HII (album)

h II
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 12, 1997 (Japan)
March 24, 1998 (worldwide)
Studio
  • The Hit Factory (New York City)
  • Power Play Studios (Long Island City, New York)
  • Streeterville Studios (Chicago)
  • Honda's Crib
GenreHip hop
Length1:04:00 (Japan)
57:32 (worldwide)
Label
Producer
DJ Honda chronology
h
(1995-1996)
h II
(1997)
h 2000
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[2]
Los Angeles Times[3]
The Source[4]

h II is the second album by Japanese producer DJ Honda. It was released on November 12, 1997, via Sony Records in Japan and on March 24, 1998, via Relativity Records and Epic Records in North America and Europe. Audio production of the album was solely handled by DJ Honda, except for three tracks of its worldwide version produced by Mista Sinista, Roc Raida and V.I.C. respectively. It featured guest appearances from various hip hop artists, including Camp Lo, Cuban Link, De La Soul, KRS-One, Mos Def and The Beatnuts among others. With DJ HONDA'S production and scratching, other hip hop artists continue to drop verses.

The album peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart[5] and number 16 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.[6] It also spawned seven singles, but only two of them reached music charts: "Travellin' Man" (No. 76 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[7] and No. 17 on Hot Rap Songs)[8] and "On The Mic" (No. 89 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs).[7]

Track listing

All music is composed by DJ Honda

1997 version
No.TitleLength
1."Trouble in the Water" (featuring De La Soul)3:45
2."Disco T-E-C" (featuring Camp Lo)5:02
3."Blaze It Up" (featuring Black Attack & Kia Jeffreys)4:31
4."Mista Sinista Interlude"1:02
5."Intro"0:17
6."Team Players" (featuring KRS-One & King Doe-V)4:51
7."Answering Machine"2:32
8."Talk About It" (featuring Al Tariq)3:12
9."When You Hot You Hot" (featuring Dug Infinite & No I.D.)4:12
10."Fat Lip Interlude" (featuring Fatlip)1:05
11."For Every Day That Goes By" (featuring Rawcotiks)3:30
12."5 Seconds" (featuring Black Attack)4:15
13."Example" (featuring Roc Raida)1:09
14."Stretch Armstrong and Lord Seer Interlude"1:09
15."Who the Trifest?" (featuring The Beatnuts)3:37
16."Long Island to Japan" (featuring DJ EV)0:21
17."Go Crazy" (featuring S-On)2:52
18."Around the Clock" (featuring Problemz)3:23
19."R-Beat"0:25
20."Sometimes I Think..." (featuring Rawcotiks)3:21
21."WF II" (featuring Al Tariq, Black Attack, Cuban Link, Juju, Problemz & V.I.C.)3:45
22."Kill the Noise (Remix)" (featuring Problemz)3:16
23."Fuk Dat" (featuring Black Attack)3:14
Total length:1:04:00

Sample credits[9]

1998 version
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Roc Raida Intro" (featuring Roc Raida)A. WilliamsRoc Raida1:10
2."Trouble in the Water" (featuring De La Soul)DJ Honda3:45
3."5 Seconds" (featuring Black Attack)
  • K. Honda
  • S. Boston
DJ Honda3:59
4."Hai!" (featuring Keith Murray & 50 Grand)DJ Honda3:26
5."Every Now & Then" (featuring Infamous Syndicate)DJ Honda2:21
6."Mista Sinista Interlude" (featuring Mista Sinista)J. WrightMista Sinista1:04
7."Team Players" (featuring KRS-One & King Doe-V)
DJ Honda4:42
8."On the Mic" (featuring A.L., Cuban Link, Juju & Missin' Linx)
3:45
9."For Every Day That Goes By" (featuring The Rawcotiks)
  • K. Honda
  • B. Castillo
  • J. Valentine
DJ Honda3:31
10."WKCR Interlude" (featuring Lord Sear & Stretch Armstrong) DJ Honda0:52
11."Who the Trifest?" (featuring The Beatnuts)
DJ Honda3:36
12."Talk About It" (featuring Al Tariq)
  • K. Honda
  • B. Smalls
DJ Honda3:12
13."Blaze It Up" (featuring Black Attack)
DJ Honda4:10
14."DJ Ev Interlude"
  • K. Honda
  • E. Hitch
DJ Honda0:30
15."Go Crazy" (featuring S-On & Ol' Dirty Bastard)
  • K. Honda
  • S. Ryan
DJ Honda2:52
16."Around the Clock" (featuring Problemz)
DJ Honda3:38
17."When You Hot You Hot" (featuring Dug Infinite & No I.D.)
DJ Honda4:12
18."Interlude" (featuring Fat Lip)
DJ Honda1:05
19."Travellin' Man" (featuring Mos Def)DJ Honda5:16
Total length:57:32

Sample credits[9]

Personnel

  • Katsuhiro Hōnda – main artist, producer, scratches, recording
  • Anthony Williams – performer ("Example" and "Roc Raida Intro"), producer & scratches ("Roc Raida Intro")
  • Joel Wright – performer & producer ("Mista Sinista Interlude")
  • Victor Padilla – performer ("WF II"), producer ("On The Mic")
  • Peter Kang – executive producer
  • Taka Ozeki – executive producer
  • E. "DJ EV" Hitch – scratches ("Long Island To Japan" and "DJ Ev Interlude")
  • Tony "CD" Kelly – keyboards ("Blaze It Up", "Hai!" and "On The Mic")
  • Adrian Bartos – performer ("Stretch Armstrong And Lord Seer Interlude" and "WKCR Interlude")
  • Alex Mosquera – performer ("On The Mic")
  • Berntony Smalls – performer ("On The Mic", "Talk About It" and "WF II")
  • Bladmillo Castillo – performer ("For Every Day That Goes By" and "Sometimes I Think...")
  • C. Bullock – performer ("Around The Clock", "Kill The Noize (Remix)", "On The Mic" and "WF II")
  • Dante Terrell Smith – performer ("Travellin' Man")
  • David Jude Jolicoeur – performer ("Trouble In The Water")
  • Derrick Lemel Stewart – performer ("Fat Lip Interlude"/"Interlude")
  • Doug 'Dug Infinite' Thomas – performer ("When You Hot You Hot")
  • Ernest Dion Wilson – performer ("When You Hot You Hot")
  • Felix Delgado – performer ("On The Mic" and "WF II")
  • Gerald W. Berlin – performer ("Hai!")
  • Jeff Valentino – performer ("For Every Day That Goes By" and "Sometimes I Think...")
  • Jerry "JuJu" Tineo – performer ("On The Mic", "WF II" and "Who The Trifest?")
  • Keith Murray – performer ("Hai!")
  • Kelvin Mercer – performer ("Trouble In The Water")
  • Kia Jeffreys – performer ("Blaze It Up" and "On The Mic")
  • King Doe-V – performer ("Team Players")
  • Lateefa Harland – performer ("Every Now & Then")
  • Lawrence Parker – performer ("Team Players")
  • Lester Fernandez – performer ("Who The Trifest?")
  • Lord Sear – performer ("Stretch Armstrong And Lord Seer Interlude" and "WKCR Interlude")
  • Rashawnna Guy – performer ("Every Now & Then")
  • S-On – performer ("Go Crazy")
  • Saladine Wallace – performer ("Disco T-E-C")
  • Salahadeen Wilds – performer ("Disco T-E-C")
  • Sean Black – performer ("5 Seconds", "Blaze It Up", "Fuk Dat", "On The Mic" and "WF II")
  • Chris Conway – mixing & recording
  • Dino Zervos – recording
  • Kirk Yano – recording
  • Tom Coyne – mastering
  • Ill Tongue – management
  • Hideo Oida – photography
  • Piotr Sikora – photography

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak

position

US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] 57
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[11] 16

Release history

Region Date Label(s)
Japan November 12, 1997 Sony Music Entertainment Japan
March 24, 1998
United States Relativity Records
Canada Relativity Records, Epic Records
Europe Epic Records

References

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "HII - DJ Honda". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  2. ^ Diehl, Matt (April 24, 1998). "DJ Honda – HII". Entertainment Weekly. No. 428. New York. p. 79. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Weingarten, Marc (April 18, 1998). "Album Reviews: DJ Honda, "HII"". Los Angeles Times. p. F8. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Glazer, Max (April 1998). "Record Report: DJ Honda – HII". The Source. No. 103. New York. p. 166.
  5. ^ "DJ Honda HII Chart History". Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  6. ^ "DJ Honda HII Chart History". Heatseekers Albums. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  7. ^ a b "DJ Honda Chart History". Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  8. ^ "DJ Honda Travellin' Man Chart History". Hot Rap Songs. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  9. ^ a b DJ Honda (1998). HII (liner notes). Epic Records. EPC 489759 2.
  10. ^ "DJ Honda Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  11. ^ "DJ Honda Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.