''The Life'' is the third studio album from American R&B singer

Ginuwine Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He began his career as a member of Swing Mob in the early 1990s. Signing to Epic Records as a solo ...

, released on

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

in 2001. The album debuted at number 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 152,000 copies sold in the U.S. and was certified Platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. It also spawned a top 5 hit single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with " Differences". ''The Life'' was the first Ginuwine LP not to be primarily produced by

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

, who only produced one track, "That's How I Get Down". The song "Two Reasons I Cry" is dedicated to the memory of Ginuwine's parents, who both died a year before the album was released.

Critical reception

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

''s Tomika Anderson wrote that on ''The Life'' "the R&B stud drops his hardcore playa pretense to reveal a softer, more vulnerable side ..But it’s when he balances his Romeo routine with a funky club vibe (as on ”That’s How I Get Down,” with

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 ...

) that ''Life'' gets really good."

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 William Ruhlmann felt that the songs "mostly range from slow to very slow tempos with such trendy touches as acoustic guitar passages. But all that just serves as a bed for Ginuwine's elastic tenor and his message to the women in his audience. The singer sounds like he's been reading women's magazines and tried to construct a persona that's as appealing as possible ..''The Life'' looks like another winner for him." Sam Faulkner from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' remarked that "it was always going to be impossible for Ginuwine to burst back in quite the same fashion as he suddenly first appeared riding his pony. But this set absolutely does no harm in consolidating himself as one of R&B’s brightest stars." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' critic Arion Berger felt that "''The Life'' is all naughty, disposable high points ..With all the trendy touches on his third album, lady-killing crooner Ginuwine is aiming for ultramodernity – or maybe taking his eventual obsolescence for granted."

Chart performance

In the United States, ''The Life'' debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 152,000 copies. It also debuted and peaked at number two on the US

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 ...

. The album was certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) on May 4, 2001, and eventually reached platinum on October 5, 2001. By September 2003, ''The Life'' had sold 1.38 million copies in the US.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

2001 albums Albums produced by Raphael Saadiq Albums produced by Timbaland Ginuwine albums {{2000s-R&B-album-stub