Still Brazy
Still Brazy is the second studio album by American rapper YG. It was made available for streaming on June 14, 2016, by Apple Music. Later, it was released physically for the digital download purchases on June 17, 2016, by 4Hunnid Records, CTE World and Def Jam Recordings. The album features production handled by Swish, P-Lo, Terrace Martin, Larrance Dopson, CT Beats, Ty Dolla Sign and Hit-Boy, while YG enlisted the collaborators such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Nipsey Hussle and Slim 400, among others.
| Still Brazy | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 14, 2016 | |||
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| Length | 47:50 | |||
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| Singles from Still Brazy | ||||
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Still Brazy was supported by three singles: "Twist My Fingaz", "FDT" and "Why You Always Hatin?" The album received widespread acclaim from critics and debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, earning 38,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Promotion
To promote the album release, YG released the track, "I Wanna Benz", was released on December 12, 2015. The song features guest appearances from American rappers Nipsey Hussle and 50 Cent, with production was provided by London on da Track. The track also premiered by Oliver El-Khatib on the twelfth episode of OVO Sound Radio.[3] The album was made available for streaming on June 14, 2016.[4] Later, it was released physically for the digital download purchases on June 17.[5][6]
Singles
The lead single from the album, "Twist My Fingaz", was released on July 16, 2015.[7] The song was produced by Terrace Martin.[8]
The second single from the album, "FDT" (stylized for "Fuck Donald Trump"), was released on March 30, 2016.[9][10] The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Nipsey Hussle, with production was provided by Swish.[8] Much of the original lyrics in the single version was censored and replaced with newer verses on the album, after YG revealed the government contacted his label regarding the song.[11] On July 20, 2016, YG released a remixed version of the track, "FDT Part 2". The song features guest appearances from American rappers G-Eazy and Macklemore.[12]
The third single from the album, "Why You Always Hatin?", was released on May 21, 2016. The song premiered by Oliver El-Khatib on OVO Sound Radio.[13] The song features guest appearances from Canadian rapper Drake and American rapper Kamaiyah, with production was handled by CT Beats.[8]
Promotional singles
The album's first promotional single, "Still Brazy", was released on June 3, 2016, alone with an accompanied music video.[14] The track was produced by Ty Dolla Sign and Swish.[8]
The album's second promotional single, "Word Is Bond", was released on July 29, 2016, alone with an accompanied music video.[15] The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Slim 400, with production was handled by P-Lo.[8]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10[16] |
| Metacritic | 83/100[17] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [18] |
| Consequence of Sound | B+[1] |
| Crack Magazine | 8/10[19] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[20] |
| HipHopDX | 4.2/5[21] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[2] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[22] |
| Slant Magazine | [23] |
| Spin | 8/10[24] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | 4/5[25] |
Still Brazy was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 83, based on 14 reviews.[17] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[16]
David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "A heavy album that doesn't pander to what's PC, what's on the radio, or what safe, suburban America believes."[18] Martín Caballero of The Boston Globe said, "Here, it's less about what Y.G. does than how he does it; digging deeper into vintage G-funk flavors with a blend of personal, party, and political tracks, the young Compton rapper takes a sizzling step forward."[26] Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound said, "It's full of the kind of warm G-funk that never fails to transport you to the part of the country it belongs to."[1] Exclaim!'s Themistoklis Alexis gave the album a positive review, writing that it succeeds in "evoking the crown jewels of West Coast hip-hop royalty."[20] Trent Clark of HipHopDX said, "Still Brazy is a testament that real-life experience breeds the best music but we can do without the shootouts from this point on."[21]
Grant Rindner of PopMatters said, "No one out there is crafting visceral street tales like he is, and if he could just trim his track lists a bit, he has the talent to make a gangster rap classic in the future."[22] Patrick Taylor of RapReviews said, "While most of the album is concerned with asserting that YG is still a G despite his fame, it closes with a trio of protest songs."[27] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said, "Still Brazy is an artisanal, proletarian Los Angeles gangster rap record, less tribute to the sound's golden age than a full-throated and wholly absorbed recitation."[28] Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork said, "Still Brazy solidifies YG as a torch-bearer for west coast gangster rap."[2] Sam C. Mac of Slant Magazine said, "Make no mistake—musically and lyrically, this is an expansion."[23] Drew Millard of Spin said, "YG has gone and done himself one better, creating a record that stands tall alongside the full-lengths he once mined."[24]
Accolades
Commercial performance
Still Brazy debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, earning 38,000 album-equivalent units, (including 28,000 copies in pure albums sales) in its first week.[38] It marked YG's second top ten debut on the chart.[38] On July 22, 2020, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States.[39]
Track listing
Credits were adapted from the album's liner notes.[8]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pops Hot Intro" | Ulysses Jackson | 0:14 | |
| 2. | "Don't Come to LA" (featuring Sad Boy, A.D. and Bricc Baby) |
| Swish | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Who Shot Me?" |
| Swish | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Word Is Bond" (featuring Slim 400) |
| P-Lo | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Twist My Fingaz" | Martin | 4:14 | |
| 6. | "Good Times Interlude" (featuring Syke 800, Duce, Marley Blu and Burnt Out) |
| 0:38 | |
| 7. | "Gimmie Got Shot" |
| Swish | 2:46 |
| 8. | "I Got a Question" (featuring Lil Wayne) |
| 3:38 | |
| 9. | "Why You Always Hatin?" (featuring Drake and Kamaiyah) |
| 3:16 | |
| 10. | "My Perception" (featuring Slim 400) | Cohran | 0:14 | |
| 11. | "Bool, Balm & Bollective" |
| Martin | 3:35 |
| 12. | "She Wish She Was" (featuring Joe Moses and Jay 305) |
| Dopson | 3:57 |
| 13. | "YG Be Safe" (featuring The Homegirl) | Traysha Williams | 0:03 | |
| 14. | "Still Brazy" |
|
| 3:22 |
| 15. | "FDT" (featuring Nipsey Hussle) |
| Swish | 3:46 |
| 16. | "Blacks & Browns" (featuring Sad Boy) |
| P-Lo | 4:10 |
| 17. | "Police Get Away wit Murder" |
| Hit-Boy | 3:19 |
| Total length: | 47:50 | |||
Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
- ^[b] signifies an additional producer
- "Who Shot Me?" contains additional vocals by Chelsea Davis, Knock Squared, and Paloma Ford
- "Gimmie Got Shot" contains additional vocals by Nano and Tanea
Personnel
Credits for Still Brazy adapted from AllMusic.[40]
- Jay 305 – featured artist
- Zachary Acosta – mixing assistant
- AD – featured artist
- Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mixing
- Matt Anthony – engineer
- Bricc Baby – featured artist
- Marley Blu – featured artist
- Dee Brown – engineer
- Matt Burnette-Lemon – package design
- Burnt Out – featured artist
- Miriah Renee Carey – vocals
- Steve Carless – executive producer
- Vincent Cohran – vocals
- Dashone Wright – vocals
- Chelsea Davis – vocals
- Neil Denning – engineer
- Larrance Dopson – keyboards
- Drake – featured artist
- Duce – featured artist
- Paloma Ford – vocals
- Kenneth Gayton – vocals
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Tyquan Givens – vocals
- Hit-Boy – producer
- The Homegirl – featured artist
- Nipsey Hussle – featured artist
- Keenon Jackson – executive producer
- Ulysses Jackson – vocals
- Brandon Jones – vocals
- Kamaiyah – additional production, featured artist
- Nye Lee Jr. – assistant executive producer, vocals
- Ro Lexx – photography
- Lil' Wayne – featured artist
- Travis Margis – engineer
- Terrace Martin – keyboards, producer
- Marquis Medina – vocals
- Mike Miller – cover photo
- Brandon Moore – keyboards
- Joe Moses – featured artist
- Caroline Bentley Noble – vocals
- P-Lo – producer
- Adam Pena – engineer
- Sad Boy – featured artist
- Sickamore – executive producer
- Slim 400 – featured artist
- Knock Squared – vocals
- Swish – keyboards, producer
- Syke 800 – featured artist
- Ty Dolla Sign – producer
- Marlon Williams – guitar
- Traysha Williams – vocals
- YG – primary artist, vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[39] | Gold | 500,000 |
| Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ a b c Madden, Michael (July 22, 2016). "YG – Still Brazy". Consequence of Sound. from the original on July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ a b c Pearce, Sheldon (June 21, 2016). "YG: Still Brazy". Pitchfork. from the original on June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ Walker, Angus (December 12, 2015). "YG – I Wanna Benz Feat. Nipsey Hussle & 50 Cent (Prod. By London On Da Track) [New Song]". hotnewhiphop. from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "YG on Twitter". Twitter. from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^ "Still Brazy [Deluxe Edition]". Amazon. from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ "Still Brazy (Deluxe) by YG on iTunes". iTunes Store. June 17, 2016. from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (July 16, 2015). "YG Does His West Coast Dance on 'Twist My Fingaz'". The Boombox. from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Still Brazy (CD liner notes). YG. Def Jam Recordings. 2016. 92570-1.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Frydenlund, Zach (March 30, 2016). "Nipsey Hussle and YG Take Aim at Donald Trump on "FDT"". Complex. from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (March 30, 2016). "YG, Nipsey Hussle Proclaim 'F--- Donald Trump' on New Song". Rolling Stone. from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Hernandez, Victoria (April 26, 2016). "Secret Service Threatening Censorship On YG After 'Fuck Donald Trump'". HipHopDX. from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ McCormick, Luke (July 20, 2016). "YG Recruits Macklemore And G-Eazy For "FDT (Fuck Donald Trump) Part 2"". The Fader. from the original on July 23, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Hill, John. "LISTEN TO YG'S BRAND NEW SONG "WHY YOU ALWAYS HATIN?" FEATURING DRAKE AND KAMAIYAH". Vice. from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Goddard, Kevin (June 3, 2016). "YG – Still Brazy". HotNewHipHop. from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ "Video: YG feat. Slim 400 – 'Word Is Bond'". Rap-Up. June 29, 2016. from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ a b "Still Brazy by YG reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Still Brazy by YG". Metacritic. from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Still Brazy – YG". AllMusic. from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ Suarez, Gary. "YG – Still Brazy". Crack Magazine. from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ a b Alexis, Themistoklis (June 17, 2016). "YG: Still Brazy". Exclaim!. from the original on June 28, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ a b Clark, Trent (July 1, 2016). "YG – Still Brazy Review". HipHopDX. from the original on July 3, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Rindner, Grant (August 30, 2016). "YG: Still Brazy". PopMatters. from the original on September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
- ^ a b Mac, Sam C. (June 17, 2016). "YG: Still Brazy". Slant Magazine. from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
- ^ a b Millard, Drew (June 15, 2016). "Review: YG Is 'Still Brazy' After All These Years". Spin. from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^ Henderson, Nick. "YG – Still Brazy". Tiny Mix Tapes. from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ Caballero, Martín (June 15, 2016). "LA rapper Y.G. sells swagger and menace on 'Still Brazy'". The Boston Globe. from the original on June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ Taylor, Patrick (August 30, 2016). "YG :: Still Brazy :: Def Jam". RapReviews. from the original on September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (June 15, 2016). "Review: YG's 'Still Brazy' Has the First Great Protest Song of the Election Season". The New York Times. from the original on June 20, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
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- ^ a b "American album certifications – YG – Still Brazy". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
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