Tears Of A Clown

“Tears of a Clown” is a studio album by Andre Nickatina, released on May 18, 1999, through Fillmoe Coleman Records.

The story

Raised in San Francisco’s Fillmore District, the rapper first recorded as Dre Dog before adopting the Andre Nickatina name in 1997, the same year he launched his own label. “Tears of a Clown” came out on that imprint and continued the run of self-directed releases that built his following in the West Coast underground. Guests are kept to a minimum, with Lolo Swift on two songs, Shag Nasty on “Shaggy’s 15s” and the Fillmoe Coleman Band on “Even Pimp’s Get Broken Hearts.”

Sound and production

Nickatina shares production credit across the album. Nick Peace, a key collaborator since “Cocaine Raps,” produced five tracks including the title song, while Dion Peete handled six, among them “The Rap Gods” and “Classified.” J Mack contributed “The Rap Game’s Revenge.” DJ Pause mixed the record and added scratches, and the artwork features illustration by Doze Green. The fourteen tracks include both a remix and the original of “My Rap World.”

Legacy

Released independently and without major chart activity, the album is part of the late-1990s catalog that established Nickatina as a cult figure in Bay Area rap, known for his distinctive voice and unconventional flow.

Released May 18, 1999. More from hip hop in 1999.