Seven & Seven (MC Lyte album)

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Seven & Seven
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 18, 1998 (1998-08-18)
Recorded1997–1998
Studio
GenreHip hop
Length1:17:19
LabelEast West
Producer
MC Lyte chronology
Badder Than B-Fore
(1997)
Seven & Seven
(1998)
The Very Best of MC Lyte
(2001)
Singles from Seven & Seven
  1. "I Can't Make a Mistake"
    Released: 1998
  2. "It's All Yours"
    Released: 1998

Seven & Seven is the sixth studio album by American rapper MC Lyte, released on August 18, 1998, by East West Records.

Recording and release

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Recording sessions took place at Electric Lady Studios, Quad Recording Studios, Record Plant, 2 Ton Sound, Chung King Studios, Unique Recording Studios and First Priority Labs in New York City, Capitol Studios and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, The Hit Factory and East Digital/Einstein Lab. Production was handled by Milk Dee, Missy Elliott, Giovanni Salah, The Neptunes, Peter Panic, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Marc Kinchen, LL Cool J, Ralph Roundtree, Trackmasters, L.E.S., with co-producers the Dynamic Duo and Royal Krush, and additional producer Sprague "Doogie" Williams. It features guest appearances from Beenie Man, Gina Thompson, Giovanni Salah, Inaya Day, La India, Milk Dee, Missy Elliott, Mocha, Nicci Gilbert, Pamela Long, Space Nine and D Knowledge.

At the time of the album's recording, MC Lyte was also acting for the thriller film Train Ride. According to MC Lyte, the album's title references "a perfect number" twice. She also considered it "an introspective number, which means I looked inside for this album. I didn’t feel pressured by the hip-hop world to do a particular kind of album. I just let the music speak to me and talked about what came naturally."[1]

In the United States, the album did not reach the Billboard 200, however it peaked at number 71 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also made it to number 87 in Germany. Both of its singles, "I Can't Make a Mistake" and "It's All Yours", gained minor success in the UK Singles Chart, landing at No. 46 and 36, respectively.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert Christgau(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)[3]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
The Source[5]
Tom HullA-[6]

Rolling Stone described Seven & Seven as "the hardest, smartest, funniest female rap album of 1998; it’s full of memorable anecdotes, graceful beats and tasteful samples".[1]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."In My Business"
4:23
2."Too Fly" (featuring Pamela Long)
  • Moorer
  • Elliott
  • Donald Holmes
  • Gerard Thomas
  • Missy Elliott
  • Dynamic Duo (co.)
4:18
3."This Emcee (Interlude)"Milk Dee2:09
4."Top Billin'" (featuring Milk Dee)RobinsonMilk Dee2:50
5."Give Me What I Want"
Marc Kinchen4:21
6."Woo Woo (Freak Out)" (featuring Nicci Gilbert)
4:34
7."Playgirls Play"
3:53
8."Put It on You"
Poke & Tone4:04
9."Propa" (featuring Beenie Man)
  • Giovanni Salah
  • Royal Krush (co.)
4:12
10."It's All Yours" (featuring Gina Thompson)The Neptunes4:41
11."I Can't Make a Mistake"
  • Moorer
  • Williams
  • Hugo
The Neptunes3:51
12."Want What I Got" (featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Mocha)
  • Moorer
  • Elliott
  • Missy Elliott
  • Dynamic Duo (co.)
3:47
13."Oogie Boogie"
Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence4:18
14."Party Goin' On" (featuring Inaya Day)
  • Moorer
  • Peter Pottinger
  • James Bedford
Peter Panic4:17
15."Break It Down" (featuring La India and Giovanni Salah)
  • Moorer
  • Salah
Giovanni Salah3:50
16."Closer" (featuring Spice Nine)
  • Moorer
  • Tracey Selden
  • Williams
  • Hugo
The Neptunes4:21
17."Radio's Nightmare (Interlude)"MoorerGiovanni Salah0:53
18."My Time"
  • Moorer
  • Salah
  • Markita Ferguson
  • Blue Velvet
  • Red Sonia
  • Scarlet
  • Violet Ruby
  • Leshan Lewis
  • Olivier
  • Barnes
  • David Matthews
L.E.S.3:23
19."Assaholic Anonymous (Interlude)" (featuring D Knowledge)
  • Tom Boruch
  • Brian Stephens
Milk Dee1:16
20."King of Rock"
  • Moorer
  • Robinson
Milk Dee2:22
21."Better Place"
Peter Panic5:36
Total length:1:17:19
Sample credits

Charts

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Chart (1998) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 87
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[8] 71

References

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  1. ^ a b Raub, Kevin (August 13, 1998). "Catching Up With MC Lyte". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  2. ^ Stanley, Leo. "MC Lyte - Seven & Seven Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (November 3, 1998). "Consumer Guide". Village Voice. Retrieved February 17, 2024 – via www.robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 526. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Williams, Felicia A. (October 1998). "Record Report: MC Lyte – Seven & Seven". The Source. No. 109. New York. p. 222.
  6. ^ Hull, Tom. "Tom Hull: Grade List: MC Lyte". tomhull.com. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – MC Lyte – Seven & Seven" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  8. ^ "MC Lyte Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
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