Return of the Mac
{{distinguish|Return of the Mack}}
{{about|the album by Prodigy and the Alchemist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Return of the Mac
| type = studio
| artist = Prodigy
| cover = Return of the Mac1.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2007|3|27}}
| recorded = 2006–07
| studio =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = {{Duration|m=39|s=21}}
| label = {{hlist|Infamous|Koch}}
| producer = {{hlist|Alchemist|DJ Muro}}
| prev_title = H.N.I.C.
| prev_year = 2000
| next_title = H.N.I.C. Pt. 2
| next_year = 2008
| chronology = Prodigy
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Return of the Mac
| type = Studio
| single1 = Mac 10 Handle
| single1date = 2006
| single2 = Return of the Mac
| single2date = 2007
| single3 = Stuck on You
| single3date = 2007
}}
}}
Return of the Mac is the second solo studio album by American rapper Prodigy. It was released on March 27, 2007, through Prodigy's Infamous Records and Koch Records. Production was handled entirely by The Alchemist, who produced the project utilizing song samples from the Blaxploitation era, with DJ Muro, who produced two tracks. It features guest appearances from Majesty and Un Pacino.
The album debuted at number thirty-two on the Billboard 200, selling 27,000 copies in its first week.{{Cite magazine |last=Hasty |first=Katie |date=April 4, 2007 |title=McGraw Leads Seven Top 10 Debuts Onto Billboard 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/mcgraw-leads-seven-top-10-debuts-onto-billboard-200-1053163/ |access-date=September 9, 2023 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} As of December 2007, the album had sold 130,000 copies.{{Cite news |last=Sanneh |first=Kelefa |author-link=Kelefa Sanneh |date=December 30, 2007 |title=The Shrinking Market Is Changing the Face of Hip-Hop |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/arts/music/30sann.html |access-date=September 9, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} The album spawned three singles—"Mac 10 Handle", "Return of the Mac" and "Stuck on You", with accompanying music videos directed by DanTheMan.
Background
Soon after the release of the Mobb Deep's seventh studio album Blood Money, Prodigy parted ways with G-Unit Records and began working on a H.N.I.C. sequel. Record producer and circa Murda Muzik days collaborator the Alchemist, who pictured on the album cover alongside Prodigy, took on the project, which was intended to be a prequel mixtape to upcoming H.N.I.C. Pt. 2. Due to the unexpected level of quality of the resulting record, it was decided to release the effort as a traditional studio album.
Six years after the release of Return of the Mac, Prodigy and the Alchemist released a full-length collaborative album, Albert Einstein.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 75/100{{Cite web |title=Critic Reviews for Return Of The Mac - Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/return-of-the-mac/prodigy-of-mobb-deep/critic-reviews |access-date=September 9, 2023 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=Jeffries |first=David |title=Prodigy - Return of the Mac Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/return-of-the-mac-mw0000478837 |access-date=September 9, 2023 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}
| rev2 = Cokemachineglow
| rev2score = 67%/100%{{Cite web |last=Abraham |first=Mark |date=May 11, 2007 |title=Cokemachineglow.com : Prodigy: Return of the Mac |url=http://www.cokemachineglow.com/reviews/prodigy_returnofthemac2007.html |access-date=September 9, 2023 |website=Cokemachineglow |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231012229/http://www.cokemachineglow.com/reviews/prodigy_returnofthemac2007.html |archive-date=2007-12-31 |via=Wayback Machine}}
| rev3 = HipHopDX
| rev3score = 3/5{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=April 4, 2007 |title=Prodigy - Return Of The Mac |url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.776/title.prodigy-return-of-the-mac |access-date=September 9, 2023 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}}
| rev4 = Pitchfork
| rev4score = 8.5/10{{Cite web |last=Breihan |first=Tom |date=April 20, 2007 |title=Prodigy: Return of the Mac |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10116-return-of-the-mac/ |access-date=September 9, 2023 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}
| rev5 = PopMatters
| rev5score = 5/10{{Cite web |last=Huff |first=Quentin B |date=May 28, 2007 |title=Prodigy: Return of the Mac, PopMatters |url=https://www.popmatters.com/prodigy-return-of-the-mac-2496219918.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606070211/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/34023/prodigy-return-of-the-mac/ |archive-date=June 6, 2007 |access-date=September 9, 2023 |website=PopMatters |language=en-US}}
| rev6 = RapReviews
| rev7 = Spin
| rev7score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Ryan |first=Chris |date=March 2007 |title=Reviews: New CDs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sye-0uaVa2cC&dq=prodigy+return+of+the+mac+review&pg=PA98 |magazine=Spin |language=en |publisher=SPIN Media LLC |volume=23 |issue=3 |page=98 |issn=0886-3032 |access-date=September 9, 2023 |via=Google Books}}
| rev8 = XXL
}}
Return of the Mac was met with generally favourable 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 75, based on eleven reviews.
Tom Breihan of Pitchfork wrote: "what it is is the announcement of a stunning and unexpected late-career renaissance; Prodigy is tapping back into the fearsome frustration that once drove him". AllMusic's David Jeffries resumed: "even if this is familiar ground, an album so tight in theme and feel is refreshing in an era where most lyricists invite anybody and everybody". Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews stated that the album "is everything that Blood Money should have been and wasn't". Mark Abraham of Cokemachineglow was "happy to hear Prodigy sounding engaged and excited again, even if the quality of his lyricism doesn't match his newfound enthusiasm". In his mixed review for PopMatters, Quentin B Huff found the album "presents a more refined and progressive Prodigy than the one we heard on Blood Money, but there's no indication that Hell on Earth's Prodigy will be heard from anytime soon".
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = The Mac Is Back
| note1 = Intro
| writer1 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra1 = Alchemist
| length1 = 1:54
| title2 = Return of the Mac
| note2 = Aka New York Shit
| writer2 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra2 = Alchemist
| length2 = 2:59
| title3 = Stuck on You
| writer3 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra3 = Alchemist
| length3 = 4:29
| title4 = Mac 10 Handle
| writer4 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra4 = Alchemist
| length4 = 4:15
| title5 = Down & Out in New York City
| writer5 = {{hlist|Bodie Chandler|Barry De Vorzon}}
| extra5 = Alchemist
| length5 = 0:33
| title6 = The Rotten Apple
| writer6 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra6 = Alchemist
| length6 = 3:06
| title7 = Madge Speaks
| note7 = featuring Majesty
| writer7 =
| extra7 = Alchemist
| length7 = 1:17
| title8 = Take It to the Top
| writer8 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra8 = {{hlist|Alchemist|DJ Muro}}
| length8 = 3:23
| title9 = P. Speaks
| writer9 =
| extra9 = Alchemist
| length9 = 1:06
| title10 = 7th Heaven
| note10 = featuring Un Pacino
| writer10 = {{hlist|Johnson|Jamal Brayboy-Brady|Maman}}
| extra10 = Alchemist
| length10 = 2:45
| title11 = Bang on 'Em
| writer11 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra11 = Alchemist
| length11 = 3:40
| title12 = Nickel and a Nail
| writer12 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra12 = Alchemist
| length12 = 2:57
| title13 = Legends
| writer13 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra13 = Alchemist
| length13 = 3:58
| title14 = Stop Fronting
| writer14 = {{hlist|Johnson|Maman}}
| extra14 = Alchemist
| length14 = 3:07
| total_length = 39:27
}}{{Track listing
| headline = Best Buy bonus tracks
| all_writing =
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title15 = My Priorities
| writer15 =
| extra15 = Alchemist
| length15 = 3:24
| title16 = That's That
| note16 = featuring Havoc and Alchemist
| writer16 =
| extra16 = Alchemist
| length16 = 4:01
| title17 = Last Words
| note17 = featuring Kokane
| writer17 =
| extra17 = Alchemist
| length17 = 2:41
| total_length = 49:27
}}
;Sample credits
- Track 2 contains samples of "Kamen Rider" performed by Shunsuke Kikuchi.
- Track 1 contains samples of "Blacula Strikes" performed by Gene Page.
- Track 4 contains samples of "Easin In" performed by Edwin Starr.
- Tracks 5 and 6 contain samples of "Down and Out in New York City" performed by James Brown.
- Track 11 contains samples of "Do I Stand A Chance" performed by The Montclairs.
- Track 14 contains samples of "Playing Your Game Baby" performed by Barry White.
Personnel
- Albert "Prodigy" Johnson – vocals, executive producer
- Madgesty – vocals (track 7)
- Jamal "Un Pacino" Brayboy-Brady – vocals (track 10)
- Alan "The Alchemist" Maman – producer, executive producer
- Murota "DJ Muro" Takayoshi – producer (tracks: 1, 8)
- Eddie Sancho – mixing (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6–14, 16, 17)
- Kevin Crouse – mixing (tracks: 3, 15)
- Arnold Mischkulnig – mixing (track 5), mastering
- Andrew Kelley – art direction, design, photography
- Rayon Richards – photography
- Ted D'Ottavio – photography
- Paul Grosso – creative director
- Alyson Abbagnaro – A&R
- Bob Perry – A&R
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2007)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Billboard200|32|artist=Prodigy|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 9, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|9|artist=Prodigy|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 9, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRap|5|artist=Prodigy|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 9, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardIndependent|2|artist=Prodigy|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 9, 2023}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|50255|Prodigy – Return Of The Mac}}
{{Prodigy}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:MNRK Music Group albums
Category:Prodigy (rapper) albums