The Album is the debut studio album by American hip-hop duo Latyrx. It was released on August 25, 1997, through Solesides Records. The recording sessions took place at Nash Studios in Oakland, The Glue Factory in San Francisco, Studio A at UC Davis college station KDVS, and Live Oak Studios in Berkeley. It was produced by Lyrics Born, DJ Shadow, and Chief Xcel. It features guest appearances from Blackalicious and John Tchicai, and contributions from Joyo Velarde and funk/jazz band Free Association.
Quannum Projects, the rebranded and expanded version of SoleSides, reissued the album in 2002. At the 20th anniversary of The Album, it was remastered and re-released with two bonus tracks via Real People.
Critical reception
Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews praised the album, saying it "takes crazy mad chances with hip-hop, stretching boundaries and the imagination" and is "built on solid skills".[2] Dave Tompkins of Spin wrote: "Lateef and Lyrics Born uncannily emulate the album's instrumentation", adding "the savvy production gives anthropomorphic life to the sampler, with beats ranging from the gnashing ruckus to the mighty soul".[3] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice founded "Lyrics Born is deep and contemplative, Lateef speedy and confrontational", concluding "except on the predictable boast tracks toward the end, their language elevates the music".[4] AllMusic's Steve Huey said that "its key tracks are nothing short of visionary, making it an essential listen".[1]
In 2015, Fact placed it at number 67 on their "The 100 best indie hip-hop records of all time" list.[5]
Track listing
| Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) |
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| 1. | "Latyrx" | | DJ Shadow | 5:48 |
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| 2. | "Say That" | | Lyrics Born | 3:41 |
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| 3. | "The Quickening (The Wreckoning, Part II)" | | DJ Shadow | 5:02 |
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| 4. | "Balcony Beach" | Shimura | Lyrics Born | 5:30 |
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| 5. | "Live at 90.3 '94" (featuring John Tchicai) | | | 1:25 |
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| 6. | "The Muzapper's Mix: Aim for the Flickering Flame/Rankin' No. 1" | | Lyrics Born | 4:13 |
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| 7. | "Funky Granules" | | | 1:49 |
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| 8. | "Bad News" | | Chief Xcel | 2:46 |
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| 9. | "Off (With) Their Heads (Be Prompt)" | | Lyrics Born | 3:03 |
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| 10. | "Interlude" | | | 0:24 |
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| 11. | "Burnt Pride" | Shimura | Lyrics Born | 6:53 |
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| 12. | "Scratchapella" | | | 0:23 |
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| 13. | "The Wreckoning (Live 45 Mix)" | | DJ Shadow | 2:47 |
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| 14. | "Burning Hot in Cali on a Saturday Night" (featuring Blackalicious) | | Chief Xcel | 3:30 |
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| Total length: | 36:02 |
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20th anniversary deluxe edition bonus tracks| Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) |
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| 15. | "Looking Over a City" (featuring El-P) | | El-P | 5:00 |
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| 16. | "Last Trumpet" | | Lyrics Born | 4:54 |
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References
- ^ a b Huey, Steve. "The Album Latyrx". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Juon, Steve 'Flash' (March 10, 1997). "Latyrx (Lateef and Lyrics Born) The Album". RapReviews. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Tompkins, Dave (August 1997). "Lateef and Lyrics Born: Latyrx / Company Flow: Funcrusher Plus". Spin. Vol. 13, no. 5. SPIN Media LLC. pp. 116, 118. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved May 20, 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (May 27, 1997). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 20, 2025 – via www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Piyevsky, Alex; Geng; Twells, John; Raw, Son; Rascobeamer, Jeff (February 25, 2015). "The 100 best indie hip-hop records ever made". Fact Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
External links
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| Studio albums | |
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| Live albums | |
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| Compilation albums | |
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| EPs | |
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| Latyrx | |
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| Groups | |
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| Members | |
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| Albums | |
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| EPs | |
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| See also | |
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