Fire in the Hole (album)
{{Infobox album
| name = Fire in the Hole
| type = Studio
| artist = Brand Nubian
| cover = Fire in da Hole.jpg
| alt =
| released = August 10, 2004
| recorded = 2003–04
| studio = State Street Studios (Brooklyn, NY)
| genre = Hip hop
| length = {{Duration|m=56|s=25}}
| label = Babygrande
| producer = {{hlist|Chuck Wilson (exec.)|Lord Jamar (also exec.)|DJ Alamo|Grand Puba|Sadat X}}
| prev_title = Foundation
| prev_year = 1998
| next_title = Time's Runnin' Out
| next_year = 2007
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Fire in the Hole
| type = studio
| single1 = Whatever Happened...?
| single1date = 2004
| single2 = Who Wanna Be a Star? (It's Brand Nu Baby!)
| single2date = 2004
| single3 = Young Son
| single3date = 2004
}}
}}
Fire in the Hole is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Brand Nubian. It was released on August 10, 2004 via Babygrande Records. Recording sessions took place at State Street Studios in Brooklyn. Production was handled by members DJ Alamo, Grand Puba, Sadat X, and Lord Jamar, who also served as executive producer together with Chuck Wilson. It features guest appearances from Starr and Aisha Mike. The album made it to No. 57 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 68/100{{Cite web |title=Critic Reviews for Fire In The Hole - Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/fire-in-the-hole/brand-nubian/critic-reviews |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite web |last=Kellman |first=Andy |title=Brand Nubian - Fire in the Hole Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/fire-in-the-hole-mw0000206592 |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}
| rev2 = HipHopDX
| rev2score = 4/5{{Cite web |last=Kennith B. |first=Tindal |date=August 30, 2004 |title=Brand Nubian - Fire In The Hole |url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.460/title.brand-nubian-fire-in-the-hole |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}}
| rev3 = Pitchfork
| rev3score = 6.5/10{{Cite web |last=Warren |first=Jamin |author-link=Jamin Warren |date=August 12, 2004 |title=Brand Nubian: Fire in the Hole |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1123-fire-in-the-hole/ |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}
| rev4 = RapReviews
| rev5 = Spin
| rev5score = B−{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |date=September 2004 |title=Breakdown |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NhnqJL2C06oC&dq=%22Spin%22+%22Sep+2004%22&pg=PA120 |magazine=SPIN |language=en |publisher=SPIN Media LLC |volume=20 |issue=9 |page=120 |issn=0886-3032 |access-date=August 6, 2023 |via=Google Books}}
| rev6 = Stylus Magazine
| rev6score = C{{Cite web |last=Gloden |first=Gabe |date=September 9, 2004 |title=Brand Nubian - Fire In The Hole - Babygrande - Review |url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/brand-nubian/fire-in-the-hole.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128053128/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/brand-nubian/fire-in-the-hole.htm |archive-date=January 28, 2010 |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=Stylus Magazine |via=Wayback Machine}}
| rev7 = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
| rev7score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite book |last1=Brackett |first1=Nathan |author-link=Nathan Brackett |last2=Hoard |first2=Christian David |author-link2=Christian Hoard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&q=Brand+Nubian+Fire+In+The+Hole&pg=PA102 |title={The New} Rolling Stone Album Guide |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8 |edition=4th |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/n115 102] |language=en |via=Google Books}}
}}
Fire in the Hole was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 68, based on seven reviews.
Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews.com praised the album, saying: "may be one of 2004's most important rap records". Spin reviewer called it "a snappier comeback than 1998's Foundation". Writing for Pitchfork, Jamin Warren stated: "unfortunately, Fire in the Hole fails to invoke any effective nostalgia as it phlegmatically wanders through 12 solid but unexciting tracks".
In mixed reviews, AllMusic's Andy Kellman wrote: "few will ever refer to this as a classic, though even fewer will ever think of this as a poor showing". Gabe Gloden of Stylus Magazine found: "unfortunately, even when they attempt to paint a serious social commentary, they can’t seem to suppress their sophomoric potty humor".
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Who Wanna Be a Star? (It's Brand Nu Baby!)
| writer1 = {{hlist|Lorenzo Dechalus|Derek Murphy|Maxwell Dixon}}
| extra1 = Lord Jamar
| length1 = 4:13
| title2 = Young Son
| writer2 = {{hlist|Dixon|Dechalus|Murphy}}
| extra2 = Lord Jamar
| length2 = 4:31
| title3 = Where Are You Now?
| note3 = featuring Starr
| writer3 = {{hlist|Murphy|Dixon|Dechalus}}
| extra3 = {{hlist|Lord Jamar|Sadat X}}
| length3 = 4:18
| title4 = Just Don't Learn
| writer4 = {{hlist|Dechalus|Murphy|Dixon|K. Jones}}
| extra4 = {{hlist|DJ Alamo|Lord Jamar}}
| length4 = 5:14
| title5 = Still Livin' in the Ghetto
| note5 = featuring Starr
| writer5 = {{hlist|Dechalus|Dixon|Murphy}}
| extra5 = Lord Jamar
| length5 = 5:44
| title6 = Momma
| writer6 = {{hlist|Dechalus|Murphy|Dixon|Jones}}
| extra6 = DJ Alamo
| length6 = 5:06
| title7 = Got a Knot
| writer7 = {{hlist|Dixon|Murphy|Dechalus}}
| extra7 = {{hlist|Grand Puba|Lord Jamar ({{abbr|add.|additional producer}})}}
| length7 = 4:27
| title8 = Coming Years
| writer8 = {{hlist|Dixon|Dechalus|Murphy}}
| extra8 = Lord Jamar
| length8 = 4:19
| title9 = Whatever Happened...?
| writer9 = {{hlist|Dechalus|Murphy|Dixon}}
| extra9 = Lord Jamar
| length9 = 4:06
| title10 = Always Mine
| writer10 = {{hlist|Murphy|Dechalus|Dixon}}
| extra10 = Lord Jamar
| length10 = 4:03
| title11 = Ooh Child
| note11 = featuring Aisha Mike
| writer11 = {{hlist|Murphy|Dixon|Dechalus}}
| extra11 = {{hlist|Grand Puba|Lord Jamar}}
| length11 = 4:46
| title12 = Soldier's Story
| writer12 = {{hlist|Dechalus|Murphy|Dixon}}
| extra12 = Lord Jamar
| length12 = 5:38
| total_length = 56:25
}}
Personnel
- Lorenzo "Lord Jamar" DeChalus – vocals, producer (tracks: 1–5, 8–12), additional producer (track 7), recording, executive producer
- Maxwell "Grand Puba" Dixon – vocals, producer (tracks: 7, 11)
- Derek "Sadat X" Murphy – vocals, producer (track 3)
- K. "DJ Alamo" Jones – producer (tracks: 4, 6)
- Starr – vocals (tracks: 3, 5)
- Aisha Mike – vocals (track 11)
- Bernard Grobman – guitar (track 5)
- Chris Conway – mixing
- Emily Lazar – mastering
- Sarah Register – additional mastering
- Charles "Chuck" Wilson, Jr. – executive producer
- Jeff Chenault – art direction, design
- Dennis Edwards – photography
- Seth Kushner – photography
- Jesse Stone – marketing
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2004)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|57|artist=Brand Nubian|rowheader=true}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|97686|Brand Nubian – Fire In The Hole}}
{{Brand Nubian}}
{{Authority control}}