''Case'' is the debut album by American singer Case. It was released by Def Jam Recordings on August 13, 1996. The album peaked at number seven on the US

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

chart and reached number 42 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. ''Case'' was supported by four singles, including "More to Love" and " Touch Me, Tease Me" featuring Foxy Brown and Mary J. Blige which became the album's most successful single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 14. In a 2020 interview with BET, Case remarked that he disliked recording the album and admitted he did not have a lot of creative freedom within the album.

Critical reception

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

editor Leo Stanley found that "on his eponymous debut, Case manages to be tough without sacrificing his soul. ''Case'' keeps his hard edge by telling things straight, refusing to embellish his tales with meaningless boasts. twould have a stronger punch if the music was a little more forceful and varied, but even so, the record is a refreshing debut — it proves that the genre hasn't exhausted its potential quite yet."

Commercial performance

The album reached number forty-second on the US US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, also reaching the seventh position on the US R&B Albums.

Track listing

Sample credits *"More to Love" contains a sample of " The Payback" as performed by

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

and "Somethin' Funky" by

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American Rapping, rapper, producer and actor who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influe ...

. *"Don't Be Afraid" contains a sample of "6 Minutes of Pleasure" as performed by LL Cool J. *"Call a Cab" contains a sample of " Bring the Pain" as performed by

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip hop duo Method Man & R ...

. *"I Gotcha" contains a sample of "Guillotine (Swordz)" as performed by

Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon ( ), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of the ...

featuring Inspectah Deck, Ghostface and

GZA Gary Eldridge Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA ( ) and the Genius, is an American rapper. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both the first member in ...

; contains an interpolation of " Mary Jane (All Night Long)" as performed by Mary J. Blige; and a vocal interpolation of " As" as performed by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

. *"Touch Me, Tease Me" contains a sample of "P.S.K. (What Does It Mean?)" as performed by Schoolly D.

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1996 albums Case (singer) albums Def Jam Recordings albums