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For the Record (Torae album)

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For the Record
Studio album by
Torae
ReleasedNovember 1, 2011 (2011-11-01)
RecordedOctober 2010 – May 2011
GenreEast Coast hip hop
Length48:38
LabelInternal Affairs Entertainment, Fat Beats
Producer
Torae chronology
Double Barrel
(2009) 		For the Record
(2011) 		Off the Record
(2012)
Singles from For the Record
  1. "That Raw"
    Released: October 14, 2011
  2. "Do the Math"
    Released: January 16, 2012

For the Record is the debut studio album by American rapper Torae, released on November 1, 2011 via his own imprint Internal Affairs Entertainment, in conjunction with Fat Beats Distribution.[1][2] It was preceded by the collaborative project Double Barrel in 2009 with producer Marco Polo.

The album was executive produced by Torae, along with Rich "Filthy Rich" Ahee and Amber Ravenel. The music production was handled by renowned beatsmiths DJ Premier, Large Professor, Diamond D, and Pete Rock, as well as 9th Wonder, Illmind, and Marco Polo among others. The sole guest appearances are provided by Wes, Pav Bundy and MeLa Machinko. The album was mastered by Ricardo Gutierrez at Stadium Red in New York City.[2] The album was supported by two singles – "That Raw" produced by Pete Rock, and "Do the Math" produced by Large Professor.[3][4]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
DJBooth4/5[5]
HipHopDX[6]
HipHopSite.Com[7]
KevinNottingham[8]
Okayplayer87/100[9]
RapReviews7.5/10[10]

Upon its release, For the Record received generally favorable reviews from music critics. In his review for HipHopSite.Com, Nene Wallace Reed observed that "Three things help to make Torae the artist he is; his raw talent, his ear for production and his honesty. The combination of the three make the album a winner. For the Record is not only a strong introduction to Torae as an individual, it's out and out one of the best albums of 2011."[7] Jeff Leon of KevinNottingham wrote, "Torae delivers a solid ode to Hip Hop and a declaration of who he is and where he wants to go. Not all the beats on the record work perfectly and the emcee still has room to grow, but with this one, Torae leaves an indelible mark and shows that he's well on his way to becoming a Hip Hop heavyweight."[8]

RapReviews founder Steve "Flash" Juon wrote, "There is nothing bad or whack about For the Record, so it may just be that at only 48 minutes long I'm simply disappointed there wasn't more content. Then again it may be that Torae suffers from Brooklynite soundalike syndrome, because to some degree he comes across like a less charismatic Jay-Z or Saigon, and as dope as his lines are they are often lacking in forceful intent."[10] Will Georgi wasn't hesitant to dub the album a classic. Writing for Okayplayer, he believed that "For the Record is the sound of a sharp MC rhyming over some dope beats from some of the best producers in the scene. If that doesn't make it a classic record, I don't know what is."[9] DJBooth reviewer Nathan S. wrote, "It'd be a mistake to stick the ol' 'underground' label on For the Record – you don't have to have a backpack full of Krylon to enjoy it – but it's safe to say Torae's not aiming for crossover radio success. This is a hip-hop album for people who love hip-hop and who want to hear the music they love, not the music a radio programmer thinks they should love."[5]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
  • W. Brumfield
  • T. Carr
  • S.N. Corso
  • N.A. Weston
Torae1:43
2."Alive" (featuring Wes)
  • W. Brumfield
  • T. Carr
Khrysis3:49
3."You Ready"
  • M. Bruno
  • T. Carr
Marco Polo4:16
4."What It Sound Like" (featuring Pav Bundy)
  • T. Carr
  • R. Ibanga Jr.
Illmind3:43
5."Shakedown"
T. Carr
9th Wonder3:06
6."That Raw"
T. Carr
Pete Rock4:06
7."Do the Math"
  • T. Carr
  • W.P. Mitchell
Large Professor4:00
8."Changes"
  • T. Carr
  • J. Kirkland
Diamond D1:54
9."Over You" (featuring Wes)
  • T. Carr
E. Jones3:52
10."Imagine"
  • W. Brumfield
  • T. Carr
  • E. Gabouer
Eric G.3:01
11."Only Way (Interlude)"
  • P. Douthit
9th Wonder0:52
12."For The Record"
  • T. Carr
  • C. Martin
DJ Premier3:42
13."Thank You"
  • T. Carr
  • D. Lamb
Nottz3:39
14."Reflection"
  • T. Carr
  • E. Gabouer
Eric G.3:38
15."Panorama" (featuring Mela Machinko)
  • T. Carr
  • F. Horton
Fatin3:19
Vinyl bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."Only Way"
  • T. Carr
  • P. Douthit
9th Wonder1:39

Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]

Credits for For the Record adapted from AllMusic.[11]

  • Rich "Filthy Rich" Ahee — engineer, executive producer, mixing, producer
  • Wesley "Wes" Brumfield — featured artist, vocals
  • Pav Bundy — featured artist
  • Torae "Torae" Carr — engineer, executive producer, primary artist, producer
  • Matt Conaway — publicity
  • Shawna Nichol Corso — vocals
  • Ejor Danill — artwork
  • DJ E Holla — vocals
  • DJ Premier — engineer, mixing, producer
  • Patrick "9th Wonder" Douthit — engineer, producer, vocals
  • Eric "Eric G." Gabouer — producer
  • Ricardo Gutierrez — mastering
  • Fatin "Fatin" Horton — engineer, producer
  • Ramon "Illmind" Ibanga Jr. — mixing, producer
  • Calvin Jones — mixing
  • Eric "E. Jones" Jones — producer
  • Khrysis — producer
  • Joseph "Diamond D" Kirkland — producer
  • Gary Lubansky — engineer
  • MeLa Machinko — featured artist
  • Marco Polo — engineer, producer
  • William Paul "Large Professor" Mitchell — producer
  • Joe Nardone — mixing
  • Nottz — engineer, mixing, producer, vocals
  • Peter "Pete Rock" Phillips — producer
  • Rah Digga — vocals
  • Amber Ravenel — executive producer
  • Marion O. Ross III — trumpet
  • D. Sloan — engineer, mixing
  • Noah Abraham Weston — vocals

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "iTunes - Music - For the Record by Torae". iTunes.apple.com. 1 Nov 2011. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  2. ^ a b For the Record (Media notes). Torae. Internal Affairs Entertainment. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "iTunes - Music - That Raw - Single by Torae & Pete Rock". iTunes.apple.com. 14 Oct 2011. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  4. ^ "iTunes - Music - Do the Math - Single by Torae & Large Professor". iTunes.apple.com. 16 Jan 2012. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Torae - For the Record | Album Review, Stream". DJBooth.net. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  6. ^ DX Staff (9 Nov 2011). "Torae - For the Record | Read Hip Hop Reviews, Rap Reviews & Hip Hop Album Reviews". HipHopDX.com. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  7. ^ a b Reed, Nene Wallace (9 Nov 2011). "Torae – 'For The Record' – @@@@ (Review)". HipHopSite.Com. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  8. ^ a b Leon, Jeff (2 Nov 2011). "Torae For The Record | The Underground Hip Hop Authority _ Hip Hop Music, Videos & Reviews". KevinNottingham.com. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  9. ^ a b Georgi, Will. "Torae « Okayplayer". Okayplayer.com. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  10. ^ a b Juon, Steve 'Flash' (8 Nov 2011). "Torae :: For the Record :: Internal Affairs Ent". RapReviews.com. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014.
  11. ^ "For the Record - Torae | Credits". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 28 Apr 2014.
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