The Album (The Firm album)

The Album
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 21, 1997 (1997-10-21)
RecordedNovember 1996 – August 1997
Studio
Genre
Length52:54
Label
Producer
Nas chronology
It Was Written
(1996)
The Album
(1997)
I Am...
(1999)
Foxy Brown chronology
Ill Na Na
(1996)
The Album
(1997)
Chyna Doll
(1999)
AZ chronology
Doe or Die
(1995)
The Album
(1997)
Pieces of a Man
(1998)
Nature chronology
The Album
(1997)
For All Seasons
(2000)
Singles from The Album
  1. "Firm Biz"
    Released: September 24, 1997
  2. "Phone Tap"
    Released: November 11, 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[2]
Los Angeles Daily News[3]
RapReviews5.0/10[4]
The Source[5]
The Village VoiceB−[6]

The Album is the only studio album by American hip hop supergroup The Firm. It was released on October 21, 1997, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The project was created by rapper Nas, his manager Steve Stoute and producers Dr. Dre and Trackmasters, who came up with the idea of forming a hip hop supergroup. The original line-up included Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown and Cormega who were all featured on the song "Affirmative Action" from Nas' album It Was Written (1996). However, Cormega later left the group due to artistic differences between him and Nas, as well as contract disagreements with Stoute. He was replaced by Nature prior to recording of the album. The Album is a concept album that revolves around the themes of mafia and "gangsta" lifestyle. The songs on the album were mainly produced by Dr. Dre, Chris "The Glove" Taylor and Trackmasters (as Poke and Tone), and feature guest vocals from Pretty Boy, Wizard, Canibus, Dawn Robinson, Noreaga and Half-a-Mill.

The Album received mixed reviews from music critics, who criticized its mainstream pop-oriented sound rather than the members' previous styles. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and also topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also charted in other countries, such as Canada, France and the United Kingdom. The Album sold 147,000 copies in the debut week and has sold over 925,000 copies in the United States and was certified gold in Canada.[7][8] Two singles were released from the album, with "Firm Biz" peaking at number twelve on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and number eighteen on the UK Singles Chart. Although the album's second single "Phone Tap" failed to chart, it remained the group signature song.[9]

  1. ^ Jacobs, Qa'id. "The Album - The Firm". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  2. ^ Diehl, Matt (November 14, 1997). "Music Review: 'The Firm'". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  3. ^ "SOUND CHECK. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  4. ^ Jost, Matt (June 20, 2006). "The Firm :: The Album :: Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records". RapReviews. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  5. ^ Wilson, Elliott (December 1997). "Record Report: The Firm – The Firm". The Source. No. 99. New York. p. 182. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  6. ^ Christgau, Robert (December 2, 1997). "Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  7. ^ "'The Firm' Is Ninth Hip-Hop Album to Top Charts This Year". October 30, 1997 – via LA Times.
  8. ^ Crosley, Hillary (July 5, 2008). "More Than Words". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 27. p. 33. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  9. ^ "The Firm & Dr. Dre Delivered a Classic with "Phone Tap"". HNHH. October 21, 2019.