Tough Luv

Tough Luv
Tough Luv
Studio album by Young Gunz
Released	February 24, 2004
Recorded	2003
Studios	Sony Music Studios (New York, NY); The Studio (Philadelphia, PA); Homebase Studios (Philadelphia, PA); Baseline Studios (New York, NY); Quad Recording (New York, NY);
Genre	Hip hop
Length	1:12:37
Labels	Roc-A-Fella; Def Jam;
Producers	Jay-Z (exec.); Damon Dash (exec.); Kareem "Biggs" Burke (exec.); Bink!; Boola; Chad Hamilton; Darrell "Digga" Branch; EZ Elpee; Just Blaze; Ruggedness; Scott Storch;
Young Gunz chronology
Singles from Tough Luv
	"No Better Love"; Released: 2004; "Friday Night"; Released: 2004;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Pitchfork	4.1/10
RapReviews	7/10
Spin	B−

Tough Luv is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Young Gunz. It was released on February 24, 2004, via Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions took place at Sony Music Studios, Baseline Studios and Quad Recording in New York, and at The Studio and Homebase Studios in Philadelphia. Production was handled by Chad Hamilton, Just Blaze, Bink!, Boola, Darrell "Digga" Branch, Ez Elpee, Ruggedness and Scott Storch, with Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Denim, Beanie Sigel, Cam'ron, Chingy, Freeway, Jay-Z, Juelz Santana, Omillio Sparks and Rell.

The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and sold 128,000 copies in its first week. By 2010, it sold 421,000 units in the US. Its lead single "No Better Love" peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

Track listing per CD liner notes.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Future of the Roc"	Christopher Ries Hanif Muhammad Roosevelt Harrell Thom Bell Leroy Bell Casey James	Bink! Spunk Digga (co.)	2:59
2.	"Roc U" (featuring Beanie Sigel)	Ries Muhammad Dwight Grant Chad Hamilton	Chad Hamilton	4:52
3.	"No Better Love" (featuring Rell)	Ries Muhammad Hamilton Ryan Presson Luther Vandross Nat Adderley Jr.	Chad Hamilton Ryan Press (co.)	3:55
4.	"Friday Night"	Ries Muhammad Justin Smith Darryl McDaniels Joseph Simmons Melvin Glover Nathaniel Glover Eddie Morris Sylvia Robinson Joseph Saddler Keith Wiggins Guy Williams Doug Wimbish	Just Blaze	4:09
5.	"$$$ Girlz" (featuring Juelz Santana)	Ries Muhammad LaRon James Hamilton Daryl Hall	Chad Hamilton	3:54
6.	"Never Take Me Alive" (featuring Jay-Z)	Ries Muhammad Shawn Carter Scott Storch	Scott Storch	4:59
7.	"Tough Luv" (featuring Denim)	Ries Muhammad Smith Dee Ervin	Just Blaze	5:39
8.	"Grown Man"	Ries Muhammad Hamilton L. Bell C. James	Chad Hamilton	3:13
9.	"North of Death"	Ries Hamilton	Chad Hamilton	4:59
10.	"Look in Your Eyes" (featuring Cam'ron)	Ries Muhammad Cameron Giles Melvin Carter	Ruggedness	4:13
11.	"Take It How U Want It" (featuring Sparks)	Ries Muhammad Kenneth Johnson Hamilton	Chad Hamilton	5:10
12.	"That's Right"	Muhammad Alrad Lewis	Boola	4:31
13.	"Parade" (featuring Freeway)	Ries Muhammad Hamilton Presson Norman Whitfield	Chad Hamilton Ryan Press (co.)	4:31
14.	"Time"	Ries Muhammad Hamilton Presson Bob Reneu	Chad Hamilton Ryan Press (co.)	3:46
15.	"Life We Chose" (featuring Denim)	Ries Muhammad R. Stafford Hamilton Presson Burt Bacharach Hal David	Chad Hamilton Shane Boog (co.) Ryan Press (co.)	4:13
16.	"Problemz"	Ries Muhammad Lamont Porter	Ez Elpee The Thorobreads (add.)	3:12
17.	"Can't Stop, Won't Stop Remix" (featuring Chingy)	Ries Muhammad Howard Bailey Darrell Branch Dwight Myers Marlon Williams Leo Nocentelli Joseph Modeliste Art Neville George Porter Jr. M. Glover N. Glover Morris Wiggins G. Williams	Darrell "Digga" Branch	4:22
Total length:				1:12:37

Sample credits

Track 1 contains elements of "(Do It, Do It) No One Does It Better" by The Spinners.
Track 3 contains a sample of "Better Love" by Luther Vandross.
Track 4 contains interpolations of "Peter Piper" by Run-DMC and "Flash to the Beat" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
Track 5 contains a sample of "Rich Girl" by Hall & Oates.
Track 7 contains an interpolation of "I'd Rather Share You" written by D. Ervin.
Track 8 contains a sample of "Don't Stop Loving Me Now" by L.T.D.
Track 13 contains a sample of "I Need You" by The Temptations.
Track 14 contains a master sample use of the original recording of "All I Need Is Time" by First Choice.
Track 15 contains a sample of "(They Long to Be) Close to You" by Isaac Hayes.
Track 17 contains interpolations of "Gyrlz, They Love Me" by Heavy D and "Superrappin'" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

Personnel

Personnel per CD liner notes.

Christopher "Young Chris" Ries – vocals
Hanif "Neef Buck" Muhammad – vocals
Dwight "Beanie Sigel" Grant – vocals (track 2)
Gerrell "Rell" Gaddis – vocals (track 3)
LaRon "Juelz Santana" James – vocals (track 5)
Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter – vocals (track 6), executive producer
Denim – vocals (tracks: 7, 15)
Cameron "Cam'ron" Giles – vocals (track 10)
Kenneth "Omillio Sparks" Johnson – vocals (track 11)
Leslie "Freeway" Pridgen – vocals (track 13)
Howard "Chingy" Bailey – vocals (track 17)
Steve Tirpak – trumpet (track 1)
Emma Kummrow – violin (track 1)
Igor Szwec – violin (track 1)
Gloria Justen – violin (track 1)
Larry Gold – cello, additional strings and horns (track 1)
E-Bass – keyboards and guitars (tracks: 4, 7)
Matt McCarrin – additional keyboards (track 9)
J. I. of Team PB – additional vocals (track 10)
Cosmic Kev – additional scratches (track 13)
Roosevelt "Bink!" Harrell III – producer (track 1)
Spunk Digga – co-producer (track 1)
Shane "Bermuda" Woodley – recording (tracks: 1, 3–5, 7, 10, 12, 14)
Jeff Chestek – recording (track 1)
Dragan "Chach" Cacinovic – mixing (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 16, 17)
Chad Hamilton – producer & recording (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13–15)
Doug Wilson – mixing (tracks: 2, 8, 11, 13–15)
Ryan Presson – co-producer (tracks: 3, 13–15)
Justin "Just Blaze" Smith – producer (tracks: 4, 7)
Ken Lewis – mixing (tracks: 4, 7)
Scott Storch – producer (track 6)
Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – recording (track 6), mixing (track 12)
Kam Houff – mixing (track 6)
Melvin "Ruggedness" Carter – producer (track 10)
Alrad "Boola" Lewis – producer (track 12)
Caveman – recording (track 13)
Shane Boog – co-producer (track 15)
Lamont "Ez Elpee" Porter – producer (track 16)
The Thorobreads – additional producer(s) (track 16)
Carlisle Young – recording (tracks: 16, 17)
Darrell "Digga" Branch – producer (track 17)
Tony Dawsey – mastering
Damon "Dame" Dash – executive producer
Kareem "Biggs" Burke – executive producer
Andrew Huggins – recording administrator
Eric Weissman – sample clearance agent
Dawud West – art direction, design
Mark Mann – photography
Oluwaseye Olusa – additional photography
Patrick Reynolds – A&R administrator
Darcell Lawrence – A&R direction
Darrin Chandler – A&R direction
Ramses Francois – A&R coordinator
Travis Cummings – A&R coordinator
Gary "Big Face" Bien-Aime – A&R
Shalik Berry – A&R
Sherman Dudley – management
Jay Brown – management
Amber Noble – marketing
Girard Hunt – marketing
Shari Bryant – marketing
Jennifer Justice – legal

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2004)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2004)	Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	52

References

↑ Kellman, Andy. "Young Gunz - Tough Luv Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
↑ Pemberton, Rollie (April 5, 2004). "Young Gunz: Tough Luv". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
↑ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (February 24, 2004). "Young Gunz :: Tough Luv – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
↑ Ryan, Chris (April 2004). "Reviews". Spin. Vol. 20, no. 4. SPIN Media LLC. p. 93. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
↑ "(XXL Scan)Def Jam's Entire Rap Discography & Their Record Sales". www.hiphopstan.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010.
1 2 Tough Luv (Booklet). United States: Roc-A-Fella Records. 2004. p. 2–3, 5–6, 10–11. B0001937-02.
↑ "Young Gunz Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
↑ "Young Gunz Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2020.

External links

Young Gunz – Tough Luv at Discogs (list of releases)

[AllMusic-1] Kellman, Andy. "Young Gunz - Tough Luv Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 25, 2023.

[2] Pemberton, Rollie (April 5, 2004). "Young Gunz: Tough Luv". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 25, 2023.

[3] Juon, Steve 'Flash' (February 24, 2004). "Young Gunz :: Tough Luv – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved January 25, 2023.

[4] Ryan, Chris (April 2004). "Reviews". Spin. Vol. 20, no. 4. SPIN Media LLC. p. 93. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved January 25, 2023.

[5] "(XXL Scan)Def Jam's Entire Rap Discography & Their Record Sales". www.hiphopstan.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010.

[liner_notes-6] 1 2 Tough Luv (Booklet). United States: Roc-A-Fella Records. 2004. p. 2–3, 5–6, 10–11. B0001937-02.

[ac_Billboard200_Young_Gunz-7] "Young Gunz Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2020.

[ac_BillboardRandBHipHop_Young_Gunz-8] "Young Gunz Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2020.

[9] "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2020.

v t e Young Gunz
Neef Buck Young Chris
Albums	Tough Luv Brothers from Another
Mixtapes	Rapid Fire
Singles	"Can't Stop, Won't Stop" "Set It Off"
With State Property	State Property The Chain Gang Vol. 2
Related	Discography