Big Shots (album)
2003 studio album by Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf
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Big Shots is a studio album by American hip hop duo Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf.[1] Recorded between 1991 and 1993 for Hollywood BASIC, it was released on Stones Throw Records in 2003, 10 years after Charizma's death.[2] It peaked at number 2 on CMJ's Hip-Hop chart,[3] as well as number 27 on the CMJ Radio 200 chart.[4] The first single from the album, titled "My World Premiere", was originally released in 1996.[5]
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| Big Shots | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 18, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 1991–1993 | |||
| Studios | Studio Apogee, San Jose, California | |||
| Genre | West Coast hip hop | |||
| Length | 46:24 | |||
| Label | Stones Throw Records | |||
| Producer | Peanut Butter Wolf | |||
| Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Big Shots | ||||
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Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The A.V. Club | favorable[7] |
| CMJ New Music Monthly | favorable[8] |
| Dusted Magazine | favorable[5] |
| East Bay Express | favorable[9] |
| HipHopDX | 4.0/5[2] |
| Metro Silicon Valley | favorable[10] |
| RapReviews.com | 6/10[11] |
| Spin | favorable[12] |
| XLR8R | favorable[13] |
Sam Samuelson of AllMusic gave the album 3 stars out of 5, calling it "a treasure that should be cherished by hip-hop fans the world over."[6] Todd Inoue of Metro Silicon Valley said, "Charizma sounds like MC Shan blessed with youthful lung capacity while PB Wolf makes like Marley Marl programming beats in DJ Premier's lab."[10] Ross Hogg of XLR8R said, "Charizma's voice brims with eagerness, enthusiasm and earnestness; Wolf's textured, jazzy beats epitomize boom bap and are a sign of great things to come."[13]
Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club said, "while Big Shots is one of those charmed debuts where nearly every song sounds like a terrific single, it wouldn't be without Wolf, whose gorgeously constructed tracks, flawless ear for melody, and extensive sonic quotations anticipate Madlib."[7] Rachel Swan of East Bay Express said, "had Charizma not been shot and killed in '93, he might've turned into another Pharoahe Monch or J-Live."[9]
In 2003, East Bay Express included it on the "Best Music of the East Bay" list.[14] In 2007, The A.V. Club included it on the "10 Unjustly Overlooked Hip-Hop Classics" list.[15]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Here's a Smirk" | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Methods" | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Jack the Mack" | 3:10 |
| 4. | "Talk About a Girl" | 1:24 |
| 5. | "Red Light Green Light" | 2:40 |
| 6. | "Tell You Something" | 3:38 |
| 7. | "Gatha Round" | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Devotion" | 3:59 |
| 9. | "Apple Juice Break" | 0:38 |
| 10. | "My World Premiere" | 2:07 |
| 11. | "Ice Cream Truck" | 3:37 |
| 12. | "Charizma What" | 3:47 |
| 13. | "Fair Weathered Friend" | 4:04 |
| 14. | "Soon to Be Large" | 3:15 |
| 15. | "Pacin' the Floor" | 3:27 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gatha Round (Original Version)" | 4:42 |
| 2. | "Devotion (Harp Version)" | 4:13 |
| 3. | "High School Love" | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Take It Easy" | 0:37 |
| 5. | "Just Like a Test" | 2:47 |
| 6. | "Bless You" | 3:25 |
| 7. | "Red Light Green Light (Remix)" | 3:02 |
| 8. | "Vapors" | 4:42 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the CD liner notes.
- Charizma – vocals
- Peanut Butter Wolf – production, executive production
- Peter Stanley – recording
- Dave Cooley – mastering
- Jeff Jank – design, photography
- Theresa Castro – photography
- Egon – label management