''The Untold Truth'' is the only studio album by American rap duo
Illegal, composed of rappers
Jamal
Jamaal ( ''/'') is an Arabic given name and surname meaning "beauty."[Jamaal]
at BehindTheName.com It is popular in th ...
and Mr. Malik.
It was released on August 24, 1993, through
Rowdy Records
Rowdy Records is a record label distributed through Motown Records and Republic Records. It was founded by record producer Dallas Austin in 1992, and the precursor to his entertainment company, Freeworld Entertainment.
History
Formed in 1992 by ...
with distribution via
Arista Records
Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...
. The recording sessions took place from late Fall 1992 to mid-Summer 1993 at D.A.R.P. Studios in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, at Soundtrack Studios in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, and at BMV Digital Studios in
Newark. The album was produced by
Dallas Austin
Dallas L. Austin (born December 29, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, and film producer from Columbus, Georgia.
Biography
Early life
During a 2019 interview with DJ Vlad, Dallas Austin detailed previously unknown or unconfir ...
,
Diamond D
Joseph Kirkland (born April 5, 1968), better known by his stage name Diamond D (or simply Diamond), is an American hip hop MC and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the Diggin' in the Crates Crew ...
,
Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon (born November 25, 1968) is an American rapper and producer. He is best known as one-third—alongside PMD & DJ Scratch—of 1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for his production work.
Early life
Erick Sermon was born on November ...
,
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021), known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, and record producer who gained prominence during hip hop's golden age. He was particularly recognized for ...
, and
Lord Finesse
Robert A. Hall Jr. (born February 19, 1970), known by his stage name Lord Finesse, is an American rapper and hip-hop producer from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. crew. About.com ranked him number 29 on its list of ...
, among others.
The album peaked at No. 119 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and No. 19 on the
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, ...
. It spawned three singles: "
Back in the Day", and the
Kris Kross
Kris Kross were an American hip hop duo, composed of rappers Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith, formed by record producer Jermaine Dupri. They were the youngest hip-hop group to gain commercial success, charting releases by t ...
/
Da Youngsta's
Da Youngsta's is an American rap group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United Stat ...
diss track
A diss track, diss record or diss song (an abbreviation of ''disrespect'' or ''disparage'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feu ...
s "Head or Gut" and "
We Getz Busy".
Track listing
Personnel
*
Jamal Phillips – vocals
*
Malik Edwards – vocals
*
Joseph Kirkland – vocals
(track 4), producer
(tracks: 2, 4)
*
Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon (born November 25, 1968) is an American rapper and producer. He is best known as one-third—alongside PMD & DJ Scratch—of 1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for his production work.
Early life
Erick Sermon was born on November ...
– vocals
(track 5), producer
(tracks: 3, 5)
*
Robert Hall Jr. – vocals & producer
(track 8)
*
Andre Barnes – vocals
(track 8)
*Colin Wolfe – producer
(tracks: 1, 6)
*
Dallas Austin
Dallas L. Austin (born December 29, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, and film producer from Columbus, Georgia.
Biography
Early life
During a 2019 interview with DJ Vlad, Dallas Austin detailed previously unknown or unconfir ...
– producer
(tracks: 7, 9), executive producer
*Xavier Hargrove – producer
(tracks: 10, 11)
*Melvin "E-Locc" Davis – producer
(track 11)
*
Marcel Theo Hall – producer
(track 12)
*Vaughan Lee – producer
(track 12)
*Alvin Speights – mixing & recording
(tracks: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9)
*George Pappas – mixing & recording
(tracks: 1, 10)
*Gregory Mann – mixing & recording
(tracks: 3, 10)
*
John Lawrence Byas – mixing & recording
(track 4)
*Darin Prindle – mixing & recording
(track 5)
*Troy Hightower – mixing & recording
(track 8)
*Everett "Bizz-E" Ramos – mixing & recording
(track 12)
*José L. Rodriguez – mastering
*Christopher Stern – art direction
*
Danny Clinch
Danny Clinch (born 1964) is an American photographer and film director.
Early life and education
Born in Toms River, New Jersey, Clinch graduated from Toms River High School East in 1982. After attending Ocean County College, he attended the New ...
– photography
Charts
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Untold Truth, The
1993 debut albums
Jamal (rapper) albums
Arista Records albums
Albums produced by Diamond D
Albums produced by Erick Sermon
Albums produced by Lord Finesse
Albums produced by Dallas Austin