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RTB Rewind: Luniz Release Their Sophomore Album 'Lunatik Muzik'

RTB Rewind: Luniz Release Their Sophomore Album 'Lunatik Muzik'

Published Fri, November 11, 2022 at 10:51 AM EST

On November 11, 1997, Bay Area duo the Luniz dropped their sophomore album, Lunatik Muzik.

Anticipation for the project was high following the mega-success of their platinum 1995 debut Operation Stackola, which produced perhaps the greatest smoker song of all time, "I Got 5 On It." When Yukmouth and Numskull's sophomore album arrived two years later, fans were ready.

The duo had established themselves as skilled emcees who were adept at both storytelling and punchlines, and it's a trend that continued on Lunatik Muzik. While the album is often overlooked because it didn't boast a single as big as "I Got 5 On It," the album features Yuk and Num in their peak element, and it's laced with standout tracks that still hold weight today.


This go-around they called on a crop of production talent – fellow Bay Area super talent Raphael Saadiq, DJ Quik, Redman, Quincy Jones III, and Mike Dean all show up. And the album also includes features from Too $hort, E-40, Brownstone, Christión, and 3X Krazy.

On one of the album's standouts, "In My Nature," 8Ball & MJG deliver showy verses over a smooth, bass-heavy T-Mix track (credited as Smoke One Productions), while on "Just Mee & U," Yuk and Num deliver over a remake of Saadiq's hit. On the sleeper track, "Killaz On the Payroll," the pair offer cautionary tales over creeping production by Tone Capone and Mike Dean.

The album peaked at #34 on the Billboard 200 and remains a quiet standout in their catalog.

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