The Gift of Game
Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: Template:Start date | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Darkhorse2002studioThe Gift of GameCrazytown-GiftofGame.jpgCrazy TownTemplate:Start date1999Westlake (Los Angeles)* Rap rock<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- rap metal<ref name=NME/>
- nu metal<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- alternative metal<ref name=AllMusic/>45:17ColumbiaJosh Abrahamx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}
The Gift of Game is the debut studio album by American rap rock band Crazy Town. It was released on November 9, 1999, in the US by Columbia Records.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The album yielded the band its biggest hit with "Butterfly" which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on March 24, 2001.
Worldwide the album sold more than 2.5 million units,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with more than 1.6 million in the US alone.<ref name="billboard">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Background
As Crazy Town refused to cede their official website to Columbia Records (as per a contract clause), the record label barred the group from advertising it on the album's artwork.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> The band circumvented the ban by adding a last-minute outro to the album, titled after the website (www.crazytown.com), and in which the URL is repeating multiple times.<ref name=":0" />
The girl licking the lollipop on the cover of the album is a fictional character created by Crazy Town, known as "Little Lolita". Both the album title and the picture of Little Lolita are based on lyrics from the song "Lollipop Porn". The album cover was designed by co-lead singer Shifty Shellshock's father and uncle.<ref name="2001 interview">Template:Cite magazine</ref> A song titled "Lolita" later appeared on Shellshock's solo album Happy Love Sick and her image reappears on Crazy Town's third album The Brimstone Sluggers.
Reception
Steve Huey at AllMusic described the album as "similar to many other rap-inflected alternative metal albums in that it concentrates on sound over structure, creating macho, aggressive grooves with grinding, noisily textured guitars and the underlying feel of squared-off hip-hop beats". Huey argued that despite signs of Limp Bizkit's "juvenile humor", the album "shows promise".<ref name=AllMusic/> April Long of NME criticized the album for its generic guitar riffs, and containing "some of the most Neanderthal lyrics ever written".<ref name=NME/>
About the album's lyrics, Shifty Shellshock said: "We're just having a good time. We're not like political or anything. I can be very sarcastic just like a little punk, we talk a lot of trash. We have some points, like 'learn from your mistakes', 'check yourself', you know, 'don't get taken advantage of'. Real simple things, nothing too overwhelming".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Track listing
- Tracks 15 to 31 are blank, and are each 5 seconds in length.
Charts
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
Weekly charts
| Chart (2000–2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (European Top 100 Albums)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 8 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2001) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 40 |
| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 88 |
| European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 81 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 31 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 67 |
| US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 63 |
Certifications
Template:Certification Table Top Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Bottom
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US <ref name="Singles">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
US Alt. <ref name="Singles"/> |
US Main. <ref name="Singles"/> |
AUS <ref>Australian Singles Charting</ref> |
NLD <ref>Dutch Singles Charting</ref> |
NZL <ref>New Zealand Singles Charting</ref> |
FIN <ref>Finnish Singles Charting</ref> |
GER <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
SWI <ref>Swiss Singles Charting</ref> |
UK <ref>UK Charting Search for: "Crazy Town"</ref> |
SWE <ref>Swedish Charts – Crazy Town</ref> |
NOR <ref>Norway Charts – Crazy Town</ref> | |||
| 1999 | "Toxic" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2000 | "Darkside" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Butterfly" | 1 | 1 | 21 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2001 | "Revolving Door" | — | — | — | 76<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> | 71 | — | 19 | 26 | 43 | 23 | 46 | — | |
| "—" denotes a single that didn't chart | ||||||||||||||
Personnel
Crazy Town
- Epic – vocals; keyboards
- Shifty Shellshock – vocals
- Rust Epique – guitars
- Anthony Valli – guitars
- Doug Miller – bass
- DJ AM – turntables
- James Bradley Jr. – drums
Additional personnel
- Troy Van Leeuwen – guitars on "Darkside"
- Jay Gordon – keyboards on "Darkside", refrain in "Black Cloud"
- Stephen Costantino – guitars on "Revolving Door" and "Hollywood Babylon"
- KRS-One