My Balls and My Word

My Balls and My Word is the debut studio album by American rapper Young Bleed. It was released on January 20, 1998,^{[citation needed]} through No Limit/Priority Records.^[1] The production was handled by Happy Perez and Beats by the Pound,^[2] with Master P and C-Loc serving as executive producers.^[3] It features guest appearances from Lay-Lo, C-Loc, Master P, Lee Tyme, Lucky Knuckles, Fiend and Mystikal. The album was a success,^[4] reaching number 10 on the Billboard 200 and topping the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In March 1998,^[5] the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[6][7]

My Balls and My Word
Studio album by Young Bleed
Released	January 20, 1998 (1998-01-20)
Recorded	1996–1997
Genre	Southern hip hop gangsta rap
Length	57:19
Label	No Limit Priority
Producer	Beats by the Pound Happy Perez Pimp C
Young Bleed chronology
My Balls and My Word (1998) My Own (1999)
Singles from My Balls and My Word
"How Ya Do Dat" Released: September 13, 1997 "Times So Hard" Released: April 11, 1998

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Chicago Tribune	[1]
RapReviews	7/10[9]
The Source	[2]

Soren Baker, writing for Chicago Tribune, said that "Young Bleed subtly and gently mocks the stereotype of laid-back Southerners." The journalist highlighted "thick bass lines", "rapid drum loops", and Young Bleed's vocal performance.^[1] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic thought My Balls and My Word was a "conventional late-'90s gangsta record", criticizing it for its lack of originality.^[8] Steve Juon of RapReviews viewed it as the label's compilation album, but believed that Young Bleed "elevates it substantially".^[9] Similarly, Elliott Wilson of The Source magazine thought it was "more a family affair than a solo release", but believed that the rapper "fails to carry the weight without his friends". He commended the production, noting "slinky basslines, swirling keyboards and eerie strings".^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Keep It Real" (featuring C-Loc and Master P)	Happy Perez KLC	4:15
2.	"Bring the Noise" (featuring Master P and Mystikal)	KLC Mo B. Dick Craig B. Pimp C	3:30
3.	"An Offer U Can't Refuse"	Happy Perez	1:13
4.	"The Day They Make Me Boss"	Happy Perez	5:10
5.	"Mo Money" (featuring Lay-Lo and Lucky Knuckles)	O'Dell	3:37
6.	"Pull It Off" (featuring C-Loc, Lay-Lo, Lee Tyme and Lucky Knuckles)	Happy Perez	4:53
7.	"Times So Hard" (featuring Master P, Fiend, Mo B. Dick and O'Dell)	Mo B. Dick	3:58
8.	"How Ya Do That" (featuring Master P and C-Loc)	Happy Perez KLC	4:31
9.	"Better Than Last Time" (featuring C-Loc and Max Minelli)	Happy Perez	4:48
10.	"Lil Poppa Got a Brand New Bag" (featuring Max Minelli)	Happy Perez	3:16
11.	"Confedi" (featuring C-Loc, Lee Tyme and Max Minelli)	Happy Perez	5:02
12.	"Da Last Outlaw"	Happy Perez	4:25
13.	"Ghost Rider"	Happy Perez	3:22
14.	"We Don't Stop" (featuring Max Minelli)	Happy Perez	5:22
Total length:			57:19

Personnel

• Glenn "Young Bleed" Clifton Jr. – main artist
• Steven "C-Loc" Carrell – guest artist (tracks: 1, 6, 8, 9, 11), executive producer
• Percy "Master P Miller – guest artist (tracks: 1, 2, 7, 8), executive producer
• Michael "Mystikal" Tyler – guest artist (track 2)
• Chad "Max Minelli" Roussel – guest artist (tracks: 5, 6, 9-11, 14)
• Lucky Knuckles – guest artist (tracks: 5, 6)
• J-Von – guest artist (tracks: 5, 6)
• Lee Tyme – guest artist (tracks: 6, 11)
• Richard "Fiend" Jones – guest artist (track 7)
• Raymond "Mo B. Dick" Poole – guest artist (track 7), producer (tracks: 2, 7)
• Odell Vickers Jr. – guest artist (track 7), producer (track 5)
• Nathan "Happy" Perez – producer (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8-14)
• Craig "KLC" Lawson – producer (tracks: 1, 2, 8)
• Craig Bazile – producer (track 2)
• Chad "Pimp C" Butler – producer (track 2)
• Pen & Pixel Graphics – artwork
• Omni Color – design
• Dave Weiner – A&R
• Duffy Rich – A&R
• Kevin Faist – A&R

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1998) Peak position US Billboard 200[10] 10 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[11] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1998) Position US Billboard 200[12] 194 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 45

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[5]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1998