New Jack City II
New Jack City II is the sixth studio album by American rapper Bow Wow. It was released through LBW Entertainment and Columbia Records on March 31, 2009. This album was Bow Wow's first to carry a parental advisory label for "adult language". Production on the album was handled by Bow Wow's longtime producer Jermaine Dupri alongside LRoc, Nitti, T-Pain, Swizz Beatz and others. It features guest appearances by Nelly, T.I., Trey Songz, Dondria and Ron Browz.
Background
The executive producer on the album, Jermaine Dupri, based the album's title on the film, New Jack City, feeling that the relationship between himself and Bow Wow was reminiscent of the rancorous but successful partnership between Nino and Gee Money, the two main drug dealers in the film. Three versions for this album were released: standard, limited edition including a bonus DVD, and a clean Walmart version with three bonus tracks.Singles
The lead single for his-then upcoming and untitled sixth album, called "You Can [Get It All]" was released on December 9, 2008. The song features guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Johntá Austin, while the song was produced by Bow Wow's frequent and long-time record producer Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox. This track contains a sample of TLC's hit "Baby, Baby, Baby".Promotional singles
The album's promotional single, called "Marco Polo", in which features guest vocals from producer Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, was released accompanied by a music video shot at an aquatic park outside of Atlanta. The music video premiered via FNMTV on July 25, 2008.The album's second promotional single, "Big Girls", accompanying by a music video, premiered on YouTube. The complete version was released later on YouTube for some time, but then removed again for unknown reasons. There is no official date on the videos re-release.
Other songs
A music video for the song "Roc the Mic" was shot in Los Angeles, California, near the Staples Center. Another video for "You Can Get It All" was filmed in Malibu. The video for "Pole in My Basement", with a strip club theme, was first available on Bow Wow's official YouTube page on May 30, 2009. While on his tour bus, Bow Wow also made unofficial videos for "Sunshine" "Like This" and "She's My".Commercial performance
New Jack City II debuted at number 16 on the US Billboard 200, selling 31,000 copies in its first week. The album also debuted at number five on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.Track listing
Credits adapted from iTunes, Amazon and Discogs.;Notes signifies a co-producer.
- "Roc the Mic" features uncredited backing vocals by Dondria.
- "What They Call Me" features uncredited vocals by Jermaine Dupri.
- "Sunshine" features backing vocals by Johntá Austin.
- Although Track 2 is called "What They Call Me" in the official album notes, there are many areas where the song is simply tilted "Big Time" or "What They Call Me ".
- "What They Call Me" contains a sample of "Big Time", written by James Calloway, Leroy Jackson, and Aaron Davenport, as performed by Rick James.
- "Roc the Mic" contains a sample of "La Di Da Di", written by Douglas Davis and Ricky Walters, as performed by Doug E. Fresh, The Get Fresh Crew, and Slick Rick; the song also contains interpolations of "Break Up to Make Up", written by Thomas Randolph Bell, Linda Epstein, and Kenneth Gamble, as performed by the Stylistics.
- "You Can Get It All" contains interpolations of "Baby-Baby-Baby", written by Kenneth Edmonds, Antonio Reid, and Daryl Simmons, as performed by TLC.
- "Sunshine" contains elements of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", written by Lee Hazlewood, as performed by Nancy Sinatra.
- "Like This" contains interpolations of "Even When You Sleep", written by James Harris and Terry Lewis, as performed by the SOS Band.
- "She's My" contains interpolations and a sample of "Roni", written by Edmonds and Darnell Bristol, as performed by Bobby Brown.
Personnel
- Bow Wow - vocals, production
- Johntá Austin - vocals
- Dondria - vocals
- Julio Miranda - guitar
- Eric "E Live" Florence - bass guitar
- David "Preach" Bal4 - keyboard
- Mark Mann - photography
- Chris Feldmann - art director, design
- Chrystal Streets - stylist
- Dave Kutch - mastering
- Jermaine Dupri - production, vocal production, mixing (recorded music)|mixing]
- Nitti - production
- Lamar "Mars" Edwards - production
- T.I. - production
- T-Pain - production
- Drumma Boy - production
- Swizz Beatz - production
- LRoc - co-production
- Elliott Carter - engineering, recording
- Aaron Holton - engineering
- John Horesco IV - engineering
- Alonzo Vargas - recording engineer
- Eddie "Shyboogs" Timmons - engineering, recording
- Javier Valverda - engineering, recording
- Miles Walker - engineering, recording
- Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young - engineering, recording
- Josh Gudwin - vocal engineering
- Phil Tan - mixing
- Leslie Brathwaite - mixing
- John Frye - mixing
- Fabian Marasciullo - mixing
- Ray Seay - mixing
- DURO - mixing
- John Horesco IV - recording
- David Bench - assistant
- Carlos Oyanedel - assistant
- Josh Houghkirk - assistant
- Ghazi Hourani - assistant
- Kegan Houston - assistant