Released December 12, 2006 The Inspiration
(2006) The Recession
(2008) Release date 12 December 2006 | Recorded 2005–06 Artist Young Jeezy Label Def Jam Recordings | |
 | ||
Producer Young Jeezy (also exec.)
Demetrius "Kinky B" Ellerbee (exec.)
Antonio "L.A." Reid (exec.)
Kevin "Coach K" Lee (co-exec.)
Shakir Stewart (co-exec.)
J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
DJ Toomp
Cool & Dre
Timbaland
Don Cannon
The Runners
Mr. Collipark
Shawty Redd
Anthony Dent
Drumma Boy
Midnight Black
Key Pushas Songs I Do This, Hood Rat (feat. Three 6 Mafia & Project Rat) Nominations American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album Genres Hip hop music, Southern hip hop Similar Let's Get It: Thug Motivatio, The Recession, TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition, Come Shop wit Me, Thuggin' Under the Influence | ||
Young jeezy hypnotize
The Inspiration (abbreviated as The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102) is the second studio album by American rapper Young Jeezy. It was released on December 12, 2006, by Corporate Thugz Entertainment (CTE), and Def Jam Recordings. The Inspiration was supported by three singles: "I Luv It", "Go Getta" featuring R. Kelly, and "Dreamin'" featuring Keyshia Cole.
Contents
Singles
The album's lead single, called "I Luv It" was released on November 2, 2006. The song was produced by DJ Toomp.
The album's second single, "Go Getta" was released on January 21, 2007. The song features guest vocals from American R&B singer R. Kelly, with the production that was handled by the duo The Runners.
The album's third single, "Dreamin'" was released on April 6, 2007. The song features guest vocals from a fellow American R&B singer Keyshia Cole, with The Runners, who they also produced this track as well.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 352,000 copies in the first week, making it Young Jeezy's first number-one album in his career. In 2009, the album has sold 1,229,000 copies in the United States.
Critical reception
The album so far has a score of 70 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews". Vibe gave the album four stars out of five and stated that "Despite its frustratingly uniform theme--coke--and Jeezy's inflexible, one-speed rasp, his sophomore effort, The Inspiration, suggests that last year's victories were no fluke." The A.V. Club gave it a B and stated that Young Jeezy "spits snowman raps with rough-hewn charisma and unseemly enthusiasm." Chicago Tribune gave it three stars out of four and said that Jeezy "continues to improve, crafting songs that are distinctive and memorable, even if he sticks to the well-worn topics of rims, clothes and clubbing." Blender gave it three-and-a-half stars and said that "the smallest suggestions of personality make a charismatic impact." Spin gave the album seven out of ten and stated that "This time around, it's as if the script has been reshot by Michael Bay--glossy and viscerally stimulating--and we're watching a coming attraction for a film that never starts." Billboard gave it a positive review and said that Jeezy's lyrics "have matured past coke-slinging to the drug's effect on his life." The Phoenix gave it two-and-a-half stars out of four and said that "Fortunately, getting the money isn’t all this follow-up to last year’s breakthrough Let’s Get It cares about, and the singles here are fire."
Other reviews are average or mixed: Okayplayer gave it an average review and stated, "The Inspiration, an even darker work than the debut, finds the Snowman weaving paranoid street tales with eerie trunk-rattling beats. The album’s main downside is the repetitive nature of many of the tracks." Prefix Magazine gave it a score of six out of ten and called it "Spottily effective gangster posturing." However, Stylus Magazine gave it a C− and said, "The strange thing about The Inspiration is how it's posited as an alternative to the much-bullied "conscious rap," and yet, it's among the least fun albums released this year." The New York Times gave it a mixed review and said, "Young Jeezy’s appeal was never his writing, but now words sometimes fail him." Hartford Courant also gave it a mixed review and said that "Almost every dramatic synth swell, exploding snare and multi-tracked "Yeaaahhhh" has been done better elsewhere."