Tha Smokin' Nephew is the third solo studio album by American rapper Baby Bash. It was released on September 23, 2003, through Universal Records, making it his first commercial album as well as his first album released under the stage name 'Baby Bash' (the previous two albums were recorded by him as 'Baby Beesh').
| Tha Smokin' Nephew | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 23, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2002–03 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 1:10:25 | |||
| Label | Universal | |||
| Producer |
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| Baby Bash chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Tha Smokin' Nephew | ||||
Recording sessions took place at Digital Services, The Clinic and Dope House Records in Houston, at R&D Studios in Albuquerque, at Lydkjøkkenet in Oslo. Production was handled by Happy Perez, Big Ice, Mario Ayala, Mike Cee, Oral Bee and Shadow, with Charles Chavez and Baby Bash serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Russell Lee, Grimm, Frankie J, Angel Dust, A-Wax, Chingo Bling, Doom, Happy Perez, Jay Tee, Low G, Lucky Luciano, Major Riley, Max Minelli, Merciless, Oral Bee, Perla Cruz, Powda and David Wade.
The album debuted at number 48 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 19, 2004, and reached Platinum certification on March 9, 2023. It also peaked at number 22 in New Zealand, number 80 in France and number 92 in Germany.
The album's lead single "Suga Suga" became Baby Bash's highest-charting song on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number seven, and it appeared on several international rankings, including the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it peaked at number one. It has received sales certifications in Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and the United States. The second single, "Shorty Doowop" featuring Russell Lee and Tiffany Villarreal, peaked at No. 31 in Germany, No. 36 in Switzerland and No. 57 in Austria.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Blender | [3] |
| Now | 2/5[4] |
| RapReviews | 8/10[5] |
Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews gave the album high praise for Happy Perez's Hispanic-influenced production and Bash's smooth, laid-back delivery, concluding that "Bash may be a long-time veteran of hip-hop and latin rap, but he represents the newest trends and emerging dopeness of regionally recognized hispanic hip-hop to the best and fullest. Easily one of 2003's "must cop" albums, Tha Smokin' Nephew will open many eyes and please just as many ears".[5] AllMusic's David Jeffries also praised Perez's production for being energetic and cohesive, and Bash's lyrical content for containing different topics, concluding that "At 17 tracks it runs a little long, but there are only a few seeds and sticks to pick out of Baby Bash's fat bag".[2] Nick Flanagan of Now wrote: "Baby Bash raps in a mellow style over smooth, almost easy-listening beats with a smattering of Ginuwine-esque R&B choruses. The song titles are entertaining – Image Of Pimp, Don't Disrespect My Mind – but 17 songs are a lot, especially when half aren't that great, although it gets better as it goes along".[4] Jonah Weiner of Blender panned the album for its lady-focused lyrical content being mediocrely delivered over subpar production. He added that the single "Suga Suga" was the only noteworthy track on the album.[3]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Suga Suga" (featuring Frankie J) | Happy Perez | 3:59 | |
| 2. | "Yeh Suh!" (featuring Max Minelli) |
| Happy Perez | 4:04 |
| 3. | "Weed Hand" (featuring Grimm and Lucky Luciano) |
| Shadow | 4:19 |
| 4. | "Shorty Doowop" (featuring Russell Lee and Perla Cruz) |
| Happy Perez | 3:18 |
| 5. | "On tha Curb" (featuring David Wade) | Bryant | Mike Cee | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Sexy Eyes (Da Da Da Da)" (featuring Russell Lee) |
| Happy Perez | 4:29 |
| 7. | "Image of Pimp" (featuring Oral Bee) |
|
| 4:01 |
| 8. | "Early in the Morning" | Bryant | Mario Ayala | 4:46 |
| 9. | "Feeling Me" (featuring Russell Lee) |
| Happy Perez | 3:53 |
| 10. | "Oh Wow" (featuring Merciless and Happy Perez) |
| Happy Perez | 3:55 |
| 11. | "Changed My Life" (featuring Grimm) |
| Happy Perez | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Stay Perkin'" (featuring Angel Dust, Chingo Bling and Doom) |
| Happy Perez | 4:31 |
| 13. | "Pollution" (featuring Russell Lee, Grimm and Rasheed) |
| Happy Perez | 4:48 |
| 14. | "Ménage à Trois" (featuring Frankie J and Powda) |
| Happy Perez | 4:15 |
| 15. | "Tha Chop" (featuring A-Wax and Jay Tee) |
| Happy Perez | 4:07 |
| 16. | "Don't Disrespect My Mind" (featuring Low-G) |
| Happy Perez | 4:11 |
| 17. | "Suga Suga (Remix)" (featuring Major Riley) |
| Happy Perez | 4:05 |
| Total length: | 1:10:25 | |||
Charts edit
| Chart (2003–04) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP)[6] | 80 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] | 92 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8] | 22 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 48 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] | 32 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[11] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1542. February 13, 2004. p. 25. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Tha Smokin' Nephew - Baby Bash". AllMusic. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Weiner, Jonah. "Tha Smokin' Nephew". Blender. Alpha Media Group. Archived from the original on May 3, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ a b Flanagan, Nick (January 1, 2004). "Baby Bash - NOW Magazine". NOW Toronto. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Juon, Steve 'Flash' (October 21, 2003). "Baby Bash :: Tha Smokin' Nephew :: Universal Records". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Baby Bash – Tha Smokin' Nephew". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Baby Bash – Tha Smokin' Nephew" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Baby Bash – Tha Smokin' Nephew". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
- ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 41. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 11, 2003. p. 86. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 41. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 11, 2003. p. 55. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ "American album certifications – Baby Bash – Tha Smokin' Nephew". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
External links edit
- Tha Smokin Nephew at Discogs (list of releases)