Livin' Proof

Livin' Proof is the debut studio album by the American hip hop duo Group Home. It was released on November 21, 1995, through FFRR/Payday Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York. Production was handled by Gang Starr and Big Jaz. It features guest appearances from Absaloot, Big Shug, Guru, Brainsick Enterprize and Smiley the Ghetto Child.

Livin' Proof
Studio album by Group Home
Released	November 21, 1995 (1995-11-21)
Recorded	1994–95
Studio	D&D Studios (New York, NY)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	49:12
Label	Payday FFRR
Producer	Gang Starr (also exec.) Big Jaz
Group Home chronology
Livin' Proof (1995) A Tear for the Ghetto (1999)
Singles from Livin' Proof
"Supa Star" Released: September 15, 1994 "Livin' Proof" Released: September 7, 1995 "Suspended in Time" Released: March 26, 1996

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Muzik	[2]
RapReviews	7.5/10[3]
The Source	[4]

It featured the popular underground single "Supa Star", which peaked at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The album is known both for the instrumentals and the interplay between the lyrics of Lil' Dap and Melachi the Nutcracker.^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	James Heath Jamal Felder Chris Martin	DJ Premier	0:48
2.	"Inna Citi Life"	Heath Felder Martin	DJ Premier	2:58
3.	"Livin' Proof"	Heath Felder Martin	DJ Premier	4:15
4.	"Serious Rap Shit" (featuring Guru and Big Shug)	Keith Elam Heath Felder C. Guy	Guru	4:14
5.	"Suspended in Time"	Heath Felder Martin	DJ Premier	4:34
6.	"Sacrifice" (featuring Absaloot)	Felder Martin	DJ Premier	3:26
7.	"Up Against the Wall" (Low Budget Mix)	Heath Felder Martin	DJ Premier	4:34
8.	"4 Give My Sins"	Felder Heath J. Burks	Big Jaz	3:25
9.	"Baby Pa"	Heath Martin Bob James	DJ Premier	3:12
10.	"2 Thousand"	Heath Felder Martin Isaac Hayes	DJ Premier	3:18
11.	"Supa Star"	Felder Heath Martin	DJ Premier	5:22
12.	"Up Against the Wall" (Getaway Car Mix)	Heath Felder Martin	DJ Premier	4:34
13.	"Tha Realness" (featuring Smiley the Ghetto Child and Brainsick Enterprize)	D. Cruz Heath A. Demsey D. Wood Martin	DJ Premier	4:32
Total length:				49:12

Netherlands Bonus Track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"So Called Friends"	Heath Felder Elam	Guru

Notes

• Track 5 features additional vocals from Jeru the Damaja

Sample credits

• "Intro" contains samples from "Yesterday" by Wes Montgomery and "Ain't No Half Steppin'" by Big Daddy Kane.
• "Inna Citi Life" contains samples from "Nautilus" by Bob James, "Cold Duck Time" by Les McCann and Eddie Harris, and "Serious (Ceereeus BDP Remix)" by Steady B.
• "Serious Rap Shit" contains samples from "Birdland" by Weather Report, "In Our Lifetime" by Marvin Gaye, and "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That" by Cypress Hill.
• "Suspended in Time" contains samples from "Pipeline" by The Incredible Bongo Band, "Touch Me (All Night Long)" by Fonda Rae and Wish, "Real Hip Hop" by Das EFX, and "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" by Wu-Tang Clan.
• "Sacrifice" contains samples from "What Do I Wish For?" by The Chi-Lites, "Breakthrough" by Isaac Hayes, and "Crack Featuring Pete the Fly" by Paul Mooney.
• "Up Against the Wall (Low Budget Mix)" contains samples from "Windows of the World" by Isaac Hayes.
• "Livin' Proof" contains samples from "Collage" by The Ramsey Lewis Trio and "C.R.E.A.M." by Wu-Tang Clan.
• "Baby Pa" contains samples from "The Golden Apple" by Bob James.
• "2 Thousand" contains samples from "I Feel Like Loving You Today" written by Isaac Hayes and performed by Donald Byrd.
• "Supa Star" contains samples from "Hanging Downtown" by Cameo, "Funky President (People It's Bad)" by James Brown, "One Woman" by Isaac Hayes, "Words from the Nutcracker" and "I'm the Man" both by Gang Starr, "I Got It Made" by Special Ed, and "Who's Gonna Love You" by Muscle Shoals Horns.

Personnel

• James "Lil' Dap" Heath – performer (tracks: 2-5, 7-14)
• Jamal "Melachi the Nutcracker" Felder – performer (tracks: 2-8, 10-12, 14)
• Keith "GuRu" Elam – performer (track 4), producer (tracks: 4, 14), executive producer
• Cary "Big Shug" Guy – performer (track 4)
• Absaloot – performer (track 6)
• D. "Smiley the Ghetto Child" Cruz – performer (track 13)
• D. "Jack the Ripper" Wood & A. "Blackstarr" Demsey (Brainsick Enterprize) – performer (track 13)
• Kendrick "Jeru the Damaja" Davis – backing vocals (track 5)
• Christopher "DJ Premier" Martin – producer (tracks: 1-3, 5-7, 9-13), mixing (tracks: 1-8, 10-14), executive producer
• Jonathan "Big Jaz" Burks – producer & mixing (track 8)
• Eddie Sancho – engineering
• Dexter Thibou – assistant engineering
• Luis Tineo – assistant engineering
• Tony Dawsey – mastering
• Gregory Burke – design
• Daniel Hastings – photography

Album chart positions

Chart (1995)	Peak position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6]	34

Singles chart positions

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
1994	"Supa Star"	85	85	19	8
	"Livin' Proof"	-	-	26	5
1995	"Suspended In Time"	-	82	34	10

References

1. DiBella, M.F. "Livin' Proof - Group Home | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
2. Ashon, Will (February 1996). "Group Home: Livin' Proof" (PDF). Muzik. No. 9. p. 81. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
3. Doggett, Tom (June 29, 2004). "Group Home :: Livin' Proof :: Payday Records". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
4. Charles, Joe (December 1995). "Record Report: Group Home – Livin' Proof". The Source. No. 75. New York. p. 110. Archived from the original on January 23, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
5. Shapiro, Peter (2005) The Rough Guide to Hip-Hop, 2nd ed., Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-263-8, p.165
6. "Group Home Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.

External links

• Group Home – Livin' Proof at Discogs (list of releases)