Hard (Jagged Edge album)

2003 studio album by Jagged Edge

Hard

Studio album by

Jagged Edge

Released| October 14, 2003
Length| 64:14
Label| Columbia
Producer|

* Melvin Coleman
* Tha Cornaboyz
* Bryan-Michael Cox
* Jermaine Dupri
* Kevin Hicks
* Jazze Pha
* Sick Cents Productions

Jagged Edge chronology
| Jagged Little Thrill
(2001)  | Hard
(2003)  | Jagged Edge
(2006)

|
|

Singles from  Hard

1. "Walked Outta Heaven"
Released: September 20, 2003
2. "What's It Like"
Released: March 2004

Hard is the fourth studio album by American R&B group Jagged Edge. It was released by Columbia Records on October 14, 2003 in the United States. The album was the band's first project not released under mentor Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label, after its deal expired at the end of 2002 and the band became contractually bound to Columbia Records. Dupri became less prominent on Jagged Edge's new material as a result, with Melvin Coleman taking over much of the production duties on Hard.

The album earned largely mixed to negative reviews from music critics, some of whom called it repetitious and bland. Upon its release, Hard debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 178,000 copies and sold more than 870,000 copies domestically. It was eventually certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and reached Silver status in the United Kingdom. The album spawned two singles, including the top ten single "Walked Outta Heaven."

## Promotion

[edit]

Hard was preceded by lead single "Walked Outta Heaven." The song was released on August 19, 2003 and debuted at number 41 on Billboard's US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.[1] It eventually peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, becomding the band's highest-charting single since "Where the Party At."[1] Follow-up and final single "What's It Like" was released in 2004 and peaked at number 32 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.[1]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]
Rolling Stone| [3]

AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann called the album a collection "full of slow-tempo love songs anchored by synthetic bass beats that will test the capacity of woofers and filled with involved group vocal choruses set against pleading solo lead lines that weave in and out [...] The music is repetitious, the lyrical sentiments bland, but in an act like this, image is just as important as the music (at least in commercial terms)."[2] Rolling Stone critic Jon Caramanica wrote: "For the first half of Hard, the members of this Atlanta quartet clumsily attempt to outcroon one another, and the latter half features nothing as lurid as 2000's "Promise" or as kinetic as 2001's "Where the Party At." Still, Hard is worthy, modern-day thug soul."[3]

## Commercial performance

[edit]

Hard debuted and peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with first-week sales of 178,000 copies.[4] On November 18, 2003, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[5] By November 2005, the album had sold 871,000 copies domestcially, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[6]

## Track listing

[edit]

Hard track listingNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "They Ain't J.E."|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Phalon Alexander

| Jazze Pha| 3:38
2.| "Walked Outta Heaven"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Bryan-Michael Cox

| Cox| 4:30
3.| "Girls Gone Wild" (featuring Major Damage)|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Dwayne Nesmith
* Hockefa Lamar
* Pierre Medor

* Sick Cents Productions
* Tha Cornaboyz

| 4:24
4.| "Visions"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Dupri
* Cox
* Michael Henderson

* Dupri
* Cox

| 4:16
5.| "Hard"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey

* Sick Cents Productions
* Melvin Coleman

| 4:21
6.| "Dance Floor"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Coleman

| Coleman| 3:16
7.| "Trying to Find the Words"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Coleman

| Coleman| 4:02
8.| "What's It Like"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Coleman

| Coleman| 4:13
9.| "Tryna Be Your Man"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Cox

| Cox| 3:18
10.| "I Don't Wanna"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Cox
* Kevin Hicks

* Cox
* Hicks

| 4:59
11.| "In Private"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Coleman

| Coleman| 3:52
12.| "In the Morning"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Coleman

| Coleman| 5:30
13.| "Shady Girl"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Anthony Criss
* Cox
* Dupri
* Keir Gist
* Vincent Brown

* Dupri
* Cox

| 3:20

Bonus tracksNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

14.| "Car Show" (featuring Big Boi)|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Antwan Patton

| Sick Cents Productions| 4:41
15.| "They Ain't Je (Remix)" (featuring Street Katz & Woonie)|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Alexander
* Lee Dixon
* Rahj Rowe
* Tatu Hill

| Sick Cents Productions| 5:39
Total length:| 64:14

International bonus trackNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

16.| "On My Way (After the Club)"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Alexander

| Pha| 4:34

Japanese bonus trackNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

16.| "Respect My Girl"|

* Brandon Casey
* Brian Casey
* Dwayne Nesmith
* Pierre Medor

* Sick Cents Productions
* Tha Cornaboyz

| 4:17

Samples

* "Visions" contains samples from the composition "You Are My Starship" written by Michael Henderson.
* "Shady Girl" contains samples from the composition "Uptown Anthem" by Naughty by Nature.

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for Hard | Chart (2003)  | Peak
position

|

UK Albums (OCC)[7] | 85
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[8] | 13
US Billboard 200[9] | 3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] | 1

### Year-end charts

[edit]

2003 year-end chart performance for Hard | Chart (2003)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[11] | 175
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[12] | 67
2004 year-end chart performance for Hard Chart (2004)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[13] | 183
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] | 53

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for Hard Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Silver  | 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[5] | Gold  | 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Jagged Edge Takes The 'Hard' Way". Billboard. August 21, 2003. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
2. ^ a b https://www.allmusic.com/album/r659053
3. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon (November 13, 2003). "Album Reviews: Jagged Edge: Hard". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 14, 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
4. ^ "Chili Peppers Post 'Stadium' At No. 1". Billboard. May 17, 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
5. ^ a b "American album certifications – Jagged Edge – Hard". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
6. ^ "New Jagged Edge Due In December". Billboard. November 15, 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
7. ^ "Jagged Edge | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
8. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
9. ^ "Jagged Edge Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
10. ^ "Jagged Edge Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
11. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
12. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
13. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
14. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
15. ^ "British album certifications – Jagged Edge – Hard". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 4, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

* Hard at AllMusic

* v
* t
* e

Jagged Edge

* Brian Casey
* Brandon Casey
* Kyle Norman
* Richard Wingo

Studio albums|

* A Jagged Era
* J.E. Heartbreak
* Jagged Little Thrill
* Hard
* Jagged Edge
* Baby Makin' Project
* The Remedy
* J.E. Heartbreak 2

Compilation albums|

* The Hits

Singles|

* "He Can't Love U"
* "Let's Get Married"
* "Promise"
* "Where the Party At"
* "Walked Outta Heaven"
* "Good Luck Charm"
* "Put a Little Umph in It"

Featured singles|

* "Puppy Love"
* "Ghetto Girls"
* "Thank You"
* "Don't Mess with My Man"
* "Trade It All"
* "My Baby"
* "Nasty Girl"

Related articles|

* Discography

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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