The Diary (Scarface album)

The Diary is the third studio album by American rapper Scarface. The album was released on October 18, 1994, by Rap-A-Lot and Noo Trybe. This album is one of the few to receive a perfect rating from both The Source Magazine and XXL. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on December 5, 1994. To date, the album has sold over 2 million copies in the U.S.

The Diary
Studio album by Scarface
Released	October 18, 1994
Genre	Gangsta Rap, Mafioso Rap, Southern Hip Hop
Length	43:13
Label	Rap-A-Lot Noo Trybe
Producer	Scarface, Mike Dean, N.O. Joe, Uncle Eddie
Scarface chronology
The World Is Yours (1993) The Diary (1994) The Untouchable (1997)
Singles from The Diary
"I Seen a Man Die" Released: September 27, 1994 "Hand of the Dead Body" Released: February 7, 1995

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	B[3]
Pitchfork	9.3/10[4]
RapReviews	(9.5/10)[5]
The Source	[6]
Robert Christgau	[7]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[9]
XXL	[10]

Two singles were released from the album, "Hand of the Dead Body", which featured Ice Cube and Devin the Dude, peaked at 74 on the US charts, while "I Seen a Man Die" peaked at 37 on the US charts, becoming his first top 40 hit. Due to business reasons and for more accessibility, both track titles were changed to "People Don't Believe" and "Never Seen a Man Cry" in their single version. The song "No Tears" was featured in the beginning of the 1999 film Office Space.

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Scarface, Mike Dean	1:07
2.	"The White Sheet"	N.O. Joe	3:53
3.	"No Tears"	N.O. Joe, Scarface	2:26
4.	"Jesse James"	N.O. Joe, Scarface, Mike Dean	4:13
5.	"G's"	N.O. Joe, Mike Dean	4:39
6.	"I Seen a Man Die"	N.O. Joe, Scarface, Mike Dean	4:32
7.	"One"	N.O. Joe, Mike Dean	4:43
8.	"Goin' Down"	N.O. Joe, Scarface, Mike Dean, Uncle Eddie	4:28
9.	"One Time" (Interlude)	Mike Dean	0:58
10.	"Hand of the Dead Body" (featuring Ice Cube and Devin the Dude)	N.O. Joe, Scarface, Mike Dean, Uncle Eddie	4:39
11.	"Mind Playin' Tricks '94"	N.O. Joe, Mike Dean	3:40
12.	"The Diary"	N.O. Joe	2:23
13.	"Outro"	Uncle Eddie	1:30

Samples

• "Goin' Down"
  • "99 Luftballons" by Nena
• "I Seen a Man Die"
  • "Light My Fire" by Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger and the Trinity
• "Jesse James"
  • "If I Was Your Girlfriend" by Prince

Chart positions

Chart (1994)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[11]	2
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[12]	2

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[13]	2x Platinum	2,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Jason Birchmeier (1994-10-18). "The Diary - Scarface | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
2. Rohan Preston (1994-11-10). "Scarface The Diary (Rap-a-Lot) (STAR)(STAR) 1/2..." Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
3. Ehrlich, Dimitri (1994-12-02). "The Diary". EW.com. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
4. Abdurraqib, Hanif (March 4, 2018). "Scarface: The Diary Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
5. "Scarface :: The Diary :: Rap-A-Lot Records". Rapreviews.com. 2010-04-13. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
6. "The Source's 5 Mic Albums on Lists of Bests". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on February 27, 2010. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
7. "CG: Scarface". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
8. Scarface (1994-12-29). "Scarface: The Diary : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2007-11-25. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
9. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 329. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone geto boys album guide.
10. XXL (December 2007). "Retrospective: XXL Albums". XXL Magazine.
11. "Scarface Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
12. "Scarface Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
13. "American album certifications – Scarface – The Diary". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.