Another rare instance of an artist coming up with a classic a decade after what seemed like the peak of his career (Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury), and the only thing that could’ve made it better was if he pre-released “Infrared” so that Drake could’ve responded and we could’ve had an album with “The Story of Adidon” on it.
Daytona is the sound of Pusha-T being pushed to pursue perfection.
It’s all dope-boy come-up stories, subliminal shit-talk, and luxury at a level only possible to convey via fine-art name-dropping and whatever the fuck a “caviar facial” is. For the first time since going solo, it all feels of a piece.
DAYTONA is an album with few wasted moments, a lean project that’s made for repeat consumption to ensure that you catch every punchline and revel in every sample.
It’s evident that Pusha T is at his most confident on DAYTONA; his rhymes carry confidence and clarity paired with a high head and a release that was well worth the three-year waiting period.
Daytona is Pusha’s best work as a solo artist, a tightly wound record that doesn’t recapture the highs of peak Clipse, but finally makes ideal use of the now middle-aged rapper’s considerable skills.
Despite his success, Pusha T is still rapping about drug dealing – but the sheer pleasure of his flow, and Kanye West’s productions, smooth over any quibbles about authenticity.
DAYTONA, the long-awaited new LP by Pusha T, boasts a mostly sinewy and understated sound that'll leave hip-hop heads in revelry.
The record’s simple presentation and briefness make for an engaging change from the epic crossover attempts of his prior LP Darkest Before Dawn.
At seven tracks and just over 21 minutes, the Kanye West-helmed DAYTONA is pretty much watertight and finds Pusha T in top form.
In many ways, Daytona replicates Jay-Z and No I.D.'s 2017 rap highlight 4:44: two older men who simply practice their craft, their legacies already secure.
It may not be the most uplifting album of the year. It may not be the most woke album of the year. But nothing is going to touch the "YUGH" factor of DAYTONA this year.
Daytona is undoubtedly Pusha-T's best solo work to date. Casual fans will focus primarily on the Drake feud (centralized on album closer "Infrared") but it's the seven songs in totality that make the album—and this star moment for Push—great. Don't get caught up in the hype; Daytona is the real, uncut raw
Throughout Daytona’s seven songs, there’s a refinement to his on-wax aura, presenting himself as an older, sager throwback in a world full of Lil Yachtys.
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