Based on a True Story (Mack 10 album)

1997 studio album by Mack 10

Based on a True Story

Studio album by

Mack 10

Released

September 16, 1997 (1997-09-16)

Recorded

1996–1997

Genre

West Coast hip hop
gangsta rap

Length

50:08

Label

Priority

Producer

Ant Banks
Binky Mack
DJ Bobcat
Ice Cube
Mack 10
Soopafly
Young Tre

Mack 10 chronology

Mack 10
(1995)

Based on a True Story
(1997)

The Recipe
(1998)

Singles from Based on a True Story

"Backyard Boogie"
Released: July 22, 1997
"Only in California"
Released: February 17, 1998

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	^[2]
The Source	^[3]

Based on a True Story is the second solo studio album by American rapper Mack 10. It was released on September 16, 1997, through Priority Records. Production was handled by Ant Banks, Binky Mack, DJ Bobcat, Young Tre, Ice Cube, Soopafly, and Mack 10 himself. It features guest appearances from Ice Cube, Allfrumtha I, E-40, Snoop Dogg, The Comrads and Too $hort. The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 21, 1997.

Along with singles, music videos were produced for two songs: "Backyard Boogie"^[4] and "Only in California"^[5] featuring Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. Ice Cube makes a cameo appearance in "Backyard Boogie".

The song "Can't Stop" was previously released on Ant Banks' compilation album Big Thangs. "Dopeman", a cover version of the 1987 N.W.A song of the same name, was later included on two Priority Records compilations In tha Beginning...There Was Rap and Straight Outta Compton: N.W.A 10th Anniversary Tribute.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Mack Manson (Intro)" (featuring Ice Cube)			0:54
2.	"Chicken Hawk II" (featuring Ice Cube)	Dedrick Rolison Treyvon Green	Young Trey	2:43
3.	"Mack 10, Mack 10" (featuring Allfrumtha I and The Comrads)	Rolison Ryan Garner Marcus Moore Kelly Garmon Terrell Anderson	Binky Mack	4:00
4.	"Bangin Gears (Insert)" (featuring Ice Cube)			0:48
5.	"Backyard Boogie"	Rolison Bobby Ervin	Bobcat	4:19
6.	"Can't Stop" (featuring E-40)	Rolison Earl Stevens Anthony Banks	Ant Banks	4:25
7.	"Tonight's the Night" (featuring Squeak Ru)	Rolison Banks	Ant Banks	3:16
8.	"Aqua Boogie" (Insert)			0:57
9.	"The Guppies" (featuring Ice Cube)	Rolison O'Shea Jackson Garner	Binky Mack	4:52
10.	"Inglewood Swangin'"	Rolison Ervin	Bobcat Mack 10	3:59
11.	"Dopeman"	Rolison Jackson Banks	Ant Banks	4:03
12.	"What You Need? (Dopeman '97)"	Rolison Garner	Binky Mack	3:24
13.	"Only in California" (featuring Ice Cube and Snoop Doggy Dogg)	Rolison Jackson Calvin Broadus Delmar Arnaud Priest Brooks	Soopafly Mack 10	4:40
14.	"Gangster Poem" (Insert)			0:53
15.	"W/S foe Life"	Rolison Jackson Garner	Binky Mack Ice Cube	2:40
16.	"Based on a True Story" (featuring Too $hort)	Rolison Banks	Ant Banks	4:15
Total length:				50:08

Sample credits

Track 3 contains a sample from "Roxanne, Roxanne" written by Jeffrey Campbell, Shiller Shaun Fequiere, Fred Reeves, Curt Bedeau, Gerry Charles, Hugh Junior Clark, Brian "B-Fine" George, Paul Anthony George and Lucien George and performed by UTFO
Track 7 contains a sample from "Buffalo Gals" written by Trevor Horn, Malcolm McLaren and Anne Dudley and performed by Malcolm McLaren & The World's Famous Supreme Team
Track 10 contains an interpolation of "Hollywood Swinging" written by Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George M. Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis R. Thomas and Rick A. Westfield and performed by Kool & the Gang

Personnel

Dedrick "Mack 10" Rolison – main artist, producer (tracks: 10, 13)
O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson – vocals (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 9, 13), producer (track 15)
Ryan "Binky Mack" Garner – vocals (track 3), producer (tracks: 3, 9, 12, 15)
Marcus "Squeak Ru" Moore – vocals (tracks: 3, 7)
Kelly "K-Mac" Garmon – vocals (track 3)
Terrell "Gangsta" Anderson – vocals (track 3)
Earl "E-40" Stevens – vocals (track 6)
Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus – vocals (track 13)
Todd "Too $hort" Shaw – additional vocals (track 16)
James "Tre" Rabb – guitar (track 6)
Treyvon "Young Tre" Green – producer (track 2)
Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin – producer (tracks: 5, 10)
Anthony "Ant" Banks – producer (tracks: 6, 7, 11, 16)
Priest "Soopafly" Brooks – producer (track 13)
Carlos Warlick – engineering, mixing
Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering
Art "Shō-G" Shoji – artwork
Michael Miller – photography
Marlene C. Durio – A&R
Marvin Watkins – A&R

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[6]	14
US Top R&B Albums (Billboard)^[7]	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)	Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[8]	95

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[9]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Based on a True Story - Mack 10 | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
^ Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 189. ISBN 0-312-24560-2 – via Internet Archive.
^ Baker, Soren (October 1997). "Record Report: Mack 10 – Based On A True Story". The Source. No. 97. New York. pp. 174, 176.
^ Mack 10 - "Backyard Boogie" (official video). YouTube. Retrieved on 2010-02-04.
^ Mack 10 - "Only in California" (official video). YouTube. Retrieved on 2010-02-04.
^ "Billboard 200 Chart: Week of October 4, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
^ "Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 4, 1997. p. 42. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
^ "American album certifications – Mack 10 – Based On A True Story". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 4, 2021.