To Whom It May Concern...

To Whom It May Concern... is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Freestyle Fellowship.[1] It was released on October 5, 1991.[1][2] The 30th anniversary reissue of To Whom It May Concern... received a nomination for Best Historical Album at the 65th Grammy Awards.[3]

To Whom It May Concern...
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 5, 1991 (1991-10-05)[1][2]
GenreHip hop
Length51:17
LabelSun Music
Producer
Freestyle Fellowship chronology
To Whom It May Concern...
(1991)
Innercity Griots
(1993)

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]
Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guidefavorable[5]
Exclaim!favorable[6]
RapReviews.com10/10[7]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide     [8]

Scott Thill of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it "a potent glimpse into the subcultural, conscientious side of Los Angeles hip-hop, one that would later be eclipsed by gangsta boogie from the likes of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and all the pretenders who followed in their wake."[4] Del F. Cowie of Exclaim! described it as "a mind-boggling collection of elastic rhymes, myriad flows and jazzy beats."[6]

Writing for Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide, Oliver Wang said, "the album stands as one of the most influential LPs ever released on the West Coast, the fire starter for practically the entire California underground movement in the 1990s and beyond."[5]

Track listing edit

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."We Are the Freestyle Fellowship"Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship1:36
2."My Fantasy"AceyaloneMathmattiks3:53
3."7th Seal"Mikah 9
5:23
4."Let's Start Over"Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship1:14
5."Sunshine Men"J. SumbiAll in All4:33
6."Physical Form"P.E.A.C.E.J. Sumbi3:49
7."120 Seconds"AceyaloneThe Mighty O-Roc2:03
8."We Will Not Tolerate"Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship1:46
9."Dedications"Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship2:01
10."It's On"Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship0:16
11."Sike"Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship0:34
12."5 O'Clock Follies"Mikah 9J. Sumbi5:56
13."Legal Alien"J. SumbiAll in All3:45
14."Convolutions"Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship0:46
15."Jupiter's Journey"Self JupiterMathmattiks4:18
16."For No Reason"P.E.A.C.E.Mathmattiks3:14
17."Here I Am"AceyaloneMathmattiks4:15
18."The Future?"Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship1:32
Total length:51:17

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Steiner, B.J. (October 5, 2013). "Today In Hip-Hop: Freestyle Fellowship Releases 'To Whom It May Concern…'". XXL. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Erwin, Jack (April 26, 2013). "The 30 Greatest Months in Rap History - 12. October 1991". Complex. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  3. ^ Turner-Williams, Jaelani (November 15, 2022). "Freestyle Fellowship Earns Grammy Nomination 30 Years After Their Debut Album". OkayPlayer. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Thill, Scott. "To Whom It May Concern... - Freestyle Fellowship". AllMusic. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Wang, Oliver (2003). "Freestyle Fellowship: To Whom It May Concern...". In Wang, Oliver (ed.). Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide. ECW Press. pp. 72–73.
  6. ^ a b Cowie, Del F. (September 1999). "Freestyle Fellowship - To Whom It May Concern". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  7. ^ Taylor, Patrick (February 19, 2008). "Freestyle Fellowship :: To Whom it May Concern... :: Beats and Rhymes". RapReviews.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  8. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). "Freestyle Fellowship". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Fireside. p. 312.

External links edit