All City
Studio album by
Northern State
ReleasedAugust 17, 2004 (2004-08-17)
GenrePop rap
Length41:34
LabelColumbia
Northern State chronology
Dying in Stereo
(2002) 		All City
(2004) 		Can I Keep This Pen?
(2007)

All City is the second full-length album by New York City-based hip hop group Northern State, released on August 17, 2004 on Columbia Records. It is also their major-label debut, as it was their first album released for Columbia.[1][2] It has also been described as their first "real record", because some do not consider their debut album Dying in Stereo to be a full-length album, but an EP.[3] The album's first single was "Girl for All Seasons", for which a music video was made at the Siberia club in New York City.[4]

Recording

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All City was recorded in Philadelphia with a handful of guest artists, including Martin Luther McCoy (on "Siren Song"), Har Mar Superstar (on "Summer Never Ends"),[5] and the High & Mighty (on "Think Twice").[4] Also contributing to the album's recording were ?uestlove, as well as DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, and Pete Rock, both of whom helped produce the album.[6][7]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic69/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Elle Girl3.5/4[10]
The New York Timesmixed[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
SpinC+[13]
Stylus MagazineA[14]
The Village VoiceA[15]

All City received generally favorable reviews from music critics[8] and was named one of the 50 best albums of 2004 by Rolling Stone.[1]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Ignite"3:51
2."Girl for All Seasons"2:56
3."Nice With It"3:45
4."Last Night"3:28
5."Think Twice"4:13
6."Don’t Look Down"4:00
7."Siren Song"3:39
8."Style I Bring"3:58
9."Time To Rhyme"4:30
10."Speaking for Me"3:33
11."Summer Never Ends"3:38

Personnel

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ a b Roberts, Michael (1 November 2007). "Northern State". Westword. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  2. ^ Draper, Jimmy (13 October 2004). "Girl heroes". Metro Times. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  3. ^ Williams, Darona (11 March 2007). "Beastie Girls: Northern State". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Northern State Hits The 'City'". Billboard. 20 July 2004. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  5. ^ LeRoy, Dan (2 June 2004). "Where the Boys Aren't". Clevescene. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  6. ^ McCabe, Bret (28 August 2007). "Finding a Northern State of Grace". The New York Sun. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  7. ^ Goldstein, Jeremy P. (20 July 2004). "Northern State Rope In Heavy Hitters For Columbia Debut". The Fader. Retrieved 4 July 2017.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ a b "All City". Metacritic. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  9. ^ Loftus, Johnny. "All City - Northern State". AllMusic. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  10. ^ "Platter Party". Elle Girl. 3 (6): 114. September 2004.
  11. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (August 30, 2004). "Critic's Choice/New CD's; Rap Beats: Preachy, Snarly or Sweet". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  12. ^ "All City Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  13. ^ "Breakdown". Spin. 20 (9): 120. September 2004.
  14. ^ Timmermann, Josh (September 16, 2004). "Northern State - All City - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on February 13, 2005. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  15. ^ Christgau, Robert (August 31, 2004). "Inter-Century Freundschaft". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
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