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''Two Eleven'' is the sixth
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by American singer
Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...
. Initially released in Spain on October 12, 2012, and released in the US on October 16, 2012, it served as the singer's debut release with Chameleon Entertainment and
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
after departing from
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
soon after releasing her previous album, ''
Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'' (2008). The album's title is taken from Norwood's birthday; it is also the day on which her idol and friend, entertainer
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
died eight months before ''Two Eleven''s release. ''Two Eleven'' is the first album from Norwood to include a diverse roster of collaborators, including songwriting credits from
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
,
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
and
Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler (born March 30, 1979), known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is known his songwriting work on a series of commercially successful R&B and hip-hop songs, beginning with Ush ...
. Production comes courtesy of the likes of
Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
and Rico Love, amongst others. Upon its release, the album received critical acclaim, with many complimenting Norwood's vocals, the album's production and the overall direction. ''Two Eleven'' debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 65,000 copies, becoming Norwood's fourth top-ten album and her first in eight years. It also debuted atop the
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 Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...
chart, her second album to do so. The album produced two singles. " Put It Down", featuring Chris Brown, was released in May 2012. It peaked within the top five on the US
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
, becoming Norwood's tenth top-ten single on the chart and her first in a decade. It peaked at number 65 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. " Wildest Dreams" was released as the second and final single in August 2012, failing to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and peaking at number 68 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.


Background and development

''Two Eleven'' is Norwood's sixth studio album and follow-up to one of her least commercially-successful releases, ''
Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'' (2008), and 2005's greatest hits album '' The Best of Brandy'', both of which missed the US ''Billboard'' 200 album charts top-ten. Norwood began conceiving ''Two Eleven'' in the week ''Human'' was released, in December 2008. ''Human'', was originally scheduled to be released in November but was delayed to accommodate last-minute recording sessions with American producer and close friend of Norwood,
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
. The records produced were ultimately omitted from ''Human''s track listing due to Timabaland not being able to get his trademark vocals on the songs. As a consequence, Norwood stated in an interview with ''
Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...
'' magazine that she wanted Timbaland to be heavily involved in the next album, along with frequent collaborator Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who had executively produced ''Human'', expressing her wish of both musicians executive producing her next project together." Norwood began working on the album with her then-record label,
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
, to which she had signed in April 2008. Amongst those to record with the singer were songwriting and production partners
Tricky Stewart Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. Stewart, a five-time Grammy Award recipient, began producing music in 1992 and has contributed to unit s ...
and
The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...
. In early 2009, songwriter
Amanda Ghost Amanda Louisa Gosein-Cameron (born 10 July 1974), known professionally as Amanda Ghost, is a British entertainment executive, songwriter and singer. She was the president of Epic Records from 2009 until 2010. Ghost is a three-time Ivor Novello A ...
was appointed president of Epic Records, ultimately leading to speculation around the future of Norwood's record contract and its eventual termination as confirmed by Tricky Stewart. Soon after, it was reported that Norwood had been dropped by
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
's management company
Roc Nation Roc Nation is an American entertainment company founded by Jay-Z in 2008. Headquartered in New York City, the company is a successor to his previous Roc-A-Fella Records label, with additional offices in Los Angeles and London. It serves as a re ...
, something which Norwood's team refuted in July 2009 by stating "They pichave not dropped her. We are trying to get a release from them. We're in waiting" and that "Brandy and Roc Nation parted amicably". Norwood's joint record deal with RCA and producer Breyon Prescott's Chameleon Records was finalized in late 2010, however, it was not announced to the public until August 2011, when it was also confirmed that Norwood's sixth studio album would be released in 2012. After Norwood was signed in late 2010, professional recording and submissions for the album began. Much of the earlier material recorded under Epic Records was left with the label and allocated to other artists such as
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
. Speaking of her new record deal during an interview with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine, Norwood commented: "I'm reinventing myself and I feel fearless, 'Two Eleven'' ismature, it's gritty, it's edgy. RCA reminds me of how Atlantic used to be, they really believed in my vision as an artist when they signed me at 14, RCA welcomed me and Breyon Prescott and Peter Edge showed such passion for what I wanted to do". Before Prescott worked with Norwood he sought the permission of the singer's long-time collaborator and friend Darkchild. Prescott told Darkchild that he wanted to work on making an R&B record with Norwood. Darkchild agreed giving him his blessings. In 2009, Norwood introduced her rap
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
Bran'Nu on
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
's album '' Shock Value II'' (2009), the result of artistic experimentation with the musician, who had tapped her for her rhyming ability after seeing a video on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
that Norwood had uploaded and showed her rapping freestyle. Norwood, who had initially thought of rapping as a hobby and fun for friends, felt encouraged by Timbaland to write and perform her own verses on at least three tracks for his album, two of which eventually made it to the track lisiting. In December 2009, the producer revealed his intentions to reteam with her on her next project, producing the bulk of an album that he envisioned to be "half singing, half rapping". Norwood confirmed his idea in an interview she held at the release party of ''Shock Value II'': "What I'm doing on the
ext Ext, ext or EXT may refer to: * Ext functor, used in the mathematical field of homological algebra * Ext (JavaScript library), a programming library used to build interactive web applications * Exeter Airport Exeter Airport , formerly ''Ex ...
album is a little bit different than what everybody knows me for. Timbaland endorsed that ..He really gave me a shot to be different and be versatile. I can't thank him enough for that. This is a wonderful opportunity." Though Norwood went on to record several other rap songs the following months and hoped it would eventually lead to a signing with Timbaland's
Mosley Music Group Mosley Music Group (MMG) is a record label founded and formed by producer Timbaland, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley in 2006. A successor to his previous label Beat Club, it has operated as an imprint of Def Jam Recordings since 2019. Previously, the ...
, plans for
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
-oriented album under his imprint were eventually abandoned as the singer felt the sound would not aim at her core audience. Approached on the subject, she later dismissed the idea of recording a rap album, stating that "it was a hobby. I was convinced to do it professionally, which I never should have listened to that advice." After unveiling her new record deal in August 2011, Norwood finally revealed that she had found her sound for ''Two Eleven'', stating: "What I'm truly excited about is how the album is all about R&B and figuring out the new sound of R&B, and that was the challenge for me. I wanted to do something different – I didn't want to just sing about love over regular beats". Norwood also stated how Frank Ocean inspired her on this album: "We've always had that great chemistry, and we both understand music in the same ways, to work with him on this album was great as well, and I hope I can get in he studiowith him some more because his music is just so moving; I'm inspired by him. I think he's a great artist and he hasn't even touched on what he will touch on in the future". Speaking to ''Billboard'' magazine she said "I think the fans have been very patient with me, but I just wanted to make sure that this album was right – the right type of music, the right core. I feel like we're getting to that point where I felt comfortable with putting something out." Speaking of the types of records she was making, in a separate interview with ''Rap-Up'', Norwood compared her album to previous records. "It's just gonna be a different album, but of course expressing the love that I feel now and the struggles and different situations that I've gone through in the past,... My music always tends to be the soundtrack to my life and definitely inspired by what I see other people go through as well—gritty, edgy, different." Then touching the subject matter of songs on the album, Norwood said she felt like the past failures in her life should be addressed,


Recording and production

Norwood began recording the album in early 2009 with her then-record label
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
. Among those to first work with the singer were
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. Regarded as a leading figure of Contemporary R&B#2000s, 2000s R&B music, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, includi ...
,
Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
, and production and songwriting duo
Tricky Stewart Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. Stewart, a five-time Grammy Award recipient, began producing music in 1992 and has contributed to unit s ...
and
The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...
. The duo produced the record " Louboutins" for Norwood but after losing her record deal it was re-recorded by actress and singer
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
for her album '' Love?'' (2011). Another record which Norwood recorded under Epic was titled "Decisions", which was produced by Stargate and featured guest vocals from American R&B singer-songwriter
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. Regarded as a leading figure of Contemporary R&B#2000s, 2000s R&B music, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, includi ...
. The record was reclaimed and eventually recorded by upcoming girl group RichGirl for their debut mixtape '' Fall in Love with RichGirl'' (2011). By late 2009, the singer resumed recording, this time with a duo called The Chase (consisting of Kadis and Sean). In early 2010, Norwood stated that she wanted to work with
will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "will I am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is the frontman of the musical group Black Eyed Peas, which he ...
and
Akon Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon (), is a Senegalese-United States, American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. An influ ...
. Throughout 2010, Norwood continued recording independently with a variety of musicians, including producers Danja, Clinton Sparks, The Jam, Corey Gibson and songwriter
Stacy Barthe Stacy Barthe (born July 19, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she began her musical career as an intern for Geffen Records, Geffen and Jive Records' urban contemporary, urban divisions from 2003 to 2005. Sh ...
. Some of this was chronicled on her VH1 reality series '' Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business'', which originally aired from April 2010 to February 2011 and spawned a soundtrack of the same name (2011), on which some of the tracks were included. During early conceptions of the album, Norwood had wanted to reunite with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins–her longtime collaborator who had executively produced ''
Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'' (2008). However, midway through 2009, during an interview with ''
Out Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films *Out (1957 film), ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 *Out (1982 film), ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander *O ...
'' magazine, Norwood refused to talk about ''Human'', telling interviews "to hell with that album" when questions were asked about it. It wasn't until 2010 when Norwood would break her silence during an episode of her
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
reality TV show ''Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business''. During one of the episodes when her brother
Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, television presenter, and actor. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother o ...
announces that he wants to work with Darkchild, Norwood reveals that she felt the producer "did not put his all into the album", and that "was a personal issue between me and him." Elaborating on what she meant, Norwood replied "You know what kind of chemistry Rodney and I have too, but on some personal issues, he doesn't deliver.....I don't want the same thing that happened to me, to happen to you.". In September 2010, producer Bangladesh confirmed that he had been commissioned by Norwood to helm the production of the entire project, though Norwood later expressed her intent to further connect with several producers, including Jim Beanz, WyldCard, newcomer
Kevin McCall Kevin Lamar McCall Jr. (born July 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He is best known for his work with R&B singer Chris Brown, to whom he signed in a joint venture with RCA Records in 2012. McCall extensi ...
, Lonny Bereal, Rico Love, production collectives The Woodworks and The Runners, and singer
Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler (born March 30, 1979), known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is known his songwriting work on a series of commercially successful R&B and hip-hop songs, beginning with Ush ...
who worked on nine songs for the album.
Hit-Boy Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first signed with fellow producer Polow da Don in 2007 as in-house production staff for his l ...
who had previously worked with
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
on Norwood's ''Human'' album returned to production on ''Two Eleven'' with the ballad "White Flag", which discusses "emotional defeat". However it was excluded from the final track listing. Norwood's collaboration with
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
was a song written by James Fauntleroy and produced by Noah "40" Shebib; however it failed to come to fruition. A press release from
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
announced that Breyon Prescott was overseeing the album with productions by the aforementioned producers as well as
Mario Winans Mario Mendell Winans ( Brown; born August 29, 1974) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from South Carolina. An extended member of the Winans musical family, he is best known for his 2004 single " I Don't Wanna Know" (f ...
and writing from Ester Dean. Despite Prescott stating that
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
was in the studios crafting a song for the album, Norwood revealed on August 29, 2012, that the album was complete and that time didn't allow for her and the producer to work together.


Music and lyrics

During the album's listening party on August 20, 2012, at Germano Studios in
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, ''Two Eleven''s executive producer Breyon Prescott revealed that there would be fifteen songs on the final track listing. Eleven of the songs were previewed at the album party but not all were completely mixed, mastered or finished. The album's first single " Put It Down" featuring
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
has a distinctly
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
flavour, with Norwood taking on her "rap-singing" vocal performance she last used when assuming her persona of Bran'Nu on
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
's album '' Shock Value II'' (2009). The song is built around a "mid-tempo thumping production" courtesy of Bangladesh. Its co-writer and co-producer
Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler (born March 30, 1979), known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is known his songwriting work on a series of commercially successful R&B and hip-hop songs, beginning with Ush ...
revealed that "Put It Down" was a "good segway" to what the rest of the album would sound like. By contrast not all of Garrett's songs follow the same flow. The album's second single, titled " Wildest Dreams", was also written by Garrett, but this time produced by The Bizzness. An introspective ballad, "Wildest Dreams" speaks about Norwood's losing out emotionally. Lyrics include the line "Never in my wildest dreams did I think someone could care 'bout me/ Not just the way you love me, but you know I'm emotional (sometimes)." During the course of the song, Norwood mentions herself several times, over the "thawacking percussion" and production. Prescott stated that on ''Two Eleven'', Norwood's vocals return to a multi-layered style like those present on previous songs " Angel in Disguise", " Full Moon" and " Afrodisiac". These are present on another ballad on ''Two Eleven'' called "Without You", which was originally crafted for singer
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...
. Initially tipped by Norwood as an early contender for the second or third single, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s Andrew Hamp said "Without You" showcases Norwood's "strong vocals" with a "confident" attitude. It drew comparisons to " Enough of No Love" by
Keyshia Cole Keyshia Myeshia Cole (née Johnson; born October 15, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, television personality and actress. Dubbed by critics as the " Princess of Hip-Hop Soul", she is known for her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics. Bor ...
, both Cole's song and Norwood's song were produced by Harmony Samuels. Touching on similar subject, "No Such Thing As too Late" sees Norwood talking about the emotions of a new relationship. Lyrics include the line "When you really love somebody / you can wait / 'cause there's no such thing as too late." This goes hand-in-hand with another song "Hardly Breathing", where Norwood speaks of the anguish of having her partner leave. Both of the songs were written and produced by Jim Jonsin and Rico Love. R&B singer-songwriter
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
wrote the ballad " Scared of Beautiful" for the album. Ocean previously co-wrote "1st & Love" and "Locket (Locked in Love)" with Rich King for Norwood's ''
Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'' (2008) album. "Scared of Beautiful" was originally conceived as a duet between Norwood and Ocean, and features the duo exchanging lyrics about looking forwards and not backwards, with lines such as "I wonder why there's no mirrors on these walls no more/ You can't tell me why you're so terrified of beautiful". However the final version features just Norwood. Speaking on how the song came about Norwood said, "Well, he had the song for a while and when I heard it, it really just spoke to me. Sometimes you get to a point in your life where you're scared to be great, you're scared to be beautiful, you're scared to be the best version of you and you talk to yourself and you try to get yourself back on track. I just remember feeling like that at a point in my life. I know there are so many people out there that go through that dark time and I felt like it could speak to a lot of people." Singer turned producer
Mario Winans Mario Mendell Winans ( Brown; born August 29, 1974) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from South Carolina. An extended member of the Winans musical family, he is best known for his 2004 single " I Don't Wanna Know" (f ...
, wrote and produced a song for the album called "Wish Your Love Away" where Norwood sings with angst for her lover "who played her like a fool". Centred around a melody of "serrated drums" and a "piping"
pan flute A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been ...
Norwood singles "Remember that you told me you were with it, and all them other bitches you could do without." " Do You Know What You Have?", helmed by Mike WiLL Made It, switches direction, with Norwood firing back at her love. In the lyrics she "cuts down her man for failing to return her affections." The subject content changes slightly on the Bangladesh-helmed "So Sick", another record which was written by Garrett. On the song, Norwood addresses a lover who pushes her too far and "violating her trust", it includes the lyrics "How far do you think I'll let you push me before I cross the line?". Not all of the songs are mid-tempo or ballads, Bangladesh also produced a song called "Let Me Go" which Hammp described as an "up-tempo club song". On the chorus, Norwood sings "You know how I get when you let me go", and later in the song she makes reference to
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
and her mother. The song interpolates "Tonight" by Swedish pop singer
Lykke Li Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (born 18 March 1986), known as Lykke Li (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, model and actress. Her music often blends elements of indie pop, dream pop and Electronic music, electronic. Her debut studio album, ''Youth ...
. Deluxe edition bonus track "Can You Hear Me Now?", producer Danja's sole contribution on ''Two Eleven'', works up an extended musical foreplay around a single mind-numbing groove. Built around an instrumental that was originally produced for
Diddy – Dirty Money Diddy – Dirty Money was an American musical trio, composed of R&B singers Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper, and rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. The group, formed and introduced by the latter in July 2009, refers to their billing with Combs, whi ...
's 2010 album '' Last Train to Paris'', it was re-constructed by Love for Norwood. Danja used heavy vocoding during production of the song.


Title and artwork

The album's title, ''Two Eleven'', is a reference to both Norwood's birthday and the day her idol and mentor, entertainer
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
, died in 2012. Norwood declared selecting a title a "tough decision". About the title, she stated: "Some of the titles I was working with were ''Rebirth'', ''Reincarnation'', ''Reinvention'', ''Resurrection'' ..I just felt like ''Two Eleven'' describes all of that. It's the day I was born, and each year, I evolve and change with time. It also has a whole new meaning to it because I gained my angel. My icon is my angel now. It's all tied in there and I just think it best represents who I am and the responsibilities I have moving on." Dismissing ongoing reproaches, that she was "trying to use the passing of Whitney Houston to sell records", Norwood remarked that the title was nothing but a homage: "I need for everybody to know that, if it wasn't for Whitney Houston, there would be no me, because she was the possibility for me. She was the vision of my dreams actually coming true, and she meant everything to me." The album's cover artwork, photographed by Gomillion & Leupold, was revealed on August 29, 2012. The deluxe edition's cover is entirely identical to the standard edition's but is tinged yellow.


Release and promotion

Initially, the album was due to be released in March 2012 according to ''Billboard''. In November 2011, Sean Garrett announced through ''Rap-Up'' that he wrote and co-produced the album's first single, which he expected to be released before December 25, 2011, and was to feature a rapper. Plans fell through and the song was eventually pushed back to avoid clashing with the release of Norwood's collaboration with former rival Monica, the song " It All Belongs to Me", taken from Monica's 2012 album '' New Life''. Following the delays in the release of "Put it Down", May 2012 was announced as a second release date. In March 2012, Norwood revealed the album's title as ''Two Eleven'' and announced that the album would arrive in June; it went on to be postponed to August 28, then to October 2, and then finally to October 15. On July 18, Norwood performed "Put It Down" for the first time at the
Howard Theatre The Howard Theatre is a historic theater, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., has been a pillar of the community since its opening in 1910. This historic venue, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, show ...
in Washington, D.C. The first televised performance of the song occurred at the
MDA Show of Strength The ''MDA Labor Day Telethon'' was an annual telethon held on (starting the night before and throughout) Labor Day in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The Muscular Dystrophy Association was founded in ...
benefit concert, which aired on September 2. In October, Norwood performed the song on television shows ''
106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...
'', ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'' and '' Live with Kelly and Michael''. Norwood performed the song, along with the album's second single "Wildest Dreams", at the ''
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE''), billed since 2008 as ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'', is a New Year's Eve television special broadcast by American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The special broadcasts ...
'' special on January 1, 2013, being the only R&B performer at the event. In February, Norwood performed "Without You"–originally scheduled for release as the album's third single–at The BET Honors.


Singles

On April 12, 2012, Norwood confirmed she was going to release " Put It Down", featuring fellow R&B singer
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
, as the album's
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
. Produced by Bangladesh, Norwood described the song as "very commercial, but at the same time, it's got a dope hip-hop influence—it's club, it's radio, it's all formats ..it's uptempo, it's really different." The song premiered on April 26, 2012, and was made available for purchase as a digital download on May 4, 2012. "Put It Down" first entered the US
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
at number 98 and eventually peaked at number three, marking Norwood's highest-charting entry since " What About Us?", the lead single from her third studio album '' Full Moon'' (2002), had peaked at number two a decade before. "Put It Down" also reached number 65 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In July 2012, during an interview with Angie Ange on 93.9 WKYS radio, Norwood said that two songs were in contention to become the second single. While Norwood favored "Without You", Chameleon and RCA wanted to release the
Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler (born March 30, 1979), known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is known his songwriting work on a series of commercially successful R&B and hip-hop songs, beginning with Ush ...
-produced "So Sick" first and then service "Without You" as the third single from ''Two Eleven''. However, at an album listening party at Germano Studios in Manhattan, it was revealed that The Bizness-produced " Wildest Dreams" would serve as the album's second single. "Wildest Dreams" premiered online on August 21, 2012, and was released for digital download on August 28, 2012. Serviced to
urban adult contemporary Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...
radio stations on September 11, 2012, it peaked at number 68 on the US
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart and was seen as a commercial failure compared to "Put It Down". In an interview with ''
Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...
'', Norwood stated that she would like the third single to be the Rico Love and Jim Jonsin-helmed "No Such Thing as Too Late". Garrett also tipped a song he produced, "Let Me Go", for the album's third single release. However, during The BET Honors in February 2013, "Without You" was introduced as Norwood's new single and she performed the song live for the first time. It remained unreleased, however. After the release of ''Two Eleven'',
urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contemporary r ...
radio stations began playing "Do You Know What You Have?" and "Wish Your Love Away", which resulted in them peaking at numbers 61 and 66 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, respectively. " Scared of Beautiful" also charted at number 48 on the South Korean International Singles Chart, based on downloads alone.


Critical reception

''Two Eleven'' became Norwood's most critically acclaimed album at the time of its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a rated mean out of 100 from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 77, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Andy Kellman of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
wrote that Norwood "took something of a risk by breaking from her norm and working with numerous songwriters and producers" and remarked that the strategy "paid off." He found adding that "Brandy, a superior vocalist ignored or disregarded by many ..released one of her best albums. She should not be taken for granted." Steve Jones, writing for ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'', considered ''Two Eleven'' Norwood's "most impassioned album in years. Whether she's overjoyed with a new love or ready to be shut of an old one, her heart seems like an open book." Fekadu from ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
'' stated, "Not many singers have released six consistently amazing albums. Brandy has. Her newest is a collection of R&B songs that are personal, flavored and fantastic. The album doesn't miss a beat, as Brandy's raspy-yet-earthy tone weaves into each song's beat nicely to create outstanding tracks that will have you listening again and again." ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' declared ''Two Eleven'' "her best work since 2004's career high '' Afrodisiac''" and wrote, "full of subtle, sensual pleasures, the album unfolds at a slow-to-midtempo pace and stays there for most of the time, even when incorporating hip-hop or electronica beats." Andrew Chan from
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
commented that while ''Two Eleven'' was "touted as progressive R&B, it doesn't exactly redefine the singer as a visionary. What's refreshing about this new work, though, is how it clears a place for her in the realm of forward-thinking urban music while also reaching back to clarify her distinctive position in the diva pantheon." He called the record "the clearest portrait yet of Brandy's instrument", praising the "unusual tone f her voice its strange mix of warmth and cold, hard edges", and felt that the album revealed a "contradictory admiration for ..
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
,
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
, and
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
circa ''
808s & Heartbreak ''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Stud ...
''". Ken Capobianco of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' believed that with ''Two Eleven'' "Brandy delivers one of her better sets with these songs tracking love's mysterious ways ..Unlike some past efforts, which sounded like musical wallpaper, there's swagger to the club tracks and real soul in the ballads." Andrew Hampp, writing for ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', felt that the album "features some of her freshest beats since 2004's experimental, critically adored '' Afrodisiac''" and summed it as "a collection of old-school R&B songs with a modern, often futuristic twist with no trend-chasing experiments with EDM", calling it "her most focused album since 1998's '' Never Say Never''". ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
''s Tanner Stransky called the album "a well-crafted for-the-fans album. Ignore what's pushed to pop radio. Brandy scores when her raspy-sweet voice soars during ballads and slow jams, and that's what stands out on this intimate, often ethereal collection." He gave the album a B+ rating. Sarah Godfrey from ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' complimented the songs on the album and wrote that the album "serves as a fine tribute o friend and mentor Whitney Houston in part because it is a testament to the fact that, despite whatever trends are happening in popular music right now, a good voice always shines through." ''
Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...
'' noted that "experimentation can spell struggle for some artists, but ''Two Eleven'' finds Brandy cruising fluidly past the predictable. Swinging from OVO-worthy emo-ethereal reflections to quirky up-tempos, the 18-year vet deviates from overdone slow-tempo production." Rich Juzwiak from ''
Gawker ''Gawker'' was an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers that was based in New York City and focused on celebrities and the media industry. According to SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month in 2015. Fo ...
'' felt that ''Two Eleven'' "doesn't sound any younger or older than Brandy is. It's not obtusely hip or desperately serious. It just is, it's just now and it's just right." Less enthusiastic with the album, Noah Berlatsky from ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...
'' felt the songs on the album were "worse than the largely ignored ''
Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'', but better than the beloved-yet-boring 2002 '' Full Moon''", and added, that "but such parsing seems mostly beside the point. If you're one of the dwindling number of fans of this '90s style, you know what you're getting; if not you'll probably skip it anyway."


Accolades

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2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
Soul Train Music Award The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of ''Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...
, Best Collaboration , " Put It Down" , ,


Year-end lists


Decade-end lists


Commercial performance

''Two Eleven'' debuted at number three on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and atop the
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 Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...
chart, with first-week sales of 65,000 copies—less than Norwood's previous effort ''
Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...
'' (2008), which had first-week sales of 73,000 copies. However, this marked her fourth top-ten album on the ''Billboard'' 200, as well as her second number-one album on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, following her third studio album '' Full Moon'' (2002). In its second week, the album sold additional 22,000 copies, falling to number ten on the ''Billboard'' 200. By November 2012, ''Two Eleven'' had sold 110,700 copies in the United States, and went on to finish 52nd on ''Billboard''s 2012 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums year-end chart. In October 2013, '' Sister 2 Sister'' magazine confirmed that the album had "sold around 180,000 copies."


Track listing

Notes * denotes co-producer Sample credits * "Slower" contains a sample from "Fluorescences" as performed by Anglo-French pop band
Stereolab Stereolab are an English people, Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound incorporates repetitive motorik beats with the use of vintage electronic keybo ...
. *"Let Me Go" interpolates "Tonight" as performed by Swedish singer
Lykke Li Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (born 18 March 1986), known as Lykke Li (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, model and actress. Her music often blends elements of indie pop, dream pop and Electronic music, electronic. Her debut studio album, ''Youth ...
. *"Wish Your Love Away" contains a sample from " Seven Samurai: Ending Theme" as performed by Japanese composer
Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
.


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Two Eleven''. * Dwayne "Dem Jointz" Abernathy Jr. – backing vocals, programming *Tony Aliperti – guitar *Diego Avendaño – assistant *
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
 – vocals *Nathan Burgess – assistant *
Warryn Campbell Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of contemporary gospel, gospel, hip hop and Contemporary R&B, R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician a ...
 – producer *Shondrae "Mr. Bangladesh" Crawford – producer *Sheika Daily – make-up, hair styling *Alex Dilliplane – assistant *Peter Edge – executive producer *
Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler (born March 30, 1979), known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is known his songwriting work on a series of commercially successful R&B and hip-hop songs, beginning with Ush ...
 – producer *Conrad Golding – producer *Gomillion & Leupold – photography *Erwin Gorostiza – creative director *Eric Goudy II – keyboard, programming *Francis Graham – engineer *Trehy Harris – assistant *Earl Hood – keyboard, programming *Matt Huber – assistant *Brandon James – instrumentation *Brandon Ramon Johnson – producer * Jim Jonsin – producer, programming *
Jaycen Joshua Jaycen Joshua is an American audio engineer based in California. He won three Grammy Awards: the first for mixing ''Growing Pains'' for Mary J. Blige in 2007, followed by '' El mal querer'' for Rosalía in 2018, and ''Hyperspace'' for Beck in ...
 – mixing *Kimberly Kimble – hair styling *Carlos King – engineer *Dave Kitch – mastering * Rico Love – backing vocals, producer *Fabian Marasciullo – mixing *Robert Marks – mixing *Nikolas Marzouca – engineer *Thurston McCrea – engineering assistant *Pierre Medor – engineer, producer, vocal engineer, keyboard, programming *Mike "Snotty" Miller – engineer *Danny Morris – keyboard *
Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model and actress. Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi, Norwood was raised in Carson, California, beginning her career as a backing vocalist ...
 – lead vocals, backing vocals, vocal producer, arranger, executive producer *P-Nasty – producer *Michael Piazza – engineer *Breyon Prescott – producer, executive producer *Ryan Ramsey – artist management *Dana Richard – assistant *Andy Rodriguez – assistant * Frank Romano – guitar *Harmony "H-Money" Samuels – producer, instrumentation *Cody Sciara – assistant *Jenke Ahmed Taily – creative director *The Bizness – producer *Ashley Sean Thomas – styling * Mike Will – producer *
Mario Winans Mario Mendell Winans ( Brown; born August 29, 1974) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from South Carolina. An extended member of the Winans musical family, he is best known for his 2004 single " I Don't Wanna Know" (f ...
 – producer, instrumentation


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Release history


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B albums of 2012


References

{{Authority control 2012 albums Brandy Norwood albums RCA Records albums Albums produced by Bangladesh (record producer) Albums produced by Danja (record producer) Albums produced by Jim Jonsin Albums produced by Rico Love Hip-hop albums by American artists Albums produced by Hit-Boy Albums produced by Mike Will Made It Albums produced by Harmony Samuels