Tarantula (Mystikal album)

Tarantula is the fifth and most recent studio album by New Orleans-based rapper Mystikal, released on December 18, 2001 by Jive Records. The production was done by Rockwilder, Scott Storch, The Medicine Men and The Neptunes, and features artists like Juvenile, Butch Cassidy and Method Man & Redman.

Tarantula
Studio album by
Mystikal
ReleasedDecember 18, 2001 (US)
Recorded2000–01
GenreHip hop
Length54:27
LabelJive Records
ProducerRockwilder
Scott Storch
Mystikal
The Medicine Men
The Neptunes
Mystikal chronology
Let's Get Ready
(2000)		 Tarantula
(2001)
Singles from Tarantula
  1. "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)"
    Released: December 4, 2001
  2. "Tarantula"
    Released: February 19, 2002

The album received a positive reception from critics who found it an improvement over his previous album Let's Get Ready. It spawned two singles: "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)" and the title track. Tarantula debuted at number 33 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 153,000 copies,[1] peaking at number 25 in 2002 and reaching number 4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart that same year. It was later certified gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies. In 2003, Tarantula received two nominations at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album and Best Male Rap Solo Performance for "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)".

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic68/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[4]
HipHopDX[5]
NME[6]
RapReviews8/10[7]
Vibe[8]

Tarantula received a generally positive reception from music critics who saw it as an improvement over Let's Get Ready in terms of production and subject matter. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score out of 68, based on 7 reviews.[2]

AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier praised the album for its production complimenting Mystikal's frenetic delivery, saying that "he has recorded his second great album in a row."[3] Despite finding filler in the album, HipHopDX writer Wise Q praised it for continuing the previous album's formula of great production and wordplay, concluding that, "On the whole, the wild haired lyricist has made a good attempt at a follow-up and although it may not be five star status, it is definitely one for the collection."[5] Kitty Empire of NME commented on how Mystikal is able to deviate from the typical hip-hop clichés and deliver tracks that express different topics, singling out the post-9/11 track "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)" for providing real substance and found it "strangely compelling for a show of strength."[6] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club found the album more focused and consistent than Let's Get Ready because of Mystikal's production team showing improvement, saying that "Tarantula suggests that the raspy-voiced rapper's run at the top of the charts won't abate any time soon."[9] Vibe writer Shawn Edwards was critical of Mystikal's delivery, complimenting it for being distinctive but lacking in lyrical creativity, saying that he "has the potential to be the ringmaster, but right now he seems content just clowning around."[8]

In 2003, the album received two nominations at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album and Best Male Rap Solo Performance for "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)" but lost both awards to Eminem's The Eminem Show and Nelly's "Hot in Herre", respectively.[10] In 2011, Complex ranked the album number 43 on its list of "The 50 Worst Rap Album Fails". Complex editor Chris Yuscavage called it a let-down compared to his previous album saying, "With all eyes on the rapid-fire spitter, Mystikal seriously dropped the ball with Tarantula, his phoned-in follow-up that dropped only one year later. Even with reliable collaborators like The Neptunes, Scott Storch, and KLC, every song on the LP felt like a half-baked imitation of his previous work."[11]

Track listing
#TitleProducer(s)Featured Performer(s)Length
1."Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)"The NeptunesPharrell Williams4:19
2."Tarantula"Scott StorchButch Cassidy4:10
3."If It Ain't Live, It Ain't Me"Vinnie Biggs & Ward "Wardy" Corbett3:48
4."Settle the Score"JuvenileJuvenile4:42
5."Pussy Crook"KLC4:32
6."Ooooh Yeah"Rockwilder4:04
7."Big Truck Driver"KLCByou2ful5:14
8."Smoke One"Odell4:23
9."Alright"Scott Storch3:54
10."I Get It Started"Rockwilder & DJ TwinzMethod Man & Redman3:28
11."Paper Stack"KLCShonnie, Beezy Boy & Dart3:57
12."Go 'Head"The NeptunesPharrell Williams4:08
13."The Return"DJ Ron & KLC3:47
14."That's That Shit"KLC3:26

Charts and certifications

References
  1. Dansby, Andrew (December 27, 2001). "Creed Top Holiday Sales". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  2. "Reviews for Tarantula by Mystikal". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  3. Birchmeier, Jason. "Tarantula - Mystikal". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  4. Serpick, Evan (January 11, 2002). "Tarantula". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 19, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  5. Wise Q (January 8, 2002). "Mystikal - Tarantula". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  6. Empire, Kitty (September 12, 2005). "NME Reviews - Mystikal : Tarantula". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  7. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (December 21, 2001). "Mystikal :: Tarantula :: Jive Records". RapReviews. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  8. Edwards, Shawn (February 2002). "Mystikal 'Tarantula'". Vibe. Vibe Media. 10 (2): 125. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  9. Rabin, Nathan (March 29, 2002). "Review: Mystikal: Tarantula". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  10. "MTV News: 2003 GRAMMY Winners". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2003. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  11. Yuscavage, Chris (August 25, 2011). "Tarantula - The 50 Worst Rap Album Fails". Complex. Complex Media. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  12. "Mystikal Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  13. "Mystikal Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  14. "Canada's Top 200 R&B; albums of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  15. "Top 100 rap albums of 2002 in Canada". Jam!. Archived from the original on October 12, 2003. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  16. "Year-End Charts: Billboard 200 Albums - 2002". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  17. "Year-End Charts: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - 2002". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  18. "American album certifications – Mystikal – Tarantula". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
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