Uncle Sam's Curse Explained
| Uncle Sam's Curse |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Above the Law |
| Cover: | AboveTheLaw-UncleSamsCurse.jpg |
| Released: | July 12, 1994 |
| Recorded: | 1993–1994 |
| Studio: | The Edge Recording (California) |
| Length: | 59:57 |
| Prev Title: | Black Mafia Life |
| Prev Year: | 1993 |
| Next Title: | Time Will Reveal |
| Next Year: | 1996 |
Uncle Sam's Curse is the third studio album by the American hip hop group Above the Law.[1] [2] It was released in 1994, the group's final record on Ruthless Records.[3] The album peaked at number 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and 113 on the Billboard 200.[4] Uncle Sam's Curse sold over 250,000 copies.
Audio production was handled by A.T.L.'s Cold 187um with co-producers KM.G and K-oss. The tracks "Return of the Real Shit" and "Black Superman" contain samples from the 1994 film Against the Wall.
Critical reception
Trouser Press wrote that "Cold 187um kicks more good grooves as producer, but he can't smooth over the lyrical nonsense."[5]
In 2016, LA Weekly called the album "an hourlong, funk-driven study in urban injustice and middle-American anxiety released halfway through the summer of the Brentwood murders, Newt Gingrich's Contract With America and the Major League Baseball strike."[6]
Personnel
- Gregory Fernan Hutchinson — main artist, producer, keyboards, mixing
- Kevin Michael Gulley — main artist, co-producer
- Anthony Stewart — main artist, co-producer
- Jerry Long, Jr. — featured artist (tracks 3, 6, 11)
- Anthony Terrell Smith — featured artist (track 11)
- Mike Smooth — bass, guitar, keyboards
- Jimmy Russell — bass
- Brian Gardner — mastering
- Mark Paladino — mixing
- Michael Miller — photography
- David Bett — art direction
- Allan Wai — design
- Kurt Nagahori — illustration (cover)
- Joanna — backing vocals
- Nicki — backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Notes and References
- Web site: Above the Law Biography, Songs, & Albums. AllMusic.
- Web site: '94 Week: The 50 Best Rap Albums Of 1994. Max. Weinstein. Vibe. September 17, 2014.
- Book: Hoffmann, Frank W.. Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop. August 20, 2005. Infobase Publishing. 9780816069804 . Google Books.
- Web site: Above the Law – Chart history Billboard. www.billboard.com. en. March 10, 2017.
- Web site: Above the Law . Trouser Press . 20 August 2022.
- Web site: Why Lost G-Funk Classic Uncle Sam's Curse Is More Relevant Than Ever. L. A.. Weekly. August 15, 2016. LA Weekly.
- Above the Law, TLP. Billboard. January 31, 2021. subscription.
- Above the Law, BLP. Billboard. January 31, 2021. subscription.
- Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994. Billboard. January 31, 2021.
