BlueHammer85
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No Way Out is the debut studio album by American rapper Puff Daddy. It was released on July 22, 1997 by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album's crediting of "The Family" references the guest appearances from his label-mates and other artists, where Puff Daddy initially gained recognition through his public image and work as a producer for Bad Boy.
Puff Daddy worked extensively with The Notorious B.I.G. and The Hitmen when creating the album, which saw a change in direction following the former's shooting and death a few months prior to release. This greatly affected Puff Daddy, which he expands upon on the album with a combination of aggressive and introspective lyrics, as well as with raw production to convey his varying emotional state before and after his friend’s death. Additional production was provided by Rashad Smith and Jaz-O, while the album contains features from The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, Mase, Lil' Kim, Carl Thomas, Jay-Z, Black Rob, The LOX, Ginuwine, Twista,Foxy Brown, Faith Evans, and 112.
No Way Out saw significant commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 561,000 copies in its first week of sales. The album's singles also saw commercial success, namely with "I'll Be Missing You", which became a worldwide hit, and the first rap song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" also peaked at number one, while "It's All About the Benjamins" and "Been Around the World" reached number two. The album also saw widespread critical success, with Puff Daddy being nominated for five awards at the 40th Grammy Awards, winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. It remains Puff Daddy's best selling album, with over 7 million copies sold in the United States, and is considered a classic rap album.
1. "No Way Out (Intro)
2. "Victory" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes)
3. "Been Around the World" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase)
4. "What You Gonna Do?"
5. "Don't Stop What You're Doing" (featuring Lil' Kim)
6. "If I Should Die Tonight (Interlude)" (featuring Carl Thomas)
7. "Do You Know?"
8. "Young G's" (featuring Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G.)
9. "I Love You, Baby" (featuring Black Rob)
10. "It's All About the Benjamins" (featuring The LOX, The Notorious B.I.G., and Lil' Kim)
11. "Pain"
12. "Is This the End?" (featuring Carl Thomas, Ginuwine, and Twista)
13. "I Got the Power" (featuring The LOX)
14. "Friend" (featuring Foxy Brown)
15. "Señorita"
16. "I'll Be Missing You" (featuring Faith Evans and 112)
17. "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" (featuring Mase)
Review 221
Huge selling Rap album made more legendary by the death of 'Notorious B.I.G' shortly before the production of the Album - many tracks on here relate to his death, most notably 'I'll Be Missing You' - a big Pop song using the hook from The Police 'Every breath you take’ ,Not that i'm a Rap expert but believe P.Diddy to be pretty average and weak in his Rapping, the help of many other big names on here turned this Album into commercial success - Mase' is prominent throughout and contributes to P. Diddy's first ever single 'Can't Nobody Hold Me Down' definitely your more mainstream gangsta song , as is 'It's All About the Benjamins' - Dollars, Cars and Girls - standard stuff. Overall, this is not a bad rap/pop album, but P.Diddy's weak rapping, some cringing lyrics/skits and the overuse of sampling puts it in the average category for me.
6.3/10
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