Paid the Cost


Paid the Cost is the only studio album by American rap duo Penthouse Players Clique. It was released on April 28, 1992, via Ruthless Records and Priority Records. The recording sessions took place at Skip Saylor Recording Studio A in Los Angeles, with additional recording at Audio Achievements in Torrance, California. The album was produced by DJ Quik, except for two tracks that were produced by Penthouse Players Clique and DJ Battlecat. The album peaked at number 76 on the Billboard 200, number 28 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number one on the Heatseekers Albums charts. Three singles were released, "Explanation of a Playa", "Trust No Bitch" and "P.S. Phuk U 2", however only "Explanation of a Playa" would make it to the Billboard charts. This would mark the duos' only album as they would disband a year later.

Critical reception

Alex Henderson of AllMusic wrote that "the Penthouse Players didn't record this album to please hip-hop's intelligentsia. Paid the Cost isn't remarkable, although it's sometimes amusing and fun if you have a taste for off-color humor." James Bernard of Entertainment Weekly critiqued that the record's attempt to "match the pimp-daddy swagger" of Eazy E and DJ Quik comes across "sounding more eager than convincing", and that the latter's "exciting burst of vocal energy" makes listeners more excited for his next record.

Track listing