View source for All Eyez on Me (Monica album)

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = All Eyez on Me
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Monica (singer)|Monica]]
| cover      = Alleyezonme (album).L.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = {{Start date|2002|09|11|mf=y}} (Japan)
| recorded   = 2000–2002
| genre      = [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]
| length     = 47:24
| label      = [[J Records|J]]
| producer   =
*[[Dallas Austin]]
*[[Peter Biker]]
*[[Bryan Michael Cox]]
*[[Jermaine Dupri]]
*[[David Foster]]
*[[Fred Jerkins III]]
*[[Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins]]
*[[Soulshock & Karlin]]
*[[Ric Wake]]
| prev_title = [[The Boy Is Mine (album)|The Boy Is Mine]]
| prev_year  = 1998
| next_title = [[After the Storm (Monica album)|After the Storm]]
| next_year  = 2003
| misc       = {{Singles
| name        = All Eyez on Me
| type        = studio
| single1     = [[All Eyez on Me (Monica song)|All Eyez on Me]]
| single1date = June 17, 2002
| single2     = [[Too Hood]]
| single2date = September 23, 2002
}}
}}
'''''All Eyez on Me''''' is the third studio album by American recording artist [[Monica (singer)|Monica]]. Named after its [[All Eyez on Me (Monica song)|same-titled lead single]], it marked the singer's first record under [[Clive Davis]]' [[J Records]] roster and was first released on September 11, 2002, in Japan. The tracks on the album are a mixture of uptempo songs and [[ballad]]s, and it was crafted by producers such as [[Dallas Austin]], [[Bryan Michael Cox]], [[Jermaine Dupri]], [[Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins]], and [[Soulshock & Karlin]].
Released to mixed reviews by music critics, the album reached number 14 on the [[Oricon Albums Chart|Japanese Albums Chart]]. Its preceding two singles, "[[All Eyez on Me (Monica song)|All Eyez on Me]]" and "[[Too Hood]]", achieved moderate commercial success on the charts. Expected to be released on November 12, 2002, in the United States, the album was eventually put on hold after being heavily [[Bootleg recording|bootlegged]] following its Japanese release and became widely available through Internet [[file-sharing]] services. The album was then partially re-recorded and retooled as ''[[After the Storm (Monica album)|After the Storm]]'' in 2003 with original album cut, "[[U Should've Known Better]]", released as its fourth single in 2004.
== Background ==
In June 2000, in an interview with [[MTV News]], Monica revealed that she was planning to start working on a follow-up to her 1998 album, ''[[The Boy Is Mine (album)|The Boy Is Mine]]'', throughout the summer season, with a first single to be released by October of the same year.<ref name="mtv-jj">{{cite news|title=Monica: Jingle Jamming |publisher=MTV.com |work=[[MTV News]] |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/archive/m/monica00/index2.jhtml |access-date=24 July 2012 |date=1 June 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213030753/http://www.mtv.com/bands/archive/m/monica00/index2.jhtml |archive-date=2013-12-13 }}</ref> Expressing her interest in reteaming with the core musicians she had worked with on her second album – including frequent collaborators [[Dallas Austin]], [[Rodney Jerkins]], [[David Foster]], [[Daryl Simmons]], and [[Jermaine Dupri]] – the singer expected the album to be released in the first quarter of 2001 following her involvement with [[Oscar Mayer]]'s ''Jingle Jam Talent Search'' contest and the filming of her first major motion picture, ''[[Love Song (2000 film)|Love Song]]'' (2001).<ref name="mtv-jj"/> The following month, personal tribulations put a temporary halt on the album's production when her former boyfriend Jarvis "Knot" Weems committed [[suicide]].<ref name="Enquirer">{{cite web|first=Nekesa|last=Mumbi Moody|date=2003-06-27|title=Monica Triumphs Over Tragedy ''After the Storm''|work=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer|Enquirer]]|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/06/27/tem_0627monica.html|access-date=2007-06-01}}</ref> In July 2000, Monica and Weems were together at the graveside of Weems's brother, who had died in an automobile accident at age 25 in 1998, when Weems, without warning, put a gun to his head and shot himself to death.<ref name="Enquirer"/> Knot left behind a daughter from a previous relationship, who Monica took into care after going into hiatus.<ref name="mtv-idn"/> "Jarvis' death had everything to do with me not working," she said in 2001. "I was not able [...] I was working all these hours after it happened, [but] I realized in the midst of everything, I couldn't handle it. I'm not ashamed to say that I decided to step back and get the help I needed to really come from within."<ref name="mtv-idn">{{cite news|title=Monica: It's Different Now |publisher=MTV.com |work=[[MTV News]] |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/archive/m/monica01/index2.jhtml |access-date=24 July 2012 |date=18 April 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213030857/http://www.mtv.com/bands/archive/m/monica01/index2.jhtml |archive-date=2013-12-13 }}</ref>
==Recording and production==
In the first quarter of 2001, Monica's single "[[Just Another Girl (Monica song)|Just Another Girl]]", taken from the soundtrack of the 2001 motion picture ''[[Down to Earth (2001 film)|Down to Earth]]'', was released.<ref name="mtv-idn"/> An uptempo R&B track dealing with relationship issues, Monica noted that the song did not "pertain to the stage in my life I'm in, so I'm really waiting and looking for material that will take you to some of the depths in my soul. It was very difficult to juggle all of those things and then try to be a family for his kids at the same time. I'm hoping to be an inspiration to a lot of young women."<ref name="mtv-idn"/> She eventually decided to return to the recording studio to prepare the release of her third album in fall 2001. Over the course of the sessions, [[Clive Davis]] – who had taken the singer with him from his former label, [[Arista Records]], to his latest venture, [[J Records]] – emerged as Monica's new mentor. Davis replaced producer Dallas Austin, while longtime contributor Jermaine Dupri served as the album's [[executive producer]].<ref name="bw">{{cite news|title=Superstar Monica Selects Self-Titled Album|publisher=Business Wire|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2002_June_27/ai_87859988|access-date=25 November 2007 | date=27 June 2002}}</ref> Throughout the process, Monica primarily focused on working with her usual stable of producers, which also included Austin, production duo [[Soulshock & Karlin]], [[Bryan Michael Cox]], and Rodney Jerkins and his Darkchild crew. Though she "had never thought about writing much" by then, her producers encouraged the singer to intensify her work on the album and to write and contribute own lyrics and ideas to the songs. "I didn't have one concept in mind: I just thought about the situations and that they might be worth sharing." In the end Monica came up with nine songs for her third album, which she declared as "quite serious" because of its more-adult subject-matter and moreover called it her "&thinsp;'coming of age' record" with the view to "establish the kind of fans who will be with me for the next ten years and more".<ref name="bw"/> Although the album was tentatively titled ''I'm Back'' and ''Monica'' at one time or another, it was eventually named after the album's lead single, "[[All Eyez on Me (Monica song)|All Eyez on Me]]".<ref name="bw"/>
==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''
| rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="blender">{{cite web|url=http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=536 |title=Review |work=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |publisher=Alpha Media Group |access-date=7 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107033416/http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=536 |archive-date=2007-11-07 }}</ref>
| rev2 = ''Soul in Stereo''
| rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="soulinstereo">{{cite web|first=Edward|last=Bowser|url=http://www.soulinstereo.com/2018/07/ranking-the-best-monica-albums.html|title=Ranking the Best Monica Albums|website=soulinstereo.com |date=July 31, 2018|access-date=March 21, 2022}}</ref>
}}
Upon its limited release, ''All Eyez on Me'' received generally mixed reviews from [[music criticism|music critics]]. Michael Endelman wrote in his early review for ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' that "like recent releases from [[Christina Aguilera]] and [[Brandy Norwood|Brandy]], the new album from Monica finds the 21-year-old R&B singer trying to escape her [[teen pop|teen-pop]] past. Thankfully, the result is more successful than [[Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)|Aguilera's recent foray into brazen sexuality and strained grunge rock]]. Her first album in four years, ''All Eyez on Me'' continues the pleasant, light-hearted soul that Monica is known for, while expanding into more mature subject matter."<ref name="TBG">{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7758268.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326042815/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7758268.html |archive-date=2016-03-26 |title=Monica |first=Michael |last=Endelman |date=17 January 2003 |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |publisher=The New York Times Company |issn=0743-1791 |access-date=7 October 2011}}</ref> ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' magazine's Dorian Lynskey, on the other hand, rated the album two out of five stars only. He sumed ''All Eyez on Me'' as "standard-issue R&B, competently rendered" and called it "a briskly efficient affair. Hired hands [...] earn their paychecks with a fistful of potential hits [...] but Monica has neither the vocal presence nor the charisma to convince us that someone else couldn't do an equally good job with the same bland, assembly-line material."<ref name="blender"/>
In a retrospective review of Monica's album discography, ''Soul in Stereo''{{'}}s Edward Bowser rated the album three and a half stars out of five and ranked it seventh ouf of her eight albums that were released until 2018. He wrote: "The album itself is pretty solid, filled with lots of familiar samples and loaded with promise." He cited "Too Hood", "All Eyez on Me", and "I'm Back" his favorite tracks on ''All Eyez on Me''.<ref name="soulinstereo"/>
== Release and performance ==
Though originally expected to be released worldwide, ''All Eyez on Me'' received a wide release on September 11, 2002, in Japan only.<ref name="blackflix">{{cite web |title=Music Sheet: Inspired by Tragedy: Enter Monica |first=Tara |last=Casanova |publisher=Blackflix.com |url=http://www.blackflix.com/music/monica.html |access-date=25 January 2012 |archive-date=March 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190314061449/http://www.blackflix.com/music/monica.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The set was initially scheduled for a US release in July 2002 and then pushed back to August and September before a November 12 release date was set.<ref name="bw"/><ref name="yahoo">{{cite web|title=Monica's 'All Eyez On Me' Due In November |date=5 September 2002 |first=Yves Erwin |last=Salomon |publisher=[[Yahoo! Music]] |url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/monica/news/monicas-all-eyez-on-me-due-in-november--12033430 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105172527/http://new.music.yahoo.com/monica/news/monicas-all-eyez-on-me-due-in-november--12033430 |archive-date=2013-01-05 |access-date=25 November 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Is About To Begin...|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HxEEAAAAMBAJ|date=June 22, 2002|access-date=March 21, 2022}}</ref> By the time it was being scheduled for domestic release however, ''All Eyez on Me'' had been heavily [[Bootleg recording|bootlegged]] in Japan and become widely available through Internet [[file-sharing]] services.<ref name="Enquirer"/> In addition, the first single released from the project, "[[All Eyez on Me (Monica song)|All Eyez on Me]]" had experienced moderate success on the charts, while follow-up "[[Too Hood]]" also got a lukewarm response.<ref name="Enquirer"/> As a result, the album was pulled from stores days after the release and Monica's label J Records asked her to substantially reconstruct the record with a host of new producers, including musician [[Missy Elliott]] who would emerge as the new version's [[executive producer]].<ref name="Enquirer"/>
Though [[Rodney Jerkins]]-produced "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" was considered to be released as a single at times, ''All Eyez on Me'' yielded just two singles.<ref name="Enquirer"/> Its lead single, "All Eyez on Me", entered the top 40 in Australia and New Zealand but barely made it to the top 70 of the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart and peaked at number 24 on the component [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks]] chart. The second single, "Too Hood", featuring [[Jermaine Dupri]], received a limited vinyl release only since J Records denied to produce a [[music video]] for the song. It, however, was included on a limited edition bonus CD with re-worked ''[[After the Storm (Monica album)|After the Storm]]'' in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=Monica– Too Hood|publisher=[[Discogs]] |url=http://www.discogs.com/Monica-Too-Hood/release/1883520|access-date=25 January 2012}}</ref>
== Track listing ==
Some songs appear with different titles than the re-tooled release, ''[[After the Storm (Monica album)|After the Storm]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/5408067/a/All+Eyez+On+Me.htm# |title=Monica – All Eyez On Me CD – Import |publisher=CDUniverse.com |access-date=7 October 2011}}</ref>
{{Track listing
| headline        = ''All Eyez on Me'' track listing
| extra_column    = Producer(s)
| title1          = I'm Back
| writer1         = {{hlist|[[Monica (entertainer)|Monica Arnold]]|[[Bryan Michael Cox]]|[[Harold Lilly (songwriter)|Harold Lilly]]|Andy Armer|Randy Alpert}}
| extra1          = {{hlist|Cox|[[Jermaine Dupri]]{{ref|B|[B]}}|Lilly{{ref|D|[D]}}}}
| length1         = 3:35
| title2          = [[All Eyez on Me (Monica song)|All Eyez on Me]]
| writer2         = {{hlist|Arnold|[[LaShawn Daniels]]|[[James Ingram]]|[[Quincy Jones]]}}
| extra2          = {{hlist|[[Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins]]|Daniels{{ref|D|[D]}}}}
| length2         = 4:00
| title3          = [[U Should've Known Better|U Should've Known]] {{ref|A|[A]}}
| writer3         = {{hlist|Arnold|Cox|Dupri|Lilly}}
| extra3          = {{hlist|Dupri|Cox{{ref|C|[C]}}}}
| length3         = 4:18
| title4          = [[Too Hood]]
| note4           = featuring [[Jermaine Dupri]]
| writer4         = {{hlist|Arnold|Cox|Dupri|Lilly}}
| extra4          = {{hlist|Dupri|Cox{{ref|C|[C]}}}}
| length4         = 4:04
| title5          = I Wrote This Song {{ref|A|[A]}}
| writer5         = {{hlist|Arnold|Shamora Crawford|[[Soulshock & Karlin|Kenneth Karlin]]|[[Soulshock & Karlin|Carsten Shack]]|[[Damon Sharpe]]|[[Shuggie Otis]]}}
| extra5          = [[Soulshock & Karlin]]
| length5         = 3:48
| title6          = U Deserve
| note6           = featuring [[Hussein Fatal]]
| writer6         = {{hlist|Arnold|Lilly|[[Young Noble|Rufus Cooper]]|[[Kastro (Outlawz)|Katari Cox]]|Yaleu Fula|Joseph Paquette|[[Tupac Shakur]]|[[Bruce Washington]]|[[Tyrone Wrice]]}}
| extra6          = [[Dallas Austin]]
| length6         = 4:24
| title7          = Breaks My Heart {{ref|A|[A]}}
| writer7         = {{hlist|Shack|Karlin|Crawford}}
| extra7          = Soulshock & Karlin
| length7         = 4:27
| title8          = Ain't Gonna Cry No More {{ref|A|[A]}}
| writer8         = {{hlist|Arnold|Jerkins|[[Fred Jerkins III]]|Daniels}}
| extra8          = {{hlist|Jerkins|Daniels{{ref|D|[D]}}}}
| length8         = 4:10
| title9          = If U Were the Girl
| note9           =
| writer9         = {{hlist|Arnold|Dupri|Cox|Lilly|[[Snoop Dogg|Calvin Broadus]]|[[Awood Johnson]]|[[KLC|Craig Lawson]]|[[C-Murder|Corey Miller]]}}
| extra9          = {{hlist|Dupri|Cox{{ref|C|[C]}}}}
| length9         = 3:51
| title10         = What Hurts the Most {{ref|A|[A]}}
| writer10        = {{hlist|Shack|[[Peter Biker]]|Crawford}}
| extra10         = {{hlist|Soulshock & Karlin|Biker}}
| length10        = 4:44
| title11         = Searchin{{'-}}
| writer11        = {{hlist|Arnold|Lilly}}
| extra11         = Cox
| length11        = 4:30
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Bonus tracks
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title12         = [[Just Another Girl (Monica song)|Just Another Girl]]
| writer12        = {{hlist|[[Damon Sharpe]]|[[Lindy Robbins]]|Carsten Lindberg|Joachim Svare}}
| extra12         = {{hlist|[[Ric Wake]]|Richard "Richie" Jones{{ref|B|[B]}}|Great Dane{{ref|B|[B]}}}}
| length12        = 3:24
| title13         = What My Heart Says
| writer13        = [[Diane Warren]]
| extra13         = [[David Foster]]
| length13        = 3:59
}}
'''Notes'''
* <sup>{{note|A|[A]}}</sup> denotes later inclusion on [[After the Storm (Monica album)|''After the Storm'']]
* <sup>{{note|B|[B]}}</sup> denotes additional producer
* <sup>{{note|C|[C]}}</sup> denotes co-producer
* <sup>{{note|D|[D]}}</sup> denotes vocal producer
'''Sample credits'''
* "I'm Back" contains [[interpolation]]s from [[Herb Alpert]]'s 1979 composition "[[Rise (Herb Alpert song)|Rise]]", written by Andy Armer and Randy Alpert.
* "[[All Eyez on Me (Monica song)|All Eyez on Me]]" contains excerpts from [[Michael Jackson]]'s 1982 song "[[P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)]]", written by [[Quincy Jones]] and [[James Ingram]].
* "I Wrote This Song" contains excerpts from the composition "Aht Uh Mi Hed" (1970), written and performed by [[Shuggie Otis]].
* "U Deserve" samples from [[Tupac Shakur|Tupac]]'s "[[Hail Mary (Makaveli song)|Hail Mary]]" (1996), written by [[Young Noble|Rufus Cooper]], [[Kastro (Outlawz)|Katari Cox]], Yaleu Fula, Joseph Paquette, [[Tupac Shakur]], [[Bruce Washington]], and [[Tyrone Wrice]].
* "If U Were the Girl" sample from [[C-Murder]]' composition "Down 4 My Niggas" (2000), written by [[Snoop Dogg|Calvin Broadus]], [[Awood Johnson]], [[KLC|Craig Lawson]], and [[C-Murder|Corey Miller]].
== Credits and personnel ==
Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.<ref name="booklet">{{cite AV media notes |title=All Eyez on Me |others=Monica |date=2002 |type=CD liner |publisher=[[J Records]]}}</ref>
'''Performers and musicians'''
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* Montez Arnold – keyboards
* Shamora Crawford – backing vocals
* DJ Mars – [[programming (music)|programming]]
* Eric Jackson – guitar
{{col-2}}
* Marc Kelly – bass guitar
* New Birth Praise Team – backing vocals
* Tommy Martin – guitar
* William Odum – guitar
{{col-end}}
'''Production '''
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* [[A&R]] – Larry Jackson, [[Keith Naftaly]]
* Album coordination – Melinda Dancil
* [[Art direction]] – Alexis Yraola
* [[Audio engineering|Engineering]] – Ralph Cacciurri, Doug Harms, Tim Lauber, Carlton Lynn, Bill Malina
* [[Audio mastering|Mastering]] – [[Tony Dawsey]]
{{col-2}}
* [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|Mixing]] – Kevin Davis, R. Jerkins, [[Manny Marroquin]], [[Soulshock|Carsten Shack]], Dexter Simmons, [[Phil Tan]]
* Mixing assistance – John Horesco IV
* Photography – Joshua Jordan
* Photo shoot production – Chris LeBeau
* Vocal production – [[LaShawn Daniels]], [[Harold Lilly (songwriter)|Harold Lilly]], [[Rodney Jerkins]]
{{col-end}}
== Charts ==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Chart performance for ''All Eyez on Me''
! scope="col"| Chart (2002–2003)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon Albums Chart|Oricon]])<ref name="jap">{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/170330/products/release/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808151315/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/170330/products/release/ |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |title=   モニカのリリース一覧|language=Japanese |publisher=[[Oricon]] |access-date=July 4, 2018}}</ref>
|style="text-align:center;"|14
|-
{{album chart|Switzerland|88|artist=Monica|album=All Eyez on Me|accessdate=July 4, 2018|rowheader=true}}
|}
==Release history==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ ''All Eyez on Me'' release history
!scope="col"| Region
!scope="col"| Date
!scope="col"| Format
!scope="col"| Label
!scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! scope="row"| Japan
| September 11, 2002
| [[Compact disc|CD]]
| [[BMG Japan]]
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/BVCP-21260 |title=Monica: All Eyez On Me|website=cdjapan.co.jp|language=ja|access-date=March 21, 2022}}</ref><ref name="jap"/>
|}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Monica}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:2002 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Bryan-Michael Cox]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Dallas Austin]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins]]
[[Category:Albums produced by David Foster]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Jermaine Dupri]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Ric Wake]]
[[Category:Monica (singer) albums]]
[[Category:J Records albums]]