Uncontrolled Substance

1999 studio album by Inspectah Deck

Studio album by

Inspectah Deck

Released

October 5, 1999 (1999-10-05)

Recorded

1997–1998

Genre

East Coast hip hop

Length

65:56

Label

Loud, Relativity

Producer

4th Disciple
The Blaquesmiths
Inspectah Deck
Mathematics
Pete Rock
RZA
True Master
V.I.C.

Inspectah Deck chronology

Uncontrolled Substance
(1999)

The Movement
(2003)

Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology

Nigga Please
(1999)

Uncontrolled Substance
(1999)

Golden Arms Redemption
(1999)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The A.V. Club	(favorable)^[2]
Los Angeles Times	^[3]
Q	^[4]
RapReviews	7/10^[5]
Rolling Stone	^[6]
The Source	^[7]
Spin	7/10^[8]
Vibe	(favorable)^[9]
The Village Voice	^[10]

Uncontrolled Substance is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck. The album was released on October 5, 1999, under Loud Records. Originally slated for release in 1995, the record was indefinitely postponed after a flood destroyed over 100 beats in RZA's basement, including his original productions for the album. Eventually released four years later, Uncontrolled Substance received mostly positive reviews, and is Inspectah Deck's most critically acclaimed and most commercially successful album to date. The album features Wu-Tang Clan members U-God and Masta Killa, and appearances from lesser-known affiliates Street Life, Killa Sin, and LA the Darkman. A music video was made for the songs "Word on the Street" directed by Gregory Dark & "Show 'N' Prove" directed by Joseph Kahn. The album's liner notes state that it is dedicated to Inspectah Deck's late father, Frank Hunter.

Commercial performance

The album reached the positions no. 19 and no. 3 on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, respectively. According to Inspectah Deck himself, the album managed to reach gold-level sales.^[11]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Jason Richard Hunter	Inspectah Deck	2:01
2.	"Movas & Shakers"	Hunter	RZA	4:33
3.	"9th Chamber" (featuring La the Darkman, Kinetic 9, Killa Sin & Streetlife)	Hunter Samuel Craig Murray Jeryl Grant Patrick Charles	4th Disciple	2:51
4.	"Uncontrolled Substance" (featuring Shadii)	Hunter Robert Fitzgerald Diggs Ronald Maurice Bean	RZA Mathematics	5:00
5.	"Femme Fatale"	Hunter	Inspectah Deck	3:06
6.	"The Grand Prix" (featuring U-God & Streetlife)	Hunter Lamont Jody Hawkins Charles	4th Disciple	4:43
7.	"Forget Me Not"	Hunter	The Mighty V.I.C.	3:50
8.	"Longevity" (featuring U-God)	Hunter Hawkins	True Master	4:40
9.	"Word on the Street"	Hunter	Inspectah Deck	3:44
10.	"Elevation"	Hunter	Inspectah Deck	3:15
11.	"Lovin You" (featuring La the Darkman)	Hunter Derrick Harris Lason Jackson	True Master	2:36
12.	"Trouble Man" (featuring Vinia Mojica)	Hunter	Pete Rock	5:05
13.	"R.E.C. Room"	Hunter	True Master	3:16
14.	"Friction" (featuring Masta Killa)	Hunter Jamel Irief	RZA	3:36
15.	"Hyperdermix"	Hunter	Inspectah Deck	4:52
16.	"Show N Prove"	Hunter	The Blaquesmiths	4:08
17.	"The Cause" (featuring Streetlife)	Hunter Charles	Inspectah Deck	4:35
Total length:				65:56

Personnel

The RZA – executive producer, producer
Mitchell "Divine" Diggs – executive producer, executive supervisor
Jeff Trotter – A&R direction
Ashuanna Ayers – project coordinator
Che Harris – A&R coordinator
Charlene Thomas – A&R coordinator
Chris Gehringer – mastering, recording
Maurice Whitaker – creative direction, design, layout
Piotr Sikora – photography
Inspectah Deck – producer, mixing
Allah Mathematics – producer

Nolan Moffitte – recording, mixing
4th Disciple – producer
Djini Brown – recording, mixing
V.I.C. – producer, mixing
Gabe Chiesa – recording
True Master – producer
Tony Black – mixing, recording
Pete Rock – producer, mixing
Brian Stanley – recording
Large Professor – mixing
The Blaquesmiths – producers
Chris "CHAMP" Champions – recording

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[12]	19
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[13]	3

References

^ Conaway, Matt. Review: Uncontrolled Substance. AllMusic. Retrieved on January 24, 2010.
^ Rabin, Nathan (March 29, 2002). "Inspectah Deck: Uncontrolled Substance". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
^ Baker, Soren (October 15, 1999). "Record Rack: Inspectah Deck – Uncontrolled Substance". Los Angeles Times. p. 200. Retrieved June 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Review: Uncontrolled Substance". Q. London. November 1999. p. 118.
^ DJ Fatboy (October 5, 1999). "Inspectah Deck :: Uncontrolled Substance :: Loud Records". RapReviews. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
^ Lewis, Miles Marshall (July 8, 1999). "Whither the Wu?". Rolling Stone. No. 816–817. p. 146. Archived from the original on May 29, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
^ Johnson, Elon D. (November 1999). "Record Report: Inspectah Deck – Uncontrolled Substance". The Source. No. 122. New York. p. 216.
^ Salamon, Jeff (September 1999). "Review: Inspectah Deck – Uncontrolled Substance". Spin. New York. pp. 192–193. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
^ Wilson, Elliott (August 1999). "Revolutions: Inspectah Deck – Uncontrolled Substance". Vibe. New York. p. 174. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
^ Christgau, Robert (February 1, 2000). "Happy You Near". The Village Voice. Vol. 45, no. 4. p. 111. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
^ Inspectah Deck Details Losing First Album to RZA's Flood, retrieved February 12, 2023
^ "Inspectah Deck Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
^ "Inspectah Deck Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2013.