The Firm released their first and only album The Firm The Album October 21, 1997
Written by Mister Anderson on October 21, 2022
The Album is the only studio album by the hip-hop group The Firm. It was released on October 21, 1997, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The project was created by rapper Nas, his manager Steve Stoute and producers Dr. Dre and Trackmasters, who came up with the idea of forming a hip-hop supergroup. The original line-up included Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega who were all featured on the song “Affirmative Action” from Nas’ album It Was Written (1996). However, Cormega later left the group due to artistic differences between him and Nas, as well as contract disagreements with Stoute. He was replaced by Nature prior to the recording of the album. The Album is a concept album that revolves around the themes of mafia and “gangsta” lifestyle. The songs on the album were mainly produced by Dr. Dre, Chris “The Glove” Taylor, and Trackmasters (as Poke and Tone), and feature guest vocals from Pretty Boy, Wizard, Canibus, Dawn Robinson, Noreaga, and Half-a-Mill.
The Album received mixed reviews from music critics, who criticized its mainstream pop-oriented sound rather than the members’ previous styles. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and also topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also charted in other countries, such as Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. The Album sold 147,000 copies in the debut week and has sold over 925,000 copies in the United States and was certified gold in Canada. Two singles were released from the album, with “Firm Biz” peaking at number twelve on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and number eighteen on the UK Singles Chart. Although the album’s second single “Phone Tap” failed to chart, it remained the group’s signature song.
… [source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Album_(The_Firm_album)]