Life (Yo Gotti album)

Life
Studio album by Yo Gotti
Released	May 13, 2003 (2003-05-13)
Recorded	2002–03
Genres	Southern hip-hop gangsta rap
Length	1:19:40
Label	TVT
Producers	DJ Slice Tee Drumma Boy Kia Shine Paragon Swizzo The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti chronology
Self-Explanatory (2001) Life (2003) Back 2 da Basics (2006)

Life is the fourth studio album by American rapper Yo Gotti. It was released on May 13, 2003, via TVT Records, serving the rapper's major-label debut and first studio release with the label. Production was handled by the Rap Hustlaz, Paragon, DJ Slice T, Drumma Boy, Swizzo, and Yo Gotti himself, with co-producers DJ Squeeky and Lil' Jon. It features guest appearances from Kia Shine, Ericka Kane, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz, Rich Bum, T-Stit, Da Block Burnaz, D'Nero, Jack Frost, Lil' Flip, Shane and V-Slash. In the United States, the album peaked at number 59 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 38 on the Independent Albums charts.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

AllMusic's writer Jason Birchmeier awarded the album three out of five stars and described it as "typical of the genre". Matt Gonzales of PopMatters also gave the album a lukewarm review, viewing Yo Gotti as "lyrically indistinguishable from a sea of bitter, street-hustling rappers exactly like himself". Geoff Harkness, writing for The Pitch saw merit in Gotti's lyrics, but opined that "the played-out beats, the hoary "Dirty South" shout-outs and Gotti's perfunctory delivery ... hinder the album beyond repair". The Memphis Flyer commented on the "vintage Def Jam-style production" and "facility with R&B hooks", and viewed the album as revealing "a wider range of musical and emotional options than is usually heard on Memphis rap records". Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times, reviewing his next album, described Life as "an uncelebrated gem". Several reviewers commented on the cover art, with Gonzales stating that from the cover the album could be mistaken "for a Wayans Brothers project skewering the worn-out conventions of hardcore rap". Harkness described the cover showing Yo Gotti "surrounded by snazzy cars, diamond-encrusted hubcaps and a flurry of $100 bills -- not exactly indicators that songs about the current political climate or uplifting one's spiritual self will be found inside."

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Mario Mims Randy Banks Nakia Coleman Andre Stephens	Swizzo Yo Gotti	3:56
2.	"All I Ever Wanted to Do" (featuring Kia Shine)	Mims Coleman Stephens	The Rap Hustlaz DJ Squeeky (co.) Yo Gotti (co.)	4:03
3.	"Sell My Dope" (featuring Kia Shine & Ericka Kane)	Mims Coleman Stephens Sheldon Arrington	The Rap Hustlaz Slice T	4:24
4.	"Dirty South Soldiers" (featuring Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz)	Mims Jonathan Smith Coleman Stephens	The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti Lil' Jon (co.)	4:57
5.	"Reppin' North Memphis"	Mims Coleman Stephen Carroll Stephens	Kia Shine Paragon Yo Gotti	3:06
6.	"Str8 from da North" (featuring Ericka Kane)	Mims Coleman Carroll Stephens	Kia Shine Paragon Yo Gotti	4:35
7.	"Get Down" (featuring Lil' Flip)	Mims Wesley Weston Coleman Carroll Stephens	Kia Shine Paragon Yo Gotti	4:12
8.	"After I Fuck Ya Bitch" (Remix)	Mims Coleman Stephens	Yo Gotti Slice T (co.) The Rap Hustlaz (co.)	4:37
9.	"Entering the Game"	Mims Coleman Stephens Chris Gallinger	The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti Drumma Boy	3:52
10.	"Life" (featuring Ericka Kane)	Mims Coleman Stephens Gallinger	The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti Drumma Boy	4:07
11.	"9 to 5"	Mims Carroll Stephens	Kia Shine Paragon	3:17
12.	"Breakaman"	Mims Coleman Stephens	The Rap Hustlaz DJ Squeeky (co.) Yo Gotti (co.)	4:22
13.	"Shake It" (featuring Rich Bum)	Mims Coleman Stephens Gallinger	The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti Drumma Boy	2:56
14.	"Look at Old Girl" (featuring Da Block Burnaz, D'Nero, Shane & T-Stit)	Mims Coleman Stephens Arrington	The Rap Hustlaz Slice T Yo Gotti	4:50
15.	"On da Grind"	Mims Coleman Gallinger	The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti Drumma Boy	3:22
16.	"U Understand" (featuring T-Stit)	Mims Thomas Stitman Coleman Stephens Gallinger	The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti Drumma Boy	4:53
17.	"Mr. Tell It"	Mims Coleman Stephens	The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti	4:49
18.	"Dirty South Soldiers (Rap Hustlaz Remix)" (featuring Jack Frost, Kia Shine, V Slash, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz)	Mims Smith Coleman Stephens	The Rap Hustlaz Yo Gotti Lil' Jon (co.)	5:38
19.	"Pop Kone" (featuring Kia Shine & Rich Bum)	Mims Coleman Marshall Johns Stephens Arrington	The Rap Hustlaz Slice T Yo Gotti	3:44
Total length:				1:19:40

Charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	59
US Independent Albums (Billboard)	38

External links

• Yo Gotti – Life at Discogs (list of releases)