Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration

Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration is the fourth studio album by American rapper Young Jeezy. It was released on December 12, 2006, by Corporate Thugz Entertainment (CTE), and Def Jam South Recordings. Production was handled by Shawty Redd, Timbaland, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, The Runners, Cool & Dre, Mr. Collipark, Drumma Boy, Don Cannon and Midnight Black, among others. It features guest appearances from R. Kelly, Timbaland, Keyshia Cole, Blood Raw, Slick Pulla, T.I., Project Pat and Three 6 Mafia. The Inspiration was supported by three singles: "I Luv It," "Go Getta" featuring R. Kelly, and "Dreamin'" featuring Keyshia Cole.

"The Inspiration" redirects here. For other uses, see Inspiration (disambiguation).
Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration
Studio album by
Young Jeezy
ReleasedDecember 12, 2006
Recorded2005-2006
GenreHip hop
Length77:14
Label
Producer
Young Jeezy chronology
Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
(2005)		 Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration
(2006)		 The Recession
(2008)
Singles from Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration
  1. "I Luv It"
    Released: November 2, 2006
  2. "Go Getta"
    Released: January 21, 2007
  3. "Dreamin'"
    Released: April 6, 2007

Singles

The album's lead single, "I Luv It," was released on November 2, 2006. The song was produced by DJ Toomp.[1]

The album's second single, "Go Getta," was released on January 21, 2007. The song features a guest appearance from American R&B singer R. Kelly, while the production was handled by the duo The Runners.[2]

The album's third single, "Dreamin'," was released on April 6, 2007. The song features a guest appearance from American R&B singer Keyshia Cole, while the production was also handled by The Runners.[3]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(70/100)[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[6]
HipHopDX[7]
Los Angeles Times[8]
Pitchfork8.1/10[9]
PopMatters6/10[10]
RapReviews7/10[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
USA Today[13]
XXL[14]

The album has a score of 70 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews."[4] Vibe gave the album four stars out of five and stated that "Despite its frustratingly uniform theme--coke--and Jeezy's inflexible, one-speed rasp, his sophomore effort, The Inspiration, suggests that last year's victories were no fluke."[4] The A.V. Club gave it a B and stated that Young Jeezy "spits snowman raps with rough-hewn charisma and unseemly enthusiasm."[15] Chicago Tribune gave it three stars out of four and said that Jeezy "continues to improve, crafting songs that are distinctive and memorable, even if he sticks to the well-worn topics of rims, clothes and clubbing."[16] Blender gave it three-and-a-half stars and said that "the smallest suggestions of personality make a charismatic impact."[4] Spin gave the album seven out of ten and stated that "This time around, it's as if the script has been reshot by Michael Bay--glossy and viscerally stimulating--and we're watching a coming attraction for a film that never starts."[4] Billboard gave it a positive review and said that Jeezy's lyrics "have matured past coke-slinging to the drug's effect on his life."[4] The Phoenix gave it two-and-a-half stars out of four and said that "Fortunately, getting the money isn’t all this follow-up to last year’s breakthrough Let’s Get It cares about, and the singles here are fire."[17]

Other reviews are average or mixed: Okayplayer gave it an average review and stated, "The Inspiration, an even darker work than the debut, finds the Snowman weaving paranoid street tales with eerie trunk-rattling beats. The album’s main downside is the repetitive nature of many of the tracks."[18] Prefix Magazine gave it a score of six out of ten and called it "Spottily effective gangster posturing."[19] However, Stylus Magazine gave it a C− and said, "The strange thing about The Inspiration is how it's posited as an alternative to the much-bullied "conscious rap," and yet, it's among the least fun albums released this year."[20] The New York Times gave it a mixed review and said, "Young Jeezy’s appeal was never his writing, but now words sometimes fail him."[4] Hartford Courant also gave it a mixed review and said that "Almost every dramatic synth swell, exploding snare and multi-tracked "Yeaaahhhh" has been done better elsewhere."[21]

Commercial performance

Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 352,000 copies in the first week.[22] This became Jeezy's first US number-one debut and his second US top-ten album.[22] In its second week, the album dropped to number 18 on the chart.[23] In its third week, the album returned to the top-ten at number five on the chart, selling an additional 92,000 copies.[24] In its fourth week, the album dropped to number seven on the chart, selling 45,000 more copies.[25] On January 23, 2007, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over one million copies.[26] As of October 2009, the album has sold 1,229,000 copies in the United States.[27]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Hypnotize (Intro)"
Shawty Redd3:41
2."Still on It"
  • Jenkins
  • Tracey Sewell
Midnight Black3:46
3."U Know What It Is"
  • Jenkins
  • Stewart
Shawty Redd3:44
4."J.E.E.Z.Y."
  • Jenkins
  • Stewart
Shawty Redd3:49
5."I Luv It"
DJ Toomp4:00
6."Go Getta" (featuring R. Kelly)
The Runners3:49
7."3 A.M." (featuring Timbaland)
Timbaland3:56
8."The Realest"
Drumma Boy4:09
9."Streets on Lock"
Cool & Dre3:34
10."Bury Me a G"
J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League4:43
11."Dreamin'" (featuring Keyshia Cole)
The Runners4:49
12."What You Talkin' Bout"
Mr. Collipark3:48
13."Keep It Gangsta" (featuring Slick Pulla and Blood Raw)
Key Pushas4:36
14."Mr. 17.5"
Don Cannon3:30
15."I Got Money" (featuring T.I.)
DJ Toomp3:59
16."The Inspiration (Follow Me)"
Dent4:25
Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."I Do This"
DJ Speedy4:13
18."Hood Rat" (featuring Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat)
4:27
iTunes bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
19."National Anthem"
CHOPS4:04
Sample credits

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[32] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Young Jeezy - I Luv It". YouTube. 2009-06-16. Archived from the original on 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  2. "Young Jeezy - Go Getta ft. R. Kelly". YouTube. 2009-06-16. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  3. "Young Jeezy - Dreamin' ft. Keyshia Cole". YouTube. 2009-06-16. Archived from the original on 2015-12-20. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  4. "Critic Reviews for The Inspiration". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  5. Andy Kellman (2006-12-12). "The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102 - Young Jeezy | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2016-02-20. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  6. Dombal, Ryan (2006-12-15). "The Inspiration Review". Entertainment Weekly. No. 911. p. 87. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  7. "Young Jeezy - The Inspiration". HipHopDX. 2006-12-11. Archived from the original on 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  8. Oliver Wang (2006-12-18). "Jeezy plays it cool, and Ghostface just plays - latimes". Articles.latimes.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  9. "Jeezy: The Inspiration". Pitchfork. 2006-12-11. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  10. "Young Jeezy: The Inspiration". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  11. "Feature for December 12, 2006 - Young Jeezy's "The Inspiration"". Rapreviews.com. 2006-12-12. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  12. "The Inspiration : Young Jeezy : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 2006-12-12. Archived from the original on September 18, 2007. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  13. "Listen up". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  14. "Young Jeezy The Inspiration - XXL". Xxlmag.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  15. Rabin, Nathan. "Music in Brief · Article · The A.V. Club". Avclub.com. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  16. "Young Jeezy THE INSPIRATION RATING: 3 SOUND..." Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2006-12-12. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  17. MATTHEW GASTEIER (2006-12-19). "Young Jeezy - CD Reviews". Thephoenix.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  18. "Young Jeezy". Okayplayer.com. 2006-01-02. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  19. Amos Barshad (2008-03-05). "Album Review: Young Jeezy - The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102". Prefixmag.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  20. "Young Jeezy - The Inspiration - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  21. "New On Disc - tribunedigital-thecourant". Articles.courant.com. 2006-12-14. Archived from the original on 2015-12-23. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  22. "Young Jeezy, Hicks Enter Atop The Billboard 200". Billboard. 2006-12-20. Archived from the original on 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  23. "Billboard 200 - January 6, 2007". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  24. Chris Harris (January 3, 2007). "OMARION GETS LATE CHRISTMAS GIFT — #1 DEBUT — AS OVERALL SALES SLIDE". MTV. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  25. Chris Harris (January 10, 2007). "AFTER FIVE-WEEK CLIMB, 'DREAMGIRLS' IS #1 AS ALBUM SALES SLUMP". MTV. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  26. "RIAA Certificaitons - Young Jeezy". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  27. Navjosh (2009-10-18). "XXL Scans: Def Jam's Entire Discography & Record Sales". HipHop-N-More. Archived from the original on 2016-09-03. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  28. "Young Jeezy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  29. "Young Jeezy Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  30. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  31. "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  32. "American album certifications – Young Jeezy – The Inspiration". Recording Industry Association of America.
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