Reel to Reel is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Grand Puba. It was released on October 20, 1992, through Elektra Records. The recording sessions took place at Power Play Studios in Long Island City, at Chung King House of Metal, and at The Hit Factory in New York. The album was produced by Grand Puba, Stimulated Dummies, Anthony Latief King, DJ Shabazz, Kid Capri, and the Brand New Heavies.
| Reel to Reel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 20, 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1991–1992 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 57:37 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer |
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| Grand Puba chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Reel to Reel | ||||
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The album peaked at number 28 on the Billboard 200 and at number 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States.
The album was preceded by two charted singles: "360° (What Goes Around)" and "Check It Out". Its lead single, "360° (What Goes Around)", reached No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 30 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs. The second single, "Check It Out" featuring Mary J. Blige, made it to No. 85 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 13 on the Hot Rap Songs. The album's third single, "Ya Know How It Goes", was released in 1993 and did not make it to any Billboard charts.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
| RapReviews | 8.5/10[4] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
| The Source | [6] |
| USA Today | [7] |
USA Today wrote that "Grand Puba plumbs rap basics: minimal production with scratching, sampling, funky/drum-oriented grooves and Puba's infectious sing-song voice boasting".[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Check tha Resume" | M. Dixon | Grand Puba | 3:51 |
| 2. | "360° (What Goes Around)" |
| Grand Puba | 4:01 |
| 3. | "That's How We Move It" |
| DJ Shabazz | 3:19 |
| 4. | "Check It Out" (featuring Mary J. Blige) |
| Grand Puba | 3:32 |
| 5. | "Big Kids Don't Play" | M. Dixon | Grand Puba | 3:47 |
| 6. | "Honey Don't Front" |
| 4:08 | |
| 7. | "Lick Shot" |
|
| 4:35 |
| 8. | "Ya Know How It Goes" |
| Grand Puba | 4:19 |
| 9. | "Reel to Reel" |
| Grand Puba | 3:57 |
| 10. | "Soul Controller" |
| Latief | 4:25 |
| 11. | "Proper Education" | M. Dixon | Grand Puba | 3:35 |
| 12. | "Back It Up" |
| 3:51 | |
| 13. | "Baby What's Your Name?" | M. Dixon | Grand Puba | 2:54 |
| 14. | "360° (What Goes Around) SD50 Remix" (Bonus track) |
| 4:00 | |
| 15. | "Who Makes the Loot?" (Bonus track) |
|
| 3:23 |
| Total length: | 57:37 | |||
Personnel
edit- Maxwell Dixon – vocals, producer (tracks: 1, 2, 4–9, 11–13), mixing
- Mary J. Blige – vocals (track 4)
- Anton Pukshansky – bass (track 2)
- Roland Parkins – bass & guitar (track 6)
- Clarence Stanley – producer (track 3)
- John 'Geeby' Dajani – producer (tracks: 6, 7), re-mixing (track 14)
- John Gamble – producer & engineering (tracks: 6, 7), re-mixing (track 14)
- Dante Ross – producer (tracks: 6, 7), re-mixing (track 14), executive producer
- Anthony Latief King – producer (track 10)
- David Anthony Love, Jr. – producer (track 12)
- Andrew Levy – producer (track 15)
- Jan Kincaid – producer (track 15)
- Simon Bartholomew – producer (track 15)
- Orlando Aguillen – co-producer (track 15)
- Rob Sutton – engineering (tracks: 1–4, 8, 13)
- Vaughn Sessions – engineering (tracks: 5, 9–13)
- Showtyme – assistant engineering (tracks: 3, 5, 8–12)
- Jack Hersca – assistant engineering (tracks: 6, 7)
- Herb Powers, Jr. – mastering
- Carol Bobolts – design
- Mark Seliger – photography
Charts
edit| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[8] | 28 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 14 |
References
edit- ^ Swihart, Stanton. "Reel to Reel Grand Puba". AllMusic. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 121. ISBN 0-312-24560-2 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Bernard, James (October 30, 1992). "Reel to Reel". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
- ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (September 29, 2020). "Grand Puba Reel to Reel". RapReviews. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon and Schuster. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8 – via Google Books.
- ^ Romain, Louis "ATCO" (December 1992). "Record Report: Grand Puba – Reel to Reel". The Source. No. 39. New York. pp. 70, 72. Archived from the original on January 25, 2000. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Jones IV, James T. (Sep 24, 1992). "Soul, soundtracks and new jack". USA Today. p. 4D.
- ^ "Grand Puba Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
- ^ "Grand Puba Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
External links
edit- Grand Puba – Reel To Reel at Discogs (list of releases)