The Professional 2
The Professional 2 is the second studio album by American record producer DJ Clue. It was released on February 27, 2001 via Roc-A-Fella Records, serving as a sequel to his 1998 The Professional.
Recording sessions took place at Right Track Studios, at Soundtrack Studios, at Baseline Studios, at The Hit Factory, and at Desert Storms Studios in New York City, at McClair Digital Studios in Canada, at Black Friday Recording Studio in Philadelphia, at Enterprise Studios and at Larrabee West Studios in Los Angeles, at 4 Stars Recording Studios in Florida, and at Mirror Image Studios. Production was handled by Ken "Duro" Ifill, Rick Rock, Bernard "Big Demi" Parker, Charly "Suga Bear" Charles, DJ Twinz, Just Blaze, Rashad Smith, Righteous Funk Boogie, Rockwilder, X-Treme and Clue himself.
It features guest appearances from Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Kurupt, Memphis Bleek, Bad Meets Evil, Busta Rhymes, Cam'ron, Capone-N-Noreaga, Daz Dillinger, DMX, Lil'Kim,Fabolous, Foxy Brown, Freeway, Geda K, Ghostface Killah, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Lady Luck, Lil' Mo, Mary J. Blige, Method Man, Mobb Deep, Nas, Nature, P. Diddy, Raekwon, Rah Digga, Redman, Snoop Dogg, The Lox, Trick Daddy, Trina, Ty Shaw and Bathgate.
The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on March 28, 2001, and according to Nielsen SoundScan, it has sold 882,000 copies in the United States. Its only single "Back 2 Life 2001" made it to #57 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #50 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.Track listing
;Sample credits
- Track 2 contains a sample from "Back To Life", written by Paul Hooper, Trevor Romeo, Caron Wheeler and Simon Alban Law
- Track 3 contains elements from "Who Shot Ya", written by Christopher Wallace, Sean Combs, Nashiem Myrick, Allie Wrubel and Herbert Magidsion, performed by Notorious B.I.G.
- Track 4 contains a sample from "Thumb Tripping ", written by Stephanie Black, Floyd Butler, Ray Cork and Harry Elston, performed by The Friends of Distinction
- Track 6 contains a sample from "Share My Love", written by Janie Bradford and Gloria Jones, performed by Rare Earth
- Track 17 contains a sample from "I Shot Ya", written by James Todd Smith, Jean-Claude Olivier, Samuel Barnes, James Brown and Lyn Collins, performed by LL Cool J
- Track 19 contains a sample from "Shine", written and performed by Lamont Dozier
- Track 23 contains a sample from "Incarcerated Scarfaces", written by Robert Diggs and Corey Woods, performed by Raekwon
Personnel
- Ernesto Shaw – main artist, producer, co-executive producer
- Ken "Duro" Ifill – producer, co-executive producer, recording, mixing
- X-treme – producer
- Denis Tougas – recording
- Greg Below – recording
- Bernard "Big Demi" Parker – producer
- Karl "Bubb" Patrick – recording
- Kenneth "KJ" Deshields – recording
- Brian Garten – recording, assistant mixing, Pro Tools editing
- Paul Gregory – assistant mixing
- Dana "Rockwilder" Stinson – producer
- Vinnie Nicoletti – recording & mixing
- Ricardo Thomas – producer
- C.J. DeVillar – recording
- Tyson – assistant mixing
- Chauncey Mahan – programming & recording
- Shane "Bermuda" Woodley – assistant engineering
- Adam Duggins – producer & recording
- Dylan Dresdow – mixing
- Pat Viala – recording
- Charly "Suga Bear" Charles – producer
- Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – recording
- Justin Smith – producer
- Rashad Smith – producer
- Tim Olmstead – assistant mixing
- Raymond Grant – producer
- Richard Grant – producer
- Mike Coach – recording
- Mike Hogan – recording
- Tommy Uzzo – mixing
- Tom Coyne – mastering
- Skane – A&R, co-executive producer, management
- Gee Roberson – A&R
- Darcell Lawrence – A&R
- Rick Patrick – art direction
- Dawud West – artwork & design
- Jonathan Mannion – photography
- Damon Dash – executive producer
- Kareem "Biggs" Burke – executive producer
- Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter – executive producer, vocals
- Deidre L. Graham – management
- Chaka Pilgrim – management
- Gizelle Galang – legal counsel
- Jonathan Lieberman – legal counsel
- Sean John Combs – vocals
- Mary Jane Blige – vocals
- Jason Terrance Phillips – vocals
- Earl Simmons – vocals
- Leslie Edward Pridgen – vocals
- Dwight Equan Grant – vocals
- Cameron Giles – vocals
- John David Jackson – vocals
- Jermaine Baxter – vocals
- Sean Divine Jacobs – vocals
- David Styles – vocals
- Rashia Tashan Fisher – vocals
- Trevor George Smith Jr. – vocals
- Corey Woods – vocals
- Dennis Coles – vocals
- Clifford Smith – vocals
- Marshall Bruce Mathers III – vocals
- Ryan Daniel Montgomery – vocals
- Cynthia Loving – vocals
- Calvin Cordozar Broadus – vocals
- Ricardo "Kurupt" Brown – vocals
- Delmar Drew Arnaud – vocals
- Malik Cox – vocals
- Stephen Garrett – additional vocals
- Maurice Young – vocals
- Katrina "Trina" Taylor – vocals
- Nasir Jones – vocals
- Brian James – guitar
- Charlie Bereal – keyboards
- Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand – vocals
- Antoine "Larceny" Spain – vocals
- Jamel "Bristal" Fisher – vocals
- James Lloyd – vocals
- Kimberly Jones – vocals
- Lionel Evans – vocals
- Gary Anthony Grainger – vocals
- Kiam Akasi Holley – vocals
- Victor Santiago, Jr. – vocals
- Albert Johnson – vocals
- Kejuan Waliek Muchita – vocals
- Reginald "Reggie" Noble – vocals
- Paul "Muggs" Cain – vocals
- Shanell Jones – vocals
- Ty Shaun Johnson – vocals
Charts
Certifications
