A-1 Yola is the tenth solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Esham. It was released on April 19, 2005 through Psychopathic Records, marking the artist's second and final studio album for the label. Recording sessions took place at the Lotus Pod in Detroit. Production was handled by Esham himself, except for two songs produced by Polar Bear and Marc Live. Physical copies of the album were released together with a DVD containing Esham-directed music videos for the majority of its songs.
| A-1 Yola | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 19, 2005 | |||
| Studio | The Lotus Pod (Detroit, MI) | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 1:00:27 | |||
| Label | Psychopathic | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Esham chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
The album debuted at number 176 on the Billboard 200, number 48 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, number 12 on the Independent Albums and number 6 on the Heatseekers Albums in the United States.
Lyrics and music
editAllMusic reviewer wrote: "during the course of A-1 Yola, Esham takes the form of street hustler, kingpin, vampire, and all sorts of underworld characters, injecting his undiluted personality into each three-to-four-minute sketch. His sonic backdrop remains raw but fresh, drawing an impressive amount of energy out of sparse beats".[1] According to Esham, he was sent receipts from fans who claimed that the album's bass-heavy sound blew out subwoofers, fried amplifiers and shattered rear windshields.[2]
Music videos
editThe album came with a bonus DVD which contained music videos for almost all of the album's songs, excluding "Enemies", "Gangsta Dedication" and "?".[2] The video for "Justa Hustler" was reissued on the 2007 Psychopathic Records' DVD Psychopathic: The Videos.[3]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Esham A. Smith
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Since Day One" | Esham | 3:06 |
| 2. | "Turbulence" | Esham | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Bolivia" | Esham | 2:59 |
| 4. | "Bird After Bird" | Esham | 3:39 |
| 5. | "Justa Hustler" (contains the hidden track "Pill Me") | Esham | 6:16 |
| 6. | "Yoca Cola" | Esham | 3:33 |
| 7. | "Fall Into The Fire" | Esham | 3:14 |
| 8. | "Wicket" | Esham | 4:03 |
| 9. | "Enemies" | Esham | 3:12 |
| 10. | "Help Me" | Esham | 3:15 |
| 11. | "Servin'" (contains the hidden track "Full Power") | Esham | 3:57 |
| 12. | "Bangin' Dope" | Esham | 2:40 |
| 13. | "One Hundred" | Polar Bear | 3:43 |
| 14. | "Gangsta Dedication" | Marc Live | 3:16 |
| 15. | "Unhappy" (contains the hidden track "President") | Esham | 3:57 |
| 16. | "?" | Esham | 2:40 |
| 17. | "Smiley Faces" | Esham | 3:20 |
| Total length: | 1:00:27 | ||
Personnel
edit- Esham A. Smith – lyrics, vocals, producer (tracks: 1-12, 15-17), engineering
- Polar Bear – producer (track 13)
- Marc "Marc Live" Giveand – producer (track 14)
Charts
edit| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[4] | 176 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[5] | 48 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[6] | 12 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[7] | 6 |
References
edit- ^ a b "A.1. Yola - Esham | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Smith, Esham A. "Discography". acidrap.com. Reel Life Productions. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
- ^ Psychopathic: The Videos (DVD). Psychopathic Records. ASIN B000WMA6WI. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 7, 2005. p. 51. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 7, 2005. p. 55. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "Top Independent Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 7, 2005. p. 64. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "Top Heatseekers". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 7, 2005. p. 65. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 3, 2024.}