The Awakening is the third and final album by the hip hop artist Lord Finesse, released in 1996. Unlike his first two albums, The Awakening features a large number of album guests, including O.C., KRS-One, Marquee, A.G., Diamond D, Large Professor and Brand Nubian's Sadat X and Grand Puba. Doo-Wop, O.C., MC Lyte, Akinyele, Showbiz and Kid Capri appear on interludes throughout the album. The album features the single "Hip 2 Da Game" and the hidden track "Actual Facts".
| The Awakening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 20, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Studio | Chung King Studios (New York City) Soundtrack Studios (New York City) Giant Studios (New York City) Power Play Studios (Long Island City) | |||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop, hardcore rap | |||
| Length | 51:48 | |||
| Label | Penalty Records | |||
| Producer | Lord Finesse | |||
| Lord Finesse chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Awakening | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Source | [2] |
Music videos edit
There have been music videos for the tracks "Hip 2 Da Game", "Actual Facts" & "Gameplan". "Gameplan" features a cameo from Big L.
Big L appears during the chorus for “Food for Thought”
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Da Sermon (Intro)" | 2:16 |
| 2. | "Time ta Bounce" (featuring Doo-Wop) | 1:22 |
| 3. | "True and Livin'" | 4:42 |
| 4. | "O'Lord" (featuring O.C.) | 1:22 |
| 5. | "Brainstorm/P.S.K. (No Gimmicks Remix)" (featuring KRS-One and O.C.) | 4:46 |
| 6. | "Taking It Lyte" (featuring MC Lyte) | 1:06 |
| 7. | "Gameplan" | 5:10 |
| 8. | "Words from Da Ak" (featuring Akinyele) | 1:34 |
| 9. | "Flip Da Style" | 3:43 |
| 10. | "Showtime" (featuring Showbiz) | 1:04 |
| 11. | "Speak Ya Peace" (featuring Marquee, Diamond, and A.G.) | 4:55 |
| 12. | "Food for Thought" | 4:05 |
| 13. | "Da Kid Himself" (featuring Kid Capri) | 0:45 |
| 14. | "Hip 2 Da Game" | 4:03 |
| 15. | "No Gimmicks" (featuring KRS-One) | 5:46 |
| 16. | "Actual Facts" (featuring Grand Puba, Large Professor, Sadat X) | 5:09 |
| Total length: | 51:48 | |
- Note: "Actual Facts" is not listed anywhere on the jacket on CD or vinyl editions; the track was listed as a "bonus track" on a promotional sticker on the cover. The vinyl edition places the track after "Gameplan".
Charts edit
Album
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[3] | 36 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||||
| 1995 | "Hip 2 Da Game" | 36 | 42 | ||
| 1996 | "Actual Facts" | 37 | 32 | ||
References edit
- ^ Mills, Brad. The Awakening at AllMusic
- ^ http://hiphop-thegoldenera.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/album-review-lord-finesse-awakening-1996.html. Inserted picture of Source review.
- ^ "Lord Finesse Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 28, 2016.