''Diamond Princess'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

rapper

Trina Katrina Laverne Taylor (born December 3, 1978), known professionally as Trina, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in 1998 with her appearance on the Trick Daddy single "Nann Nigga". Trina has been described by '' XXL'' as "the most ...

. It was released on August 27, 2002 through the

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

and

Slip-N-Slide Records Slip-N-Slide Records is an American record label, founded in 1994 by Ted Lucas. History Ted Lucas founded the label in 1994. Slip-n-Slide signed local rapper Trick Daddy Dollars in its early years; he debuted in 1997 with the locally popular albu ...

. The album debuted at number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and number 5 on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

chart.

Background

After promotion for her debut album ended in mid-2000, Trina began recording music with

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

to create her second studio album. Recording sessions lasted from 2000 to 2002. Trina was able to choose her own production, name of the songs, and write whatever she wanted to write. She told ''TheCrusade.net'': "It's more what Trina's about, how Trina looks, how Trina feels, the things that Trina consists of."

Singles

The

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

, "Told Y'all", featuring

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

, produced by Cool & Dre, reached number 64 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while a second single, " No Panties", featuring Tweet, released on July 16, 2002, only reached number 88 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. However, it became her first single to chart outside of the US, as it peaked at number 45 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The third and final single from the album, " B R Right", featuring

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...

, produced by Kanye West, was also released on October 22, 2002 and reached number 83 on the Hot 100, number 50 the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 24 on the Rap Songs chart.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

editor Rovi Staff found that "just as the title ''Diamond Princess'' suggests, Trina is a hard-edged jewel that shines with an uncanny brilliance." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote that "though not perfect, Diamond Princess proves that Trina, like the album's gem namesake, is pretty, shiny, and stronger than you might think."

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and number 5 on the

chart, selling 67,000 units in its first week. By June 2007, ''Diamond Princess'' had sold up to 501,000 copies according to ''Billboard''.

Track listing

Sample credits *"Hustling" contains a sample of "No More?" by

Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred t ...

. *"U & Me" contains a sample of "You and Me" by

The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hi ...

. *"Kandi" contains a sample of "Candy Girl" by

New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 198 ...

. *"Get This Money" contains a sample of "

Conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

" by

Miami Sound Machine Miami Sound Machine was an American band of Latin-influenced music that had featured the vocals of Cuban-born recording artist Gloria Estefan (née Fajardo). Established in 1975 by Emilio Estefan Jr., the band was originally known as the Miami ...

Personnel

Credits for ''Diamond Princess'' adapted from

. *Missy Elliott: Producer *Paul Gregory: Assistant Engineer *Brian Kraz: Assistant Engineer *Ray Seay: Engineer *Signature: Producer *Alvin Speights: Mixing *Kanye West: Producer *Young Guru: Engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diamond Princess (Album) 2002 albums Albums produced by Cool & Dre Albums produced by Jim Jonsin Albums produced by Just Blaze Albums produced by Kanye West Albums produced by Missy Elliott Trina albums Atlantic Records albums