Jump to content

Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 26, 2002 (U.S.)
Recorded2001
Studio
GenreHip hop
Length1:14:50
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Nappy Roots chronology
No Comb, No Brush, No Fade, No Perm...
(1999)
Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz
(2002)
Wooden Leather
(2003)
Singles from Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz
  1. "Awnaw"
    Released: December 4, 2001
  2. "Po' Folks"
    Released: July 10, 2002
  3. "Headz Up"
    Released: November 26, 2002
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB[2]
HipHopDX[3]
NME(6/10) [4]
Q [4]
RapReviews(7.5/10)[5]
Robert Christgau(1-star Honorable Mention)[6]
Rolling Stone [7]
Spin(8/10) [4]
Stylus MagazineB+ [8]

Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz is the commercial debut studio album by American hip hop sextet Nappy Roots from Kentucky. It was released on February 26, 2002 via Atlantic Records.

Background

[edit]

Recording sessions took place at Tree Sound and PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, at Soundstage Studios in Nashville, at Rusk, Larrabee West & North and Image Recording Studios in Los Angeles, and at Signature Sound in San Diego. Production was handled mostly by James "Groove" Chambers, along with the Trackboyz, Mike Caren, Mike City, Brian Kidd, Carlos Broady and Troy Johnson. It features guest appearances from Anthony Hamilton, The Bar-Kays, Jazze Pha, Ayesha Kirk, CJ "Voodou" Henry and Tiffany Villarreal.

Reception

[edit]

The album peaked at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and at number 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on April 16, 2002 and later reached platinum certification on October 10, 2002.

The album was preceded by a promotional single "Set It Out"/"Hustla" and its lead single "Awnaw", both released in 2001. "Awnaw", featuring vocals from Jazze Pha, made it to #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The second single from the album was "Po' Folks" featuring Anthony Hamilton, which also reached Billboard Hot 100 at peak position #21. The albums' third single, "Headz Up", charted at #88 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and at #39 on the Rhythmic Songs.

Track listing

[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[9]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro" James "Groove" Chambers0:26
2."Hustla"James "Groove" Chambers3:45
3."Set It Out"
  • Chambers
  • Hughes
  • Anthony
  • Adams
  • Scott
James "Groove" Chambers3:52
4."Country Boyz"
  • Brian Kidd
  • Hughes
  • Anthony
  • Adams
  • Scott
Brian Kidd4:30
5."Ballin' on a Budget"
  • Chambers
  • Hughes
  • Tisdale
  • Adams
  • Scott
James "Groove" Chambers3:42
6."Awnaw" (featuring Jazze Pha)
  • Chambers
  • Hughes
  • Tisdale
  • Adams
  • Anthony
James "Groove" Chambers3:59
7."Headz Up"
James "Groove" Chambers4:07
8."Slums" (featuring CJ "Voodou" Henry)
  • Chambers
  • Tisdale
  • Adams
  • Anthony
James "Groove" Chambers3:22
9."Po' Folks" (featuring Anthony Hamilton)
4:08
10."Start It Over"
  • Williams
  • Kent
  • Hughes
  • Tisdale
  • Anthony
The Trackboyz4:05
11."Blowin' Trees"
  • Chambers
  • Hughes
  • Tisdale
  • Adams
  • Scott
  • Anthony
  • Wilson
James "Groove" Chambers4:17
12."Sholiz"
Mike City4:08
13."Life's a Bitch"
  • Carlos Broady
  • Hughes
  • Tisdale
  • Adams
Carlos "6 July" Broady4:39
14."My Ride" (featuring Ayesha Kirk)
  • Chambers
  • Hughes
  • Adams
  • Scott
  • Chris Henry
James "Groove" Chambers3:26
15."One Forty"
  • Chambers
  • Wilson
  • Hughes
  • Scott
James "Groove" Chambers4:25
16."Dime, Quarter, Nickel, Penny"
  • Troy Johnson
  • Hughes
  • Scott
  • Adams
  • Anthony
Troy Johnson3:48
17."Kentucky Mud"
  • Chambers
  • Hughes
  • Tisdale
  • Scott
James "Groove" Chambers4:45
18."The Lounge" James "Groove" Chambers0:39
19."Ho Down" (featuring The Bar-Kays)
  • Edward Harris
  • Caren
  • Hughes
  • Adams
  • Scott
  • Cortez Murray
Mike Caren4:45
20."Headz Up (Refried)" (featuring Tiffany Villarreal)
  • Johnson
  • Chambers
  • Caren
  • Hughes
  • Scott
  • Wilson
  • Adams
  • Tisdale
  • Anthony
Troy Johnson4:02
Total length:1:14:50

Sample Credits[9]

  • "Ho Down" contains an interpolation of "Delgado", written by Edward Harris.

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[14] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Woodside, Martin. "Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz - Nappy Roots | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  2. ^ Farber, Jim (March 1, 2002). "Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  3. ^ Williams, DeMarco (March 7, 2002). "Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 2002-02-26. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
  5. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (March 12, 2002). "RapReviews.com Feature for March 12, 2002 - Nappy Roots' "Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz"". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  6. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: nappy roots". www.robertchristgau.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  7. ^ "RollingStone.com: Recordings: Nappy Roots, Watermelon, Chicken & Grits, 3.5 Stars". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2002-11-20. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
  8. ^ "Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken, & Gritz - Review - Stylus Magazine". Archived from the original on 2012-10-03. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  9. ^ a b Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz (booklet). Atlantic. 2002.
  10. ^ "Nappy Roots Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  11. ^ "Nappy Roots Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  12. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  13. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  14. ^ "American album certifications – Nappy Roots – Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz". Recording Industry Association of America.
[edit]