High Times is the third studio album by American rapper Young Dro. The album was released on October 15, 2013, by Grand Hustle Records and eOne Music.[1] The album features guest appearances from Forgeeauto, Mac Boney, T.I., Spodee, Problem, Natasha Mosley, Blu June, Doe B and Miloh Smith. The album was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, and debuted at number 57 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
| High Times | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 15, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2012–2013 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 55:48 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Young Dro chronology | ||||
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| Singles from High Times | ||||
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Release and promotion
editOn June 17, 2013, Young Dro released the mixtape Day Two in promotion for the album.[2] On July 10, 2013, Young Dro announced he would be releasing his second studio album titled High Times in October 2013.[3] On September 18, 2013, the album cover was released and it was announced that the album would be released on October 15, 2013.[4] On September 30, 2013, the track listing was released revealing guest appearances on the album from Forgeeauto, Mac Boney, T.I., Spodee, Problem, Natasha Mosley, Blu June, Doe B and Miloh Smith.[5]
On March 28, 2013, the album's first single "FDB" was released.[6] On May 30, 2013, the music video was released for "FDB".[7] On August 26, 2013, the "FDB" (Remix) featuring DJ Drama, French Montana, T.I. and Trinidad James was released.[8] On August 28, 2013, a second "FDB" (Remix) was released featuring B.o.B, Wale and Chief Keef.[9] On September 30, 2013, the album's second single "Strong" was released.[10] On November 14, 2013, the remix to "Strong" featuring 2 Chainz was released.[11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [12] |
| XXL | 3/5 (L)[13] |
High Times was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. David Jeffries of AllMusic gave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "Dro is mainstream street and not as odd as his backbeats with lines like 'I'm in the hotel with two lesbians, where the fuck you all at?', being the kind of brazen baller talk that the rapper considers his comfort zone, but he slings slang, slurs words, and uses his Atlanta drawl to stretch insults into lazy putdowns that are devastating, so take all that into account. Take high-caliber kiss-offs like the guitar-crunching 'Hammer Time' ('If a n*gga think he better, I forgive him') and 'I'm Cold' ('I got money like the Clampetts, Jethro') into account as well, and think of High Times as a narrow, approachable, and no-crossover type of album, plus a good reason to go searching the Young Dro mixtape section at your neighborhood bootlegger or local Internet."[12] Dave William of XXL gave the album an L, saying "The tape leaves you with a number of enjoyable moments, like [...] 'Odds', and 'FDB' as well as the buddy-buddy Doe-B featuring record 'Homeboyz' and a stone cold, guitar-driven track by the name of 'Hammer Time'. Hip-hop fans are lucky to have a wide swath of artists experimenting with new sounds, evolving into grown ups, and collaborating with producers and artists of other genres, but we're equally blessed to have folks like Young Dro. That is, the same Dro you grew to enjoy when you first met him when he first introduced us to shoulder leanin' and 'pimpin' in linen and salamander sandals'."[13]
Commercial performance
editThe album debuted at number 57 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 6,000 copies in the United States.[14]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Odds" (featuring Forgeeauto and Mac Boney) |
| 5:07 |
| 2. | "Power Up" | Lil' C | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Strong" | DJ Mustard | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Bad Bitch" (featuring T.I., Spodee and Problem) | Smash Factory | 4:32 |
| 5. | "FDB" | FKi | 3:40 |
| 6. | "Djuan & Spodee" (featuring Spodee) |
| 4:31 |
| 7. | "Hammer Time" (featuring Spodee) | Stroud | 4:05 |
| 8. | "Hello" (featuring Natasha Mosley) |
| 3:35 |
| 9. | "Nope" (featuring T.I.) |
| 4:23 |
| 10. | "Take You There" (featuring Natasha Mosley) |
| 2:48 |
| 11. | "I’m Cold" | She'ksphere | 3:55 |
| 12. | "Free Fall" (featuring Blu June) | Stroud | 4:18 |
| 13. | "Homeboyz" (featuring Doe B) | Ronnie D | 4:42 |
| 14. | "Corner Boys" (featuring Miloh Smith) | Stroud | 3:43 |
Chart positions
edit| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[15] | 57 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[16] | 13 |
References
edit- ^ "High Times: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ "New Mixtape: Young Dro Day Two". Rap Radar. 2013-06-17. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ Attia, Amir (2013-07-10). "Young Dro "High Tymes" Release Date". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ "Young Dro High Times Cover". Rap Radar. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ "UPDATE: Young Dro Reveals 'High Times' Cover Art & Track List - XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ "iTunes - Music - FDB - Single by Young Dro". Itunes.apple.com. 2013-03-28. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ "Young Dro - "F.D.B."". HipHop DX. 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ "New Music: Young Dro Ft. DJ Drama, French Montana, T.I. & Trinidad James "FDB (Remix)"". Rap Radar. 2013-08-26. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ "New Music: Young Dro Ft. B.o.B., Wale, Chief Keef "FDB (Remix)"". Rap Radar. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ^ "iTunes - Music - Strong - Single by Young Dro". Itunes.apple.com. 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ Ortiz, Edwin (2013-11-14). "Young Dro and 2 Chainz Say No to Bammer on "Strong" Remix". Complex. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
- ^ a b David Jeffries. "High Times - Young Dro | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
- ^ a b "Young Dro Doesn't Mess With His Formula On 'High Times'". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- ^ Tardio, Andres (2013-10-23). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 10/20/2013". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
- ^ "Young Dro Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Young Dro Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.