Welcome to America

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Welcome To America
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 1, 1994
Recorded1993
Genre
LabelRuffhouse/Columbia
ProducerSchoolly D
DJ Code Money[1]
Mike Tyler[2]
Joe Nicolo
Schoolly D chronology
How a Black Man Feels
(1991)
Welcome To America
(1994)
Reservoir Dog
(1995)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Chicago Sun-Times[4]
Robert Christgau(dud)[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10[1]
RapReviews4/10[7]

Welcome to America is an album by the rapper Schoolly D (Schooly D on the album cover), released in 1994 via Ruffhouse Records.[8][9] It was a commercial disappointment. Two singles were released: “Welcome to America” and “Another Sign”.

Production[edit]

The album was created with the assistance of Ruffhouse's house band, and was recorded at Studio 4, in Philadelphia.[10] Joe Nicolo helped to produce and mix Welcome to America.[11][6]

The beat on "Wanna Get Dusted" is a slower version of the one used on "PSK What Does It Mean?"[citation needed]

Critical reception[edit]

Westword wrote that "the focus is on dark, bass-driven grooves that give the title track and chillingly effective street fables such as 'I Know You Want to Kill Me' an undeniable immediacy."[2] Trouser Press deemed the album "a hardcore record that sounds miles better than any others Schoolly's made, strapped with psychedelic guitar, thundering bass grooves, tense rhythms, bits of horn, piano and sound effects."[11] The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that "the most interesting tracks on Welcome to America use creative drum-machine loops as well as live drums, wah-wah guitar and jazz piano to create tense, unusually rich textures that overshadow the narratives of 'No Good Nigga' and 'I Know You Want to Kill Me'."[12]

Track listing[edit]

  1. “Intro” – 1:14
  2. “I Wanna Get Dusted” – 4:14
  3. “I Know You Want to Kill Me” – 3:56
  4. “Welcome to America” – 4:10
  5. “Niggas Like Me” – 4:19
  6. “Gangsta Trippin” – 4:37
  7. “Gimme Your Shit Nigga” – 2:52
  8. “No Good Nigga” – 3:46
  9. “I Shot da Bitch” – 4:27
  10. “Motherfuckin D” – 4:32
  11. “Stop Frontin” – 4:22
  12. “Peace of What” – 2:22
  13. “Another Sign” – 4:31

Samples[edit]

  • "Gimme Your Shit Nigga"
    • "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp
  • "Stop Frontin'"

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 342–343.
  2. ^ a b Roberts, Michael (February 16, 1994). "RATED RAP". Westword.
  3. ^ Welcome to America at AllMusic
  4. ^ Abdul-Adil, Jaleel (February 27, 1994). "Schoolly D, 'Welcome to America'". Chicago Sun-Times. Show. p. 9.
  5. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Schoolly-D". www.robertchristgau.com.
  6. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 293.
  7. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (October 31, 2023). "Schoolly D :: Welcome to America – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  8. ^ Schwartz, Chris (June 18, 2018). "Ruffhouse: From the Streets of Philly to the Top of the '90s Hip-Hop Charts". Diversion Books – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Robbins, Ira (4 Apr 1994). "Schooly D Can't Shake Old Rap". Newsday. p. B7.
  10. ^ Moon, Tom (6 Feb 1994). "LESSON FROM SCHOOLLY D". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F1.
  11. ^ a b "Schoolly D". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  12. ^ Moon, Tom (6 Feb 1994). "SCHOOLLY D'S LATEST". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F11.