The Shadiest One is the debut solo studio album by American rapper WC. It was released on April 28, 1998, via Payday/FFRR Records. The recording sessions took place at Backroom Studios in Glendale, at Echo Sound in Los Angeles, at Skip Saylor Recording in California, at Bad Ass Beat Lab in Antioch, at Infinite Studios in Alameda, at The Crackhouse, at Urban House Studios, Inc., and at Can-Am Recorders in Tarzana. The production was handled by DJ Battlecat, Stu-B-Doo, Ant Banks, Barr 9 Productions, Daz Dillinger, Douglas Coleman, Mo-Suave-A, Rick "Dutch" Cousin, Young Tre, DJ Crazy Toones and WC (the latter two also served as executive producers). It features guest appearances from CJ Mac, Daz Dillinger, E-40, Ron Banks, Too $hort, and Westside Connection. The album peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200 and at number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. Both of its singles, "Just Clownin'" and "Better Days", made it to the Billboard Hot 100 landing at number 56 and 64, respectively.

The Shadiest One
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 28, 1998 (1998-04-28)
Recorded1997–98
Studio
Genre
Length59:19
Label
Producer
WC chronology
Bow Down
(1996)
The Shadiest One
(1998)
Ghetto Heisman
(2002)
Singles from The Shadiest One
  1. "Just Clownin'"
    Released: November 11, 1997
  2. "Better Days"
    Released: September 29, 1998

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]

The Los Angeles Times said that the album "marries slick, funked-out beats with an unpretentious, silver-tongued flow—he sounds like a West Coast version of Queens MC Kool G. Rap."[2]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Hog"DJ Battlecat4:24
2."Where Y'All From" (Skit) DJ Battlecat1:10
3."Fuckin' wit Uh House Party"
4:49
4."The Shadiest One" (featuring CJ Mac)Ant Banks4:26
5."Can't Hold Back" (featuring Ice Cube)
  • W. Calhoun
  • Stuart Craig Bullard
  • David Porter
Skooby Doo3:34
6."Keep Hustlin'" (featuring E-40 and Too $hort)
Young Tre3:39
7."Just Clownin'"
DJ Battlecat3:59
8."The Autobiography"
  • W. Calhoun
  • L. Calhoun
  • Anthony Henderson
DJ Crazy Toones1:21
9."Worldwide Gunnin'"
  • W. Calhoun
  • Bullard
Skooby Doo3:25
10."Like That" (featuring Ice Cube, Daz Dillinger and CJ Mac)Daz Dillinger4:29
11."Call It What You Want"
DJ Crazy Toones4:29
12."Rich Rollin'"
  • W. Calhoun
  • Rick Cousins
Rick "Dutch" Cousin3:40
13."Cheddar" (featuring Ice Cube and Mack 10)
  • W. Calhoun
  • Tristan Jones
  • L. Calhoun
Mo-Suave-A4:12
14."Bank Lick" (Interlude) WC0:49
15."It's All Bad"
DJ Battlecat4:15
16."Better Days" (featuring Ron Banks)
Barr Nine Productions3:53
17."The Outcome"
  • W. Calhoun
  • Douglas Coleman
Douglas Coleman2:45
Total length:59:19

Charts

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Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[3] 19
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[4] 2

References

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  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Shadiest One - WC | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  2. ^ Johnson, Brett (10 May 1998). "Record Rack". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 94.
  3. ^ "WC Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  4. ^ "WC Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
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