| Blue Collar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Rhymefest | ||||
| Released | July 11, 2006 (2006-07-11) | |||
| Recorded | 2003–2006 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 58:23 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Rhymefest chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Blue Collar | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| HipHopDX | 4/5 |
| IGN | 8.3/10 |
| Pitchfork | 8/10 |
| PopMatters | 8/10 |
| Slant | |
| Spin | |
| The A.V. Club | A |
| The Guardian | |
| The Village Voice | A- |
Blue Collar is the debut studio album by American rapper Rhymefest. It was released on July 11, 2006 via Allido/J Records.
The album was recorded at Animal House Studios in Milwaukee, at Baseline Recording Studios II and Allido Sound in New York City, at Encore Studios in Burbank, at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, at The Record Room in North Miami and at Franco De Leon Recording Studio in Chicago, with additional recording took place at Duplex Studios in Chicago.
Production was handled by No I.D., Mark Ronson, Animal House, Cool & Dre, Emile, Cochise, Just Blaze, Kanye West and Terry Hunter. It features guest appearances from Kanye West, Bump J, Citizen Cope, Malik Yusef, Mario, Mike Payne, Mikkey, Q-Tip and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard.
In the United States, the album debuted at number 61 on the Billboard 200 and number 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Its lead single, "Brand New", made it to number 32 on the UK singles chart.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Feel Free (Intro)" (featuring Q-Tip) |
| Animal House | 1:11 |
| 2. | "Dynomite (Going Postal)" |
| Just Blaze | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Brand New" (featuring Kanye West) |
| Kanye West | 3:40 |
| 4. | "Fever" |
| No I.D. | 3:48 |
| 5. | "All I Do" |
|
| 3:27 |
| 6. | "Get Down" | No I.D. | 3:02 | |
| 7. | "More" (featuring Kanye West) |
| Cool & Dre | 4:12 |
| 8. | "Chicago-Rillas" (featuring Mikkey and Bump J) |
| No I.D. | 4:27 |
| 9. | "Stick" |
| Animal House | 3:31 |
| 10. | "All Girls Cheat" (featuring Mario) |
|
| 4:13 |
| 11. | "Devil's Pie" |
| Mark Ronson | 4:51 |
| 12. | "Sister" (featuring Mike Payne) |
|
| 3:54 |
| 13. | "Mr. Blue Collar (Interlude)" (featuring Malik Yusef) | Terry Hunter | 2:01 | |
| 14. | "Bullet" (featuring Citizen Cope) |
|
| 4:00 |
| 15. | "Tell a Story" |
| Mark Ronson | 4:30 |
| 16. | "Build Me Up" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard) |
| Mark Ronson | 3:46 |
| Total length: | 58:23 | |||
- Sample credits
- Track 2 contains a sample from "We Will Always Be Together" written by Jerry Harris, Toby Henry and Sylvia Robinson as performed by The Whatnauts and a sample from "The Black Prince Has Arrived" performed by Jimmie Walker.
- Track 3 contains a sample of "The Dap Dip" performed by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and a portion of the composition "Pick It Up, Lay It in the Cut" written by Gabriel Roth.
- Track 4 contains a sample from "Fever" written by John Davenport and Eddie Cooley performed by La Lupe.
- Track 5 contains a sample from "Ain't That (Mellow Mellow)" written by Willie Hutchinson as performed by Willie Hutch.
- Track 6 contains a sample from "Un Homme et Une Femme" written by Pierre Barouh and Francis Lai as performed by Francis Lai.
- Track 9 contains a sample of "Take Me to the Mardi Gras".
- Track 10 contains a sample from "Think of Your Thoughts as Children" written and performed by Phillipe Wynn and a portion of the composition "Footsteps in the Dark" written by Ernie Isley, Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley, Marvin Isley, O'Kelly Isley Jr. and Chris Jasper.
- Track 11 contains a sample from "Someday" written by Julian Casablancas as performed by The Strokes.
- Track 12 contains a sample from "Intimate Friends" written by Garry Glenn as performed by Eddie Kendricks.
- Track 14 contains a sample from "Bullet and a Target" written by Clarence Greenwood as performed by Citizen Cope.
- Track 15 contains a sample from "You Don't Have to Be Alone" written by Vernon Bullock and Harvey Fuqua as performed by The New Birth and a portion of the composition "One" written by Harry Nilsson.
- Track 16 contains a portion of the composition "Build Me Up Buttercup" written by Tony Macaulay and Mike d'Abo.
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK R&B Albums (OCC) | 13 |
| US Billboard 200 | 61 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 10 |
References
- Kellman, Andy. "Blue Collar - Rhymefest | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- Ryce, Jeff (July 11, 2006). "Rhymefest - Blue Collar". HipHopDX. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- D., Spence (September 18, 2006). "Rhymefest - Blue Collar". IGN. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- Macia, Peter (July 20, 2006). "Rhymefest: Blue Collar". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- Frauenhofer, Michael (July 6, 2006). "Rhymefest: Blue Collar | PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- Neigher, Eric (July 10, 2006). "Review: Rhymefest, Blue Collar". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- Ryan, Chris (August 2006). "SPIN In: New CDs". Spin. Vol. 22, no. 8. SPIN Media LLC. p. 84. ISSN 0886-3032.
- Rabin, Nathan (July 12, 2006). "Rhymefest: Blue Collar". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- Cooper, Leonie (July 14, 2006). "Rhymefest, Blue Collar". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- Christgau, Robert (August 8, 2006). "Devils We Know". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 30. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 29, 2006. p. 54. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 30. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 29, 2006. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
External links
- Rhymefest – Blue Collar at Discogs (list of releases)