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Fan of a Fan: The Album

Fan of a Fan: The Album is a collaborative album by American singer Chris Brown and American rapper Tyga, billed together as Chris Brown X Tyga and was released on February 20, 2015, by RCA Records, along with affiliated record labels; including CBE Records, Last Kings Records, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. The album served as the sequel to their breakout mixtape Fan of a Fan (2010).

A West Coast hip hop album with glimpses of R&B, Fan of a Fan: The Album focuses on gangsta rap themes. The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200 and received mixed reviews from critics.

Background and recording

In late 2012, Chris Brown announced that him and Tyga started working on a sequel of their collaborative mixtape Fan of a Fan (2010), entitled Fan of a Fan 2, stating that they postponed the project because of them being busy with their solo careers. Later the artists had sporadic recording sessions in 2013 and 2014, where they composed the album, ending its working in January 2015. During a 2015 interview, Brown explained why they decided to create the album:

We have a certain chemistry in the studio, coming up with the same ideas, being homies. Since our first mixtape contains records that are so appreciated, like "Deuces", we wanted to do an actual album, where we picture the imagery that inspired us to do it.

Music and lyrics

The lyrical themes of Fan of a Fan: The Album for the most part revolve around promiscuity, luxury, clubbing, and the duo's proficiency on the microphone. XXL commented that the album features “playful, sex-driven records, all while adding in a mix of slower rhythmic efforts.” The album's songwriting features a wide usage of braggadocio. According to AllMusic, “much of the material is a reflection of the carefree (and early-'90s) look of the album's packaging”. Musically, Fan of a Fan: The Album includes West Coast and DJ Mustard-styled productions, while the duo's performances alternate rapping from both of them, with Brown doing melodic flows and R&B hooks in different tracks.

Singles

"Ayo" was released as the lead single on January 6, 2015. The track was produced by American record producers Mark Kragen and Nic Nac, whom Chris Brown and Tyga previously worked with on "Loyal".

"Bitches N Marijuana", which features a guest verse from West Coast rapper Schoolboy Q, was released as a promotional single on February 6, 2015. It was later sent to rhythmic radio as the album's second single on May 26 of that same year.

Critical reception

The album received mixed reviews from critics, that praised the duo's rapping, but found its lyricism to be too saturated in gangsta rap's commonplace. George Black of DJ Booth said that the album is "entertaining", praising the artists' rap performances, and stating that "the project is full of perfect clubby play-bad-boy tales. Nothing more, nothing less". Writing for Rolling Stone, Nick Murray said that "aside from the R&B apologetical cut "Better", nothing here overcomes what they previously did on their fluider previous mixtape". Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times concluded that, "Overwrought with rap cliches, Fan of a Fan is a formulaic heaping of bouncy bangers primed for the strip clubs that likely inspired it. There isn't much here, besides expletive-filled musings on sex, drugs, cars and money". Marcus Dowling of HipHopDX said that "their rapping is good, Brown's hooks stick to the ear, the producers did their job right, but everything here is just so repetitive".

Commercial performance

Fan of a Fan: The Album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200 moving 66,000 album-equivalent units with 51,000 in pure album sales in the first week of release. In the second week the album fell at number 24, with 21,000 album-equivalent units and 12,000 in pure album sales. As of March 2015, the album has sold 72,000 copies and has been streamed 16 million times domestically. On October 1, 2021 the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

In the United Kingdom, Fan of a Fan: The Album debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Albums chart. The album was eventually certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of over 60,000 copies in the UK.