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Moment of Truth (Gang Starr album)

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Moment of Truth
Studio album by
Gang Starr
ReleasedMarch 31, 1998
Recorded1997–1998
StudioD&D (New York City)
Genre
Length78:37
Label
Producer
Gang Starr chronology
Hard to Earn
(1994) 		Moment of Truth
(1998) 		Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr
(1999)
Singles from Moment of Truth
  1. "You Know My Steez"
    Released: November 18, 1997[2]
  2. "The Militia"
    Released: July 28, 1998[3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[5]
Houston Chronicle[6]
Los Angeles Times[7]
Muzik7/10[8]
NME8/10[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
The Source[11]
USA Today[12]

Moment of Truth is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on March 31, 1998,[13] by Noo Trybe Records and Virgin Records. Gang Starr recorded Moment of Truth in sessions at D&D Studios. It is widely regarded as Gang Starr's magnum opus, and one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.[citation needed]

Background & Recording

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Moment of Truth marked Gang Starr’s fifth studio album, released in 1998 following a four-year hiatus. Prior to the album, both artists were pursuing solo work; with DJ Premier prolifically collaborating with artists such as Jay-Z, Nas, and Biggie during this period, while Guru had released his second instalment of his Jazzmatazz series. This contributed to a refined sound for the album, while maintaining the group’s signature hardcore style.[14]

Guru faced serious legal issues, including a gun charge that could have resulted in a five-year prison sentence. The weight of this potential outcome influenced much of the album’s thematic direction, particularly in tracks such as “Moment of Truth,” which reflected the group’s real-life struggles.[15] Tension over Guru’s drinking habits also briefly led to DJ Premier stepping away from the group during the album’s production. However, the two reconciled and completed the album together.[16]

Commercial performance

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The album is the group's most commercially successful album to date. Moment of Truth debuted at #1 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The album sold 97,000 copies in its first week.[17] It went on to sell over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 7, 1998.[18] The lead single, "You Know My Steez", became the duo's second Billboard Hot 100 appearance in 1997, peaking at #76. Spin magazine ranked it as the #16 album of 1998.[19] Pitchfork also ranked it as the 16th best album of 1998.[20]

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The album's title track was featured in the 2011 Matthew McConaughey film The Lincoln Lawyer.[21][22][23] The title track also appeared in the soundtrack of the 2001 video game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 as well as an episode during the third season of the television show Mr. Robot. The song Work appears on ESPN promos for SC6 with Michael/Jemele. Work also appeared in the 1998 movie Caught Up starring Bokeem Woodbine and was included on the soundtrack. Work was again sampled in 2019 for a Bank of Melbourne television commercial.[24]

Track listing

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# Title Producer(s) Performer(s) Length
1 "You Know My Steez" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 4:07
2 "Robbin Hood Theory" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 3:44
3 "Work" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 2:57
4 "Royalty" DJ Premier, Guru Guru, K-Ci & JoJo 5:11
5 "Above the Clouds" DJ Premier, Guru Guru, Inspectah Deck 3:41
6 "JFK 2 LAX" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 3:34
7 "Itz a Set Up" DJ Premier, Guru Guru, Hannibal Stax 3:49
8 "Moment of Truth" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 4:07
9 "B.I. vs Friendship" DJ Premier, Guru Guru, M.O.P. 4:37
10 "The Militia" DJ Premier, Guru Guru, Big Shug, Freddie Foxxx 4:48
11 "The Rep Grows Bigga" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 4:55
12 "What I'm Here 4" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 2:45
13 "She Knowz What She Wantz" Guru, DJ Premier (co produced) Guru 3:00
14 "New York Strait Talk" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 4:14
15 "My Advice 2 You" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 2:31
16 "Make 'Em Pay" Guru, DJ Premier (co produced) Guru, Krumb Snatcha 4:21
17 "The Mall" DJ Premier, Guru Guru, G. Dep, Shiggy Sha 3:40
18 "Betrayal" DJ Premier, Guru Guru, Scarface 5:29
19 "Next Time" DJ Premier, Guru Guru 3:06
20 "In Memory Of…" DJ Premier, Guru DJ Premier, Guru 3:50

Charts

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Singles

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Chart positions from Billboard magazine

Year Song Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot Rap Singles Dance/Electronic Singles Sales
1997 "You Know My Steez" 76 15 5 2
1998 "Royalty 2
1998 "The Militia" – 19 7 –

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[34] Gold 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[36] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Moment of Truth – Gang Starr". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  2. ^ "You Know My Steez - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "Militia - Gang Starr | User Reviews | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  4. ^ Baker, Soren (April 10, 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth (Noo Trybe)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  5. ^ Tyehimba, Cheo (April 24, 1998). "Moment of Truth". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  6. ^ Jam, Billy (March 29, 1998). "Gang Starr, Moment of Truth, Noo Trybe". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  7. ^ Johnson, Brett (April 26, 1998). "Gang Starr, 'Moment of Truth,' Noo Trybe/Virgin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  8. ^ McPhail, Pete (June 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth (Cooltempo)". Muzik (37): 82.
  9. ^ Batey, Angus (April 11, 1998). "Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  10. ^ McLeod, Kembrew (2004). "Gang Starr". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 322. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  11. ^ Wilson, Elliott (May 1998). "Gang Starr: Moment of Truth". The Source. No. 104. p. 145. Archived from the original on January 27, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  12. ^ Jones, Steve (March 31, 1998). "Gang Starr returns for a big 'Moment'". USA Today.
  13. ^ Fitzgerald, Trent (March 31, 2023). "Gang Starr Drop Moment of Truth Album – Today in Hip-Hop". XXL. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  14. ^ Ambrosia For Heads (2018-03-29). DJ Premier Discusses The 20th Anniversary Of Gang Starr’s Moment Of Truth. Retrieved 2024-10-14 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ "GUN RAP FOR RAPPER WITH ANTI-GANG RIFF". New York Daily News. 1996-02-23. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  16. ^ Ambrosia For Heads (2018-03-29). DJ Premier Discusses The 20th Anniversary Of Gang Starr’s Moment Of Truth. Retrieved 2024-10-14 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ Gang Starr Bows At No. 6 : Rolling Stone
  18. ^ "Gold & Platinum - Gang Starr". RIAA. May 7, 1998.
  19. ^ "Spin Magazine's The 20 Best Albums of 1998". Rocklist. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  20. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 1998". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  21. ^ Barone, Matt (March 18, 2011). "Review: "The Lincoln Lawyer" (Starring Matthew McConaughey)". Complex. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  22. ^ "The Lincoln Lawyer - Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  23. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (23 February 2011). "'The Lincoln Lawyer' Soundtrack Features Erik B. & Rakim, Gang Starr, deadmau5 & More". IndieWire. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  24. ^ www.umusicpub.com https://www.umusicpub.com/au/FilmAndTv/2019/Gang-Starr-for-Bank-of-Melbourne.aspx. Retrieved 2024-10-14. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ^ "Gang Starr Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
  26. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  27. ^ "Lescharts.com – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". Hung Medien.
  28. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
  29. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Gang Starr – Moment of Truth". Hung Medien.
  30. ^ "Gang Starr | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  31. ^ "Gang Starr Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  32. ^ "Gang Starr Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
  33. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  34. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". Music Canada.
  35. ^ "British album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". British Phonographic Industry.
  36. ^ "American album certifications – Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth". Recording Industry Association of America.


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