Victory Lap (album)

Victory Lap is the debut and only studio album by American rapper Nipsey Hussle. It was released on February 16, 2018, by All Money In and Atlantic Records. It was the last project to be released during Hussle's lifetime, as he was shot and killed on March 31, 2019. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 53,000 album-equivalent units. The following year, it received a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards. It became certified double platinum by the RIAA in February 2023, the album's fifth anniversary.Lamarre, Carl (February 16, 2023). "Nipsey Hussle's 'Victory Lap' Goes Double Platinum on Album's 5-Year Anniversary". Billboard.
== Synopsis ==
From the time he broke in 2008, Nipsey Hussle was one of the West Coast's brightest hopes for a post-Snoop Dogg superstar. Though he'd go on to deliver numerous classic street-level projects in the time since, Victory Lap is officially billed as Hussle's debut. The album is rife with the neo-G-funk sound that made his name ("Last Time That I Checc'd," "Dedication") as well as the platforms he's most proud of: turf-life activism and black business advocacy ("Young N***a," "Million While You Young"). The clout of guests like Puff Daddy, Kendrick Lamar, and Cee-Lo Green is not to be understated, but Hussle's collaborators, no matter their own fame, understand his importance.
== Background ==
Hussle broke down the track listing to NPR, stating, "When they [read] this interview, they'll be able to go through and listen to the album and really break down my point of view. That'll give them an insight on who I am and what I believe in more than any tweet or statement or Instagram post. When they hear the music, they'll hear what I believe in and what I choose to promote. And I think that's the most important thing."Carmichael, Rodney (February 16, 2018). "Nipsey Hussle Tells the Epic Stories Behind 'Victory Lap,' Track by Track". NPR.
Upon being nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards, he revealed to Rolling Stone that he "heard things," but didn't look into it until the formal announcement. He continued, "I wouldn't want to anticipate something and then get let down. I caught the official word 5:30 this morning at the gym. I been working on an early morning program."Leight, Elias (December 7, 2018). "Nipsey Hussle Wasn't Thinking of the Grammys When He Made 'Victory Lap,' But He Got a Nomination Anyway". Rolling Stone.
== Singles ==
Title 	Date
"Rap N*ggas" 	December 1, 2017
"Last Time That I Checc'd"	January 19, 2018
"Dedication" 	February 13, 2018
== Critical reception ==
Victory Lap received generally favorable reviews upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 80 based on 6 reviews."Victory Lap by Nipsey Hussle | Metacritic" Will Schube wrote a retrospective review, praising, "a thesis for a life, its history, philosophy, and narrative wrapped into 16 tight tracks."Schube, Will (April 3, 2019). "The Transformative Power of Nipsey Hussle's 'Victory Lap'". Billboard.
Ian McQuaid, writing for The Guardian, commented that Nipsey Hussle "effortlessly claims his place as crown prince of G-funk's new school," adding that "his brags rasp as hoarse and righteous as a man in the middle of a three-day bender, riding beats built from oozing bass swagger and slinking Compton synths." However, he felt that "At least half the album feels like padding." Exclaim!s A. Harmony opined that "the album's roughest spots are mostly loaded up front," though concluded that it's "a solid effort with the promise of better to come."Harmony, A. (February 16, 2018). "Nipsey Hussle - Victory Lap". Exclaim. Critic Sheldon Pearce for Pitchfork described Victory Lap as "the most gripping record" in the rapper's catalogue, and added: "The hour-long album honors all the work he's put in and looks back at all he's achieved, but it also looks forward to all he has yet to build and all those he can still inspire. His tactics can be tone-deaf and without nuance, but he knows exactly who he's speaking to and for."
Trent Clark of HipHopDX assessed: "Minor potholes aside, Victory Lap not only boosts Nipsey's stock but it raises expectations for the next time he eyes a checkered flag. The benchmark for quality has been set and the race to officially hit the championship podium is only getting revved up." Online publication HotNewHipHop stated in a positive review that Victory Lap "toes the line between classic and contemporary hip-hop. It captures the emotion of now, this victorious moment for Hussle, while still pushing for the permanence of a hip-hop classic. It's hard to tell whether Victory Lap offers a transient infectious feeling or life-long addiction, but this album should age well. The production is masterful, the features are well-placed, and Nipsey raps like he just won a marathon. The race for the victory paid off."
== Accolades ==
=== Awards ===
Year	Award 	Category 	Result	
2019	Grammy Awards	Best Rap Album	 	Leight, Elias (December 7, 2018). "Nipsey Hussle Wasn't Thinking of the Grammys When He Made 'Victory Lap,' but He Got a Nomination Anyway". Rolling Stone.
=== Year-end lists ===
Publisher	Listicle 	Year	Result	
Billboard	50 Best Albums of 2018 	2018	 	"Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2018: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 10, 2018.
Complex 	The Best Albums of 2018 	2018	 	"The Best Albums of 2018". Complex. December 5, 2018.
DJBooth 	50 Best Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2018	2018	 	"50 Best Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2018, Ranked". DJBooth. December 11, 2018.
Hypebeast	Top 10 Albums of 2018 	2018	 	"Top 10 Albums of 2018". Hypebeast. December 20, 2018.
Uproxx 	50 Best Albums of 2018 	2018	 	"The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Uproxx. December 3, 2018.
Vibe 	30 Best Albums of 2018 	2018	 	"Debate Us: The 30 Best Albums Of 2018". Vibe. December 18, 2018. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018.
=== Listicles ===
Publisher	Listicle 	Year	Result	
Albumism 	The 110 Best Albums of the 2010s	2019	 	"ALBUMISM SELECTS: The 110 Best Albums of the 2010s". Albumism. November 3, 2019.
Billboard	100 Greatest Albums of the 2010s	2019	 	"The 100 Greatest Albums of the 2010s: Staff Picks". Billboard. November 19, 2019.
Uproxx 	The Best Albums of the 2010s 	2019	 	"All the Best Albums of the 2010s, Ranked". Uproxx. October 7, 2019.
== Track listing ==
Notes
* "Succa Proof" originally didn't feature credited vocals by Konshens and J-Black.
* "Victory Lap," "Hussle & Motivate," and "Real Big" features additional vocals by Lauren London.
* "Dedication" features additional vocals by Alexandria Dopson and Garren Edwards.
* "Hussle & Motivate" features additional vocals by David Wade.
* "Million While You Young" features additional vocals by Brian Morgan.
* "Real Big" features background vocals by Alexandria Dopson and Rebekah Muhammad.
* "Double Up" features additional vocals by Axl Folie.
* "Double Up" and "Right Hand 2 God" features additional vocals by Zacari.
Samples
* "Victory Lap" contains an interpolation from "Knee Socks," written by Alex Turner, and performed by Arctic Monkeys.
* "Last Time That I Checc'd" contains an interpolation from "Money, Power & Respect," written by Jason Phillips, Sean Jacobs, David Styles, Earl Simmons, Herb Smith, Deric Angelettie, and Ron Lawrence, and performed by The Lox.
* "Young N*gga" contains a sample from "West District," written by Jahron Brathwaite and Noah "40" Shebib, and performed by PartyNextDoor, which itself samples "Only When Ur Lonely," written by Elgin Lumpkin, Timothy Mosley, Robert Reives and Clarence Lewis, and performed by Ginuwine; and elements from "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go," written and performed by Curtis Mayfield.
* "Blue Laces 2" contains a sample from "Give Me Some of That Good Old Love," written and performed by Willie Hutch.
* "Hussle & Motivate" contains a sample from "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," written by Shawn Carter, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin, and performed by Jay-Z.
* "Million While You Young" contains excerpts from A Little Bit of Business (Part 1) (2012), performed by Kyle Donovan and Don Peebles, courtesy of NV Magazine and New York Life Insurance Company.
* "Right Hand 2 God" contains a sample from "Getting Over You," written by David Camon, and performed by The Controllers.
== Personnel ==
Performers
* Nipsey Hussle primary artist
* Alexandria Dopson background vocals
* Brian Morgan vocals
* David Wade vocals
* Garren Edwards vocals
* J-Black vocals
* Lauren London vocals
* Rebekah Muhammad background vocals
* TeeFLii featured artist
* Cee-Lo Green featured artist
* Kendrick Lamar featured artist
* Konshens featured artist
* Puff Daddy featured artist
* Stacy Barthe featured artist
* YG featured artist
Musicians
* Brody Brown keyboards
* Dave Forman guitar
* DJ Battlecat talkbox
* Doc Allison cello, strings
* Eric Choice keyboards
* Mike & Keys bass arrangement
* Rance keyboards
* Uncle Chucc guitar
Technical
* Andrew Grossman assistant mixer
* Dave Kutch masterer
* Derek Ali mixer
* Cyrus "NOIS" Taghipour mixer
* Ethan Stevens engineer
* Garnett Flynn engineer, scratching
* Jeremy Brown engineer
* Mario "Wizzo" Fernandez engineer
* Matt Jacobson mixing advisor, assistant mixer
* Matt Schaeffer engineer
* Matty Rich engineer
* Ralo Stylez engineer
* Rich Keller mixing
* Roger Butler engineer, programmer
* Tarik Johnston engineer
* Zachary Acosta assistant mixer
Production
* Amaire Johnson production
* Axelfolie production
* Brody Brown additional production
* D.O. Speaks production
* DJ Khalil production
* G Koop production
* Jake One production
* Kacey Khalil additional production
* Rance production
* Mike & Keys production, additional production
* Mr. Lee production
* Murda Beatz production
* Mars production, additional production
* Nipsey Hussle production
* Ralo Stylez production
* Rance production, additional production
* Sap production
* Street Symphony production
* Travis Walton production
Additional personnel
* Nipsey Hussle executive producer, composer
* Jimmy Fontaine photography
* Jorge Peniche creative director, photography
* Natalie Apadula project manager
* Samiel "Blacc Sam" Asghedom executive producer
* Stephen "Fatts" Donelson executive producer
* Steven "Steve-O" Carless executive producer
* Sean "Diddy" Combs executive producer
* Virgilio Tzaj art direction, design
== Certifications ==
Country 	Certification 	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)	Gold Platinum 2× Platinum	2,000,000
 	 	
== References ==
Category:Albums
Category:Studio albums
Category:Victory Lap