''Handshakes and Middle Fingers'' is the second major release studio album by Canadian rapper Classified released on March 22, 2011 on

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, his thirteenth studio album overall. The first single "That Ain't Classy" reached number 45 on the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

. A video has been made for the intro to the album and it is called "Ups & Downs". On March 22, the day of its release, it hit number 2 on the

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top seller list. The second single is "The Day Doesn't Die" which peaked at number 83 on the Canadian Hot 100. The third single is "Maybe It's Just Me". The album debuted at #7 on the

Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...

. In 2018, it was certified Gold by

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.Music Canada Certifications
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Critical reception

''Handshakes and Middle Fingers'' received positive reviews from

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s. Pedro 'DJ Complejo' Hernandez of ''RapReviews'' praised the production and lyrics for evolving beyond his previous two albums, saying that, "Classified does nothing obvious or purposeful that screams out "growth," but the album plays out in a way that reflects a newfound mindset." Jon O'Brien of

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commented on the various genre-hopping that Classified did on the production, saying that it falls shy from the works of

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 ...

and

B.o.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later, ...

, but concluded that it "doesn't take away from the inventiveness and refreshingly candid lyrics that permeate a record which is definitely more worthy of a handshake than a middle finger." Amanda Bassa of ''

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'' said that, "''Handshakes and Middle Fingers'' proves to be an overall solid effort, with varying production styles that keep it refreshing from start to finish, and the kind of honesty expressed through confidently delivered lyricism that would be very difficult not to respect."

Critical reception

Track listing

Charts

References