''Word of Mouf'' 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 ...
by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
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 ...
; it was released on November 27, 2001, by
Disturbing tha Peace
Disturbing tha Peace Records (DTP) is an American record label founded by Ludacris, Jeff Dixon, and Chaka Zulu.
History
Beginnings
Disturbing tha Peace was founded in 1998 by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, manager Chaka Zulu, and Zulu's brother ...
and
Def Jam South. It contains the singles, "
Rollout (My Business)
“Rollout (My Business)” is a song by American rapper Ludacris. It was the second single released from his 2001 album '' Word of Mouf''. The song, on whose writing and composition Ludacris collaborated with music-producer Timbaland, who also ...
", "
Area Codes
A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunication to assign telephone numbers to subscriber telephones or other telephony endpoints. Telephone numbers are the addresses of participants in a telephone network, rea ...
", "
Move Bitch
"Move Bitch" (marketed as "Move B***h" or simply "Move") is the fourth official single from American rapper Ludacris' album ''Word of Mouf''. The single features American rappers Mystikal and I-20. The single reached number 10 on the ''Billboard ...
", and "Saturday (Oooh Oooh!)".
Critical reception
Jason Birchmeier 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 ...
called ''Word of Mouf'' a "superstar affair that aims for mass appeal with a broad array of different styles" and enjoyed "witty puns and sly innuendoes" displayed in songs such as "Area Codes".
However, he felt that "amid all of these various team-ups you do lose a little bit of the sincere, personal edge that had characterized much of Ludacris' debut."
Soren Baker
Soren Baker is an American journalist who has spent his career covering hip-hop. Best known for his six years as one of the main editors of The Source, Baker has had more than 3,500 articles published in such publications as The New York Times, ...
of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' also praised the album's comedic nature, commenting that "Whether he's delivering a punchy one-liner, exaggerating his rhyme flow to a silly extreme or cleverly deploying pop culture references, Ludacris keeps the mood light and festive. Even his skits are funny enough that they could serve as the foundation for a top-tier comedy album."
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 3 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 281,000 copies in the United States,
The album was certified
3x Multi-Platinum 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 October 31, 2002. As of July 2014, the album has sold over 3,674,000 copies in the United States to date.
This is Ludacris' best selling album. It was nominated at the
45th Grammy Awards for
Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories ...
, but lost to ''
The Eminem Show
''The Eminem Show'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper Eminem. After it had originally scheduled for release on June 4, 2002, the album was released nine days earlier on May 26, 2002, through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and ...
''.
Track listing
* All tracks are co-written by
Christopher Bridges
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 ...
Samples and interpolations
"Coming 2 America"
*
"Requiem", 3rd movement (Dies irae) by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
(Conductor and orchestra unknown)
*
Symphony No. 9, "From the New World", 4th movement (Allegro con fuoco) by
Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czechs, Czech composer. Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravian traditional music, Moravia and his native Bohemia, following t ...
(Conductor and orchestra unknown)
"Rollout (My Business)"
*"Yay Boy" by
Africando Africando is a musical project formed in 1992 to unite New York-based salsa musicians with Senegalese vocalists. Musicians from other African countries were later included under the name Africando All Stars.
Salsa has been a hugely popular style in ...
"Area Codes"
*"Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)" by
B.T. Express
"Growing Pains"
*"I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by
William Bell
"Welcome to Atlanta"
*"Five Minutes of Funk" by
Whodini
Whodini is an American hip hop group that was formed in 1982. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark; J ...
*"Do it baby" by
The Miracles
The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups ...
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Word Of Mouf
2001 albums
Disturbing tha Peace albums
Albums produced by Bangladesh (record producer)
Albums produced by Jazze Pha
Albums produced by Jermaine Dupri
Albums produced by Organized Noize
Albums produced by Swizz Beatz
Albums produced by Timbaland
Def Jam Recordings albums
Ludacris albums