The Inspiration

For other uses, see Inspiration (disambiguation).
The Inspiration
Studio album by Young Jeezy
Released December 12, 2006
Recorded 200506
Genre Hip hop
Label
Producer
Young Jeezy chronology
Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
(2005)
The Inspiration
(2006)
The Recession
(2008)
Singles from The Inspiration
  1. "I Luv It"
    Released: November 2, 2006
  2. "Go Getta"
    Released: January 21, 2007
  3. "Dreamin'"
    Released: April 6, 2007

The Inspiration (also known as The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102) is the fourth studio album by American rapper Young Jeezy. It was released on December 12, 2006, by Def Jam Recordings (marking it as his second release) and his own record label Corporate Thugz Entertainment (CTE).

The Inspiration was supported by three singles; "I Luv It", "Go Getta" featuring R. Kelly and "Dreamin'" featuring Keyshia Cole.

Singles

The album's lead single, "I Luv It" was released on November 2, 2006. The song was produced by DJ Toomp.[1] The album's second single, "Go Getta" was released on January 21, 2007. The song features a guest appearance from R. Kelly, while it was produced by The Runners.[2]

The album's third single, "Dreamin'" was released on April 6, 2007. The song features a guest appearance from Keyshia Cole, while it was produced by The Runners; the same production team, who latter produced the song "Go Getta".[3]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 352,000 copies in the first week, making it Young Jeezy's first number-one album in his career.[4] In 2009, the album has sold 1,229,000 copies in the United States.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(70/100)[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[8]
HipHopDX[9]
Los Angeles Times[10]
Pitchfork Media8.1/10[11]
PopMatters6/10[12]
RapReviews7/10[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
USA Today[15]
XXL[16]

The album so far has a score of 70 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews".[6] Vibe gave the album four stars out of five and stated that "Despite its frustratingly uniform theme--coke--and Jeezy's inflexible, one-speed rasp, his sophomore effort, The Inspiration, suggests that last year's victories were no fluke."[6] The A.V. Club gave it a B and stated that Young Jeezy "spits snowman raps with rough-hewn charisma and unseemly enthusiasm."[17] Chicago Tribune gave it three stars out of four and said that Jeezy "continues to improve, crafting songs that are distinctive and memorable, even if he sticks to the well-worn topics of rims, clothes and clubbing."[18] Blender gave it three-and-a-half stars and said that "the smallest suggestions of personality make a charismatic impact."[6] Spin gave the album seven out of ten and stated that "This time around, it's as if the script has been reshot by Michael Bay--glossy and viscerally stimulating--and we're watching a coming attraction for a film that never starts."[6] Billboard gave it a positive review and said that Jeezy's lyrics "have matured past coke-slinging to the drug's effect on his life."[6] The Phoenix gave it two-and-a-half stars out of four and said that "Fortunately, getting the money isn’t all this follow-up to last year’s breakthrough Let’s Get It cares about, and the singles here are fire."[19]

Other reviews are average or mixed: Okayplayer gave it an average review and stated, "The Inspiration, an even darker work than the debut, finds the Snowman weaving paranoid street tales with eerie trunk-rattling beats. The album’s main downside is the repetitive nature of many of the tracks."[20] Prefix Magazine gave it a score of six out of ten and called it "Spottily effective gangster posturing."[21] However, Stylus Magazine gave it a C− and said, "The strange thing about The Inspiration is how it's posited as an alternative to the much-bullied "conscious rap," and yet, it's among the least fun albums released this year."[22] The New York Times gave it a mixed review and said, "Young Jeezy’s appeal was never his writing, but now words sometimes fail him."[6] Hartford Courant also gave it a mixed review and said that "Almost every dramatic synth swell, exploding snare and multi-tracked "Yeaaahhhh" has been done better elsewhere."[23]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Hypnotize (Intro)"  Shawty Redd 3:41
2. "Still On It"  
Midnight Black 3:46
3. "U Know What It Is"  
  • Jenkins
  • Stewart
Shawty Redd 3:44
4. "J.E.E.Z.Y."  
  • Jenkins
  • Stewart
Shawty Redd 3:49
5. "I Luv It"  
DJ Toomp 4:00
6. "Go Getta" (featuring R. Kelly)The Runners 3:49
7. "3 A.M." (featuring Timbaland)
Timbaland 3:56
8. "The Realist"  Drumma Boy 4:09
9. "Streets on Lock"  Cool & Dre 3:34
10. "Bury Me a G"  J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League 4:43
11. "Dreamin'" (featuring Keyshia Cole)
The Runners 4:49
12. "What You Talkin' Bout"  DJ Smurf 3:48
13. "Keep It Gangsta" (featuring Slick Pulla & Blood Raw)Key Pushas 4:36
14. "Mr. 17.5"  Don Cannon 3:30
15. "I Got Money" (featuring T.I.)
DJ Toomp 3:59
16. "The Inspiration (Follow Me)"  
Dent 4:25
Sample credits

Chart positions

Chart (2006) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[24] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[25] 1

References

  1. "Young Jeezy - I Luv It". YouTube. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  2. "Young Jeezy - Go Getta ft. R. Kelly". YouTube. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  3. "Young Jeezy - Dreamin' ft. Keyshia Cole". YouTube. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  4. "Young Jeezy, Hicks Enter Atop The Billboard 200". Billboard. 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  5. Navjosh (2009-10-18). "XXL Scans: Def Jam’s Entire Discography & Record Sales". HipHop-N-More. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Critic Reviews for The Inspiration". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  7. Andy Kellman (2006-12-12). "The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102 - Young Jeezy | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  8. Dombal, Ryan (2006-12-15). "The Inspiration Review". Entertainment Weekly (911): 87. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  9. "Young Jeezy - The Inspiration". HipHopDX. 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  10. Oliver Wang (2006-12-18). "Jeezy plays it cool, and Ghostface just plays - latimes". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  11. "Jeezy: The Inspiration". Pitchfork. 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  12.  . "Young Jeezy: The Inspiration". PopMatters. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  13. "Feature for December 12, 2006 - Young Jeezy's "The Inspiration"". Rapreviews.com. 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  14. "The Inspiration : Young Jeezy : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 2006-12-12. Archived from the original on September 18, 2007. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  15. "Listen up". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  16. "Young Jeezy The Inspiration - XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  17. Rabin, Nathan. "Music in Brief · Article · The A.V. Club". Avclub.com. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  18. "Young Jeezy THE INSPIRATION RATING: 3 SOUND...". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  19. MATTHEW GASTEIER (2006-12-19). "Young Jeezy - CD Reviews". Thephoenix.com. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  20. "Young Jeezy". Okayplayer.com. 2006-01-02. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  21. Amos Barshad (2008-03-05). "Album Review: Young Jeezy - The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  22. "Young Jeezy - The Inspiration - Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  23. "New On Disc - tribunedigital-thecourant". Articles.courant.com. 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  24. "Young Jeezy – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Young Jeezy. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  25. "Young Jeezy – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Young Jeezy. Retrieved October 23, 2014.

External links

Preceded by
Ciara: The Evolution by Ciara
Billboard 200 number-one album
December 24, 2006 - December 30, 2006
Succeeded by
Hip Hop Is Dead by Nas
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