''To Your Soul'' is the second studio album by American rapper and producer
The Jaz, from
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
. It was released on July 16, 1990, via
EMI USA.
Background
The album was recorded at
D&D Studios
D&D Studios was a recording studio located in New York City on the west side of 37th street. Artists that recorded there include Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, The Notorious B.I.G., Fat Joe, Nas, Gang Starr, Jeru the Damaja, Afu-Ra, KRS-One, Frankie Cu ...
, in
New York City, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and was primarily produced by
Jaz-O
Jonathan Burks (born October 4, 1964), better known by his stage name Jaz-O (formerly The Jaz), is an American rapper and record producer active in the late 1980s through the 1990s, best known for being the mentor of Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z. Burks ...
. The album also received production contributions from
Prince Paul, Vandy C, and Chad Elliott.
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
appears on two tracks. Despite the album not reaching the
''Billboard'' charts, its two singles, "The Originators" and "A Groove (This Is What U Rap 2)," peaked at No. 13 and No. 18, respectively, on the
Hot Rap Songs
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stat ...
chart.
Critical reception
Joshua Clover
Joshua Clover (born December 30, 1962 in Berkeley, California) is a writer and a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California Davis.
He is a published scholar, poet, critic, and journalist whose work has been t ...
, in his book ''1989: Bob Dylan Didn’t Have This to Sing About'', called the album "vital, serious, deeply musical, with playful lyrics that come at varying speeds, sometimes blunt and heavy on the beat, sometimes syncopated and sudden, looking for a way to slip past any defense."
Track listing
Personnel
*
Jonathan Burks – main performer, producer
(tracks: 1, 3, 6-7, 9-10, 12-14)
*
Shawn Corey Carter
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
– featured performer
(tracks: 2, 13)
* Chad "Dr. Cuess" Elliott – producer
(tracks: 3, 6, 9, 12)
* Vandy Colter – producer
(tracks: 5, 8, 11), engineering
*
Paul Edward Huston – producer
(tracks: 2, 4)
* Dwayne Alexander – executive producer
* Gary Clugston – engineering
* Kieran Walsh – engineering
* Mike Rogers – engineering
* Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
* Henry Marquez – art direction
* Lu Ann Graffeo – design
* Jeffrey Scales – photography
Charts
Singles
References
External links
*
1990 albums
Jaz-O albums
Albums produced by Prince Paul (producer)
Albums produced by Jaz-O
EMI Records albums
{{1990s-hiphop-album-stub