Once Upon a Time in America

About Once Upon a Time in America

Once upon a Time in America is the debut album by rapper Smoothe da Hustler. It was released on March 19, 1996, by Profile Records and was entirely produced by New York City-based producer DR Period with the exception of the song "Glocks On Cock", which was produced by newcomer Kenny Gee. The album was met with positive reviews, but failed to sell well, only making it to 93 on the Billboard 200, while faring better on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, peaking at 11. The album produced two singles, "Hustler's Theme" and "Broken Language". The latter single was alleged to be the inspiration behind Heather Headley's 2003 song "He Is". In a 2006 Vibe Magazine interview with Bobbito Garcia, Headley noticed the similarities between the two songs. In a 2006 interview, Smoothe da Hustler confirmed that the song's writer and producer asked him for permission to use the cadence for "Broken Language" and there was a remix of "He Is" with Headley, but the song was never officially released. more »