Life is the third independent album by rapper Yo Gotti

Yo Gotti

Mario Mims better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is a southern rapper from the northern side of Memphis, Tennessee who was previously known as Lil Yo.-Independent Albums:Yo Gotti released a string of independent albums...

. It was released on May 13, 2003 through TVT Records

TVT Records

TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...

.

Track listing

1. "Intro" — 3:56
2. "All I Ever Wanted to Do" (featuring Kia Shine) — 4:03
3. "Sell My Dope" (featuring Kia Shine) — 4:24
4. "Dirty South Soldiers" (featuring Lil Jon
   Lil Jon
   Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
   
   ) — 4:57
5. "Reppin' North Memphis" — 3:06
6. "Str8 from da North" — 4:35
7. "Get Down" (featuring Lil' Flip
   Lil' Flip
   Wesley Eric Weston, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is a American multi-platinum hiphop artist best known for his singles Sunshine, "Game Over" and Rollin on 20's from the 2 Fast 2 Furious Soundtrack....
   
   ) — 4:12
8. "After I Fuck Ya Bitch (Remix)" — 4:37
9. "Entering the Game" — 3:52
10. "Life" — 4:07
11. "9 to 5" — 3:17
12. "Breakaman" — 4:22
13. "Shake It" (featuring Rich Burn) — 2:56
14. "Look at Old Girl" (featuring Block Burnaz) — 4:50
15. "On da Grind" — 3:22
16. "U Understand" — 4:53
17. "Mr. Tell It" — 4:49
18. "Dirty South Soldiers (Rap Hustlaz Remix)" (featuring Lil Jon, V-Slash & Kia Shine) — 5:38
19. "Pop Kone" (featuring Lil Jon) — 3:44

Critical reception

Allmusic writer Jason Birchmeier awarded the album three stars and described it as "typical of the genre". Matt Gonzales of PopMatters

PopMatters

PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...

 also gave the album a lukewarm review, viewing Yo Gotti as "lyrically indistinguishable from a sea of bitter, street-hustling rappers exactly like himself". Geoff Harkness, writing for The Pitch saw merit in Gotti's lyrics, but opined that "the played-out beats, the hoary "Dirty South" shout-outs and Gotti's perfunctory delivery ... hinder the album beyond repair." The Memphis Flyer

Memphis Flyer

The Memphis Flyer is a free weekly alternative newspaper serving the greater Memphis, Tennessee area. Liberal in its politics, the Flyer covers local politics, as well as music and entertainment, regional sports, and human interest stories. Circulation: 55,000The Flyer was founded in 1989 by...

commented on the "vintage Def Jam-style production" and "facility with R&B hooks", and viewed the album as revealing "a wider range of musical and emotional options than is usually heard on Memphis rap records". The New York Times Kelefa Sanneh, reviewing his next album, described Life as "an uncelebrated gem".

Several reviewers commented on the cover art, with Gonzales stating that from the cover the album could be mistaken "for a Wayans Brothers project skewering the worn-out conventions of hardcore rap". Harkness described the cover showing Yo Gotti "surrounded by snazzy cars, diamond-encrusted hubcaps and a flurry of $100 bills -- not exactly indicators that songs about the current political climate or uplifting one's spiritual self will be found inside."