The Gift (Bizzy Bone album)
The Gift is the second solo album by Bizzy Bone, released on March 20, 2001. The only single was "Father". "Fried Day" initially appeared on the soundtrack of Next Friday. The Gift reached number 44 on the Billboard 200, and number two on rap independent albums. In the first week the album sold 150,000 copies but the sales stopped three weeks later.
| The Gift | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 20, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2000-01 | |||
| Genre | Midwest hip hop, gangsta rap | |||
| Length | 0:56:21 | |||
| Label | AMC | |||
| Producer | Darren Vegas, Hoton, JT Thomas, Tony C | |||
| Bizzy Bone chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| HipHopDX.com | [2] |
| MVRemix Urban | (7.0/10)[3] |
Critical reception
Like Heaven'z Movie, upon release The Gift received mostly positive to mixed reviews from music critics. Though response by critics were mixed, it is considered by many fans to be Bizzy Bone's best effort. HipHopDX reviewed the album, stating "Overall, The Gift is a pretty well- balanced disk, but as with many presents, a little bit more thought should have been put into it." Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic gave "The Gift" 2.5 out of 5 stars, stating "Three years after Bizzy Bone quietly released his largely unheard debut album, Heaven'z Movie, the soon-to-be-ousted Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member followed with a similarly personal and at times confessional album, The Gift. Bizzy's ties to his Bone colleagues had become frayed by this point, and he consequently seems a bit distant and alone here. Bone fans should regardless find Bizzy's perspective interesting, and it's thankfully still easy to appreciate the rapper's versatile style." MVRemix Urban gave "The Gift" a 7.0 rating out of 10 stating "The Gift" is one of the few Bone albums that offers a variety in topics over a broad spectrum. The albums address social and culture problems, on tracks such as the amazing "Father". On the track Bizzy addresses the problems plaguing our world today. "I see brutality all over niggas killin' niggas. The ghetto got them being born to be killas, Flooded with drugs and trying to get us, so get up. But don't give up, ya'll gotta sit up if you last before they kill us". Its soulful approach combined with Bizzy's intelligent lyricism provides a truly memorable experience. "Jesus", "Be Careful" and "Whole Wide World" are similar type tracks that offer more of Bizzy's experiences and personal beliefs. Its tracks like these that make "The Gift" a unique album. Who would have thought Bizzy Bone would drop an album full of depth and insight?"
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Schizophrenic" | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Don't Be Dumb" | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Whole Wide World" | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Never Grow" | 4:40 |
| 5. | "Murderah" | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Before I Go" | 4:11 |
| 7. | "Be Careful" | 4:29 |
| 8. | "Fried Day" | 4:38 |
| 9. | "Voices in the Head" | 2:20 |
| 10. | "Still Thuggish Ruggish" | 4:09 |
| 11. | "Don't Doubt Me" | 4:33 |
| 12. | "Time Passing Us By" | 5:03 |
| 13. | "Father" | 4:50 |
| 14. | "Jesus" | 4:48 |
Chart performance
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | 44 |