League of My Own II is the third studio album by British rapper Chip. It was released on 11 August 2017 by Cash Motto Limited.[1] The album is the sequel to Chip's breakthrough mixtape League of My Own (2007) and marks its 10-year anniversary. It is Chip's first album in six years since Transition (2011) and parting ways with Sony Music. League of My Own II includes guest appearances from Giggs, Ghetts, Jme, Wiley, Donae'o, D Double E and Loick Essien, among others, as well as production from Dready, Swifta Beater and The Fanatix.
| League of My Own II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 11 August 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–17 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 64:12 | |||
| Label | Cash Motto | |||
| Producer |
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| Chip chronology | ||||
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| Singles from League of My Own II | ||||
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Background edit
After the release of his second album, Transition (2011), Chip was released from his record label and was signed to American hip hop recording artist T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, putting out the London Boy (2012) mixtape. Upon seeing little progression, Chip began releasing music independently under his Cash Motto label, distributing numerous EPs and mixtapes such as the Believe & Achieve series (2015) and Power Up (2016), making his return to grime
The album was made available to pre-order on 29 June 2017,[2] while the tracklist was revealed on 24 July 2017 by Chip via Instagram.[3] Commenting on the album, Chip stated: "League of My Own really helped push my career forward even though it was a mixtape. Now 10 years later I'm here again with my first independent album via my own label Cash Motto and I couldn't be happier. League Of My Own II is my most passionate, versatile piece of work to date and I hope the people enjoy it."[4]
Promotion edit
On 28 June 2017, Chip released the lead single to the album, "Gets Like That" featuring Ghetts, accompanied by its music video. The second single, "Honestly" featuring 67, was released on 11 July 2017, along with a music video uploaded to Chip's YouTube.[5]
Numerous promotional singles and music videos were preceded by the album's release. "Snap Snap" was released on 16 July 2017 with a lyric video, followed by "34 Shots" on 26 July 2017. A music video for the grime posse cut "Scene" was released on 9 August 2017. On the album's release day, the music video for "Amazing Minds" featuring Giggs was uploaded.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   [6] |
In a positive review, Tara Joshi of The Guardian commented that the album "largely finds Chip walking the walk. The strength of his bars is evident. The album has varied production that encompasses bashment ("Snap Snap"), wavy R&B ("Hit Me Up") and even drill ("Honestly"), along with far-ranging features (Wiley, Giggs, Ghetts and more), this is as much a statement of intent as an assured retrospective of what he's already achieved."[6]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "League of My Own II (The Intro)" | Dready | 4:22 | |
| 2. | "Gets Like That" (featuring Ghetts) |
| Tre Mission | 4:00 |
| 3. | "Honestly" (featuring 67) |
| Tre Mission | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Snap Snap" |
| The Fanatix | 2:33 |
| 5. | "Normal" (featuring Donae'o) |
| Donae'o | 3:17 |
| 6. | "Confirmed" | Fyffe | The Fanatix | 4:41 |
| 7. | "34 Shots" | Fyffe | Swifta Beater | 2:49 |
| 8. | "Good for You" | Fyffe | The Fanatix | 3:13 |
| 9. | "Little Black Book (The Interlude)" | Fyffe | 1:33 | |
| 10. | "Amazing Minds" (featuring Giggs) |
| Dready | 2:57 |
| 11. | "Scene" (featuring Jammer, D Double E, Jme, Miraa May and Wiley) | Flarve | 5:04 | |
| 12. | "#YSN" | Fyffe | The Fanatix | 3:36 |
| 13. | "About Time" (featuring Kojo Funds) |
| 3:49 | |
| 14. | "Hit Me Up" (featuring Ella Mai) |
| 4:51 | |
| 15. | "Settings" | Fyffe | H-Money | 3:26 |
| 16. | "Family" (featuring Loick Essien) |
| 5:58 | |
| 17. | "Loop (The Outro)" | Fyffe | 3:54 | |
| Total length: | 64:12 | |||
Charts edit
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[7] | 12 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[8] | 1 |
Release history edit
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 11 August 2017 | CD, digital download | Cash Motto |
References edit
- ^ a b "League of My Own II by Chip on Apple Music". iTunes Store (GB). Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Chipmunk's anticipated album 'League of My Own II' is now available for pre-order!". The Link Up. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Chip reveals 'League of My Own 2' tracklist". GRM Daily. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "League of My Own II by Chip". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Listen To Grime MC Chip's New Album League Of My Own II". The Fader. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ a b Joshi, Tara (13 August 2017). "Chip: League of My Own II review – walking the walk". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 February 2018.