''Priceless'' (stylized as ''Pricele$$'') is the fourth studio album by American rapper Birdman. The album was released on November 23, 2009, by

Cash Money Records Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Birdman (rapper), Bryan "Baby" Williams. The label gained prominence in the late 1990s for having signed and released albums for New Orleans– ...

and Universal Motown Records. Producers included I.N.F.O., Oddz N Endz,

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...

Drumma Boy Christopher James Gholson (born August 11, 1983), better known by his stage name Drumma Boy (or Drummer Boy), is an American record producer and rapper. Early life Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Cordova, Tennessee, he was exposed to ...

, T-Minus, and Infamous.

Singles

The first, and second most successful single off the album was " Always Strapped" featuring

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

. The remix was used for the video, and album featuring Mack Maine. The second single was " Written on Her" featuring Jay Sean, which in December 2009 significantly also became Birdman's first release in the UK. The third, and most successful single of Birdman's career as a lead artist peaking at number twenty-six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 was " Money to Blow", featuring

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

, and Lil Wayne. The fourth single from the album was " 4 My Town (Play Ball)", also featuring Drake, and Lil Wayne.

Chart performance

The album debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart at number thirty-three, selling 34,000 copies in its first week. It's his lowest charting album to date. The album has currently sold over 380,000 copies as of March 4, 2010.

Critical reception

William E. Ketchum III of HipHopDX.com said that Birdman constructs a disc full of capable singles, but not because of his own skills on the mic, but his producers and his guest stars. Calling the album "an album that's much more tolerable than Birdman detractors would expect or like to admit." He talked down to Birdman's rapping saying that "unlike other materialistic rhymers, Birdman doesn't have any redeeming qualities; he doesn't have the charisma of

, he doesn't have the dry wit and wordplay of

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's WQHT, Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed ...

, and he lacks the larger-than-life persona of

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

. He furthly states that the uninventive rhymes and the unvarying subject matter take their toll. In conclusion, he stated that Birdman may not know how to rap well, but "by leading a team of capable emcees and beatmakers around him, he knows how to make music. And in this industry, that sixth sense of knowing what goes where is, well, priceless."

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{Authority control 2009 albums Albums produced by Boi-1da Albums produced by Drumma Boy Albums produced by T-Minus (producer) Albums produced by T-Pain Albums produced by Timbaland Birdman (rapper) albums Cash Money Records albums