Unleash the Dragon

Unleash the Dragon is the debut solo studio album by American R&B singer Sisqó of Dru Hill, released on November 30, 1999 on Def Soul. Sisqó recorded the album during Dru Hill's hiatus. It includes the hit songs "Got to Get It", "Incomplete", and "Thong Song". Previously, Sisqo had been a lead singer of the group Dru Hill. Recorded under Island Records, the group released two multi-platinum albums to date: Dru Hill (1996) and Enter the Dru (1998). In 2003, the album was certified sextuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping six million copies in North America.[7]

Unleash the Dragon
Studio album by Sisqó
Released	November 30, 1999
Recorded	March–October 1999
Studio	Metalworks Studios (Mississauga, Ontario)
Genre	R&B, hip hop
Length	51:03
Label	Def Soul
Producer	Tim & Bob, Warryn Campbell, Al West, Baby Dave, Nokio the N-Tity, One Up Entertainment, The Co-Stars, Shep Crawford, Dru Hill, Dutch, N8 & Kiehl
Sisqó chronology
Unleash the Dragon (1999) Return of Dragon (2001)
Singles from Unleash the Dragon
"Got to Get It" Released: November 2, 1999 "Thong Song" Released: February 15, 2000 "Incomplete" Released: July 25, 2000 "Unleash the Dragon" Released: September 18, 2000

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Muzik	[2]
Q	[3]
Robert Christgau	[4]
Rolling Stone	(mixed)[5]
The Source	(favorable)[6]

The album also garnered Sisqó two American Music Award nominations for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist. In addition he received three nominations including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2001.

Track listing

Information is taken from the album liner notes and Discogs.com[8] except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Unleash the Dragon" (featuring Beanie Sigel) (Rap Vocals performed by Beanie Sigel) (Vocals spoken, sung & arranged by Sisqó)	Mark "Sisqó" Andrews; Dwight "Beanie Sigel" Grant; One Up Entertainment	Sisqó (Vocals), One Up Entertainment (Music), Rich Shelton (of One Up Entertainment), Loren Hill (of One Up Entertainment), Kevin Veney (of One Up Entertainment)	3:53
2.	"Got to Get It" (featuring Make It Hot) (Vocals arranged by Sisqó) (Vocals performed by Make It Hot & Sisqó)	Mark Andrews; Al West; Marquis Collins; James Travis	Sisqó (Music & Vocals), Al West (Music)	2:54
3.	"Is Love Enough" (featuring LovHer) (Vocals arranged by Sisqo) (Background Vocals performed by LovHer & Sisqó) (Lead Vocals performed by Sisqó & Chinky Brown Eyes)	Mark Andrews; Warryn Campbell; Donald "DeVante Swing" DeGrate; Raymond E. Jones; Robert Jones	Warryn Campbell (Music), Sisqó (Vocals)	4:33
4.	"2nite (Interlude)"	Tamir "Nokio The N-Tity" Ruffin	Tamir "Nokio The N-Tity" Ruffin	1:21
5.	"How Can I Love U 2nite" (Vocals performed & arranged by Sisqó)	Tamir Ruffin; Phil Weatherspoon; Case Woodard	Nokio The N-Tity (Music), Phil Weatherspoon (Co.), Sisqó (Vocals)	5:08
6.	"Your Love Is Incredible" (Vocals performed & arranged by Sisqó) (All Instruments played by The Co-Stars)	Mark Andrews; Vito Colapietro; Neely Dinkins; Noah Porter	The Co-Stars (Instruments), Neely Dinkins (of The Co-Stars), Vito Colapietro (of The Co-Stars), Sisqó (Vocals)	4:10
7.	"So Sexual" (Lead Vocals performed by Sisqó) (Vocals arranged by Sisqó) (Music arranged by Kiehl Owens, N8 & Babyface) (Background Vocals performed by Sisqó, Babyface & N8) (Drum Machine: Kiehl Owens) (Keyboards: N8) (All Other Instruments played by Babyface)	Mark Andrews; Nathan "N8" Walton; Kiehl Owens; Tavia Ivey; Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds	N8 & Kiehl (Instruments), Sisqó (Vocals & Additional Instruments)	3:58
8.	"Thong Song" (Vocals performed & arranged by Sisqó) (Violin sample replayed by Bruce Dukov)	Mark Andrews; Tim Kelley; Bob Robinson; Robi "Draco" Rosa; Desmond Child	Tim & Bob (Music), Sisqó (Music & Vocals)	4:16
9.	"Incomplete" (Lead Vocals performed by Sisqó) (Vocals arranged by Sisqó) (Music arranged by Montell Jordan) (Background Vocals performed by Shae Jones)	Montell Jordan; Anthony "Shep" Crawford	Anthony "Shep" Crawford (Music), Sisqó (Vocals)	4:34
10.	"Addicted" (Lead Vocals performed by Sisqó) (Background Vocals performed by Marthea "Butter" Jackson)	Mark Andrews, Al West	Sisqó, Al West	4:48
11.	"Dru World Order (Interlude)"	Mark Andrews; Tamir Ruffin; James "Woody" Green; Larry "Jazz" Anthony	Sisqó, Al West	1:20
12.	"Enchantment Passing Through" (performed by Dru Hill) (Vocals arranged by Sisqó & Jazz) (Baby Grand Piano: Nate Morring) (Keyboards: Baby Dave & Jae Dea) (Bass played by Jae Dea) (Drums & Percussion: Jarod B.)	Elton John; Tim Rice	Dru Hill	5:43
13.	"You Are Everything (Remix)" (performed by Dru Hill featuring Ja Rule) (Vocals arranged by Sisqó) (Rap Vocals performed by Nokio & Ja Rule)	Mark Andrews; Rick Cousin	Sisqó, Dutch	4:16

Sample credits

• "Unleash the Dragon"
  • Re-Sung Lyrics from "Hail Mary" performed by Makaveli (aka 2Pac).[9]
• "Thong Song"
  • Re-Sung Lyrics from "Livin' la Vida Loca" performed by Ricky Martin
  • Replayed violin sample from "Eleanor Rigby" performed by Wes Montgomery.[10]
• "Enchantment Passing Through"
  • Originally performed by Adam Pascal & Heather Headley from Broadway musical Aida[11]

Chart and singles history

Title	Information
"Got to Get It"	Def Soul single 562465, November 2, 1999 Music video directed by Hype Williams
"Thong Song"	Def Soul single 562599, February 15, 2000 Music video directed by Joseph Kahn Remix issued a single for the Nutty Professor II: The Klumps soundtrack
"Incomplete"	Def Soul single 572644, July 25, 2000 Music video directed by Chris Robinson
"Unleash the Dragon"	Def Soul single, September 18, 2000

Album Charts	Chart (1999-2000)	Peak position
Unleash the Dragon	U.S. Billboard 200	2
Unleash the Dragon	U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	2

Singles Chart	Chart (1999-2000)	Peak position
"Got to Get It"	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	39
"Got to Get It"	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	12
"Thong Song"	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	3
"Thong Song"	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	2
"Incomplete"	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
"Incomplete"	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[12]	Gold	35,000^^
Canada (Music Canada)[13]	2× Platinum	200,000^^
France (SNEP)[14]	Gold	119,900[15]
Germany (BVMI)[16]	Gold	150,000^^
Netherlands (NVPI)[17]	Gold	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[18]	Gold	100,000^^
United States (RIAA)[19]	5× Platinum	5,000,000^^
^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. "Allmusic review".
2. "Muzik review".
3. "Q Magazine review".
4. "Robert Christgau review".
6. "The Source review".
8. Sisqó. "Unleash The Dragon (CD, Album)". Def Soul/Dragon Records. 1999. https://www.discogs.com/Sisqo-Unleash-The-Dragon/release/619979
9. "Unleash the Dragon" Sample of "Hail Mary". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/222585/Sisqó-Beanie-Sigel-Unleash-the-Dragon-Makaveli-Kastro-Prince-Ital-Joe-Young-Noble-Hail-Mary/
10. "Thong Song" Sample of "Eleanor Rigby". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/41975/Sisqó-Thong-Song-Wes-Montgomery-Eleanor-Rigby/
11. Sisqó & Dru Hill Cover of Adam Pascal & Heather Headley's "Enchantment Passing Through". WhoSampled.com. http://www.whosampled.com/cover/135365/Sisqó-Dru-Hill-Enchantment-Passing-Through-Adam-Pascal-Heather-Headley-Enchantment-Passing-Through/
12. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
13. "Canadian album certifications – Sisqo – Unleash the Dragon". Music Canada.
14. "French album certifications – Sisqo – Unleash the Dragon" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
15. "Les Albums Or". infodisc.fr. SNEP. Archived from the original on 2011-10-18. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
16. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Sisqo; 'Unleash the Dragon')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
17. "Dutch album certifications – Sisqo – Unleash the Dragon" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Unleash the Dragon in the "Artiest of titel" box.
18. "British album certifications – Sisqo – Unleash the Dragon". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Unleash the Dragon in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
19. "American album certifications – Sisqo – Unleash the Dragon". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.