Unexpected Arrival
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Unexpected Arrival is the debut studio album by American rapper Diggy Simmons. It was released on March 20, 2012, by Atlantic Records. Recording sessions took place from 2010 to 2011, at various locations, while the production on the album was handled by Da Internz, Osinachi Nwaneri, Pop & Oak, Happy Perez, and Soundz, among others.
Unexpected Arrival was supported by five singles; including three official ("Copy, Paste", "Do It Like You" and "4 Letter Word") and two promotional singles ("88" and "Two Up").
Upon the release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number 13 on the US Billboard 200. On June 22, 2013, the album has sold 89,750 copies in the United States.[1]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| HipHopDX | [3] |
| XXL | [4] |
Upon its release, Unexpected Arrival received generally positive reviews from music critics. Christian Mordi of XXL praised the album's production and Diggy's lyrical skills for coming off more like a seasoned veteran saying, "Unlike many young artists, Diggy stays away from a lot of catchy, jingle-esque hooks and songs about trends on this project. Clearly the young MC wants to be taken seriously by casual and hardcore fans alike."[4] AllMusic editor David Jeffries also praised the album for its production and Diggy's accessibility as a rapper concluding that, "Kid-tested and parent-approved, this well-done debut makes hating on Diggy as ridiculous as it sounds."[2] Edwin Ortiz of HipHopDX was mixed about Diggy's talent as an emcee, singling out his age and limited view on the world for the subpar content. He concluded that, "To Diggy's credit, Unexpected Arrival plays to his adolescent strengths without hindering his opportunity to build upon his brand as an adult."[3]
Brandon Soderberg of Spin gave credit to some of the tracks, singling out "Unforgivable Blackness" for being "a sophisticated song that actually tries to confront [Diggy] Simmons’ lack of street cred," but found the rest of the album hollow and generic and followed a formula to market an underdog rapper, saying that, "Unexpected Arrival feels like the end of the rap album. The musical narrative is executed so effectively, hitting all the requisite marks, but it doesn’t matter in the least."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Arrival (Intro)" | Diggy Simmons, Michael Jackson, Dernst Emile II | D'Mile | 1:15 |
| 2. | "Hello World" | Simmons, Brandon Green, John "D.O.E." Maultsby, M. Jackson, Nathan "Happy" Pérez | Happy Perez | 3:11 |
| 3. | "I Need to Know" | Simmons, Emile II, Clarence Coffee, Jr., Alexander Izquierdo, Maultsby, Matthew Samuels | D'Mile | 3:34 |
| 4. | "88" (featuring Jadakiss) | Simmons, Keith James, Jason Phillips, Shawn Carter, Lonnie Liston Smith, Nasir Jones, Peter Phillips, David Willis, Ernest Clark, Marcos Palacios | Da Internz | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Two Up" | Simmons, Emile II, Coffee, Jr., Izquierdo, Maultsby | D'Mile | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Unforgivable Blackness" | Simmons, Coffee, Jr., Maultsby, Osinachi Nwaneri | Nwaneri | 4:15 |
| 7. | "Special Occasion" (featuring Tank) | Simmons, Carlos Battey, Steven Battey, Emile II, Perry Jones, Maultsby, Durell Babbs | D'Mile | 3:52 |
| 8. | "Glow in the Dark" | Simmons, C. Battey, S. Battey, Emile II, Maultsby | D'Mile | 5:59 |
| 9. | "4 Letter Word" | Aubrey Graham, Kenneth Coby, Brian "The Rockstars" Cohen, Jacob Lutrell, Chase Lett, Chris "The Rockstars" Llewellyn, Maultsby | Soundz | 3:39 |
| 10. | "Do It Like You" (featuring Jeremih) | Simmons, Jeremih Felton, Maultsby, McGee, Andrew "Pop" Wansel, Dexter Wansel, Warren "Oak" Felder | Pop & Oak | 3:53 |
| 11. | "Tom Edison" | Simmons, Emile II, Izquierdo, Maultsby | D'Mile | 3:32 |
| 12. | "The Reign" | Simmons, Cynthia Biggs, Sam Hook, Maultsby, A. Wansel, D. Wansel, Felder | Pop & Oak | 3:59 |
| Total length: | 43:34 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Copy, Paste" | Simmons, Felder, Maultsby, A. Wansel | Pop & Oak | 2:55 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Knowing Me, Knowing You" | |
| 14. | "What's Going On" | |
| 15. | "MSG" (produced by Soundz and The Rockstars; written by Simmons, Maultsby, Izquierdo, Coby, Llewellyn and Cohen) | 3:45 |
- Sample credits
- "88" contains a sample from "Dance (A$$)" performed by Big Sean.
- "Do It Like You" contains a sample from "Theme From the Planets", written and performed by Dexter Wansel.
Personnel
Credits for Unexpected Arrival adapted from AllMusic.[8]
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Charts
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[9] | 13 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] | 3 |
| US Rap Albums (Billboard)[11] | 2 |
References
- ^ Jacobs, Allen (April 25, 2012). "Hip-Hop Album Sales the Week Ending 0422/2012". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Unexpected Arrival – Diggy > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ a b Ortiz, Edwin (March 30, 2012). "Diggy Simmons - Unexpected Arrival". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Mordi, Christian (March 20, 2012). "Diggy, Unexpected Arrival". XXL. Townsquare Media. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ Soderberg, Brandon (March 20, 2012). "Diggy Simmons' 'Unexpected Arrival': Could This Be the End of the Rap Album?". Spin. SpinMedia. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ "Unexpected Arrival (Deluxe Edition) by Diggy". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ "Unexpected Arrival [Best Buy Exclusive] – Diggy > Overview". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ "Unexpected Arrival – Diggy > Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ "Diggy Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ "Diggy Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ "Diggy Album & Song Chart History: Rap Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 2, 2012.