''In Search of Stoney Jackson'' 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 ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

based hip hop group

Strong Arm Steady Strong Arm Steady, often referred to as SAS, is a hip hop group in California's underground hip hop scene. As of December 2009, the act consists of members Phil Da Agony, Krondon, of Los Angeles, and Mitchy Slick of San Diego, California. Orig ...

, released on January 26, 2010 under

Stones Throw Records Stones Throw Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. Under the direction of founder Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw has released music ranging from hip hop to experimental psychedelic rock. '' LA Weekl ...

. The album's title is a reference to actor

Stoney Jackson Stonewall W. "Stoney" Jackson (born Alwyn Jackson on February 27, 1960) is an American actor. Jackson was born in Richmond, Virginia. Career He was featured in numerous teen magazines in the 1970s and 1980s, including ''Right On'', ''Teen Beat ...

('' The White Shadow'', ''

Streets of Fire ''Streets of Fire'' is a 1984 American neo-noir rock musical film directed by Walter Hill and co-written by Hill and Larry Gross. It is described in the opening credits and posters as "A Rock & Roll Fable" and is a mix of various movie genres wi ...

'', the video for Michael Jackson's "

Beat It "Beat It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song on the album. Jackson l ...

"). The album, entirely produced by

Madlib Otis Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM (as Madvillain), J Dilla (as Jaylib), and Fr ...

, features

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

s from

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with ...

Phonte Phonte Lyshod Coleman, known mononymously as Phonte (born December 28, 1978), is an American rapper, singer, and producer. He is currently of the North Carolina hip-hop trio/duo Little Brother (revived in 2019 without producer 9th Wonder) and ...

Fashawn Santiago Leyva (born October 19, 1988), known by his stage name Fashawn, is an American hip hop recording artist from Fresno, California. He first gained major attention after releasing his debut album ''Boy Meets World'' in 2009, which was pro ...

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...

, Oh No, Roscoe,

Guilty Simpson Byron Dwayne “Guilty” Simpson is an American rapper and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan whose recording career spans more than 20 years. He is signed to Stones Throw Records, and is known for being one of the late producer J Dilla’s favo ...

and a host of underground

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

rappers, as well as former Strong Arm Steady members

Planet Asia Jason Cullen Green (born October 24, 1976), better known as Planet Asia, is a rapper from Fresno, California. He is prominent for being one half of the now reunited hip-hop duo the Cali Agents and is currently a member of the groups Gold Chain ...

and Chace Infinite. The rap vocals are mainly performed by

Phil Da Agony Strong Arm Steady, often referred to as SAS, is a hip hop group in California's underground hip hop scene. As of December 2009, the act consists of members Phil Da Agony, Krondon, of Los Angeles, and Mitchy Slick of San Diego, California. Orig ...

and

Krondon Marvin Jones III (born July 9, 1976), also known as Krondon, is an American rapper and actor from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the group Strong Arm Steady, along with rappers Phil Da Agony and Mitchy Slick. As an actor Jones portra ...

, as

Mitchy Slick Charles Mitchell (born December 29, 1973), known professionally as Mitchy Slick, is an American rapper from Southeast San Diego, California. He is a member of the rap supergroup Strong Arm Steady, along with rappers Phil Da Agony and Krondon. ...

appears on only two tracks. The album is considered a collaborative album, between

and the L.A. hip hop collective, who chose the beats from 200 potential compositions.

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''In Search of Stoney Jackson'' received generally favorable reviews from

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

s. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an

average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...

score of 75, based on 11 reviews. Phil Freeman of

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 ...

gave the album four and a half stars out of five, saying "From a purely instrumental standpoint, this album is the equal of the

Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...

' ''

Paul's Boutique ''Paul's Boutique'' is the second studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989, by Capitol Records. Produced by the Dust Brothers, the album is composed almost entirely from samples, and was recorded over two y ...

'', but without the recognizable hooks--every sound here is ultra-obscure and the more entertaining for it."

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

's Nathan Rabin gave the album an A−, saying "For an in-demand producer like

, it might not be good business to give some of his most stunning beats to a relatively unknown group, but Jackson is brilliant enough to elevate Strong Arm Steady to the level of cult heroes." Jeremy Moehlmann of ''

Filter Filter, filtering or filters may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Filter (higher-order function), in functional programming * Filter (software), a computer program to process a data stream * Filter (video), a software component tha ...

'' gave the album 84%, saying "Solid, workmanlike rhymes abound, but a shortage of mind-blowing moments is tempered by the absence of mediocrity."

Okayplayer Okayplayer is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists". The community was founded by The Roots' drummer ...

reviewer Jeff Harvey gave the album an 84 out of 100, saying "All three MCs, particularly an energized Phil Da Agony, deliver more than their share of memorable verses, but they never quite take ownership of the record. It feels like most of the beats were selected to suite the guests, and since there are guests on nearly every track, the end result plays like a first rate Madlib mixtape hosted by Strong Arm Steady. Still, fans of SAS, Madlib, or vintage hip-hop in general will find more than enough heavy hitting beats and gensu-sharp rhymes to keep this album in rotation until

is found."

HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...

reviewer Michael Cusenza gave the album a four out of five, saying "''In Search of Stoney Jackson'' is another

Stones Throw Stones Throw Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. Under the direction of founder Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw has released music ranging from hip hop to experimental psychedelic rock. ''LA Weekly' ...

gem mined by their incomparable in-house Konducta. It's a funky ride to Rap's far side in a car fabricated by Madlib, commandeered by Strong Arm Steady and a slew of able narrators."

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

's Patrick Sisson gave the album a 7.1 out of ten, saying "For all Madlib's eclecticism and supposedly short attention span, his work here sounds focused and sharp. The beats aren't wasted here by any means, but a different crew could have brought out even more potential." Mosi Reeves of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' gave the album a seven out of ten, saying "With

's MC trio of Krondon, Phil Da Agony, and

(plus extended fam like Planet Asia,

, and

) dropping lyrical barbs ("Telegram") and creatively reheated thug-isms ("Needle in the Haystack"), Madlib chops up loops bubbling with quirky humor and analog soul." Matt Jost of RapReviews gave the album a seven out of ten, saying "It doesn't sound like much upon first listen. But after a few spins ''In Search of Stoney Jackson'' becomes a charming little record that has quite a lot to offer despite its fragmented, uncoordinated appearance." Joe Schmoh of

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...

gave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "That disappointment resonating from the main attraction quickly boils over, as the guests and Madlib's tasteful samples give ''In Search of Stoney Jackson'' a 'sic''off-the-cuff, mixtape-ish feeling that makes it truly a fun listen. Madlib still proves he's the master of his terrain, and certain guests slay their hosts, but for the most part, it's a mix of 90s nostalgia and the new kids, and fits together perfectly." In a mixed review, B. McGhee of

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, a ...

gave the album a three out of five, saying "These songs are alive, but there are too many cooks, and they clutter things with all their different ideas and approaches. Madlib's instrumental interludes are weird and compelling, which is no surprise, but because of the multitude of voices, his influence is more subdued than usual."

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

reviewer David Amidon gave the album a six out ten, saying "''Stoney Jackson'' isn't an album with big expectations, but as a result it fails to disappoint as well. After an incredibly strong start ''Stoney Jackson'' assumes its role as a modest, strong ringing in of the hip-hop new year, and I for one am fine with that." Ben Yaster, in his review for ''Dusted Magazine'', wrote "Like many collaborations, the material on ''Stoney Jackson'' is varied and can feel rudderless at moments." Vyvian Raoul of

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

gave the album a four out of ten, saying "In the end, perhaps ''In Search…'' is just so inbred it's capable of little more than frenzied tail wagging on a podium – its maniac tongue lolling – all eager and expectant that someone will pin a rosette to it just for having a nice shiny coat."

Track listing

;Sample credits *"Best of Times" contains a sample from "Trust Me" as performed by

Ace Spectrum Ace Spectrum was an American R&B, soul and disco musical group that was popular in the mid-1970s. History Based in New York City, the group consisted of Rudy Gay Sr., Elliot Isaac, Henry "Easy" Zant, Aubrey "Troy" Johnson, and, on their final al ...

. *"Cheeba Cheeba" contains a sample from "Smokin' Cheeba Cheeba" as performed by Harlem Underground Band, and a sample from "I Found a Way Out" as performed by

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

. *"Chittlins & Pepsi" contains a sample from "I Don't Really Care" as performed by

L.V. Johnson L.V. Johnson (December 25, 1946 – November 22, 1994) was an American Chicago blues and soul-blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his renditions of "Don't Cha Mess with My Money, My Honey or My Woman" and "Recipe" ...

. *"Telegram" contains a sample from "The Medal" as performed by

Ruth Copeland Ruth Copeland (born ) is an English-born former singer, based in the United States since the 1960s and known for her collaborations with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. Biography Early life Copeland was born in Consett, County Durha ...

. *"Questions" contains a sample from "J.L.T." as performed by T2. *"Smile" contains a sample from "Look Around" as performed by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

, and a sample from "So Young (And So Innocent)" as performed by

The Poets The Poets were a Scottish blues, freakbeat and psychedelic pop band, who were managed and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Some of their singles were released on his label, Immediate Records. Their cover version of "Baby Don't You Do It" was ...

. *"Get Started" contains a sample from "When the Sun Shines at Midnight" as performed by Starcastle. *"Interlude One" contains a sample from "New Religion" as performed by Trifle. *"Pressure" contains a sample from "Pulstar" as performed by

Vangelis Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...

. *"True Champs" contains a sample from "You Have Everything" as performed by The Metaphors. *"Needle in the Haystack" contains a sample from "Bawling for Cash" as performed by

Cocoa Tea Calvin George Scott (born 3 September 1959), better known as Cocoa Tea, is a Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter. Biography Born in Rocky Point, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, Cocoa Tea was popular in Jamaica from 1985, but has become succes ...

. *"Two Pistols" contains a sample from "Everything Is Alright Now" as performed by

Chuck Bernard Joseph Charles Bernard (August 29, 1911 – March 1962) was an American football player. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1931 to 1933 teams and was the starting center on the 1932 and 1933 teams that compiled a com ...

Credits and personnel

Credits for ''In Search of Stoney Jackson'' adapted from

and from the album liner notes. *

– primary artist *Late "Phats Bossalini" Bankoudagba – composer,

featured artist In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, Performance, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast ...

*Donti "Tri-State" Ceruti – composer, featured artist *

Phonte Coleman Phonte Lyshod Coleman, known mononymously as Phonte (born December 28, 1978), is an American rapper, singer, and producer. He is currently of the North Carolina hip-hop trio/duo Little Brother (revived in 2019 without producer 9th Wonder) and ...

– composer, featured artist *DJ Babu – mixing /nowiki>vocals">vocals.html" ;"title="/nowiki>vocals">/nowiki> Jason "Planet Asia" Green – composer, featured artist *

Talib "Talib Kweli" Greene – composer, featured artist *Hecktik – management [Strong Arm Steady">Planet Asia">Jason "Planet Asia" Green – composer, featured artist * Talib "Talib Kweli" Greene – composer, featured artist *Hecktik – management [Strong Arm Steady*Lewis Heriz – Art director">art direction Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the visi ...

*Kelly Hibbert – mastering *Brock "Steady" Korsan – management [Strong Arm Steady">Audio mastering">mastering *Brock "Steady" Korsan – management [Strong Arm Steady*J. Rocc – A&R, coordinator, scratches uts*Oh No (musician), Michael "Oh No" Jackson – composer, featured artist *Madlib, Otis "Madlib" Jackson, Jr. – composer, mixing, Record producer, producer, scratches uts*Arron "Chace Infinite" Johnson – composer, featured artist * Marvin "Krondon" Jones – composer, engineer * Santiago "Fashawn" Leyva – composer, featured artist *Frederico "Csik" Lopez –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

* Charles "Mitchy Slick" Mitchell – composer, featured artist *

Peanut Butter Wolf Christopher George Manak (born October 8, 1969 ), better known by his stage name Peanut Butter Wolf, is an American disc jockey and record producer from San Jose, California. He is based in Los Angeles, where he moved to in 2000. He is the found ...

–

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

* Michael "Evidence" Perretta – composer, featured artist * Byron "Guilty Simpson" Simpson – composer, featured artist *Damien "Roc C" Smith – composer, featured artist *Jason "Phil Da Agony" Smith – composer *Terrance "Montage One" Taylor – composer, featured artist * David "Roscoe" Williams – composer, featured artist

Chart positions

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2010 albums Stones Throw Records albums Strong Arm Steady albums Albums produced by Madlib