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King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude

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"Darkest Before Dawn" redirects here. For the 2002 album, see Steve Roach (musician).
Not to be confused with Darkness Before Dawn.
Untitled

King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude is the second studio album by American hip hop recording artist Pusha T. It was released on December 18, 2015, by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings.[1] The album was supported by three singles: "Untouchable", "M.F.T.R." featuring The-Dream and "Crutches, Crosses, Caskets". The album features guest appearances from The-Dream, Kanye West, ASAP Rocky, Ab-Liva, Beanie Sigel, Kehlani and Jill Scott, with production handled by a variety of high-profile record producers, including Kanye West, Timbaland, Q-Tip, Hudson Mohawke and Puff Daddy, among others.

The album serves as a prelude for his third album King Push, which has been scheduled to be released sometime in 2016.[2] King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude received widespread acclaim from critics, who highly praised its unique lyricism and experimental production.

Background

On October 7, 2013, Pusha T released his debut album, My Name is My Name. The album received universal acclaim from critics, debuting at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, selling 74,000 copies in its first week.[3][4] In April 2013, in an interview with AskMen; Pusha T revealed that after the release of his debut album, he would be finishing the work on his second album, titled King Push.[5][6]

In July 2014, in an interview with XXL; when asked about his plans for his next album King Push, Pusha T said: “This next album is like a heavy proclamation to me. I told people last year I had the 'Album Of the Year'. And I felt that I did. I really feel that King Push has to live up to that same hip-hop expectation… My goal is always to have 'hip-hop Album of the Year'.”[7]

Release and promotion

On November 19, 2014, Pusha T released the promotional single, titled "Lunch Money"; which was produced by Kanye West.[8][9] In December 2014, Pusha T announced his second album King Push, for a Spring 2015 release.[10][11] In May 2015, he had announced that his second album would be released in June 2015.[12] In November 2015, Pusha T revealed that he would be releasing an album, before his much anticipated project King Push and that his album King Push - Darkest Before Dawn - The Prelude would be released on December 18, 2015.[13]

In promotion for the album, Pusha T released a trailer for his short film on November 26, 2015.[14][15] The short film was released on December 11, 2015, exclusively on TIDAL.[16] The album was made available for pre-order on December 11 as well, with the songs "Untouchable", "M.F.T.R." and "Crutches, Crosses, Caskets", were released as "instant gratification tracks", to those who would be purchasing this album.[17]

Music and lyrics

For each of the singles "Untouchable", "M.F.T.R." and "Crutches, Crosses, Caskets", Pusha T premiered the lyrics on Genius, before releasing the audio, as a marketing technique.[18]

Singles

On November 12, 2015, Pusha T released a song, titled "Untouchable", as the first single for the album.[19]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic85/100[20]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[21]
The A.V. ClubA−[22]
Billboard[23]
The Guardian[24]
NME4/5[25]
The Observer[26]
Pitchfork Media8.2/10[27]
Q[28]
Rolling Stone[29]
Spin8/10[30]

Upon the release, Darkest Before Dawn was met with widespread acclaim from music critics.[20] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 22 reviews.[20] Christopher Weingarten of Rolling Stone stated, "Though hip-hop gets more melodic and vocally expressive every year, Pusha keeps his cadences steely and his bars hitting like haymakers, maintaining that ice-cold Nineties feel even when he’s taking on modern troubles."[29] Corbin Reiff of The A.V. Club considered it a worthy prelude to King Push and praised the dark tone of the album, "The mood is set right from the beginning on “Intro,” which opens with an array of synth sounds reminiscent of the score to Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange before slamming into a rhythm that’s all boom and no bap. That foreboding tone is carried forward through the rest of the record."[22] Erin Lowers of Exclaim! wrote that "the weight of Darkest Before Dawn doesn't simply rest on Pusha T's lyrical weight (literal and figuratively), but also his ability to tap into the strengths of his producers, like Boi-1da's thunderous drums, Kanye West's soulful grandeur or Timbaland's unorthodox layering."[31]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
2:33
2."Untouchable"
3:09
3."M.F.T.R." (featuring The-Dream)
4:07
4."Crutches, Crosses, Caskets"
2:24
5."M.P.A." (featuring Kanye West, A$AP Rocky and The-Dream)
4:45
6."Got Em Covered" (featuring Ab-Liva)
  • Timbaland
  • Milli Beatz
3:15
7."Keep Dealing" (featuring Beanie Sigel)
  • Puff Daddy
  • Myrick
  • Davidson
4:11
8."Retribution" (featuring Kehlani)
  • Timbaland
  • Death
3:18
9."F.I.F.A."
Q-Tip2:18
10."Sunshine" (featuring Jill Scott)
  • Gianfranco Reverberi
  • Claudio Ghiglino
  • Susan Duncan-Smith
3:13
Total length:33:13
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
  • "Intro" features additional vocals by Lee Sanchez and G Koop.
Sample credits
  • "Untouchable" contains a sample from "Think B.I.G." performed by The Notorious B.I.G., written by Christopher Wallace.
  • "M.P.A." contains a sample from "Konklusjon" performed by Good News, written by Finn Pedersen.
  • "Got Em Covered" contains an interpolation from "Squeeze 1st" performed and written by Shawn Carter and Ricardo Thomas.
  • "Sunshine" contains an interpolation of "Workin' My Way" performed by Alexander, written by Gianfranco Reverberi, Claudio Ghiglino and Susan Duncan-Smith.

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[32] 20
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[33] 3

References

  1. ^ "King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude by Pusha T on iTunes". Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  2. ^ Balfour, Jay (2015-12-09). "Pusha T Announces "King Push" Release Date". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
  3. ^ "My Name Is My Name Reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
  4. ^ "Miley Cyrus, Pusha T & Danny Brown First Week Sales". Complex. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
  5. ^ Paine, Jake (30 April 2013). "Pusha T Reveals "Ni**as In Paris" Beat Was Offered To Him, Sophomore LP Title". HipHopDX. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Pusha T's 'King Push' Has A Release Date". Fashionably-Early. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  7. ^ "Pusha T Wants 'King Push' To Be The Album Of The Year - XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  8. ^ "Pusha T Shares "Lunch Money", Produced by Kanye". Pitchfork. 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  9. ^ "Lunch Money - Single by Pusha T on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 2014-11-19. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  10. ^ "Pusha T Says "King Push" Is Dropping Spring 2015". Hotnewhiphop.com. 2014-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  11. ^ Vozick, Simon (2014-12-22). "Pusha T Promises 'Amazing' New Album in 2015". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  12. ^ Balfour, Jay. "Pusha T Announces "King Push" Release Date". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  13. ^ Kreps, Daniel (23 November 2015). "Pusha T Sets Date for 'King Push' Prelude 'Darkest Before Dawn'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  14. ^ "Pusha T Details King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude | News". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  15. ^ "Pusha T Shares Darkest Before Dawn Short Film Trailer | News". Pitchfork. 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  16. ^ "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
  17. ^ Dylan Brewer (2015-12-11). "Pre-order Pusha T's 'King Push - "Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude' Now!". Def Jam. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
  18. ^ Tags:  pusha t (2015-12-11). "Pusha T Shares Latest Single "Crutches, Crosses, Caskets" | Pigeons & Planes". Pigeonsandplanes.com. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
  19. ^ "Pusha T – "Untouchable" (Prod. Timbaland)". Stereogum. 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  20. ^ a b c "Reviews for King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude by Pusha T". Metacritic. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  21. ^ Jeffries, David. "King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude – Pusha T". AllMusic. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  22. ^ a b Reiff, Corbin (December 19, 2015). "Pusha T stakes his claim for rap supremacy on Darkest Before Dawn". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  23. ^ Diep, Eric (December 18, 2015). "Pusha T, 'King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude,' Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  24. ^ Bakare, Lanre (January 7, 2016). "King Push: Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude review – adds politics to the mix". The Guardian. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  25. ^ Madden, Joe (December 21, 2015). "Pusha T – 'Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude'". NME. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  26. ^ Empire, Kitty (January 10, 2016). "King Push: Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude review – an impressive second act". The Guardian. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  27. ^ Jenkins, Craig (January 4, 2016). "Pusha T: Darkest Before Dawn". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  28. ^ Mason, Matt (March 2016). "A Shove Supreme". Q (356): 110.
  29. ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher R. (December 17, 2015). "King Push: Darkest Before the Dawn – the Prelude". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  30. ^ Weiss, Dan (December 18, 2015). "Review: Pusha T Rocks Out With His Rocks Out on 'King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude'". Spin. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  31. ^ Lowers, Erin (December 22, 2015). "Pusha T – King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  32. ^ "Pusha T Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  33. ^ "Pusha T Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
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