War Zone (album)
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| War Zone | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 23, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | |||
| Studio | D&D (New York City) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 1:01:12 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Black Moon chronology | ||||
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| Singles from War Zone | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Los Angeles Times | [2] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[3] |
| Rolling Stone |  [4] |
| The Source | [5] |
War Zone is the second album by American hip hop trio Black Moon. It was released on February 23, 1999,[6] through Duck Down/Priority Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York City. Production was entirely handled by Da Beatminerz, who also served as executive producers together with Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman and member Buckshot. It features guest appearances from Busta Rhymes, Heather B., Louieville Sluggah, M.O.P., Q-Tip, Rock, Smif-N-Wessun and Teflon. The album peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200 and number 9 on the Top R&B Albums. It was supported by two singles: "Two Turntables & a Mic" and "Worldwind (This Is What It Sounds Like) (Remix)".
The album was released almost six years after its influential debut Enta da Stage. The group began a lengthy legal battle with Nervous Records in 1995 over the licensing of their name, which finally settled soon before the release of War Zone. Though many of the albums released from the Boot Camp Clik family between 1997 and 1999 received mediocre reviews, War Zone garnered some strong acclaim and moderate sales. Member 5ft, who only appeared on three tracks on Enta da Stage, provides verses on six songs.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | Kenyatta Blake | 0:43 |
| 2. | "The Onslaught" (featuring Busta Rhymes) | 3:53 | |
| 3. | "War Zone" | 3:21 | |
| 4. | "This Is What It Sounds Like (Worldwind)" |
| 4:39 |
| 5. | "Freestyle" |
| 3:36 |
| 6. | "Five" (Interlude) | Reid | 1:13 |
| 7. | "For All Y'all" (featuring Heather B.) |
| 4:40 |
| 8. | "Come Get Some" (featuring Louieville Sluggah) |
| 5:00 |
| 9. | "Weight of the World" |
| 3:29 |
| 10. | "Evil Dee Is on the Mix" | E. Dewgarde | 0:59 |
| 11. | "Show Down" (featuring Q-Tip) |
| 3:41 |
| 12. | "One-Two" |
| 3:43 |
| 13. | "Frame" (featuring Cocoa Brovaz) |
| 3:59 |
| 14. | "Buckshot (Interlude)" | Blake | 1:11 |
| 15. | "Two Turntables & A Mic" |
| 3:56 |
| 16. | "Annihilation" (featuring M.O.P. and Teflon) |
| 4:08 |
| 17. | "Duress" |
| 4:00 |
| 18. | "Throw Your Hands in the Air" |
| 4:19 |
| 19. | "Outro" (featuring Rock) | Bush | 0:42 |
| Total length: | 1:01:12 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20. | "The Streets" |
| 3:09 |
| 21. | "Just Us" |
| 5:37 |
| Total length: | 1:09:59 | ||
- Sample credits
- Track 2 contains a sample from "How Do Yeaw View You?" written by George Clinton, William Collins and Bernard Worrell
- Track 4 contains a sample from "The Day" written by Manos Hadjidakis and Brian Corrigan
- Track 5 contains a sample from "N.T." written by Kool & the Gang and "Dead On It Part II" written by James Brown and Fred Wesley
- Track 12 contains a sample from "A Divine Image" written by David Axelrod
- Track 15 contains a sample from "Heartbeat" written by Kenton Nix
- Track 17 contains a sample from "General Confessional" written by Danvid Axelrod
- Track 18 contains a sample from "We People Who Are Darker Than Blue" written by Curtis Mayfield
Personnel
[edit]- Kenyatta "Buckshot" Blake – main artist, lead vocals, executive producer, liner notes
- Kaseem "5ft" Reid – main artist, vocals (tracks: 3, 6, 7, 9, 12, 16), liner notes
- Ewart "DJ Evil Dee" Dewgrade – main artist, scratches, producer, executive producer, liner notes
| Guest musicians
| Technical
|
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 35 |
| US Top R&B Albums (Billboard)[8] | 9 |
Singles chart positions
[edit]| Year | Song | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rap | ||
| 1999 | "Two Turntables & a Mic" | 82 | – |
| "This Is What It Sounds Like (Worldwind)" (Remix) | – | 13 | |
References
[edit]- ^ Farley, Keith. "War Zone - Black Moon | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ Baker, Soren (April 11, 1999). "In Brief: Black Moon, "War Zone"". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (March 21, 1999). "Black Moon :: War Zone :: Duck Down". RapReviews. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ Ex, Kris (April 15, 1999). "Tiny Terrors". Recordings. Rolling Stone. No. 810. p. 107. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ Morales, Rigo "Riggs" (March 1999). "Buckshot, 5ft & Evil Dee – War Zone". Record Report. The Source. No. 114. New York. pp. 193–194.
- ^ Auerbach, Evan (September 25, 2013). "The Choice Is Yours: 10 Great Rap Release Dates Of The 1990s". NPR. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Chart: Week of April 3, 1999". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 14. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 3, 1999. p. 41. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
External links
[edit]- Black Moon – War Zone at Discogs (list of releases)
