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Inside Out (MC Hammer album)

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Inside Out
A black-and-white image of a man wearing a white long-sleeve shirt and sunglasses, with a gold microphone and 'V' shape platform in front of him.
Studio album by
MC Hammer
ReleasedSeptember 12, 1995 (1995-09-12)
Recorded1995
StudioRWI Studios (Fremont, California)
Larrabee Sound Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length65:12
Label
MC Hammer chronology
The Funky Headhunter
(1994) 		Inside Out
(1995) 		Active Duty
(2001)
Singles from Inside Out
  1. "Sultry Funk"
    Released: September 3, 1995 (1995-09-03)
  2. "Keep On"
    Released: November 27, 1995 (1995-11-27)
  3. "Goin' Up Yonder"
    Released: December 15, 1995 (1995-12-15)

Inside Out is the sixth studio album by American rapper MC Hammer (fifth excluding his independent debut). It was released via Giant Records and Reprise Records on September 12, 1995. After the decrease in popularity and sales of his previous album, The Funky Headhunter, Hammer returned to his previous pop rap image.

Inside Out featured emotionally-driven gospel dance tracks.[citation needed] The album spawned two singles: "Sultry Funk" and "Goin' Up Yonder". "Nothing But Love (A Song for Eazy)" was dedicated to Eazy-E, who had died in 1995. In contrast to his prior albums, the singles did not go as far as previous releases.

The album peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, but only reached number 119 on the Billboard 200, causing Giant Records to drop Hammer and his Oaktown Records subsidiary from the label. The album received positive reviews.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB[2]

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt that Hammer was "unsure of himself throughout the album, attempting to gain some street credibility and a mass audience simultaneously." He concluded that, "[T]he result is a record that has a few good isolated moments, but never delivers a knockout punch, let alone a memorable hook or groove."[1] Tom Sinclair from Entertainment Weekly said that, "Even if nothing here touches "U Can't Touch This," the material is well crafted enough to convince you "Hammer Time" hasn't run out yet."[2]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Luv-N-Happiness"
  • Torrell
  • MC Hammer
4:53
2."Sultry Funk" (featuring VMF)
  • Larry BlackmonKevin Kendrick
  • Tommy Jenkins
  • Nathan Leftnant
  • MC Hammer
  • Steven L. White
  • White
  • MC Hammer
4:59
3."Anything Goes on the Dance Floor"
  • MC Hammer
  • Pilate
5:42
4."I Hope Things Change" (featuring Andre Williams)
  • MC Hammer
  • Pilate
  • MC Hammer
  • Pilate
5:01
5."Keep On" (featuring Angel Burgess)
  • MC Hammer
  • The Whole 9
5:16
6."Everything Is Alright"
  • MC Hammer
  • Torrell
  • Torrell
  • MC Hammer
3:49
7."I Need That Number"
  • Gerald Baillergeau
  • MC Hammer
  • Baillergeau
  • MC Hammer
5:05
8."Bustin' Loose"
  • MC Hammer
  • The Whole 9
4:54
9."Nothing But Love (A Song for Eazy)"
  • MC Hammer
  • Ben Ross
  • Ross
  • MC Hammer
5:49
10."Goin' Up Yonder" (featuring Angel Burgess and the San Jose Community Choir)
  • Torrell
  • MC Hammer
7:30
11."He Keeps Doing Great Things for Me" (featuring Tynetta Hare and the San Jose Community Choir)
  • Eddie Robinson
  • MC Hammer
  • Torrell
  • MC Hammer
6:40
12."A Brighter Day"
  • MC Hammer
  • Pilate
  • MC Hammer
  • Pilate
5:34

Samples

Personnel

Adapted from the liner notes of Inside Out.[3]

  • The High Street Bank Boys – background vocals (tracks 6, 8)
  • Todd Brown – background vocals (tracks 8, 9), mixing, vocal arrangements (track 9)
  • Ben Ross – background vocals, synthesizers, drum programming (track 9)
  • D-Style – guitar (track 9)
  • Ontario Hayes – piano (tracks 10, 11), additional organ (track 11)
  • Mike "Nite" Hersh – engineering (tracks 1, 2, 5-9)
  • Brian Mayfield – engineering (tracks 5, 6, 9), assistant engineering (tracks 1-4, 8, 12)
  • Dave Baker – engineering (tracks 10, 11)
  • John Rhone – engineering (tracks 10, 11)
  • Matt Campagna – assistant engineering (tracks 10, 11)
  • LindaEar Music (Fremont, CA) – clearance assistance
  • Victor Hall – art direction, logo design
  • Mel Peters – cover photography

References

  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Inside Out - MC Hammer". AllMusic. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Sinclair, Tom (September 22, 1995). "V Inside Out". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Archived from the original on January 8, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Inside Out (liner notes). MC Hammer. Giant. Warner Bros. 1995. 24637.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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