Accept Your Own & Be Yourself (The Black Album)

“Accept Your Own & Be Yourself (The Black Album)” is the only album released under the name No I.D., issued on September 23, 1997, through Relativity Records.

The story

By the mid-1990s No I.D. was known as the main producer behind Common’s first two albums, and this project arrived about a week before Common’s third Relativity release, closing out the first chapter of their partnership. Recorded in 1996 and 1997, it functions largely as a duo record with Chicago rapper and producer Dug Infinite, who appears on most tracks alongside No I.D.’s own verses. Common and Infamous Syndicate make guest appearances, and a young Shawnna turns up years before her mainstream success.

Sound and production

No I.D. produced nearly everything himself, with Dug Infinite co-producing “Original Man” and handling a mix of “Sky’s the Limit,” and Spike Rebel co-producing the original “Sky’s the Limit.” The sound is rooted in Chicago boom bap, drawing on soul, jazz and funk records by artists such as David Axelrod, Ahmad Jamal and Marlena Shaw.

Legacy

“Sky’s the Limit,” backed with “Jump on It,” was the single, and it was overshadowed by the Notorious B.I.G. song of the same name released the same year. The album peaked at No. 94 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and drew mixed reviews. As No I.D. went on to become one of rap’s most in-demand producers, the album became a sought-after curiosity that has long been out of print.