| We Are Young Money | ||||
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | December 21, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–09 inVancouver | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 65:12 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Young Money chronology | ||||
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| Singles from We Are Young Money | ||||
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We Are Young Money is the firstcompilation album by American hip hop record labelYoung Money Entertainment, released on December 21, 2009.[1] The album garnered a positive reception but critics were divided on the quality of the label's choice of artists.We Are Young Money debuted at number 9 on theBillboard 200 and spawned foursingles: "Every Girl", "BedRock", "Steady Mobbin" and "Roger That". The album wascertified Platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America for sales of over 1,000,000 copies in the United States.
The album features contributions from Young Money artistsLil Wayne,Gudda Gudda,Jae Millz,Mack Maine,Drake,Tyga, T-Streets, Short Dawg,Shanell,Nicki Minaj,Lil Twist and Lil Chuckee. The album also featuresguest appearances fromBirdman,Lloyd andGucci Mane. The album'sproduction was handled byKane Beatz, Chase N. Cashe,Cool & Dre,David Banner,Infamous,Willy Will and DJ Mecca ofthe Audibles, among other high-profile record producers. Lil Wayne, the founder of the label, performs on all tracks except "Girl I Got You".
"Every Girl" was released as the album'slead single on June 11, 2009; the song features Lil Wayne, Drake,Jae Millz,Gudda Gudda andMack Maine. The song peaked at number 10 on the USBillboardHot 100. "BedRock" was released as the album's second single on November 14, 2009; the song features Lil Wayne, Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda, Nicki Minaj,Tyga and Lloyd. The song has peaked at number 2 on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart, and number 9 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the most commercially successful single. The two first singles proved to behits on the charts and in the urban community. "Steady Mobbin", featuring Gucci Mane, was released as the album's third single on January 26, 2010 and peaked at number 48 on theBillboard Hot 100 in the United States. "Roger That" was released as the album's fourth single; the song features Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Tyga. It was officially released tourban radio on March 23, 2010.[2]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 63/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| The A.V. Club | C[5] |
| HipHopDX | [6] |
| NOW |   [7] |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10[8] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| Toronto Star | [11] |
| XXL | [12] |
We Are Young Money received generally favorable reviews frommusic critics who found the quality of the rappers' talents below average. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received anaverage score of 63, based on 8 reviews.[3]
Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised the production by Kane Beatz and Tha Bizness for providing the necessary energy but found the album filled with more Lil Wayne and less of his newly signed roster than needed, saying that "For the most part the charisma of Lil Wayne and Drake carriesWe Are Young Money even when the actual content does not. Occasionally Jae Millz or Mack Maine upstage everyone with a line or two but odds are if you buyWe Are Young Money you're a Lil Wayne fan."[9]Pitchfork writer Ryan Dombal said that Drake and Nicki Minaj elevate the material that contains high quality production, saying that "Along with its top tier talents, what keepsWAYM from slogging along is a stylistic diversity and a selection of beats that sometimes borders on phenomenal."[8]XXL contributor Chris Yuscavage praised the album for allowing new rappers to deliver workmanlike lyrics that rarely happen in similar projects, saying that "We Are Young Money—the first group project from Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment—actually manages to help the YM roster make a solid first impression."[12] Joshua Errett ofNOW found Minaj the only standout rapper on the record because of her idiosyncratic delivery, saying that "Her nonsensical punchlines and train-wreck flow have been accurately described asLynchian - kooky and captivating."[7]
The A.V. Club's Nathan Rabin found the album's lyrical content and roster of rappers tiring and lacking in staying power, concluding that "Money is pure bubblegum, the kind of instantly disposable pop ephemera listeners forget about while it's still playing."[5] Kathy Iandoli ofHipHopDX found the record too Wayne-heavy and doesn't give enough time for the new rappers to leave an impression, saying that "[T]he problem here is that unlike past posse introductory albums (seeWu-Tang Clan'sEnter The 36 Chambers), there isn't a level playing field where everyone has an equal opportunity to become a star. The individual successes of Wayne, Drake, and Nicki alone make a compilation like this too late for them and too early for the rest."[6] Christian Hoard ofRolling Stone felt the album lacked balance in showcasing new artists, saying that "It's inconsistent, veering from Drake (always solid, but distracted here) to very average MCs like Gudda Gudda."[10] Ashante Infantry of theToronto Star said that despite appearances from Drake and Nicki Minaj, the rest of the label roster proved mediocre in delivering verses, saying that "[I]t's difficult to establish identity in an ensemble cast and even tougher with the limited, profane agenda – money, groupies, cars – outlined in songs like 'Fuck Da Bullshit' and 'New Shit'."[11]
We Are Young Money debuted at number 9 on the USBillboard 200 chart, selling 142,000 copies in its first-week sales.[13] The album was certified Platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 1 million copies in the United States.[14]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gooder" | 4:26 | ||
| 2. | "Every Girl in the World" |
|
| 5:13 |
| 3. | "Ms. Parker" |
|
| 5:19 |
| 4. | "Wife Beater" |
|
| 4:43 |
| 5. | "New Shit" |
|
| 3:31 |
| 6. | "Pass the Dutch" (featuring Short Dawg) |
|
| 5:06 |
| 7. | "Play in My Band" |
|
| 4:08 |
| 8. | "Fuck da Bullshit" (featuringBirdman) |
|
| 3:07 |
| 9. | "BedRock" (featuringLloyd) |
|
| 4:48 |
| 10. | "Girl I Got You" |
|
| 3:58 |
| 11. | "Steady Mobbin" (featuringGucci Mane) |
| Lil Wayne | 5:38 |
| 12. | "Roger That" |
|
| 3:30 |
| 13. | "She Is Gone" |
|
| 3:50 |
| 14. | "Streets Is Watchin'" |
|
| 3:41 |
| 15. | "Finale" |
|
| 5:22 |
| Total length: | 65:12 | |||
Sample credits
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[20] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
