Hard to Earn

Hard to Earn is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr. It was released on March 8, 1994, by Chrysalis and EMI Records in North America. The album featured the singles "Dwyck" (featuring Nice & Smooth), "Mass Appeal" (their first charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart), and "Code of the Streets". Guest appearances on the album include Group Home, Jeru the Damaja, and Big Shug. At the time, all were part of the Gang Starr Foundation, which made the album a stepping-stone for future DJ Premier-helmed projects by Group Home and Jeru. Hard to Earn received acclaim and commercial success upon release.

Hard to Earn
Studio album by Gang Starr
Released	March 8, 1994
Recorded	July 1992–1993
Studio	D&D Studios (New York City)
Genre	East Coast hip-hop[1] hardcore hip-hop[1]
Length	58:57
Label	Chrysalis EMI 7243 8 28435 2 8 F2-28435
Producer	DJ Premier Guru (co-prod.)
Gang Starr chronology
Daily Operation (1992) Hard to Earn (1994) Moment of Truth (1998)
Singles from Hard to Earn
"Dwyck" Released: December 29, 1992[2] "Mass Appeal" Released: February 8, 1994[3] "Code of the Streets" Released: May 17, 1994[4] "Suckas Need Bodyguards" Released: October 4, 1994[5]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Robert Christgau	[7]
RapReviews	[8]
Rolling Stone	[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[10]
The Source	[11]

The single "DWYCK" recorded in 1992 also featured hip hop duo Nice & Smooth. The track "Now You're Mine" originally appeared on the 1992 soundtrack White Men Can't Rap. The single "Mass Appeal" appeared in the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4^[12] and reappears in its remake.^[13]

Hard to Earn is also the duo's first album to carry the "Parental Advisory" label.

Track listing

All music is composed by Keith Elam and Christopher Martin, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro (The First Step)"		(Instrumental)	0:54
2.	"Alongwaytogo"		Guru	4:13
3.	"Code of the Streets"		Guru	3:29
4.	"Brainstorm"		Guru	3:02
5.	"Tonz 'O' Gunz"		Guru	3:55
6.	"The Planet"		Guru	5:16
7.	"Aiiight Chill..."		A skit featuring Nas, A.G., Masta Ace, MC Eiht, DJ Scratch, Mister Cee	3:13
8.	"Speak Ya Clout"	Martin Elam Jeru Kendrick Davis James Heath	Guru Lil' Dap Jeru the Damaja	3:35
9.	"Dwyck"	Martin Elam Greg Mays Daryl Barnes	Guru Nice & Smooth	4:03
10.	"Words from the Nutcracker"	Martin Elam Jamal Felder	Melachi the Nutcracker	1:29
11.	"Mass Appeal"		Guru	3:41
12.	"Blowin' Up the Spot"		Guru	3:10
13.	"Suckas Need Bodyguards"		Guru Melachi the Nutcracker	4:05
14.	"Now You're Mine"		Guru	2:55
15.	"Mostly Tha Voice"		Guru	3:38
16.	"F.A.L.A."		Guru Big Shug	4:17
17.	"Comin' for Datazz"		Guru	4:02

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1994) Peak position UK Albums (OCC)[14] 29 US Billboard 200[15] 25 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[16] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] 58

Singles chart positions

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
1994	DWYCK	-	-	25	12
	Mass Appeal	67	42	10	3
	Code of the Streets	-	83	33	5
	Suckas Need Bodyguards	-	-	44	18