Return of the Mac
| Company type | Studio album |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | March 27, 2007 |
| Founder | Prodigy |
| Products | Hip hop music |
Return of the Mac marks the sophomore solo album effort by American hip-hop artist Prodigy, officially released on March 27, 2007, via Infamous Records in partnership with Koch Records. The production was chiefly managed by The Alchemist, who incorporated samples drawn from the Blaxploitation film era, while DJ Muro contributed production on two tracks. Guest features include appearances from Majesty and Un Pacino.
Upon release, the album entered the Billboard 200 chart at position thirty-two, moving 27,000 units during its initial week. By the end of 2007, total sales reached 130,000 copies. Three singles were issued—"Mac 10 Handle," "Return of the Mac," and "Stuck on You"—each supported by music videos directed by DanTheMan.
Background
After dropping Mobb Deep's seventh studio project Blood Money, Prodigy parted ways with G-Unit Records and commenced work on a follow-up to his debut solo album H.N.I.C.. The Alchemist, a long-time collaborator who also appears alongside Prodigy on the album cover, originally envisioned this release as a prequel mixtape to the forthcoming H.N.I.C. Pt. 2. Nevertheless, owing to its exceptional quality, it was ultimately launched as an official studio album.
Six years later, Prodigy reunited with The Alchemist to produce their full-length collaborative project Albert Einstein.
Critical reception
The album Return of the Mac was met with generally positive feedback from critics. On Metacritic, which compiles scores from major media outlets, it achieved an average rating of 75 based on eleven critiques.
Tom Breihan from Pitchfork praised it as "a stunning and unexpected late-career renaissance," emphasizing Prodigy's revitalized vigor. David Jeffries of AllMusic highlighted the album's unified concept and atmosphere as a welcome contrast to the prevalent trend of widespread collaborations among lyricists. Steve 'Flash' Juon at RapReviews regarded it as "everything that Blood Money should have been but was not." Mark Abraham of Cokemachineglow valued Prodigy's passion and commitment despite occasional lyrical flaws. Quentin B Huff from PopMatters provided a mixed assessment, recognizing a more polished Prodigy but expressing skepticism about a complete return to his earlier style exemplified in Hell on Earth.
Track listing
- Sample credits
- Track 2 incorporates a sample from "Kamen Rider" by Shunsuke Kikuchi.
- Track 1 contains elements from "Blacula Strikes" by Gene Page.
- Track 4 uses a sample of "Easin In" by Edwin Starr.
- Tracks 5 and 6 feature samples of "Down and Out in New York City" by James Brown.
- Track 11 includes a sample from "Do I Stand A Chance" by The Montclairs.
- Track 14 samples "Playing Your Game Baby" by Barry White.
Personnel
- Albert "Prodigy" Johnson – lead vocals, executive production
- Madgesty – featured vocals (track 7)
- Jamal "Un Pacino" Brayboy-Brady – guest vocals (track 10)
- Alan "The Alchemist" Maman – producer, executive producer
- Murota "DJ Muro" Takayoshi – producer (tracks: 1, 8)
- Eddie Sancho – mixing engineer (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6–14, 16, 17)
- Kevin Crouse – mixing engineer (tracks: 3, 15)
- Arnold Mischkulnig – mixing (track 5), mastering engineer
- Andrew Kelley – art direction, design, photography
- Rayon Richards – photography
- Ted D'Ottavio – photography
- Paul Grosso – creative direction
- Alyson Abbagnaro – A&R representative
- Bob Perry – A&R representative
Charts
Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart| Chart (2007) | Highest ranking |
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