| Life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 13, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2002–03 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 60:30 | |||
| Label | TVT | |||
| Yo Gotti chronology | ||||
| ||||
Life is the fourth studio album by American rapper Yo Gotti.[1] It was released on May 13, 2003, by TVT Records, serving as Yo Gotti's major-label debut and first studio release with TVT.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
Allmusic writer Jason Birchmeier awarded the album three stars and described it as "typical of the genre".[2] Matt Gonzales of PopMatters also gave the album a lukewarm review, viewing Yo Gotti as "lyrically indistinguishable from a sea of bitter, street-hustling rappers exactly like himself".[3] Geoff Harkness, writing for The Pitch saw merit in Gotti's lyrics, but opined that "the played-out beats, the hoary "Dirty South" shout-outs and Gotti's perfunctory delivery ... hinder the album beyond repair."[4] The Memphis Flyer commented on the "vintage Def Jam-style production" and "facility with R&B hooks", and viewed the album as revealing "a wider range of musical and emotional options than is usually heard on Memphis rap records".[5] The New York Times' Kelefa Sanneh, reviewing his next album, described Life as "an uncelebrated gem".[6] Several reviewers commented on the cover art, with Gonzales stating that from the cover the album could be mistaken "for a Wayans Brothers project skewering the worn-out conventions of hardcore rap".[3] Harkness described the cover showing Yo Gotti "surrounded by snazzy cars, diamond-encrusted hubcaps and a flurry of $100 bills -- not exactly indicators that songs about the current political climate or uplifting one's spiritual self will be found inside."[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | 3:56 |
| 2. | "All I Ever Wanted to Do" (featuring Kia Shine) | 4:03 |
| 3. | "Sell My Dope" | 4:24 |
| 4. | "Dirty South Soldiers" (featuring Lil Jon) | 4:57 |
| 5. | "Reppin' North Memphis" | 3:06 |
| 6. | "Str8 from da North" | 4:35 |
| 7. | "Get Down" (featuring Lil' Flip) | 4:12 |
| 8. | "After I Fuck Ya Bitch (Remix)" | 4:37 |
| 9. | "Entering the Game" | 3:52 |
| 10. | "Life" | 4:07 |
| 11. | "9 to 5" | 3:17 |
| 12. | "Breakaman" (featuring Kia Shine) | 4:22 |
| 13. | "Shake It" (featuring Rich Burn) | 2:56 |
| 14. | "Look at Old Girl" (featuring Block Burnaz) | 4:50 |
| 15. | "On da Grind" | 3:22 |
| 16. | "U Understand" | 4:53 |
| 17. | "Mr. Tell It" | 4:49 |
| 18. | "Dirty South Soldiers (Rap Hustlaz Remix)" (featuring Lil Jon, V-Slash and Kia Shine) | 5:38 |
| 19. | "Pop Kone" (featuring Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz) | 3:44 |
References
- ↑ "Life: Yo Gotti: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
- 1 2 Life at AllMusic Allmusic review
- 1 2 Gonzales, Matt (2003) "Yo Gotti Life", PopMatters, 21 October 2003, retrieved 2010-01-31
- 1 2 Harkness, Geoff (2003) "Yo Gotti Life", The Pitch, July 31, 2003, retrieved 2010-01-31
- ↑ "Hear This: Al Green, Memphix, and Yo Gotti helped lead the way in Memphis music for 2003", Memphis Flyer, January 1, 2004, retrieved 2010-01-31
- ↑ Sanneh, Kelefa (2006) "Critics' Choice: New CDs", New York Times, May 22, 2006, retrieved 2010-01-31