Hempstead High

Hempstead High is the second studio album by American rapper A+.^[6] It was released in 1999 through Kedar Entertainment/Universal Records.^[7] Recording sessions took place at Unique Recording Studios and Battery Studios in New York and at Urban House Studios, Inc. in Houston. Production was handled by Bink!, DJ Clark Kent, Lil' Shawn, Mo-Suave-A, Smith Brothers Entertainment and Ty Fyffe, with Kedar Massenburg serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Canibus, Cardan, Chico DeBarge, Erykah Badu, MJG, Psycho Drama and the Lost Boyz. The album peaked at #60 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #19 on the Top Heatseekers in the United States, and at number 72 in the Netherlands.

Hempstead High
Studio album by A+
Released	February 23, 1999 (1999-02-23)
Recorded	1997–1998
Studio	Unique Recording Studios (New York, NY) Battery Studios (New York, NY) Urban House Studios, Inc (Houston, TX)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	53:52
Label	Universal
Producer	Kedar Massenburg (exec.) Bink! DJ Clark Kent Lil' Shawn Mo-Suave-A Smith Brothers Entertainment Ty Fyffe
A+ chronology
The Latch-Key Child (1996) Hempstead High (1999)
Singles from Hempstead High
"Enjoy Yourself" Released: 1998

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	C−[2]
RapReviews	7/10[3]
The Source	[4]
St. Petersburg Times	C[5]

Critical reception

Vibe thought that A+ "can't decide whether he's a hardcore man or a playful youth on his understated sophomore album".^[8] The Plain Dealer wrote: "By the time the disc reaches the scary 'Staggering and Stuttering' with Psycho Drama, A+ establishes his versatility and assured, confident flow".^[9]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro (Classroom)" (featuring Lawrence Page)		Smith Bros. Entertainment	1:51
2.	"Enjoy Yourself"	Germaine Williams Walter Murphy	Sugarless	3:38
3.	"Up Top New York" (featuring Mr. Cheeks)	Andre Levins Terrance Kelly Roosevelt Harrell III Joseph Broussard Ralph Williams Carrol Washington	Bink!	4:56
4.	"Gotta Have It"	Williams Rodolfo Franklin Hamilton Bohannon	DJ Clark Kent	4:09
5.	"Boyz 2 Men" (featuring the Lost Boyz and Canibus)	Williams Kelly Harrell III	Bink!	3:54
6.	"Watcha Weigh Me" (featuring MJG)	Marlon Goodwin Triston Jones	Mo-Suave-A Productions	4:11
7.	"Understand the Game" (featuring Erykah Badu)	Erica Wright Tyrone Wilkins Harrell III	Bink!	3:48
8.	"Don't Make Me Wait"	Levins Wilkins Bernard Fowler	Little Shawn	3:57
9.	"Interlude - The Score"		Smith Bros. Entertainment	1:09
10.	"It's on You" (featuring Chico DeBarge)	Charles Smith Joseph Smith Kenneth Gamble Leon Huff Phillip Pugh Sherman Marshall	Smith Bros. Entertainment	4:31
11.	"What the Deal" (featuring Cardan)	Levins Pierre Jones Harrell III	Bink!	3:37
12.	"Price of Fame"	C. Smith J. Smith Nick Martinelli	Smith Bros. Entertainment DJ Clark Kent (add.)	3:35
13.	"Staggering and Stuttering" (featuring Psycho Drama)	Jeffrey Robinson Akula Segal T. Jones	Mo-Suave-A Productions	5:18
14.	"Parkside Gardens"	Levins Harrell III	Bink!	5:18
Total length:				53:52

Sample credits

• Track 2 contains a sample from "A Fifth of Beethoven" written and performed by Walter Murphy
• Track 3 contains samples from "Mr. Big Stuff" written by Joseph Broussard, Ralph Williams and Carrol Washington and performed by Jean Knight
• Track 4 contains a sample of "Singing This Song for My Mother" written and performed by Hamilton Bohannon
• Track 8 contains a sample of "Don't Make Me Wait" written by Bernard Fowler and B. Williams and performed by the Peech Boys
• Track 10 contains an interpolation of "When Somebody Loves You Back" written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and samples from "I Found Love (When I Found You)" written by Phillip Pugh and Sherman Marshall and performed by The Spinners
• Track 12 contains a sample of "Let Me Be the One" written by Nick Martinelli and performed by Five Star

Personnel

• Andre "A+" Levins – main artist
• Terrance "Mr. Cheeks" Kelly – featured artist (tracks: 3, 5)
• Germaine "Canibus" Williams – featured artist (track 5)
• Marlon "MJG" Goodwin – featured artist (track 6)
• Erica "Erykah Badu" Wright – featured artist (track 7)
• Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge – featured artist (track 10)
• Pierre "Cardan" Jones – featured artist (track 11)
• Jeffery "Buk" Robinson – featured artist (track 13)
• Akula "Psyde" Segal – featured artist (track 13)
• Lawrence Page – performer (track 1)
• Keanna Henson – backing vocals (track 2)
• Crystal Johnson – backing vocals (track 5)
• Eric "E-Bass" Johnson – bass (track 3)
• Robert "Storm" Jordan – Rhodes electric piano and strings (track 5)
• Mike Cerullo – guitar (track 7)
• Charles Smith – producer (tracks: 1, 9, 10, 12), associate executive producer
• Joseph Smith – producer (tracks: 1, 9, 10, 12), associate executive producer
• Tyrone Fyffe – producer (track 2)
• Roosevelt "Bink!" Harrell III – producer (tracks: 3, 5, 7, 11, 14)
• Rodolfo "DJ Clark Kent" Franklin – producer (track 4), additional producer (track 12), mixing (track 2)
• Mo-Suave-A Productions, Inc. – producers (tracks: 6, 13)
• Tyrone "Shawn Pen" Wilkins – producer (track 8)
• Ed Miller – recording (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9-11, 12, 14), mixing (tracks: 5, 7, 11)
• Tim Donovan – recording (track 2)
• Kenny Ortiz – recording (tracks: 4, 8), mixing (tracks: 4, 8, 10, 12)
• Tristan "T-Mix" Jones – recording (track 6)
• Neil Jones – recording (track 13)
• Cuz – mixing (track 2)
• Leo "Swift" Morris – mixing (track 3)
• Simon "Crazy C" Cullins – mixing (tracks: 6, 13)
• James Hoover – mixing (tracks: 6, 13)
• Tony Smalios – mixing (track 14)
• Dana Walsh – engineering assistant (track 2)
• Denise Barbarita – engineering assistant (track 3)
• Daniel Wierup – engineering assistant (track 8)
• Tom Coyne – mastering
• Kedar Massenburg – executive producer
• Sandie Lee Drake – art direction
• Susan Bibeau – design
• Stephen McBride – photography
• Ray Copeland – management

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[10]	72
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[11]	60
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[12]	19

References

1. Conaway, Matt. "Hempstead High - A+ | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
2. Tucker, Ken (March 26, 1999). "THE WEEK: MUSIC". Entertainment Weekly. No. 478. p. 86.
3. Juon, Steve 'Flash' (July 16, 2024). "A+ :: Hempstead High". RapReviews. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
4. Osorio, Kim (December 1998). "A+ – Hempstead High". Record Report. The Source. No. 111. New York. p. 214.
5. Vivinetto, Gina (April 16, 1999). "Hempstead High". St. Petersburg Times. Weekend. p. 16.
6. Baker, Trevor (October 23, 1999). "Hempstead High". Melody Maker. 76 (42): 38.
7. "Music Notes". New Pittsburgh Courier. No. 38. May 12, 1999. p. B3.
8. "Revolutions". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. February 27, 1999 – via Google Books.^{[permanent dead link]}
9. Reynolds, Mark (May 30, 1999). "LISTEN UP". The Plain Dealer. p. 8G.
10. "Dutchcharts.nl – A%2B – Hempstead High" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
11. "A Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
12. "A Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2021.

External links

• Hempstead High at Discogs (list of releases)