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Stone Cold Rhymin'

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Stone Cold Rhymin'

| type = studio

| artist = Young MC

| cover = 300px Stone Cold Rhymin Young MC.jpg

| alt =

| released = September 5, 1989

| recorded = 1988−89

| studio =

| genre = Hip-hop

| length = 47:24

| label = Delicious Vinyl

| producer = {{hlist|Quincy Jones|Dust Brothers}}

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Brainstorm

| next_year = 1991

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Stone Cold Rhymin'

| type = studio

| single1 = I Let 'Em Know

| single1date = 1988

| single2 = Know How

| single2date = 1988

| single3 = Bust a Move

| single3date = May 22, 1989

| single4 = Principal's Office

| single4date = 1989

| single5 = I Come Off

| single5date = 1990

| single6 = Pick Up the Pace

| single6date = 1990

}}

}}

Stone Cold Rhymin' is the debut album by the American rapper Young MC. It was released in 1989 on Delicious Vinyl and was later re-issued by Rhino Records. The album reached No. 9 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1989-12-09/ |title=Billboard 200™ |website=Billboard |date=December 9, 1989 |access-date=May 16, 2024}} The third track, "Bust a Move", was Young MC's biggest hit and is his best-known song, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1989-10-14/ |title=Billboard Hot 100™ |website=Billboard |date=October 14, 1989 |access-date=May 16, 2024}} and topping the charts in Australia.{{cite web |url=http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Young+M%2EC%2E&titel=Bust+A+Move&cat=s |title=Young M.C. - Bust a Move (song) |publisher=Australian-charts.com |accessdate=May 2, 2010}} His follow-up single, "Principal's Office", reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also nominated for "Best Rap Video" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/stone-cold-rhymin-mw0000206078 |title=Stone Cold Rhymin' – Young MC |website=AllMusic |access-date=June 18, 2018 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}

| rev2 = Chicago Tribune

| rev2score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/10/19/young-mcstone-cold-rhymin-delicious-vinyl-starstarstarraps/ |title=Young M.C.: Stone Cold Rhymin' (Delicious Vinyl) |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=October 19, 1989 |access-date=June 18, 2018 |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot}}

| rev3 = Los Angeles Times

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-29-ca-335-story.html |title=The Record Industry's Big Push |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 29, 1989 |access-date=May 16, 2024 |last1=Hilburn |first1=Robert |author1-link=Robert Hilburn |last2=Hunt |first2=Dennis |last3=Boehm |first3=Mike |author3-link=Mike Boehm |last4=Cromelin |first4=Richard |last5=Gold |first5=Jonathan |author5-link=Jonathan Gold |last6=Hochman |first6=Steve |last7=Johnson |first7=Connie |last8=Lee |first8=Craig |last9=McKenna |first9=Kristine |author9-link=Kristine McKenna |last10=Lewis |first10=Randy |last11=Snowden |first11=Don |last12=Willman |first12=Chris |last13=Grein |first13=Paul |last14=Marlowe |first14=Duff |last15=Waller |first15=Don |author15-link=Don Waller}}

| rev4 = NME

| rev4score = 7/10{{cite magazine |title=Young MC: Stone Cold Rhymin' |magazine=NME |date=December 9, 1989 |last=Fadele |first=Dele |author-link=Dele Fadele |page=31}}

| rev5 = Q

| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Young MC: Stone Cold Rhymin' |magazine=Q |issue=215 |date=June 2004 |last=Mulholland |first=Garry}}

| rev6 = RapReviews

| rev6score = 6.5/10{{cite web |url=https://www.rapreviews.com/2021/11/young-m-c-stone-cold-rhymin/ |title=Young M.C. :: Stone Cold Rhymin' |website=RapReviews |date=November 9, 2021 |access-date=May 16, 2024 |last=Juon |first=Steve "Flash"}}

| rev7 = Record Mirror

| rev7score = 4/5{{cite magazine |title=Young MC: Stone Cold Rhymin' |magazine=Record Mirror |date=December 16, 1989 |last=Smith |first=Robin |page=15}}

| rev8 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev8score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Young MC |last=Coleman |first=Mark |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=DeCurtis |editor1-first=Anthony |editor1-link=Anthony DeCurtis |editor2-last=Henke |editor2-first=James |editor3-last=George-Warren |editor3-first=Holly |publisher=Random House |edition=3rd |year=1992 |isbn=0-679-73729-4 |pages=797–798}}

| rev9 = Tiny Mix Tapes

| rev9score = 3.5/5{{cite web |url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Young-MC |title=Young MC – Stone Cold Rhymin' |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |date=April 23, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2024 |last=Holmes |first=Filmore Mescalito |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424205819/http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Young-MC |archive-date=April 24, 2009 |url-status=dead}}

| rev10 = The Village Voice

| rev10score = B+{{cite news |url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv490-90.php |title=Consumer Guide |newspaper=The Village Voice |date=May 29, 1990 |access-date=June 18, 2018 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}

}}

The Calgary Herald noted that Young MC possesses "perhaps the clearest enunciation in rap: every word comes through perfectly, and yet his delivery is more musical than most."{{cite news |last1=Mayes |first1=Alison |title=Discs |work=Calgary Herald |date=Oct 26, 1989 |page=D3}}

Track listing

All tracks composed by Marvin Young, Matt Dike, and Michael Ross except where otherwise noted. All tracks published by PolyGram Music except "Just Say No" published by PolyGram/Warner Chappell.

  1. "I Come Off" (feat. N'Dea Davenport)
  2. "Principal's Office"
  3. "Bust a Move"
  4. "Non Stop"
  5. "Fastest Rhyme" (M. Young)
  6. "My Name is Young" (M. Young/M. Dike){{efn|There are two versions of "My Name is Young". The lyrics are the same but the music is distinct.}}
  7. "Know How" (M. Young/John "King Gizmo" King/Michael "E.Z. Mike" Simpson)
  8. "Roll with the Punches"
  9. "I Let 'Em Know"
  10. "Pick Up the Pace" (M. Young/M. Dike)
  11. "Got More Rhymes" (M. Young/M. Dike/M. Ross/J. King)
  12. "Stone Cold Buggin'" (M. Young/M. Dike)
  13. "Just Say No" (M. Young/Quincy Jones Jr.)

{{notelist}}

Personnel

  • Young MC – vocals, songwriting
  • Matt Dike – production, arrangement, mixing (all tracks except 7 and 13)
  • Michael Ross – production, arrangement, mixing (all tracks except 7 and 13)
  • The Dust Brothers – production, arrangement, mixing (track 7), co-production (track 11)
  • Quincy Jones Jr. – production, arrangement, mixing (track 13)
  • Mario Caldato Jr. – engineering
  • Brian Foxworthy – additional engineering
  • Salomon – photography, art direction
  • EMC-0 – production coordinator
  • Crystal Blake – vocals (tracks 1, 3 and 11)
  • Flea – bass (tracks 2 and 3)
  • Kevin O'Neal – bass (tracks 7 and 8)
  • John Dexter Steward Jr. – drums (tracks 2 and 4)

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart performance for Stone Cold Rhymin'

! scope="col"| Chart (1990)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{album chart|Australia|38|artist=Young MC|album=Stone Cold Rhymin'|rowheader=true|access-date=October 29, 2022}}
{{album chart|New Zealand|7|artist=Young M.C.|album=Stone Cold Rhymin'|rowheader=true|access-date=October 29, 2022}}
{{album chart|Billboard200|9|artist=Young MC|rowheader=true|access-date=October 29, 2022}}
{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|8|artist=Young MC|rowheader=true|access-date=October 29, 2022}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{Young MC}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1989 debut albums

Category:Albums produced by Quincy Jones

Category:Albums produced by the Dust Brothers

Category:Delicious Vinyl albums

Category:Young MC albums