Judgement Day | |
Type: | studio |
Artist: | Esham |
Cover: | Esham Judgement Day.jpg |
Released: | April 9, 1992 |
Length: | 92:30 |
Label: | Reel Life |
Producer: | Esham |
Prev Title: | Boomin' Words from Hell |
Prev Year: | 1989 |
Next Title: | KKKill the Fetus |
Next Year: | 1993 |
Judgement Day is the second studio album by American rapper Esham, released April 9, 1992. On June 6, 2006, a Judgement Day box set was issued, containing both original volumes and previously unreleased material.
Reel Life Productions founder and Esham's brother James Smith decided that Esham should record a double album following the release of Prince's Love Symbol Album. Smith thought that if an R&B artist could record a double album, a rapper should record a double album.[1] However, it is not the first double album in hip hop, as previously DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince released He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper, which was a double album in its original vinyl configuration.
While the lyrical content of Judgement Day is similar to that of Esham's debut, Boomin' Words from Hell, the music features a heavier use of rock samples.[2]
Judgement Day was released separately in two volumes, Day and Night, on April 9, 1992.[3] On June 6, 2006, a Judgement Day box set was released, featuring both original volumes remastered, two volumes of previously unreleased material, the exclusive album Martyr City, an illustrated booklet with a short autobiography written by Esham detailing the days of the original Judgement Day release as well as a background story for Martyr City, a live concert DVD, deluxe packaging and a Certificate of Authenticity.[4] [5]
Allmusic's Jason Birchmeier wrote that Judgement Day, Vol. 1 "may not be his most well-crafted work, but it certainly stands as his most inspired work of the '90s", while Vol. 2 "isn't quite as strong as the first volume, suffering mostly from a number of weak tracks [...] the first volume doesn't rely quite so much on cheap shock, instead focusing on evocative horror motifs, making Judgement Day, Vol. 2 the less important of the two."[3]