Theater of the Mind
For the 1986 album of the same name, see Mtume.
| Theater of the Mind | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Ludacris | ||||
| Released |
November 24, 2008 (See release dates) | |||
| Recorded | January 2, 2007 – September 13, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 60:15 | |||
| Label | Disturbing tha Peace, Def Jam | |||
| Producer | DJ Premier, 9th Wonder, Clinton Sparks & Kamau Georges, Sean Garrett, Wyldfyer, Scott Storch, Trackmasters, Don Cannon, Streetrunner, Swizz Beatz, Darkchild, DJ Toomp, The Runners | |||
| Ludacris chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Theater of the Mind | ||||
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Theater of the Mind is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Ludacris.[1] It was released on November 24, 2008, through Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam Recordings.[2] Ludacris calls the album "theatrical."[3]
Background
The album was slated for release on October 21, but was pushed back to November 22. In April 2008, a song named "Let's Stay Together" appeared on xxlmag.com;[4] supposedly from the new album. It is now an iTunes bonus song on the album. T.I. appeared on a track called "Wish You Would", produced by DJ Toomp.[5][6]
The album cover was released on October 24, 2008 at wemix.com. The cover is an homage to Sly and The Family Stone's Life album, which had the band appearing as all the cinemas goers in the picture. Ludacris planned on releasing a sequel to this album in 2009.[7]
In ’09, I’m definitely dropping another album. I’m working on a Battle of the Sexes album and a Theater of the Mind 2. With Battle of the Sexes, I’m trying to do some stuff with Shawnna."
Ludacris has been talking to T.I. and Young Jeezy about a tour together.[8]
"I haven't confirmed anything yet. It's little talks here and there. But I'll put it out there: I would love to do a tour where it's me, T.I. and [Young] Jeezy. Me, Tip and Jeezy would be outrageous. But nothing is confirmed at the moment."
Guests
Ludacris stated before the release of the album that, rather than featuring "guests", the tracks would have "co-stars", in keeping with the concept of the album as a "movie".[6] "Co-stars" on Theater of the Mind include Nas, Plies, Jay-Z, T.I., Common, T-Pain, Willy Northpole, Rick Ross, Playaz Circle, Ving Rhames, Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Chris Brown, Sean Garrett, Lil Wayne, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jamie Foxx, and The Game.[9]
Promotion
Ludacris released a "Gangsta Grillz" mixtape, with DJ Drama, titled The Preview. The mixtape was released as a digital download on July 28, 2008. This mixtape was well known for his disses toward George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
Leaks
On October 24, 2008, three songs from Theater of the Mind, "Do the Right Thing", featuring Common and Spike Lee, "I Do It for Hip Hop", featuring Jay-Z and Nas, and "Last of a Dying Breed", featuring Lil Wayne were leaked to the Internet. Ludacris commented on the situation:
Although I don't know where the leaks came from, the 3 songs leaked to the Internet today were unfinished tracks and premature versions of songs. I'm glad that my fans are excited about the new project, but to get the final masterpiece, the album Theater of the Mind premieres on November 24.[10]
Singles
Official singles
- The first official single is "What Them Girls Like", featuring Chris Brown & Sean Garrett. The single peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- The second official single is "One More Drink", featuring T-Pain, peaking at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- The third single is confirmed to be "Nasty Girl", featuring Plies.
Other songs
- The first promo single is "Wish You Would", featuring T.I..
- The second promo single is "Undisputed", featuring Floyd Mayweather Jr..
- The song "Last of a Dying Breed", featuring Lil Wayne, peaked at #65 on the Billboard 100.
Reception
Chart performance
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [11] |
| The A.V. Club | (B)[12] |
| Billboard | (favorable) 2008 |
| Blender | [13] |
| The Boston Globe | (favorable) 2008 |
| Robert Christgau |  [14] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B)[15] |
| NOW |   [16] |
| Pitchfork Media | (5.3/10)[17] |
| Rolling Stone | [18] |
| XXL | (XL)[19] |
| Slant Magazine | [20] |
The album was well received by music critics. It debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 214,000 copies in its first week, making it his sixth top 5 album. It was his first album since 2000's Back for the First Time and 2001's Word of Mouf to not reach number one status, and his lowest charting album in his career. As of March 2010, the album has sold about 671,000 copies, achieving a gold certification.[21]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | Christopher Bridges, Andrew Harr, Jermaine Jackson | The Runners | 1:55 |
| 2. | "Undisputed" (featuring Floyd "Money" Mayweather) | Bridges, Donald "Don Cannon" Clark, Ivory Joe Hunter, Beatrice Verdi | Don Cannon | 4:33 |
| 3. | "Wish You Would" (featuring T.I.) | Bridges, Aldrin Davis, Clifford Harris, Jr., Ron "8TRIX" Utley | DJ Toomp, 8TRIX | 4:47 |
| 4. | "One More Drink" (featuring T-Pain) | Samuel Barnes, Jean-Claude Olivier, Theo Bowen, Bridges, Alexander "Spanador" Mosely, Faheem Najm | Trackmasters | 3:41 |
| 5. | "Call Up the Homies" (featuring The Game and Willy Northpole) | William Adams, Bridges, Clinton Sparks, Jayceon Taylor | Sparks, Kamau Georges | 4:04 |
| 6. | "Southern Gangsta" (featuring Rick Ross, Playaz Circle and Ving Rhames) | Bridges, Earl Conyers, Tauheed Epps, Williams Roberts II, Nicholas Warwar | Streetrunner | 4:34 |
| 7. | "Everybody Hates Chris" (featuring Chris Rock) | Bridges, Johnny Bristol, Clark, William Robinson, Jr. | Don Cannon | 4:54 |
| 8. | "What Them Girls Like" (featuring Chris Brown and Sean Garrett) | Bridges, Christopher Brown, Sean Garrett, Rodney Jerkins | Darkchild, Garrett (co.) | 4:02 |
| 9. | "Nasty Girl" (featuring Plies) | Bridges, Kasseem Dean, Algernod Washington | Swizz Beatz | 4:32 |
| 10. | "Contagious" (featuring Jamie Foxx) | Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, Bridges, Scott Storch, Eric Bishop | Storch | 4:45 |
| 11. | "Last of a Dying Breed" (featuring Lil Wayne) | Eric Barrier, Bridges, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Wyatt Coleman, Gluseppe Donaggio, Youtha Fowler, William Griffin, Jr., Vito Pallavicini | Wyldfyer | 4:10 |
| 12. | "MVP" | Bridges, Christopher Martin | DJ Premier | 3:50 |
| 13. | "I Do It for Hip Hop" (featuring Nas and Jay-Z) | Bridges, Shawn Carter, Coleman, Fowler, Nasir Jones | Wyldfyer | 5:22 |
| 14. | "Do the Right Thang" (featuring Common and Spike Lee) | Bridges, Patrick Douthit, Lonnie Lynn, Arthur Verocai | 9th Wonder | 5:14 |
| iTunes bonus tracks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
| 15. | "Let's Stay Together" | Three 6 Mafia | 4:22 |
| Dutch bonus track | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
| 16. | "Press the Start Button" | Dre & Vidal | 4:00 |
- Sample credits
- "Undisputed" contains samples of "We'll Find a Way" performed by Edwin Starr.
- "One More Drink" contains samples of "Take That To The Bank" performed by Shalamar.
- "Everybody Hates Chris" contains samples of "It Takes a Whole Lotta Man for a Woman Like Me" performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips.
- "Last of a Dying Breed" contains samples of "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" performed by Dusty Springfield, and "Eric B. Is President" performed by Eric B. & Rakim.
- "MVP" contains samples of "Virgo" performed by Nas, "DTP for Life" performed by Disturbing tha Peace, and "All Night Long" performed by Mary Jane Girls.
- "Do the Right Thang" contains samples of "Na Boca Do Sol" performed by Arthur Verocai.
- "Let's Stay Together" contains samples of "Everybody's Breakin' Up" performed by Billy Paul.
Personnel
|
|
|
Release dates
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| Switzerland, Jamaica | December 4, 2008 |
| United Kingdom | November 24, 2009 |
| United States, Australia, Canada, Japan | November 24, 2008 |
| Poland | December 9, 2008 |
| Mexico | December 11, 2008 |
| South Africa | January 18, 2009 |
| Egypt | October 2, 2008 |
| Ireland | February 15, 2009 |
| Italy | February 9, 2009 |
| India, Argentina, France, Germany, Greece, Brazil | November 16, 2008 |
| New Zealand | March 5, 2009 |
| Middle East, Costa Rica | January 16, 2009 |
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart[22] | 22 |
| Swiss Albums Chart[23] | 46 |
| US Billboard 200[24] | 5 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[25] | 2 |
| US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[26] | 1 |
References
- ↑ "Theater of the Mind: Ludacris: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
- ↑ Def Jam Recordings : Def Jam News at the Wayback Machine (archived November 16, 2008)
- ↑ (July 16, 2008). Ludacris Gets Theatrical on Sixth Album Rap-Up. Accessed August 3, 2008.
- ↑ Ludacris "Let's Stay Together" audio.
- ↑ DJ Toomp: Grammy Family. Accessed July 6, 2008.
- 1 2 Ludacris, T.I. 'Wish You Would' Believe There's No Beef Between Them. Accessed August 8, 2008.
- ↑ Ludacris: Audio Cinematic. HiphopDX.com.
- ↑ Ludacris In 'Talks' To Tour With T.I. And Young Jeezy, Says Theater Of The Mind Is A 'Classic'. MTV.com.
- ↑ Ludacris Interview.
- ↑ Ludacris Speaks on Song Leaks. HipHopDX.com. Accessed October 26, 2008.
- ↑ Jeffries, David. "Theater of the Mind - Ludacris". AllMusic. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
- ↑ Rabin, Nathan (December 17, 2008). "Theater Of The Mind · Ludacris · Music Review". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ↑ Eells, Josh. "Ludacris : Theater of the Mind". Blender. Alpha Media Group. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Ludacris". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- ↑ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (November 19, 2008). "Theater of the Mind". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ↑ Stewart, Addi (November 26, 2008). "Ludacris". NOW. NOW Communications. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ↑ Cohen, Ian (January 5, 2009). "Ludacris: Theater of the Mind". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ↑ Hoard, Christian (November 27, 2008). "Theater of the Mind : Ludacris". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ↑ Cantor, Paul (November 19, 2008). "Ludacris:Theater Of The Mind". XXL. Townsquare Media. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Ludacris: Theater of the Mind | Music Review". Slant Magazine. 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
- ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/959309/ludacris-how-low-single-goes-high-on-the-charts
- ↑ "Top Canadian Albums — Theater Of The Mind — Ludacris". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ↑ "Ludacris — Theater Of The Mind — Music Charts". αCharts. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ↑ "The Billboard 200 - Theater Of The Mind — Ludacris". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on January 28, 2014. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums — Theater Of The Mind — Ludacris". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ↑ "Top Rap Albums — Theater Of The Mind — Ludacris". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
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