Royal Highness (album)

Royal Highness is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Kottonmouth Kings. It was released on August 11, 1998, through Suburban Noize/Capitol Records. The recording sessions took place at A&M Studios in Hollywood, at Can-Am Recorders in California, at the Ogden House, and at 1605 Studios in Huntington Beach. The production was handled by member Daddy X, who also served as executive producer, Mellow B. De Lear, Marco Forcone, Dog Boy and I Timothy. It features guest appearances from Too Rude and Humble Gods.

Royal Highness
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 11, 1998 (1998-08-11)
Recorded1998
Studio
GenreRap
Length1:13:40
Label
Producer
Kottonmouth Kings chronology
Royal Highness
(1998)
High Society
(2000)
Singles from Royal Highness
  1. "Dog's Life"
    Released: 1998
  2. "Life Ain't What It Seems/Suburban Life"
    Released: 1998
  3. "Bump"
    Released: 1999

The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. The song "Bump" peaked at number 28 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Suburban Life" was on the soundtrack for the movie Scream 2, and was even briefly featured in the film itself. "Dog's Life" was on the soundtrack for the movie Lost and Found.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]

The Los Angeles Times concluded that "the CD ends up a sour and dispiriting experience because it forces us to keep extended company with a trio of rappers who put everything into sullen attitude and can't find the wit to skewer targets inventively or the self-mockery to find some humor in their lot."[2]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Bong Tokin' Alcoholics"Daddy X3:59
2."Play On"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
  • AK Brothers
Daddy X4:51
3."Suburban Life"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
Daddy X3:29
4."Life Ain't What It Seems"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
  • Daddy X
  • Mellow B. De Lear
3:42
5."So High"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
  • AK Bros.
Daddy X4:19
6."Big Hoss"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
Daddy X2:59
7."Spies" (featuring Humble Gods)
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
  • Marco Forcone
  • Daddy X
  • Marco Forcone
3:51
8."Bump"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
Marco Forcone4:11
9."Dog's Life" (featuring Too Rude)
4:26
10."Misunderstood"
Daddy X3:21
11."Dirt Slang"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
Daddy X2:34
12."What's Your Trip"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
Daddy X3:53
13."High Society"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
Daddy X3:40
14."Psychedelic Funk"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
Daddy X4:58
15."Me & My Shake"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
  • Daddy X
  • Mellow B. De Lear
4:31
16."Discombobulated" (featuring Too Rude)
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
  • Rogers
Daddy X4:10
17."Planet Budtron"
  • Xavier
  • Miller
  • Thronson
  • Mellow B. De Lear
  • Daddy X
  • Mellow B. De Lear
4:56
18."Pimp Twist" (hidden track)  4:35
Total length:1:13:40
Notes
  • All tracks have a printed duration of 4:20.
  • Early versions of the CD included "Pimp Twist" as track 18 and did not include "Bump (Remix – Radio Edit)".
Sample credits

Personnel

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  • Kottonmouth Kings – tracking (tracks: 1-6, 8, 10, 11, 13-17)
  • Brad "Daddy X" Xavier – main artist, lyrics, vocals, producer, executive producer
  • Steven "Saint Dog" Thronson – main artist, lyrics, vocals, liner notes
  • Dustin "D-Loc" Miller – main artist, lyrics, vocals
  • Robert "DJ Bobby B" Adams – main artist
  • Patrick "Pakelika" Cochrun – main artist
  • Humble Gods – featured artists (track 7)
  • Too Rude – featured artists (tracks: 9, 16)
  • Sean E. Demott – guitar & bass (tracks: 1, 3, 12)
  • Robert "Dog Boy" Rogers – vocals & producer (track 9)
  • Eric Endo – guitar (track 9)
  • Mark Tyson – bass (track 9)
  • Dave Stenhouse – piano (track 9)
  • Doug Sanborn – drums (track 9)
  • Timothy Moynahan – trombone (tracks: 9, 16), horn arrangement & producer (track 9)
  • Alan Lomax – trumpet (tracks: 9, 16)
  • Unity Horns – horns (track 9), horn arrangement (track 16)
  • Matt Kalin – horn arrangement (track 9)
  • BJ Smith – keyboards & percussion (tracks: 13, 16)
  • Kona-Gold – voice (track 14)
  • Myla Martin – voice (track 15)
  • John "Geetus" Aguto – engineering & mixing (tracks: 1, 6, 10-12, 14, 16)
  • AK Brothers – tracking (tracks: 1, 3)
  • Phil Kaffel – engineering (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 13), mixing (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 9, 13)
  • Patrick Thrasher – engineering assistant & mixing assistant (tracks: 2, 5, 13)
  • Eric "E-Man" Adger – tracking (tracks: 2, 5, 13, 16)
  • Mellow B. De Lear – producer & engineering (tracks: 4, 15, 17), tracking (tracks: 4, 6, 17), mixing (tracks: 4, 15, 17)
  • Darian Rundall – engineering (track 7), tracking (tracks: 7, 9)
  • Marco Forcone – producer & mixing (tracks: 7, 8), engineering & tracking (track 8)
  • Joseph Bishara – tracking (track 8)
  • 2-Swift – tracking (tracks: 10, 15)
  • Pimpdaddies – tracking (track 14)
  • Patrick Shevelin – engineering assistant & mixing assistant (track 16)
  • Ross Patrick – art direction, design
  • Carter Gibbs – logo
  • David Kramer – photography
  • Craig Aaronson – A&R

Charts

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Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[3] 17

References

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  1. ^ Gallucci, Michael. "Kottonmouth Kings - Royal Highness Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  2. ^ Boehm, Mike (11 Nov 1998). "Emphatic, Catchy, but Humorless". Los Angeles Times. p. F2.
  3. ^ "Kottonmouth Kings Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
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