The Prelude has once again positioned Pusha as an emcee with the ability to put forth a legendary piece of work. Here now, the clock ticks until King Push.
Darkest Before Dawn is a declaration of now, using the rap world's skewed priorities and current disordered reality as his muse, dissecting its flaws through neurotic observations and sociological exploration - and of course the most inexhaustible adlib in the game.
The beats sound like money, and the raps are whip smart and cleanly tailored.
Despite a few dips, Darkest Before Dawn is a concise and pounding presentation from the veteran rapper. If this is what he’s prepped for the prelude, one can only wonder what treasures King Push will display during the coronation.
The album just doesn't flow as well as his monolithic 2013 effort My Name Is My Name, but as a mere "prelude" to the next LP, it's miles above "throwaway" and comes with the quality control that would put it in the top tiers of both the mixtape and street release formats.
Darkest Before Dawn's only shortcoming is its prelude status; most of its 10 songs last just two or three minutes. It's too good to be a mixtape and too short to be an album, raising the stakes even higher for the album proper.
Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude sees Pusha T continue in the verbose, matter-of-fact style that he’s honed since his days as one half of Clipse, but this time – amid the tales of slinging and spending – he’s built his own personal fifth column.
A remarkable return to form by one of rap’s finest wordsmiths, it’s Pusha’s most focused and cohesive solo effort to date, and one of hip-hop’s strongest long-players of 2015.
On DBD, he delivers music that can’t be clumped with contemporary hip-hop.
Darkest Before Dawn is as real as it gets — even if you've never sold drugs in your life.
It doesn't matter whether or not you think Darkest Before Dawn is good enough because Push is already rapping like it is. Adulation and recognition be damned.
We do know that Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude is a fabulous album, even though it’s merely a sample to whet our appetite for the real product, King Push, next spring.
If My Name is My Name was a branding, an active marketing campaign, Darkest Before Dawn is the fully realized product, Pusha T not as he was or as he could be, but as he is. He’s not always as sharp as he’s been in the past, but he makes up for his faults with his tenacity.
He definitely has the momentum for King Push, even if the prelude is somewhat forgettable.
With darker production and great features, The Prelude is a major step up from Pusha's last album. I really liked the first 5 tracks, and the second half is also really solid. Don't know what the bird is doing though 🐓 Watch out Pusha, there's a birdo flying right towards you!
One of the best rappers of all time with an album that has too many bars. I've never had this many stank faces when I read/heard the lyrics. Couple of the beats are questionable and a hook here or there is kind of weak, but the lyricism is one of the best Ive ever heard, and its a great experience. One of the best
1 | Intro 2:33 | 80 |
2 | Untouchable 3:09 | 83 |
3 | M.F.T.R. 4:07 feat. The-Dream | 82 |
4 | Crutches, Crosses, Caskets 2:24 | 75 |
5 | M.P.A. 4:45 | 84 |
6 | Got Em Covered 3:15 feat. Ab-Liva | 64 |
7 | Keep Dealing 4:11 feat. Beanie Sigel | 81 |
8 | Retribution 3:18 feat. Kehlani | 73 |
9 | F.I.F.A. 2:18 | 78 |
10 | Sunshine 3:13 feat. Jill Scott | 77 |
#15 | / | Earbuddy |
#19 | / | Pigeons & Planes |
#46 | / | Treble |