Stay Dangerous is the third studio album by American rapper YG. It was released on August 3, 2018, by 4Hunnid Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from various rappers, including 2 Chainz, ASAP Rocky, Ty Dolla Sign, Quavo, Mozzy, Jay 305, Big Sean, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Nicki Minaj.

Stay Dangerous
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 3, 2018 (2018-08-03)
GenreGangsta rap[1]
Length50:21
Label
Producer
YG chronology
Still Brazy
(2016)
Stay Dangerous
(2018)
4Real 4Real
(2019)
Singles from Stay Dangerous
  1. "Suu Whoop"
    Released: February 16, 2018
  2. "Big Bank"
    Released: May 25, 2018

Stay Dangerous was supported by two singles: "Suu Whoop" and "Big Bank". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200.

Promotion

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On August 2, 2018, YG released a trailer for the album, inspired by Dos Equis's The Most Interesting Man in the World ad campaign.[2]

Singles

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The album's lead single, "Suu Whoop", was released for streaming and digital download on February 16, 2018.[3] Its music video was released on March 13, 2018.[4]

The album's second single, "Big Bank" featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Nicki Minaj, was released on May 25, 2018.[5] Its music video was released a month later.[6] It peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[7][8]

Promotional singles

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The lead promotional single, "Handgun" featuring ASAP Rocky, was released on July 26, 2018, alongside its music video.[9]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.5/10[10]
Metacritic71/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [12]
The A.V. ClubB[13]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[14]
The Guardian     [1]
HipHopDX3.2/5[15]
Pitchfork6.5/10[16]
PopMatters6/10[17]
Rolling Stone     [18]
Slant Magazine     [19]
XXL3/5[20]

Stay Dangerous was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 16 reviews.[11] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[10]

Isaac Feldberg of Entertainment Weekly praised the album saying, "YG's objectives across Stay Dangerous are more narrow and (for him) natural. Reuniting with long-time producer DJ Mustard for around half the album, YG is largely content to low-ride in his lane, swaggering across Bloods-allegiant bangers (electrifying "Suu Whoop") and incisive tell-alls from the hood ("Too Brazy" "Deeper Than Rap")."[14] Jack Riedy of Consequence of Sound said, "Though it doesn't quite reach the heights of his first two, his new album, Stay Dangerous, is another solid project from one of the best on the West Coast."[21] Clayton Purdom of The A.V. Club gave the album a positive review stating, "It pretty much all works, in the way that all of YG's music works, anchored by superlative taste and a flow as versatile and reliable as T.I. in his prime."[13] Meaghan Garvey of Rolling Stone wrote: "Mustard's beats here don't exactly reinvent the wheel, but they serve as hydraulics to YG's low-riding delivery; on "Too Cocky", the producer's minimalist West Coast bounce pairs perfectly with YG's unexpected and inspired Right Said Fred interpolation."[18] Jackson Howard of Pitchfork saying "For YG, an artist we've come to expect the unexpected from, someone currently standing at a career-defining intersection, Stay Dangerous is an exercise in predictability."[16]

In a mixed review, XXL's Chris Gibbons stated: "Stay Dangerous doesn't quite feel like the grand statement of Still Brazy or My Krazy Life. It's a slight step back from a rapper who is capable of much greater. While the brief glimpses of his personal life aren't quite enough to elevate the project, it's worthwhile to hear him breezing over Mustard beats once again."[20] In another mixed review, The Guardian's Rachel Aroesti stated: "YG doesn't cover his subject matter with a huge amount of wit or creativity. Yet the rapper makes up for lyrical dullness with a sound that can be tantalising."[1] Zachary Hoskins of Slant Magazine said, "The rigid codes of masculinity governing hardcore rap, though, keep YG's lyrics from showing as much range as Mustard's beats."[19]

Commercial performance

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In YG's home country of United States, Stay Dangerous debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 earning 56,000 album-equivalent units, which included 11,000 pure album sales in its first week.[22] It serves as YG's third consecutive top-ten album on the chart.[22] In its second week, the album dropped to number 13 on the chart, earning an additional 23,000 units.[23][24] On April 10, 2019, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States.[25]

In Australia, the album opened at number 15 on the ARIA Albums Chart, becoming YG's first top 20 album on the country.[26] In Canada, Stay Dangerous debuted at number nine on the Canadian Albums Chart.[27] It serves as YG's second non-consecutive top-ten album in the country.[27]

Track listing

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[28]

Stay Dangerous track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."10 Times"DJ Mustard2:38
2."Bulletproof" (featuring Jay 305)
  • Jackson
  • Keith Stinson
  • Jay Cummins
KJ Santana2:33
3."Handgun" (featuring ASAP Rocky)3:34
4."Suu Whoop"
  • Jackson
  • McFarlane
  • Jordan Holt
  • DJ Mustard
  • Holt[a]
3:04
5."Cant Get in Kanada"
  • Jackson
  • McFarlane
  • Leslie Wakefield Jr.
  • DJ Mustard
  • Official[a]
2:21
6."Too Cocky"DJ Mustard2:52
7."Big Bank" (featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Nicki Minaj)
DJ Mustard3:57
8."Power" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign)
  • DJ Mustard
  • Citoonthebeat[a]
2:52
9."Slay" (featuring Quavo)DJ Mustard4:44
10."666" (featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again)4:39
11."Too Brazy" (featuring Mozzy)
  • DJ Mustard
  • Citoonthebeat[a]
3:30
12."Pussy Money Fame"
  • Jackson
  • Enoch Harris
Lil Rich2:58
13."Deeper Than Rap"
  • Jackson
  • Harris
Lil Rich3:22
14."Free the Homies Interlude"DJ Mustard1:53
15."Bomptown Finest"
  • Jackson
  • McFarlane
DJ Mustard5:23
Total length:50:21

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • "Handgun" is known as "Band Drum" on the clean version of the album
  • "Bulletproof" features background vocals by Carter Kim
  • "Handgun" and "666" features additional vocals by Albert Thompson
  • "Free the Homies Interlude" features voice by Leandre Herman

Sample credits

Personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[28]

Musicians

  • DJ Mustard – guitar (track 14)
  • Marlon Williams – guitar (track 14)
  • Richard "Hymnbeats" Antione – additional keyboards (track 14)

Technical

  • Dee Brown – recording (tracks 1, 2, 5–8, 10–13, 15)
  • David Pizzimenti – recording (tracks 3, 4)
  • Nolan Presley – recording (track 7)
  • Gregg Rominiecki – recording (track 7)
  • Cyrus Taghipour – recording (track 9)
  • Mark Dorflinger – recording (track 10)
  • DJ Mustard – recording (track 14)
  • Derek "MixedbyAli" Ali – mixing (tracks 2–5, 8–11, 15)
  • Michael "MikFly" Dottin – mixing (tracks 1–3, 6–13), recording (track 15)
  • Finis "KY" White – vocal mixing (track 7)

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for Stay Dangerous
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release dates and formats for Stay Dangerous
Region Date Label(s) Format(s) Ref.
Various August 3, 2018 [38]
August 31, 2018 CD [39]
November 9, 2018 Vinyl [40]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Aroesti, Rachel (August 3, 2018). "YG: Stay Dangerous review – solid gangsta rap keeps it blood simple". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  2. ^ Hussein, Wandera (August 2, 2018). "Watch YG's cheeky Stay Dangerous album trailer". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  3. ^ Hamilton, Xavier (February 19, 2018). "YG Reminds Folks L.A. Is Not For Sale With "Suu Whoop"". Vibe. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  4. ^ Mojica, Nick (March 13, 2018). "YG Kicks It Old-School in New Suu Whoop Video". XXL. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  5. ^ Wicks, Amanda; Strauss, Matthew (May 25, 2018). "YG, Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, and 2 Chainz Team for New Song "Big Bank": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  6. ^ Kreps, Daniel (June 24, 2018). "See YG's 'Big Bank' Video With Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, 2 Chainz". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  7. ^ "YG Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  8. ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  9. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (July 27, 2018). "YG and ASAP Rocky Join Forces on New Song "Handgun"". Complex. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Stay Dangerous by YG reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Stay Dangerous by YG Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  12. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Stay Dangerous – YG". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Purdom, Clayton (August 3, 2018). "YG, Helena Hauff, and more albums to know about this week". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  14. ^ a b Feldberg, Isaac (August 6, 2018). "YG 'Stay Dangerous' review: Still the reigning champion of Compton". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  15. ^ Clark, Trent (August 6, 2018). "YG STAY DANGEROUS Album Review". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
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  17. ^ Sutton, William (August 20, 2018). "YG: Stay Dangerous (album review)". PopMatters. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Garvey, Meaghan (August 6, 2018). "Review: Gangsta Rap Revivalist YG Lets His Guard Down on 'Stay Dangerous'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Hoskins, Zachary (August 5, 2018). "YG: Stay Dangerous". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  20. ^ a b Gibbons, Chris (August 6, 2018). "YG Revisits His Roots on 'Stay Dangerous' Album". XXL. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  21. ^ Riedy, Jack (August 9, 2018). "YG – Stay Dangerous". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  22. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (August 12, 2018). "Travis Scott's 'Astroworld' Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 12, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  23. ^ "Hip Hop Album Sales: Nicki Minaj's "Queen" Bows Down To Travis Scott's "Astroworld" On Billboard 200". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  24. ^ "Billboard 200 – 2018-08-25". Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  25. ^ a b "American album certifications – YG – Stay Dangerous". Recording Industry Association of America.
  26. ^ "Travis Scott scores debut #1 with Astroworld". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on August 12, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  27. ^ a b "Drake Unseated From No. 1 By Travis Scott's 'Astroworld'". FYIMusicNews. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
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  31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – YG – Stay Dangerous" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  32. ^ "Charts.nz – YG – Stay Dangerous". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  33. ^ "Swisscharts.com – YG – Stay Dangerous". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
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  38. ^ "Stay Dangerous [Explicit] by YG on Amazon Music". Amazon. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
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