Editing Uncle Sam's Curse

{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Uncle Sam's Curse
| type = studio
| artist = [[Above the Law (group)|Above the Law]]
| cover = AboveTheLaw-UncleSamsCurse.jpg
| alt =
| released = July 12, 1994
| recorded = 1993–1994
| studio = The Edge Recording <small>([[California]])</small>
| genre = {{hlist|[[West Coast hip-hop]]|[[gangsta rap]]|[[g-funk]]}}
| length = 59:57
| label = {{hlist|[[Ruthless Records|Ruthless]]|[[Relativity Records|Relativity]]}}
| producer = {{hlist|[[Cold 187um]]|DJ K-oss <small>(co.)</small>|KM.G <small>(co.)</small>}}
| prev_title = [[Black Mafia Life]]
| prev_year = 1993
| next_title = [[Time Will Reveal]]
| next_year = 1996
| misc = {{Singles
 | name = Uncle Sam's Curse
 | type = studio
 | single1 = [[Black Superman (Above the Law song)|Black Superman]]
 | single1date = June 28, 1994
}}
}}
'''''Uncle Sam's Curse''''' is the third studio album by the American hip hop group [[Above the Law (group)|Above the Law]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/above-the-law-mn0000587540/biography|title=Above the Law Biography, Songs, & Albums|website=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/gallery/94-week-50-best-rap-albums-1994/|title='94 Week: The 50 Best Rap Albums Of 1994|first1=Max|last1=Weinstein|work=Vibe|date=September 17, 2014}}</ref> It was released in 1994, the group's final record on [[Ruthless Records]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wNfx07-AJwcC&pg=PA1|title=Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop|first=Frank W.|last=Hoffmann|date=August 20, 2005|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=9780816069804 |via=Google Books}}</ref> The album peaked at number 15 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] and 113 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/277913/above-law/chart|title=Above the Law – Chart history {{!}} Billboard|website=www.billboard.com|language=en|access-date=March 10, 2017}}</ref> ''Uncle Sam's Curse'' sold over 250,000 copies.

Audio production was handled by A.T.L.'s [[Cold 187um]] with co-producers KM.G and K-oss. The tracks "Return of the Real Shit" and "[[Black Superman (Above the Law song)|Black Superman]]" contain samples from the 1994 film ''[[Against the Wall (1994 film)|Against the Wall]]''.

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/uncle-sams-curse-mw0000117961|title=Uncle Sam's Curse – Above the Law|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=March 10, 2017|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas}}</ref>
}}
''[[Trouser Press]]'' wrote that "Cold 187um kicks more good grooves as producer, but he can't smooth over the lyrical nonsense."<ref>{{cite web |title=Above the Law |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/above-the-law/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=20 August 2022}}</ref>

In 2016, ''[[LA Weekly]]'' called the album "an hourlong, funk-driven study in urban injustice and middle-American anxiety released halfway through the summer of the Brentwood murders, [[Newt Gingrich]]'s Contract With America and the Major League Baseball strike."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.laweekly.com/why-lost-g-funk-classic-uncle-sams-curse-is-more-relevant-than-ever/|title=Why Lost G-Funk Classic Uncle Sam's Curse Is More Relevant Than Ever|first=L. A.|last=Weekly|date=August 15, 2016|website=LA Weekly}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = 
| title1 = Return of the Real Shit
| length1 = 5:42
| title2 = Set Free
| length2 = 4:49
| title3 = Kalifornia
| note3 = featuring [[Kokane]]
| length3 = 4:35
| title4 = Concreat Jungle
| length4 = 4:25
| title5 = Rain Be for Rain Bo
| length5 = 4:34
| title6 = Everything Will Be Alright
| note6 = featuring Kokane
| length6 = 4:54
| title7 = [[Black Superman (Above the Law song)|Black Superman]]
| length7 = 4:27
| title8 = The 'G' in Me
| length8 = 4:52
| title9 = Uncle Sam's Curse
| length9 = 4:47
| title10 = One Time Two Many
| length10 = 4:49
| title11 = Who Ryde
| note11 = featuring [[Tone Lōc]] & Kokane
| length11 = 5:30
| title12 = Gangsta Madness
| length12 = 6:46
| total_length = 1:00:10
}}

==Personnel==
{{div col}}
* [[Cold 187um|Gregory Fernan Hutchinson]] — main artist, producer, keyboards, mixing
* [[Above the Law (group)|Kevin Michael Gulley]] — main artist, co-producer
* [[Above the Law (group)|Anthony Stewart]] — main artist, co-producer
* [[Kokane|Jerry Long, Jr.]] — featured artist (tracks 3, 6, 11)
* [[Tone Lōc|Anthony Terrell Smith]] — featured artist (track 11)
* Mike Smooth — bass, guitar, keyboards
* Jimmy Russell — bass
* [[Brian Gardner]] — mastering
* Mark Paladino — mixing
* Michael Miller — photography
* David Bett — art direction
* Allan Wai — design
* Kurt Nagahori — illustration (cover)
* Joanna — backing vocals
* Nicki — backing vocals
{{div col end}}

==Charts==
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/search?artistname=Above+the+Law&charttitle=&label=&chartcode=TLP|title=Above the Law, TLP|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=January 31, 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
| 113
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/search?artistname=Above+the+Law&charttitle=&label=&chartcode=BLP|title=Above the Law, BLP|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=January 31, 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
| 15
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 31, 2021}}</ref>
| 86
|}
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Above the Law}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1994 albums]]
[[Category:Ruthless Records albums]]
[[Category:Above the Law (group) albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Cold 187um]]