Straight No Chaser

Album: Straight No Chaser (2009)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is the title track from British contemporary R&B artist Mr Hudson's first solo album. He'd previously released an LP under the name of Mr. Hudson & The Library.
  • Hudson explained the meaning behind the album title to Hypebeast: "I guess it was approached with directness, like kicking it in the nuts. I didn't want to have all the intros and outros and make it too indulgent. I wanted it to be more straightforward, not shallow but to have a lot of weight behind the punch. It was still like Bam!, a knockout with one punch… you know what I mean? When you listen to the record your gonna know what your listening to, it's not just background music."
  • The album was released by Kanye West's GOOD Label and the American rapper and record executive produced the set. Hudson explained to Digital Spy how much West was actually involved: "He 'executive produced' all of it, which means he's overseen it. He's got so many projects on the go so his role is kind of supervisory. I'd always be beavering away and playing him stuff, and he'd sort of adjust my course, but I was the engine. There's a queue of people asking him for beats and help, he's working on his clothing range, and he's got his own s**t to do as well. My whole approach was not to be demanding of him, but just to try and catch him when he was feeling disposed to help me."

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