Chyna Doll (album)

Chyna Doll
Studio album by Foxy Brown
Released	January 26, 1999 (1999-01-26)
Recorded	1998
Studio	Electric Lady Studios The Hit Factory (New York, New York)
Genre	Hip hop dirty rap
Length	61:30
Label	Violator Def Jam
Producer	Various Foxy Brown (exec.) Robert "Shim" Kirkland Kanye West Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie Irv Gotti Lil Rob Swizz Beatz Charly "Shuga Bear" Charles Tyrone Fyffe Bernard "Big Demi" Parker Mo-Suave' House Productions D-Moet Chris Lighty
Foxy Brown chronology
The Firm: The Album (1997) Chyna Doll (1999) Broken Silence (2001)
Singles from Chyna Doll
"Hot Spot" Released: October 26, 1998 "I Can't" Released: March 2, 1999

Chyna Doll is the second studio album by American rapper Foxy Brown. It was released on January 26, 1999 by Violator Records and Def Jam Recordings. After the commercial success of her debut album, Ill Na Na (1996), Brown began working on her sophomore record. This time, she insisted on being the executive producer to have a creative control over the album. She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Kanye West, D-Dot, Irv Gotti, Lil Rob, Swizz Beatz and Tyrone Fyffe, among others.

Upon its release, Chyna Doll received mixed reviews from music critics. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, making it the second rap album by a female artist to debut at number one on the chart (first being The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) by Lauryn Hill). The album was a commercial success. Selling 173,000 copies in its opening week, it was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background and recording

Chyna Doll is the follow-up to Foxy Brown's 1996 platinum album Ill Na Na and was recorded in 1998. The album features guest appearances by DMX, Mýa, Total, Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Eightball & MJG, Juvenile, Too Short, Pretty Boy (also known as Young Gavin and Nino Brown), Mia X, Tha Dogg Pound, Gangsta Boo, and Noreaga. It also features a special appearance by Pam Grier, the actress who played the original Foxy Brown in the 1974 blaxploitation film. About this album, Brown said, "I wanted to captivate everyone. I wanted to get all the crowds. I wanted to get the Down South crowd, West Coast crowds, East Coast crowds, all the dopest MCs from each part of the world -- and we just did our thing. It was dope, it was real hot. I'm very proud with this album."^[1]

Recording for her second album began in the summer of 1998. In September 1998, it was reported that Foxy Brown would remake Janet Jackson's classic "What Have You Done for Me Lately" for the upcoming album, as well as an update to N.W.A.'s "Real Niggaz Don't Die", calling it "Bitches with Attitude" featuring Southern female rappers Mia X and Gangsta Boo.^[2]

During the recording process of the album, alternative rock singer Fiona Apple agreed to make a guest appearance on the album after an invitation from Brown, but due to scheduling differences, the session could not be arranged in enough time to make the final cut. Foxy Brown had also asked Madonna to collaborate on the album, but due to unknown circumstances, nothing ever became of it.^[3]

The original release date for Chyna Doll was November 17, 1998, but Brown decided to delay the release of the album to give her enough time to make sure everything was the way she wanted it.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
Q
Robert Christgau	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
The Source

Upon initial release, Chyna Doll received mixed to positive reviews. AllMusic's journalist Jose F. Promis rating the album 2.5 stars. He cites, "...for the most part, this album is full of unappealing, pornographic raps, lame beats, and pathetic gangster posturing. The sophomore slump is evident here...".^[4] Amazon journalist Oliver Wang states, "Chyna Doll just sounds like any number of New York-based rap albums, especially with its commercial formula of shuffling high hats, catchy hooks, and recycled funk loops. In the end, Brown's self-exploitive (sexually and racially) cover art is likely to offer more provocative statements than the album itself."^[9]

Commercial performance

The album was released on January 26, 1999 and debuted on the Billboard 200 charts at No. 1, making Foxy Brown the second female rap artist to ever conquer the chart's top position. On March 24, 1999, Chyna Doll was certified platinum and sold 844,000 copies in the United States of America.

Promotion

In March 1999, it was announced that Foxy Brown would tour with R. Kelly on the "Get Up on a Room" tour featuring Busta Rhymes, Nas, Deborah Cox, and Kelly Price. After cancelling several dates due to slow ticket sales, a fatal stabbing in Miami, and Rhymes pulling out of the tour, Brown left the tour and pursued her own North American tour that began in August 1999 and stopped at 22 cities in America.^[10]

Track listing

Unreleased songs

• Star Wars (featuring Busta Rhymes) An unreleased song from the Chyna Doll sessions that did not make the final release of the album. The song has remained unreleased.
• Unknown Title (featuring R. Kelly) MTV reported that Foxy Brown collaborated with R. Kelly for the album Chyna Doll. Although it is not confirmed, the song could have possibly been "Dollar Bill", which appeared on R. Kelly's "R." album.
• Lately A remake of Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done for Me Lately". The song featured a sample of Janet Jackson's voice and she did not make an official appearance on the song, as was reported. The song did not make the final version of the album.
• Rolls Royce (Cream Drop) Also known as "S.O.F.T.". Although the song did not appear on the album, it was released through the mixtape circuits in New York City as a buzz single for the album.

Charts

Weekly charts

See also

• Number-one albums of 1999 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1999 (U.S.)

References

External links

• Foxy Brown's Official MySpace Page
• Foxy Brown at the Internet Movie Database