4 Tha Hard Way is the fourth album by the West Coast hip hop artist Rappin' 4-Tay, released by Noo Trybe Records in 1997.[3] The album features production from Bay Area producer Ant Banks,[2] as well as guest appearances from the likes of Tupac Shakur, Rick James, E-40 and Master P. The entire album is dedicated to the memory of Tupac Shakur.[citation needed] The album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 169,[4] with 7,000 copies sold in the first week. At the time of the release, Rappin' 4-Tay considered 4 Tha Hard Way his best album and was surprised by its low sales, with his manager blaming the label for changing the release date and not doing any promotion.[3]
Alex Henderson of AllMusic noted the album's "positive and congenial tone" and tendency towards "melodic, R&B-flavored tracks", concluding that it was "decent, but not remarkable".[1] Miguel Burke of The Source thought that the best moments on the albums are the songs performed solo by Rappin' 4-Tay, where he "stray[s] away from the redundant topic of being a player", but criticized the album for its lack of a hit song, resulting in an album that fails to reach the level of the classic West Coast hip hop albums.[2]
