Life Story (album)


Life Story is the debut album by American rapper Black Rob. It was released on March 7, 2000 via Bad Boy and Arista. The album was praised by critics for its production and Rob's vocal presence and lyricism being similar to the late Notorious B.I.G. Life Story debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two singles: "Whoa!" and "Espacio". The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 1,000,000 copies in the United States on August 17, 2000. The LP sold close to 178,000 copies in its first week released

Critical reception

Life Story garnered positive reviews from music critics for its production and Rob's musicianship. Roxanne Blanford of AllMusic commended Rob's vocal delivery for being reminiscent of the "smooth, reserved style" of The Notorious B.I.G. and being able to "construct explicit tales with hooks you can feel and lyrics that stick" concluding that, "ith 20 thoroughly bruising cuts, Black Rob's debut may just succeed in helping Puff Daddy regain the street credibility lost when Combs achieved mainstream/crossover status." Kathryn Farr from Rolling Stone gave praise to Rob's skills as a rapper coming across "like a cocky veteran, spitting grim confessions and baller mantras without breaking a sweat" and Bad Boy's crew of producers supplying the record with "hook-heavy cuts" despite Puff's "threadbare formulas" from previous efforts threatening to pull it down, concluding that "P. Diddy's meddling aside, though, most of Life Story is, well, like whoa!" Vibe contributor Miguel Burke also praised Rob for being "incredibly adept at constructing graphic, autobiographical episodes and intricate tales" and pointed out Puff's "irritating ad-libs " and "wannabe-rough rhymes " as negative qualities, concluding with, "But that doesn't change the fact that although the album gets down and dirty, Life Story is a breath of fresh air."

Track listing

;Note
;Samples

Weekly charts

Certifications