Lace Up

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Lace Up
File:MGKLaceUp.jpg
Studio album by MGK
Released October 9, 2012 (2012-10-09)
(see release history)
Recorded 2010–12
Genre Hip hop
Length 63:59
Label Bad Boy, Interscope
Producer
MGK chronology
Half Naked & Almost Famous
(2012)Half Naked & Almost Famous2012		 Lace Up
(2012)		 Black Flag
(2013)Black Flag2013
Singles from Lace Up
  1. "Wild Boy"
    Released: September 27, 2011
  2. "Invincible"
    Released: April 24, 2012
  3. "Hold On (Shut Up)"
    Released: August 6, 2012

Lace Up is the debut studio album by American rapper MGK. It was released on October 9, 2012, by Bad Boy and Interscope Records.[1] The album features guest appearances from Alex Fitts, Anna Yvette, Blackbear, Bun B, Cassie, DMX, Dub-O, Ester Dean, Lil Jon, M. Shadows, Planet VI, Synyster Gates, Tech N9ne, Twista, Waka Flocka Flame, Young Jeezy, along with the bands Avenged Sevenfold and The Kickdrums.[1] The album production was handled by Alex da Kid and JP Did This 1, while Puff Daddy serves as the executive producer on the album.

The album received a generally positive reception but critics felt that it was a disappointment after his previous mixtapes. Lace Up debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, supported by all four singles including "Wild Boy", "Invincible" and "Hold On (Shut Up)", along with one promotional single: "Stereo".

Singles

The album's lead single, "Wild Boy" featuring Waka Flocka Flame and it was produced by GB Hitz and Southside. The song was initially included on his fourth mixtape, Rage Pack (2011), and on his debut EP, Half Naked & Almost Famous (2012). It debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the week of January 28, 2012 at number 98 and on US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 49. It serves as his first song charted in both Billboard's charts.[2][3]

The album's second single, "Invincible" featuring guest vocals from American singer-songwriter Ester Dean, while it was produced by an British producer Alex da Kid. The song was released to digital retailers in the United States on April 24, 2012,[4] and was solicited to rhythmic contemporary radio and contemporary hit radio on May 15 and July 31, 2012 respectively.[5] MGK shot a music video for the single, which featured an appearance from the singer Ester Dean, and uploaded the video on YouTube under his VEVO account, on June 3, 2012.[6]

On August 6, 2012, the album's third single "Hold On (Shut Up)" featuring Young Jeezy, was released.[7] The music video was released on November 19, 2012.[8]

Promotional singles

On September 20, 2012, "Stereo" was released with an accompanying music video, as the album's promotional single (though the track was formerly part of the "Lace Up" mixtape). The song features guest vocals from Alex Fitts. The track would also be included, alongside "Invincible" and "Hold On (Shut Up)", as part of the MGK's Music Unlimited exclusive EP, titled Lace Up - The Prelude (released on October 2, 2012).[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic (69/100)[10]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[11]
DJBooth 3.5/5 stars[12]
HipHopDX 3/5 stars[13]
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars[14]
Spin (5/10)[15]
XXL (4/5) (XL)[16]

Lace Up received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received average score of 69, based on 6 reviews which indicates generally favourable reviews. [10]

Adam Fleischer of XXL praised the production throughout the album and MGK for being consistent with his rapid-fire flow concluding with, "though he may no longer be quite the underdog he once was, rapping like it—at least for now—still works."[16] Fred Thomas of AllMusic also praised the album for its production and putting MGK in the spotlight, calling it "a beast of a debut, and some of the heaviest mainstream-friendly hip-hop happening in 2012, a picture of young energy at its zenith."[11]

Edwin Ortiz of HipHopDX gave a mixed review of the album, praising tracks like "Edge of Destruction" and "D3mons" for their intensity but found "Invincible" and "All We Have" put MGK into industry purgatory. He concluded with, "Lace Up is an imbalanced project that fails to establish MGK’s grand message. His debut is decent at best, with hope that his following projects yield better results."[13] Phillip Mlynar of Spin felt that the special guests throughout the album were more of a hindrance to the main artist saying, "Instead of turning this debut proper into an expansive listen, the guests seem like they're papering over holes in both the music and the message."[15]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 57,000 copies.[17] It slid down to number 22 in its second week giving it a total of 65,000 copies.[18] Sliding down to number 37 in week three it sold 10,000 more copies.[19] As of September 2015, the album has sold 263,000 copies in the United States.[20]

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Save Me" (featuring M. Shadows and Synyster Gates)
  • Woodro Skillson
  • Rami Beatz
 3:12
2. "What I Do" (featuring Bun B and Dub-O)
4:32
3. "Wild Boy" (featuring Waka Flocka Flame)
3:51
4. "Lace Up" (featuring Lil Jon)
Drumma Boy 3:02
5. "Stereo" (featuring Alex Fitts)
  • Baker
  • Alex "KickDrum" Fitts
 Alex KickDrum 3:55
6. "All We Have" (featuring Anna Yvette)
3:27
7. "See My Tears"  
J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League 4:10
8. "D3MONS" (featuring DMX)
Dame Grease 4:21
9. "Edge of Destruction" (featuring Tech N9ne and Twista)
  • Silent Mike
  • Swirv
 5:08
10. "Runnin’" (featuring Planet VI)
2:47
11. "Invincible" (featuring Ester Dean)
Alex da Kid 3:07
12. "On My Way"  
  • Baker
  • Jon "JRB" Bishop
  • Whitlow
  • JRB
  • Swirv
 4:10
13. "End of the Road" (featuring Blackbear)
  • Baker
  • Matthew "Blackbear" Musto
  • MGK
  • Slim Gudz
 4:04
Notes
  • All song samples, writing and production credits are according to the album booklet.
Sample credits

Personnel

Credits for Lace Up adapted from AllMusic.[21]

Chart performance

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label
Germany[25] October 5, 2012 CD, digital download Bad Boy, Interscope
Canada[26] October 9, 2012
United States[27]

References

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  22. ↑ "MGK – Chart history" Billboard 200 for MGK. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  23. ↑ "MGK – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for MGK. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
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