Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz is the commercial debut studio album by American hip hop sextet Nappy Roots from Kentucky. It was released on February 26, 2002 via Atlantic Records.
| Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 26, 2002 (U.S.) | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 1:14:50 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer |
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| Nappy Roots chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[2] |
| HipHopDX | [3] |
| NME | (6/10) [4] |
| Q | [4] |
| RapReviews | (7.5/10)[5] |
| Robert Christgau |  [6] |
| Rolling Stone |  [7] |
| Spin | (8/10) [4] |
| Stylus Magazine | B+ [8] |
Background edit
Recording sessions took place at Tree Sound and PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, at Soundstage Studios in Nashville, at Rusk, Larrabee West & North and Image Recording Studios in Los Angeles, and at Signature Sound in San Diego. Production was handled mostly by James "Groove" Chambers, along with the Trackboyz, Mike Caren, Mike City, Brian Kidd, Carlos Broady and Troy Johnson. It features guest appearances from Anthony Hamilton, The Bar-Kays, Jazze Pha, Ayesha Kirk, CJ "Voodou" Henry and Tiffany Villarreal.
Reception edit
The album peaked at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and at number 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on April 16, 2002 and later reached platinum certification on October 10, 2002.
The album was preceded by a promotional single "Set It Out"/"Hustla" and its lead single "Awnaw", both released in 2001. "Awnaw", featuring vocals from Jazze Pha, made it to #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The second single from the album was "Po' Folks" featuring Anthony Hamilton, which also reached Billboard Hot 100 at peak position #21. The albums' third single, "Headz Up", charted at #88 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and at #39 on the Rhythmic Songs.
Track listing edit
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[9]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | James "Groove" Chambers | 0:26 | |
| 2. | "Hustla" | James "Groove" Chambers | 3:45 | |
| 3. | "Set It Out" |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Country Boyz" |
| Brian Kidd | 4:30 |
| 5. | "Ballin' on a Budget" |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 3:42 |
| 6. | "Awnaw" (featuring Jazze Pha) |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 3:59 |
| 7. | "Headz Up" |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 4:07 |
| 8. | "Slums" (featuring CJ "Voodou" Henry) |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 3:22 |
| 9. | "Po' Folks" (featuring Anthony Hamilton) |
|
| 4:08 |
| 10. | "Start It Over" |
| The Trackboyz | 4:05 |
| 11. | "Blowin' Trees" |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 4:17 |
| 12. | "Sholiz" |
| Mike City | 4:08 |
| 13. | "Life's a Bitch" |
| Carlos "6 July" Broady | 4:39 |
| 14. | "My Ride" (featuring Ayesha Kirk) |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 3:26 |
| 15. | "One Forty" |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 4:25 |
| 16. | "Dime, Quarter, Nickel, Penny" |
| Troy Johnson | 3:48 |
| 17. | "Kentucky Mud" |
| James "Groove" Chambers | 4:45 |
| 18. | "The Lounge" | James "Groove" Chambers | 0:39 | |
| 19. | "Ho Down" (featuring The Bar-Kays) |
| Mike Caren | 4:45 |
| 20. | "Headz Up (Refried)" (featuring Tiffany Villarreal) |
| Troy Johnson | 4:02 |
| Total length: | 1:14:50 | |||
Sample Credits[9]
- "Ho Down" contains an interpolation of "Delgado", written by Edward Harris.
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
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Year-end charts edit
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Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ Woodside, Martin. "Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz - Nappy Roots | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ Farber, Jim (March 1, 2002). "Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ Williams, DeMarco (March 7, 2002). "Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 2002-02-26. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
- ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (March 12, 2002). "RapReviews.com Feature for March 12, 2002 - Nappy Roots' "Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz"". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: nappy roots". www.robertchristgau.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ "RollingStone.com: Recordings: Nappy Roots, Watermelon, Chicken & Grits, 3.5 Stars". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2002-11-20. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
- ^ "Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken, & Gritz - Review - Stylus Magazine". Archived from the original on 2012-10-03. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
- ^ a b Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz (booklet). Atlantic. 2002.
- ^ "Nappy Roots Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ "Nappy Roots Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- ^ "American album certifications – Nappy Roots – Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links edit
- Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz at Discogs (list of releases)