Ode to the Ghetto

Ode to the Ghetto is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Guilty Simpson from the Almighty Dreadnaughtz.^[9] It was released on March 25, 2008 via Stones Throw Records. Production of the album was handled by seven record producers, including Madlib, Mr. Porter, Oh No, J Dilla, Black Milk, DJ Babu, Konphlict, and Peanut Butter Wolf, who served as executive producer. It also features guest appearances from Black Milk, Sean Price, MED, Kon Artis, and Simpson's A.D. groupmates Konnie Ross, Kriz Steel, Supa Emcee.

Ode to the Ghetto
Studio album by Guilty Simpson
Released	March 25, 2008 (2008-03-25)
Studio	Area51 Studios (Roswell, MI) Daddy's Room (Corona, CA) Dilla's House (Detroit, MI) Infrasonic Sound (Alhambra, CA) Music House Studios (Detroit, MI) Sumosound
Genre	Hip hop
Length	47:32
Label	Stones Throw Records
Producer	Peanut Butter Wolf (exec.) Madlib Kon Artis Oh No J Dilla Black Milk DJ Babu Konnie Ross
Guilty Simpson chronology
Ode to the Ghetto (2008) O. J. Simpson (2010)
Singles from Ode to the Ghetto
"Getting Bitches" Released: 2007 "Footwork" Released: 2008 "Ode to the Ghetto" Released: 2008

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B−[2]
Exclaim!	favorable[3]
The List	[4]
Pitchfork	[5]
PopMatters	[6]
Spin	[7]
XLR8R	[8]

Critical reception

Steven J. Horowitz of PopMatters gave the album 8 stars out of 10, calling it "one of the most honest and captivating records to come from Detroit's hip-hop scene in recent years."^[6] He said, "Simpson covers all the bases of street life on this fantastic debut, and like some Detroit artists who came before him, he offers a unique recounting of the many facets of city life."^[6] Meanwhile, Ian Cohen of Pitchfork gave the album a 4.5 out of 10, saying, "Stones Throw interrupts its wise exploration of alternative hip-hop and puts its goodwill on the line in order to release a thoroughly mediocre gangsta rap album."^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"The American Dream"	Madlib	2:10
2.	"Robbery"	Mr. Porter	3:20
3.	"She Won't Stay at Home"	Madlib	1:55
4.	"Footwork"	Oh No	3:29
5.	"Ode to the Ghetto"	Oh No	3:27
6.	"Get Bitches"	Mr. Porter	2:19
7.	"I Must Love You"	J Dilla	3:17
8.	"The Future" (featuring MED)	Madlib	2:57
9.	"Pigs"	Madlib	1:49
10.	"My Moment"	Black Milk	2:53
11.	"Run" (featuring Sean Price and Black Milk)	Black Milk	3:40
12.	"Kinda Live"	Mr. Porter	3:19
13.	"Yikes"	Madlib	2:05
14.	"The Real Me"	Black Milk	2:44
15.	"Kill 'Em"	DJ Babu	3:09
16.	"Almighty Dreadnaughtz" (featuring Super MC, Krizsteel and Konnie Ross)	Konnie Ross	5:02
Total length:			47:32

Personnel

• Byron Simpson – main artist
• Denaun Porter – featured artist (tracks: 6, 12), producer (tracks: 2, 6, 12)
• Nick Rodriguez – featured artist (track 8)
• Curtis Cross – featured artist (track 11), producer (tracks: 10, 11, 14), mixing & recording
• Sean DeJean Price – featured artist (track 11)
• Corey Wilson – featured artist & producer (track 16)
• Kent Brown – featured artist (track 16)
• Kriz Steel – featured artist (track 16)
• Noelle Scaggs – additional vocals (track 7)
• Jason Jackson – scratches (tracks: 1, 2, 13)
• Otis Jackson, Jr. – producer (tracks: 1, 3, 8, 9, 13), scratches
• Michael Jackson Woodrow Sr. – producer (tracks: 4, 5)
• James Dewitt Yancey – producer (track 7)
• Chris Oroc – producer (track 15)
• Chris Manak – executive producer
• Alex Merzin – mixing & recording
• Mike Chav – mixing & recording
• Pete Lyman – mixing & recording
• Kelly Hibbert – mixing, mastering & recording
• Eothen Aram Alapatt – A&R
• Jeffrey Carlson – art direction
• Eric Coleman – photography
• Eugene Howell – management

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10]	69
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[11]	23

References

1. Brown, Marisa. "Ode to the Ghetto - Guilty Simpson". AllMusic. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
2. Bruno, Mike (March 28, 2008). "Ode to the Ghetto (2008) - Guilty Simpson". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
3. Patrick, Ryan B. (April 2008). "Guilty Simpson - Ode to the Ghetto". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
4. Glencross, Steve (March 27, 2008). "Guilty Simpson - Ode to The Ghetto". The List. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
5. Cohen, Ian (February 28, 2008). "Guilty Simpson: Ode to the Ghetto". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
6. Horowitz, Steven J. (March 25, 2008). "Guilty Simpson: Ode to the Ghetto". PopMatters. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
7. Reeves, Mosi (March 25, 2008). "Guilty Simpson, 'Ode to the Ghetto' (Stones Throw)". Spin. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
8. Herman, Max (February 26, 2008). "Guilty Simpson - Ode To the Ghetto". XLR8R. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
9. Leask, Hugh (May 10, 2008). "A hip-hop rescue - how indie labels are giving the genre a fresh start". The Independent. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
10. "Guilty Simpson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
11. "Guilty Simpson Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.

External links

• Ode to the Ghetto at Discogs (list of releases)