''Godfather Buried Alive'' (stylised as godfather buried alive) is the second and most recent
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 ...
by
Belizean-
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
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
Shyne
Moses Michael Levi Barrow (born Jamal Michael Barrow, best known by his stage name Shyne; November 8, 1978) is a Belizean rapper and politician. . It was released on August 10, 2004 by
Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
, while Shyne was in the middle of serving a 10-year jail sentence for a 1999 shooting in New York City. The album included 13 tracks, 12 of which were previously recorded vocals, while one was recorded over the phone from jail. It features guest appearances from
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer who aided gangsta rap's rise via 1990s verses helping set lasting trends. He is one half of the rap duo Tha Dogg Po ...
,
Nate Dogg
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the ...
,
Foxy Brown and
Ashanti, and production from
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
,
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
,
Mike Dean and
Just Blaze
Justin Gregory Smith (born January 8, 1978), known professionally as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop record producer and DJ. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Blaze attended Rutgers University for three years before dropping out to pursue his m ...
, among others. The album debuted at #3 on the
''Billboard'' 200 with 158,000 copies sold in its first week, making Shyne the second rapper after
2Pac
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
to have an album debut in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 while incarcerated.
Background
After the release of his debut album in September 2000, Shyne was sentenced to 10 years in prison in June 2001 and released from his contract with
Bad Boy Entertainment
Bad Boy Records (or Bad Boy Entertainment) is an American record label founded in 1993 by rapper Sean "Puffy" Combs. It operates as an imprint of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. It has been home to many artists, including ...
. A bidding war ensued, with numerous labels meeting with Shyne in prison and offering him contracts. Shyne eventually signed a $3 million contract with
Def Jam Records
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
, and plans were made to release his second studio album. Due to the fact Shyne was unable to professionally record new music while in prison, the album was largely composed of music he had recorded prior to his incarceration. Certain lines, however, were recorded over a prison phone. The only song fully recorded from prison was ''For The Record'', a diss track recorded over the phone and made in response to
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
dissing Shyne on
Hot 97
WQHT (97.1 FM, ''Hot 97'') is a commercial radio station, licensed to New York, New York, which broadcasts an urban contemporary music format. The station is owned by Mediaco Holding and operated by Emmis Communications under a shared service ...
during a freestyle.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Track listing
References
{{Authority control
2004 albums
Albums produced by Swizz Beatz
Albums produced by Buckwild
Albums produced by Irv Gotti
Albums produced by Kanye West
Albums produced by Just Blaze
Def Jam Recordings albums
Shyne albums