City High

City High

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 22, 2001)
• Original Release Date: May 22, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B00005J70R
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,157 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
City High's two-guys-and-a-girl combination will strike inevitable comparisons to their predecessors in the hip-hop neo- soulster sweepstakes, namely Digable Planets and the Fugees. But their perimeters have been adjusted to fit the post-millennial tension that urban radio is currently experiencing. Bypassing all sorts of obvious "conscious" hipsterisms, the trio's music strikes a fine balance between self-realization and street-level realness. The fact that they chose to address such basic concerns as low-income single motherhood (on "What Would You Do") and the perils of creeping with jailbait ("15 Will Get You 20"), immediately sets them apart from both the Missy Elliotts and the Lucy Pearls of the world. Stylistically, the record is surprisingly heavy on the smoothed-out R&B tip, and singer Claudette Ortiz is unquestionably more Destiny's Child than L-Boogie. But the production, handled by executive producer Wyclef Jean, DJ Clark Kent, and others, subverts the classic Quiet Storm formula and serves as an interesting counterpoint to the group's capable vocals. City High is a keeper. --Rebecca Levine

Product Description
Debut self-titled album. A mixture of strong, uptempo R&B with pop hooks and a healthy dose of Hip Hop beats, but it is their lyrics which make them unique. Their subject matters are a far cry from R&B's usual 'bump n grind' and 'luv U down' lines instead dealing with real issues that face the youth growing up in inner-cities. Includes 3 tracks not on USA version:'Do The Right Thing','It Ain't The Same' & the cd-rom video of 'What Would You Do'. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars City High=Hell of a CD!, July 2, 2001

By	Derek Stueben (Fort Lee, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

City High has become one of my favorite CD's lately and I think we are looking at an EXTEMELEY talented group! This CD brings back "true" music. This is my scale of 1-10 on every song:

1. Didn't Ya- 9.0 Great Chorus

2. 3-Way- 9.5 Catchy Tune, one of my favs!

3. Why- 8.5 A pretty good song, 8.5 is not bad

4. Song For You- 8.0 A good song, but not on my favs list

5. 15 Will Get You 20- 9.5 An awesome chorus

6. Cats and Dogs- 9.0 Another great chorus from City High

7. Caramel- 9.0 A very good song with great vocals

8. Best Friends- 9.5 A song with meaning, tracks 8,9, and 10 are the 3 best

9. Sista- 9.5 This great song kinds makes you think...

10. What Would You Do- 10.0 This All-Around GREAT song gets a perfect score from me

11. So Many Things- 9.0 A catchy song that keeps City High great

12. The Only One I Trust- 9.0 A very moving song

13. CIty High Anthem- 9.5 Catchy, catchy, catchy, anyone who has heard it, its all true

14. You Don't Know Me- 8.0 Just doesn't catch on with me

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars City High is the best ever!!, May 23, 2001

By	"cutiepie518" (Cali) - See all my reviews

There are so many reasons City High is the best... They're the next Fugees- after all, Wyclef Jean is one of they're executive producers! They're Cd, though, shows that they're talented too! 1. Didn't Ya- I really like this song. Claudette sounds like Janet Jackson in it. 2. Three Way- This song is kewl too! It has great rhythm and beat, and the vocals are fab! 3. Why- kewl beginning to the song! Its kinda slow, but I luv this song to. The chorus is absolutely beautiful. 4. Song For You- I luv how they say "Let's Reminisce, Ya'll" in the background (and the background music too). Yet again, you hear Ryans beautiful voice! 5. 15 Will Get You 20- You hear more of Claudette in this song. Actually, you hear the whole group! They make a great trio! 6. Cats and Dogs- Claudette raps!! And so do the boys! That is so cool!! The Chorus is really good too. I love this song! 7. Caramel- This is my friends personal favorite. I like it too, but not as much as her. Claudette sings in this too! The chorus yet again is catchy and cool. 8. Best Friends- this is one of my personal favorites. The song is very touching, kinda sad, but totally beautiful! 9. Sista- Great beat! Great Lyrics! Great vocals! 'nuff said!! 10. What Would You Do- Im guessing if you are reading this you've already heard the song. It was their first hit single! Great song though, I heard it once and went out and bought the single. 11. So Many Things- great song to slow dance to. 12. The Only One I Trust- I don't hate this song, but its not one of my fave. Its pretty good though. 13. City High Anthem- Not at all like the Ruff Ryders Anthem, but its still great! 14. You Dont Know Me- Good message in this song, I think we all can relate. All in all, this cd is the best!! Its seriously for everyone! So help this new band out- buy their cd!! And trust me, you will not be disappointed!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars City High.....on there way to World heights....tight!, May 24, 2001

By	I.B. (Westampton, NJ) - See all my reviews

City High is the first group to debut off J records after olivia made the way. Is this new group worth checking out?? Just from the first single alone I knew this would be worth listening to. I knew it was different just from the chorus "what would you do if your son was at home lying all alone on the bathroom floor and he's hungry, and the way to feed him is to sleep with a man fo ra little bit of money". Sounnded liek something one of thier friends went through. This cd is probably one of the best R+B/Hip cds to drop form a group in a while. The first thing you see with city high is they have the same formula their mentor "wyclef" had in his former group Fugees with 2 guys and a girl. This formula never goes wrong except this time around everyone comes strong and doesnt let the talents of one overshadow everyone else. First I'll let everyone know that all these joints were produced and written completly by all members of the group. I give 2 stars just for that alone. Now for the tracks, ...whats good?

(1/5(worst) - 5/5(best))

1-This is about a cheating lover. The beat is tight...one of my favorite on the cd. Claudette reminds me of beyonce at certain times but has a style all her own...really makes this track. (4/5)

2- This is about being in a love triangle(not what u was thinking..LOl). This is a funky track that plays like a story. they all sound good on this track. (3/5)

3-This is a slow to midtempo song with a tight beat about a love gone wrong. (4/5)

4- This is a latin/hip-hop track where robby lets u see how much he can blow. This song is dedicated to someone he loved or liekd a lot(I think). Tight track. (3.5/5)

5- This song is one of the deepest on the album. It talks about how a 15 year old can get you 20 years in jail.(making the name 15 will get you 20) This hapend to one of their freinds. midtempo beat. (4/5)

6- This one city high lets you see how they can rip the mike. Claudette and Ryan rip the mike and let you see how they flow. This talks about men that are dogs but gives a story behind why some ar ethat way(ie. broken heart....cold feelings) (4.5/5)

7- Nice track about a girl with caramel skin. Robby shows how he can blow on this one again and talks about what he wants in someone. (3/5)

8- This is another deep track. About a friend trying to get a couple back togetehr. even though one is better saying.."pay back is a B^&(h" Shows you teh flip side of things (4/5)

9- This one is just the guys singing. Mid-tempo soul beat about a freind telling his boy he been with his sister and got her pregnant behind his back. Anotehr deep one. (4/5)

10- We all know this track but this is anotehr one that puts you on the spot with the question..."what would you do?" (4/5)

11-A laid back , smooth track about someone leaving. (4/5)

12-Anotehr track with a laid back latin beat with claudette ripping it with the vocals giving you a ghetto fairytale about 2 lovers caught up. Something like teh movie "carmen" form mtv. (4/5)

13- Uplifting track about coming form the hood and making something better of theirselves contrary to what critics and otehr people said or may say. (4/5)

14- This is another funky track saying .."you dont knwo me so dont judge me....I let experience guide me as me teacher...and leave the rest up to him(god)". (4/5)

Overall you couldnt ask for anything better from a new group that had a lot going against them in competetion. Every song played out like a story. They each had at least one song where you got to really hear one member of group and know that none arein it for the image. They talked about so many things that I havent heard in hip-hop/R+b and the things that were similar to what was said already had a new twist to it. I like the fact that wyclef let them do their thing and didnt appear on every track unlike some other producers. Dont sleep on this new one....get it!