Hempstead High
Hempstead High is the second studio album by American rapper A+. It was released in 1999 through Kedar Entertainment/Universal Records. Recording sessions took place at Unique Recording Studios and Battery Studios in New York and at Urban House Studios, Inc. in Houston. Production was handled by Bink!, DJ Clark Kent, Lil' Shawn, Mo-Suave-A, Smith Brothers Entertainment and Ty Fyffe, with Kedar Massenburg serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Canibus, Cardan, Chico DeBarge, Erykah Badu, MJG, Psycho Drama and the Lost Boyz. The album peaked at #60 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #19 on the Top Heatseekers in the United States, and at number 72 in the Netherlands.
Critical reception
Vibe thought that A+ "can't decide whether he's a hardcore man or a playful youth on his understated sophomore album". The Plain Dealer wrote: "By the time the disc reaches the scary 'Staggering and Stuttering' with Psycho Drama, A+ establishes his versatility and assured, confident flow".Track listing
;Sample credits- Track 2 contains a sample from "A Fifth of Beethoven" written and performed by Walter Murphy
- Track 3 contains samples from "Mr. Big Stuff" written by Joseph Broussard, Ralph Williams and Carrol Washington and performed by Jean Knight
- Track 4 contains a sample of "Singing This Song for My Mother" written and performed by Hamilton Bohannon
- Track 8 contains a sample of "Don't Make Me Wait" written by Bernard Fowler and B. Williams and performed by the Peech Boys
- Track 10 contains an interpolation of "When Somebody Loves You Back" written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and samples from "I Found Love " written by Phillip Pugh and Sherman Marshall and performed by The Spinners
- Track 12 contains a sample of "Let Me Be the One" written by Nick Martinelli and performed by Five Star
Personnel
- Andre "A+" Levins – main artist
- Terrance "Mr. Cheeks" Kelly – featured artist
- Germaine "Canibus" Williams – featured artist
- Marlon "MJG" Goodwin – featured artist
- Erica "Erykah Badu" Wright – featured artist
- Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge – featured artist
- Pierre "Cardan" Jones – featured artist
- Jeffery "Buk" Robinson – featured artist
- Akula "Psyde" Segal – featured artist
- Lawrence Page – performer
- Keanna Henson – backing vocals
- Crystal Johnson – backing vocals
- Eric "E-Bass" Johnson – bass
- Robert "Storm" Jordan – Rhodes electric piano and strings
- Mike Cerullo – guitar
- Charles Smith – producer, associate executive producer
- Joseph Smith – producer, associate executive producer
- Tyrone Fyffe – producer
- Roosevelt "Bink!" Harrell III – producer
- Rodolfo "DJ Clark Kent" Franklin – producer, additional producer, mixing
- Mo-Suave-A Productions, Inc. – producers
- Tyrone "Shawn Pen" Wilkins – producer
- Ed Miller – recording, mixing
- Tim Donovan – recording
- Kenny Ortiz – recording, mixing
- Tristan "T-Mix" Jones – recording
- Neil Jones – recording
- Cuz – mixing
- Leo "Swift" Morris – mixing
- Simon "Crazy C" Cullins – mixing
- James Hoover – mixing
- Tony Smalios – mixing
- Dana Walsh – engineering assistant
- Denise Barbarita – engineering assistant
- Daniel Wierup – engineering assistant
- Tom Coyne – mastering
- Kedar Massenburg – executive producer
- Sandie Lee Drake – art direction
- Susan Bibeau – design
- Stephen McBride – photography
- Ray Copeland – management