike E. Clark
produced the majority of the album, with Eric Davie providing additional production work. "Fight Club" features guest appearances by Esham
and Necro. "Home Invasion" features an appearance by Shaggy 2 Dope
. "Candyland" was developed during long late night recording sessions with Esham.
as a whole, Bruce decided to give away free copies of an early version of the album to those that attended the ninth annual Gathering of the Juggalos seminar.
Due to popular demand, it was announced that Psychopathic Records
would release the album nationwide, and it was also given its final title. According to Bruce, the final version of the album is significantly different from the pre-release version, and features improved sound quality, in addition to four new songs not present on the pre-release version. The album was released on Bruce's 37th birthday.
Top Independent Albums chart, #14 on the Top Rap Albums chart, #28 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart and #48 on the Billboard 200
, with 10,000 copies sold in its first week.
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Joseph Bruce
Joseph Bruce
Joseph Frank "Joe" Bruce is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler and actor. Bruce is most commonly known as Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse . He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Joseph Utsler and their former manager,...
, better known as Violent J. Released on April 28, 2009, it is the rapper's first full-length album and second solo release, following the extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Wizard of the Hood
Wizard of the Hood
Wizard of the Hood is the second EP by Violent J. Released in 2003, it is the Insane Clown Posse member's first solo release. The EP is a concept album based upon The Wizard of Oz, which is retold in an urban setting.-Plot:...
. A music video for "Jealousy" was released on May 2009.
Production
Joseph BruceJoseph Bruce
Joseph Frank "Joe" Bruce is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler and actor. Bruce is most commonly known as Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse . He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Joseph Utsler and their former manager,...
states that he was not interested in developing a career as a solo performer, "but it was my turn at bat, and I wanted to deliver for any Violent J fans that might be out there". Unlike Wizard of the Hood
Wizard of the Hood
Wizard of the Hood is the second EP by Violent J. Released in 2003, it is the Insane Clown Posse member's first solo release. The EP is a concept album based upon The Wizard of Oz, which is retold in an urban setting.-Plot:...
, The Shining does not focus on a single concept or storyline, but instead focuses on multiple stories, themes, and subjects. The title of the album refers to charisma and confidence.
Bruce attempted to provide a variance for listeners by performing with different rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
styles on each track. Mike E. Clark
Mike E. Clark
Mike Earl Clark is an American record producer and DJ from Detroit, Michigan currently signed to Hatchet House.Clark is best known for his work with Insane Clown Posse, for which he has produced nine studio albums...
produced the majority of the album, with Eric Davie providing additional production work. "Fight Club" features guest appearances by Esham
Esham
Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...
and Necro. "Home Invasion" features an appearance by Shaggy 2 Dope
Joseph Utsler
Joseph William "Joey" Utsler is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, professional wrestler and actor. Utsler is known as Shaggy 2 Dope of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Joseph Bruce and...
. "Candyland" was developed during long late night recording sessions with Esham.
Release
The album was originally intended to be released in October 2008, followed by a 20 plus date solo tour across the country. Due to his dislike of touring solo, and wanting to focus more on Insane Clown PosseInsane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
as a whole, Bruce decided to give away free copies of an early version of the album to those that attended the ninth annual Gathering of the Juggalos seminar.
Due to popular demand, it was announced that Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records, also known as "The Hatchet", is an American independent record label based in Farmington Hills, Michigan that specializes in hip hop music. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse....
would release the album nationwide, and it was also given its final title. According to Bruce, the final version of the album is significantly different from the pre-release version, and features improved sound quality, in addition to four new songs not present on the pre-release version. The album was released on Bruce's 37th birthday.
Reception
The Shining peaked at #5 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Independent Albums chart, #14 on the Top Rap Albums chart, #28 on the 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...
chart and #48 on the 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...
, with 10,000 copies sold in its first week.
Track listing
| # | Title | Time | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Producer(s) | Recorded at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Intro" | 2:01 | Violent J Eric Davie |
Violent J | Violent J Eric Davie Akuma |
The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 2 | "Wake Up" | 3:50 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J | Mike E. Clark | FunHouse Studios |
| 3 | "Fight Club" | 3:27 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J Necro Esham Esham Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and... |
Mike E. Clark | FunHouse Studios |
| 4 | "When I Rap" | 2:05 | Violent J Eric Davie |
Violent J | Violent J Eric Davie Akuma |
The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 5 | "Candy Land" | 4:00 | Violent J Esham |
Violent J Esham |
Violent J Mike E. Clark |
FunHouse Studios |
| 6 | "Get Out The Way" | 3:03 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J | Mike E. Clark | The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 7 | "14 Year Old" | 4:03 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J | Mike E. Clark | The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 8 | "I Get Mad" | 3:32 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J | Mike E Clark | The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 9 | "Faster" | 4:22 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J | Mike E Clark | The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 10 | "Jealousy" | 3:25 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J Razor Ray |
Mike E. Clark | FunHouse Studios |
| 11 | "Home Invasion" | 4:03 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J Shaggy 2 Dope Joseph Utsler Joseph William "Joey" Utsler is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, professional wrestler and actor. Utsler is known as Shaggy 2 Dope of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Joseph Bruce and... |
Mike E. Clark | The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 12 | "4 The Hoes" | 2:50 | Violent J Eric Davie |
Violent J | Violent J Eric Davie Akuma |
The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 13 | "Pyromaniac" | 3:37 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J | Mike E. Clark | The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 14 | "Let It Go" | 3:16 | Violent J Mike E. Clark |
Violent J | Mike E Clark | The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
| 15 | "Freeway Killer" | 5:16 | Violent J Mike E Clark |
Violent J | Mike E Clark | The Cabin in the Woods Studio |
Chart positions
| Chart (2009) | 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... |
48 |
| Top Independent Albums | 5 |
| Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 28 |
| Top Rap Albums | 14 |