Hempstead High

{{Short description|1999 studio album by A+}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Hempstead High

| type = Studio album

| artist = A+

| cover = Hempstead High.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|1999|2|23}}

| recorded = 1997–1998

| studio = {{hlist|Unique Recording Studios (New York, NY)|Battery Studios (New York, NY)|Urban House Studios, Inc (Houston, TX)}}

| genre = Hip hop

| length = {{Duration|m=53|s=52}}

| label = Universal

| producer = {{hlist|Kedar Massenburg (exec.)|Bink!|DJ Clark Kent|Lil' Shawn|Mo-Suave-A|Smith Brothers Entertainment|Ty Fyffe}}

| prev_title = The Latch-Key Child

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Hempstead High

| type = studio

| single1 = Enjoy Yourself

| single1date = 1998

}}

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite web|last=Conaway|first=Matt|title=Hempstead High - A+ {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/hempstead-high-mw0000600120|access-date=November 14, 2021|website=AllMusic|language=en}}

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2score = C−{{cite magazine|last1=Tucker|first1=Ken|date=March 26, 1999|title=THE WEEK: MUSIC|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|issue=478|page=86}}

| rev3 = RapReviews

| rev3score = 7/10{{Cite web |last=Juon |first=Steve 'Flash' |date=July 16, 2024 |title=A+ :: Hempstead High |url=https://www.rapreviews.com/2024/07/a-hempstead-high/ |access-date=July 16, 2024 |website=RapReviews |language=en-US}}

| rev4 = The Source

| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Osorio|first=Kim|author-link=Kim Osorio|date=December 1998|issue=111|title=A+ – Hempstead High|department=Record Report|magazine=The Source|page=214|location=New York}}

| rev5 = St. Petersburg Times

| rev5score = C{{cite news|last1=Vivinetto|first1=Gina|date=April 16, 1999|title=Hempstead High|page=16|work=St. Petersburg Times|location=Weekend}}

}}

Hempstead High is the second studio album by American rapper A+.{{cite journal|last=Baker|first=Trevor|date=October 23, 1999|title=Hempstead High|journal=Melody Maker|volume=76|issue=42|page=38}} It was released in 1999 through Kedar Entertainment/Universal Records.{{cite news|date=May 12, 1999|title=Music Notes|page=B3|work=New Pittsburgh Courier|issue=38}} Recording sessions took place at Unique Recording Studios and Battery Studios in New York and at Urban House Studios, Inc. in Houston. Production was handled by Bink!, DJ Clark Kent, Lil' Shawn, Mo-Suave-A, Smith Brothers Entertainment and Ty Fyffe, with Kedar Massenburg serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Canibus, Cardan, Chico DeBarge, Erykah Badu, MJG, Psycho Drama and the Lost Boyz. The album peaked at #60 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #19 on the Top Heatseekers in the United States, and at number 72 in the Netherlands.

Critical reception

Vibe thought that A+ "can't decide whether he's a hardcore man or a playful youth on his understated sophomore album".{{Cite web|date=February 27, 1999|title=Revolutions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA139|work=Vibe|publisher=Vibe Media Group|via=Google Books}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Plain Dealer wrote: "By the time the disc reaches the scary 'Staggering and Stuttering' with Psycho Drama, A+ establishes his versatility and assured, confident flow".{{cite news|last1=Reynolds|first1=Mark|date=May 30, 1999|title=LISTEN UP|page=8G|work=The Plain Dealer}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| all_writing =

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = Intro (Classroom)

| note1 = featuring Lawrence Page

| writer1 =

| extra1 = Smith Bros. Entertainment

| length1 = 1:51

| title2 = Enjoy Yourself

| writer2 = {{hlist|Germaine Williams|Walter Murphy}}

| extra2 = Sugarless

| length2 = 3:38

| title3 = Up Top New York

| note3 = featuring Mr. Cheeks

| writer3 = {{hlist|Andre Levins|Terrance Kelly|Roosevelt Harrell III|Joseph Broussard|Ralph Williams|Carrol Washington}}

| extra3 = Bink!

| length3 = 4:56

| title4 = Gotta Have It

| writer4 = {{hlist|Williams|Rodolfo Franklin|Hamilton Bohannon}}

| extra4 = DJ Clark Kent

| length4 = 4:09

| title5 = Boyz 2 Men

| note5 = featuring the Lost Boyz and Canibus

| writer5 = {{hlist|Williams|Kelly|Harrell III}}

| extra5 = Bink!

| length5 = 3:54

| title6 = Watcha Weigh Me

| note6 = featuring MJG

| writer6 = {{hlist|Marlon Goodwin|Triston Jones}}

| extra6 = Mo-Suave-A Productions

| length6 = 4:11

| title7 = Understand the Game

| note7 = featuring Erykah Badu

| writer7 = {{hlist|Erica Wright|Tyrone Wilkins|Harrell III}}

| extra7 = Bink!

| length7 = 3:48

| title8 = Don't Make Me Wait

| writer8 = {{hlist|Levins|Wilkins|Bernard Fowler}}

| extra8 = Little Shawn

| length8 = 3:57

| title9 = Interlude - The Score

| writer9 =

| extra9 = Smith Bros. Entertainment

| length9 = 1:09

| title10 = It's on You

| note10 = featuring Chico DeBarge

| writer10 = {{hlist|Charles Smith|Joseph Smith|Kenneth Gamble|Leon Huff|Phillip Pugh|Sherman Marshall}}

| extra10 = Smith Bros. Entertainment

| length10 = 4:31

| title11 = What the Deal

| note11 = featuring Cardan

| writer11 = {{hlist|Levins|Pierre Jones|Harrell III}}

| extra11 = Bink!

| length11 = 3:37

| title12 = Price of Fame

| writer12 = {{hlist|C. Smith|J. Smith|Nick Martinelli}}

| extra12 = {{hlist|Smith Bros. Entertainment|DJ Clark Kent ({{abbr|add.|additional producer}})}}

| length12 = 3:35

| title13 = Staggering and Stuttering

| note13 = featuring Psycho Drama

| writer13 = {{hlist|Jeffrey Robinson|Akula Segal|T. Jones}}

| extra13 = Mo-Suave-A Productions

| length13 = 5:18

| title14 = Parkside Gardens

| writer14 = {{hlist|Levins|Harrell III}}

| extra14 = Bink!

| length14 = 5:18

| total_length = 53:52

}}

;Sample credits

Personnel

{{div col}}

  • Andre "A+" Levins – main artist
  • Terrance "Mr. Cheeks" Kelly – featured artist (tracks: 3, 5)
  • Germaine "Canibus" Williams – featured artist (track 5)
  • Marlon "MJG" Goodwin – featured artist (track 6)
  • Erica "Erykah Badu" Wright – featured artist (track 7)
  • Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge – featured artist (track 10)
  • Pierre "Cardan" Jones – featured artist (track 11)
  • Jeffery "Buk" Robinson – featured artist (track 13)
  • Akula "Psyde" Segal – featured artist (track 13)
  • Lawrence Page – performer (track 1)
  • Keanna Henson – backing vocals (track 2)
  • Crystal Johnson – backing vocals (track 5)
  • Eric "E-Bass" Johnson – bass (track 3)
  • Robert "Storm" Jordan – Rhodes electric piano and strings (track 5)
  • Mike Cerullo – guitar (track 7)
  • Charles Smith – producer (tracks: 1, 9, 10, 12), associate executive producer
  • Joseph Smith – producer (tracks: 1, 9, 10, 12), associate executive producer
  • Tyrone Fyffe – producer (track 2)
  • Roosevelt "Bink!" Harrell III – producer (tracks: 3, 5, 7, 11, 14)
  • Rodolfo "DJ Clark Kent" Franklin – producer (track 4), additional producer (track 12), mixing (track 2)
  • Mo-Suave-A Productions, Inc. – producers (tracks: 6, 13)
  • Tyrone "Shawn Pen" Wilkins – producer (track 8)
  • Ed Miller – recording (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9-11, 12, 14), mixing (tracks: 5, 7, 11)
  • Tim Donovan – recording (track 2)
  • Kenny Ortiz – recording (tracks: 4, 8), mixing (tracks: 4, 8, 10, 12)
  • Tristan "T-Mix" Jones – recording (track 6)
  • Neil Jones – recording (track 13)
  • Cuz – mixing (track 2)
  • Leo "Swift" Morris – mixing (track 3)
  • Simon "Crazy C" Cullins – mixing (tracks: 6, 13)
  • James Hoover – mixing (tracks: 6, 13)
  • Tony Smalios – mixing (track 14)
  • Dana Walsh – engineering assistant (track 2)
  • Denise Barbarita – engineering assistant (track 3)
  • Daniel Wierup – engineering assistant (track 8)
  • Tom Coyne – mastering
  • Kedar Massenburg – executive producer
  • Sandie Lee Drake – art direction
  • Susan Bibeau – design
  • Stephen McBride – photography
  • Ray Copeland – management

{{div col end}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1999)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{album chart|Netherlands|72|artist=A%2B|album=Hempstead High|rowheader=true|accessdate=November 15, 2021}}
{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|60|artist=A|rowheader=true|accessdate=November 15, 2021}}
{{album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|19|artist=A|rowheader=true|accessdate=November 15, 2021}}

References

{{Reflist}}