"It's a Shame" is the debut solo single by American

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- ...

artist

Kool G Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Cr ...

, from his 1995 album ''

4,5,6 ''4,5,6'' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Kool G Rap. It was released on September 26, 1995, via Cold Chillin' Records. The album's title signifies the winning combination at the urban street game of cee-lo. The recording se ...

''.

Background

"It's a Shame" was recorded at

Bearsville Studios Bearsville Sound Studio was an independent residential recording studio founded by Albert Grossman in the Bearsville, New York, Bearsville section of Woodstock, New York. From the late 1960s through the early 2000s, the studios were the site of n ...

Bearsville, New York Bearsville is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the town of Woodstock. It is located along New York State Route 212, within Catskill State Park and just to the west of the hamlet of Woodstock. Bearsville was named not for ...

. In the song, Kool G Rap portrays himself as a

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

kingpin, boasting of his wealth, power and extravagant lifestyle. However, it is implied that he harbours a sense of remorse over his choice of trade, with the chorus (sung by an uncredited Sean Brown) stating: :Now it's a damn shame, what I gotta do just to make a dollar :Living in this game, sometimes it makes you wanna holler

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for "It's a Shame" shows Kool G Rap living a life of luxury as a wealthy and powerful gangster as well as shots of drug addicts and prostitutes, signifying the less glamorous side of the drug trade.

Critical reception

Hip Hop Album Reviews called the song "one of G Rap's premier ventures at storytelling, only weakened by the dime-a-dozen

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

Samples

"It's a Shame" samples the following songs:It's a Shame at Who Sampled
/ref> *"Love Is for Fools" by

Southside Movement The Southside Movement was an American soul and funk musical group from Chicago, Illinois. Composed of vocalist Melvin Moore, guitarist Bobby Pointer (June 19, 1945 - December 26, 2016), keyboardist Morris Beeks, bassist Ronald Simmons, drummer ...

Track listing

12"

;A-side # "It's a Shame" (Original) (4:02) # "It's a Shame" (Acapella) (4:01) # "It's a Shame" (Instrumental) (3:54) ;B-side # "It's a Shame" (Original) (4:03) # "It's a Shame" (Acapella) (4:01) # "It's a Shame" (Instrumental) (3:54)

CD

# "It's a Shame" (Original) (3:54) # "It's a Shame" (Acapella) (3:54) # "It's a Shame" (Instrumental) (3:54)

References

External links

*
It's a Shame
at

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

{{authority control 1995 singles Kool G Rap songs Songs written by Kool G Rap Hardcore hip-hop songs Songs about crime Songs about drugs 1995 songs Cold Chillin' Records singles Mafioso rap songs