Worth tha Weight is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Shawnna. Originally scheduled to be released in 2002, it was delayed until 2004 and was released on September 28, 2004 via Disturbing tha Peace/Def Jam Recordings. Production was handled by several record producers, including B-Crucial, Just Blaze, Kanye West, Bangladesh, DJ Nasty & LVM, and Shawnna's brother Michael Antonio "Icedrake" Guy. It features guest appearances from Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri, Kardinal Offishall, Katt Williams, Missy Elliott, Noreaga, Rich Nice and Twista. The album peaked at number 22 on the Billboard 200 and, to date, has sold 380,000 copies to date in the U.S.
It was supported by two singles: Timbaland-produced "Shake Dat Shit" and Trackboyz-produced "Weight a Minute". The album contains three remixed tracks: "Posted" from DTP's 2002 compilation album Golden Grain, "Block Reincarnated" from the 2003 soundtrack album for John Singleton's action movie 2 Fast 2 Furious, and "Dude" from Beenie Man's 2004 album Back to Basics. The song "Let's Go" was featured on the 2004 video game Def Jam: Fight for NY, in which Shawnna also appeared as playable character.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| HipHopDX | 4/5[2] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[3] |
Worth tha Weight received positive reviews from music critics. K.B. Tindal of HipHopDX gave high praise to Shawnna's display of technical delivery and knowledgeable vocabulary throughout her debut, saying that "At the end of the day Shawnna comes through with a great display for a freshman release on the solo end. Def Jam does it again but don't get it twisted, DTP is what's really poppin'".[2] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised Shawnna and the production team for elevating the material with lyrical dexterity and energetic beats, saying that "At eighteen tracks and nearly 60 minutes long, you're not left with the impression Shawnna said anything really profound, but she did say it in an enjoyable way over an impressive selection of beats".[3] AllMusic editor Andy Kellman praised the album's production and Shawnna's skills as a rapper despite tracks like "Posted (Remix)" and "Kick This One" being weak contributions, concluding that "Even with these nagging flaws, Shawnna holds her own and is only complemented -- never outshined -- by the many guest MCs".[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Chicago (Part 1)" |
| Brian "B-Crucial" Morton | 1:02 |
| 2. | "Let's Go" |
| Just Blaze | 4:15 |
| 3. | "R.P.M." (featuring Twista and Ludacris) |
| Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford | 4:35 |
| 4. | "Money Mike (Skit)" (performed by Katt Williams) | Micah Sierra Williams | 0:14 | |
| 5. | "Shake Dat Shit" (featuring Ludacris) |
| Timbaland | 3:55 |
| 6. | "U Crazy" (featuring Jermaine Dupri) |
|
| 3:53 |
| 7. | "Weight a Minute" |
| Trackboyz | 4:19 |
| 8. | "My Chicago (Part 2)" |
| Brian "B-Crucial" Morton | 1:27 |
| 9. | "What Can I Do" (featuring Missy Elliott) |
|
| 3:25 |
| 10. | "Posted (Remix)" (featuring N.O.R.E.) |
| Michael Antonio "Icedrake" Guy | 4:18 |
| 11. | "So Real So Right" |
| Brian "B-Crucial" Morton | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Dude? (Skit)" (performed by Rich Nice) | Rich Nice | Rich Nice | 1:59 |
| 13. | "Kick This One" |
| DJ Nasty & LVM | 2:22 |
| 14. | "Super Freak" |
| Terrace Martin | 4:13 |
| 15. | "Turn It Up" |
| Michael Antonio "Icedrake" Guy | 3:49 |
| 16. | "Block Reincarnated (Remix)" (featuring Kardinal Offishall) |
| Keith McMasters | 3:59 |
| 17. | "Cami's Solo" | C. Bradlee | 0:40 | |
| 18. | "Dude (The Remix)" (featuring Beenie Man and Ms. Thing) |
| Dave Kelly | 4:34 |
| Total length: | 57:02 | |||
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[4] | 22 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[5] | 5 |
| US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[6] | 4 |
References
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Worth Tha Weight - Shawnna". AllMusic. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ a b Tindal, K.B. (October 19, 2004). "Shawnna - Worth The Weight". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ a b Juon, Steve 'Flash' (September 28, 2004). "Shawnna :: Worth the Weight :: Def Jam". RapReviews. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ "Shawnna Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "Shawnna Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "Shawnna Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
External links
- Worth Tha Weight at Discogs (list of releases)