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U.S.A. (Flatlinerz album)

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U.S.A.
Studio album by
Flatlinerz
ReleasedSeptember 6, 1994 (1994-09-06)
Recorded1993–1994
Studio
GenreHorrorcore
Length56:16
LabelDef Jam
Producer
Flatlinerz chronology
U.S.A.
(1994) 		Definitive Creepy Collection
(2014)
Singles from U.S.A.
  1. "Rivaz of Red"
    Released: July 12, 1994
  2. "Satanic Verses"
    Released: August 23, 1994
  3. "Live Evil"
    Released: 1994

U.S.A. (stands for "Under Satan's Authority") is the only studio album by American horrorcore trio Flatlinerz.[1] It was released on September 6, 1994, via Def Jam Recordings. The recording sessions took place at Chung King Studios, Next Level Studios, and Greene St. Recording, in New York. The album was produced by Tempest, Rockwilder, Crush, DR Period, and Kool Tee, with Kenny Lee and Russell Simmons serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Gravemen, Kool Tee, Mayhem, Omen, Rockwilder, and the Headless Horsemen.

The album peaked at number 65 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 24 on the Top Heatseekers and found controversy for its satanic themes. Also, the three music videos the group shot for the album, "Live Evil", "Satanic Verses" and "Rivaz of Red", were barely played because of things such as frontman Redrum rhyming while hanging from a noose and Gravedigger rhyming from a crucifix. The album only sold 36,000 copies and the group, along with the Headless Horsemen and Omen, was dropped from Def Jam. Three singles were released, but only "Live Evil" made it to the charts, making it to No. 35 on the Hot Rap Singles.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

The New York Times wrote that "the Flatlinerz use the slow-moving piano melodies and minor chords of horror-film soundtracks to drive their music, adding screeching birds and tolling church bells for spice."[3]

In 2009, Fangoria named U.S.A. as an iconic horrorcore album.[4]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"  2:27
2."Good Day To Die" (featuring Kool Tee, Omen, Mayhem and Gravemen)
  • Jamel Simmons
  • Darnell Cunningham
  • Juan Clarke
  • Tadone Wilson
  • Thomas McQueen
  • Kool Tee
  • Crush
5:10
3."Scary Us"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • Wilson
  • McQueen
  • Kool Tee
  • Crush
3:43
4."Flatline"
4:18
5."Sonic Boom"
  • Rockwilder
  • Tempest
4:20
6."Brooklyn/Queens (Skit)"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • Stinson
  • Rockwilder
  • Tempest
0:24
7."718"
  • Rockwilder
  • Tempest
4:11
8."Run"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • Wilson
  • McQueen
  • Kool Tee
  • Crush
3:25
9."Body N' a Blunt (Skit)"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
Tempest0:17
10."Whydyadoit (Skit)"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • Stinson
  • Rockwilder
  • Tempest
1:00
11."Takin' Em Underground"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • Stinson
  • Rockwilder
  • Tempest
4:56
12."Graveyard Nightmare" (featuring Rockwilder)
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • Stinson
  • Rockwilder
  • Tempest (co.)
4:08
13."One Armed Bandit (Skit)"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
Tempest0:55
14."Rivaz Of Red"
  • Rockwilder
  • Tempest
4:32
15."Satanic Verses" (featuring the Headless Horsemen)
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • J. Leroy
  • M. Gardner
  • Darryl Pittman
  • DR Period
  • Divine Campbell (co.)
4:23
16."War Zone"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • Pittman
  • DR Period
  • Divine Campbell (co.)
3:15
17."Beware... (Satanic Verses Skit)"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
Tempest1:01
18."Live Evil"
  • Simmons
  • Cunningham
  • Clarke
  • Pittman
  • DR Period
  • Divine Campbell (co.)
3:51
Total length:56:16

Sample credits

  • Track 4 contains elements from "Crossover" by EPMD and "Party Groove (Instrumental)" by Showbiz and A.G.
  • Track 5 samples the song "Seven Days, Seven Nights" by Sue Ann Carwell
  • Track 7 contains a sample from "Step in the Arena" by Gang Starr
  • Track 14 embodies portions of "Tonight's da Night" by Redman and "I'm Gonna Take Your Love" by Brother to Brother

Personnel

[edit]
  • Jamel "Redrum" Simmons – main artist, vocals, sleeve notes
  • Darnell "Gravedigger" Cunningham – main artist, vocals, sleeve notes
  • Juan "Tempest" Clarke – main artist, vocals, producer, sleeve notes
  • Tadone "Kool Tee" Hill – featured artist, producer
  • Devon "Omen" Purkiss – featured artist
  • Gravemen – featured artist
  • Mayhem – featured artist
  • Dana "Rockwilder" Stinson – featured artist, producer
  • J. Leroy of the Headless Horsemen – featured artist
  • M. Gardner of the Headless Horsemen – featured artist
  • Nora T. – backing vocals
  • Anthony "Trace Bass" Brown – bass
  • Richard "Rich" Keller – bass, electric guitar, recording, mixing
  • Darryl "DR Period" Pittman – keyboards, percussion, programming, producer, arranger
  • Thomas "Crush" McQueen – producer
  • Divine Campbell – co-producer, arranger
  • Kenny Lee – executive producer
  • Russell Simmons – executive producer
  • Danny Clinch – photography
  • John Blackford – illustration
  • The Drawing Board – design

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1994) Peak
position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 65
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) 24

Singles

[edit]
Year Song Chart positions
US Rap
1994 Live Evil 35
Satanic Verses —
Rivaz of Red —

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Vibe". Vibe. Vol. 12. 2004. p. 86. ISSN 1070-4701.
  2. ^ Valdivia, Victor W. "U.S.A. Flatlinerz". AllMusic. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Strauss, Neil (Sep 18, 1994). "When Rap Meets the Undead". The New York Times. p. A30.
  4. ^ Molgaard, Matt (August 12, 2009). "Rapped and Tagged: Horrorcore's Iconic Albums". Fangoria. The Brooklyn Company. Archived from the original on August 16, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
[edit]
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