The Life (album)

The Life is the third studio album from American R&B singer Ginuwine, released on Epic Records in 2001. The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 152,000 copies sold in the U.S. and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.[1][2] It also spawned a top 5 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Differences". The Life was the first Ginuwine LP not to be primarily produced by Timbaland, who only produced one track, "That's How I Get Down". The song "Two Reasons I Cry" is dedicated to the memory of Ginuwine's parents, who both died a year before the album was released.[3]

The Life
Studio album by Ginuwine
Released	April 3, 2001
Recorded	2000–2001
Genre	R&B
Length	68:42
Label	Epic
Producer	Ginuwine (exec.) Loren Dawson Cliff Jones Richie Jones Khris Kellow Troy Oliver Cory Rooney Raphael Saadiq Dan Shea Jerry Vines Ric Wake
Ginuwine chronology
100% Ginuwine (1999) The Life (2001) The Senior (2003)
Singles from The Life
"There It Is" Released: January 9, 2001 "Differences" Released: August 8, 2001 "Just Because" Released: August 17, 2001 "Tribute to a Woman" Released: May 7, 2002

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[5]
NME	(7/10)[6]
People	(average)[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]

• Rolling Stone (5/10/01, p. 88) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "As a showman, performer and personality, Ginuwine's the real thing....The Life is all naughty, disposable high points."[8]
• Entertainment Weekly (4/20/01, p. 73) - "[He] reveals a softer, more vulnerable side....When he balances his Romeo routine with a funky club vibe Life gets really good." - Rating: B+ [5][9]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Why Not Me"	Elgin Lumpkin Troy Oliver	Oliver Cory Rooney	6:11
2.	"There It Is"	Harold Garvin Cliff Jones Lumpkin Bobby Terry Jerry Vines Curtis Williams	Jones Vines	5:00
3.	"2 Way"	Lumpkin Raphael Saadiq	Saadiq Ginuwine	4:09
4.	"Differences"	Lumpkin Oliver	Oliver	4:25
5.	"So Fine"	Marcus Clinkscale Garvin Lumpkin Terry Isaac Wiley Williams	Jones Vines	3:14
6.	"Tribute to a Woman"	Lumpkin Oliver	Oliver Rooney	4:59
7.	"Why Did You Go?"	Clinkscale Garvin Lumpkin Terry Wiley Williams	Jones Vines	6:05
8.	"How Deep Is Your Love"	Loren Dawson Lumpkin	Dawson	4:21
9.	"That's How I Get Down" (featuring Ludacris)	Christopher Bridges Lumpkin Timothy Mosley	Timbaland	4:13
10.	"Show After the Show"	Clinkscale Garvin Lumpkin Terry Wiley Williams	Jones Vines	4:21
11.	"Role Play"	Clinkscale Garvin Erica Joyner Lumpkin Terry Wiley Williams	Jones Vines	3:52
12.	"Open Arms"	Dawson Lumpkin Oliver Rooney	Oliver Rooney Dan Shea	4:45
13.	"Superhuman"	Diane Warren	Khris Kellow	4:10
14.	"Two Reasons I Cry"	Dawson Lumpkin	Dawson Rooney	5:15
15.	"Just Because"	Lawson Lumpkin David Sharpe	Ric Wake Lawson Richie Jones	3:42

Japanese bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"Give It Up"			3:58
17.	"Fix It"	Kenneth Karlin Marlaina Garland Carsten Schack Gromyko Collins	Soulshock & Karlin	4:41

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2001) Peak position US Billboard 200[10] 3 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[11] 2

Year-end charts Chart (2001) Position US Billboard 200[12] 91 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 24

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[14]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2012-12-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database
3. Aquallante, Dan. "THE GINUWINE ARTICLE – R&B ARTIST FACES TRAGEDY AND COMES BACK SINING". nypost.com. NYP Holdings, Inc. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
4. Allmusic review
5. Anderson, Tomika (2001-04-20). "The Life Review". Entertainment Weekly: 73. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
6. NME review
7. People review
8. "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-28.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
9. "Ginuwine - Life CD Album". CD Universe. 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
10. "Ginuwine Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
11. "Ginuwine Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
12. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
13. "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
14. "American album certifications – Ginuwine – The Life". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 5, 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.