Malibu Ken

Malibu Ken - Malibu Ken
Critic Score
Based on 10 reviews
2019 Ratings: #176 / 805
User Score
2019 Rank: #330
Liked by 79 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
Highsnobiety
The mix of styles blend as smoothly as peanut butter and chocolate, and tastes equally as good.
81
GIGsoup

With trap and mumble rap the dominant sound of the decade, it's this kind of experimentation that the genre needs in order to remain fun and fresh.

80
Sputnikmusic
Two albums of this might get tiring, but for 34 minutes, it works perfectly despite the predictability.
77
Pitchfork

With its 34-minute runtime, its cartoon cover art, and the pervading levity of Tobacco’s beats, Malibu Ken may seem at first like a minor work. But there’s nothing diminutive about a record this sharply written. It’s a side project every bit as substantial as Aesop Rock’s proper albums. That it also happens to be more fun than most of them is a bonus.

75
Under the Radar

Malibu Ken is wonky, unique electro-psychedelic thunk that is somewhat pretty. It's crisp, sensational perplexity, and very hard to overthrow.

75
Spectrum Culture
So it’s insular, gross, completely bonkers. But there’s a reason both of these men have built cults around their work.
70
AllMusic

Tobacco's production throughout the album isn't quite as lo-fi or dirty-sounding as his solo work, and his presence is clearly felt, but he doesn't overpower Aesop. The two are a fitting match for each other, and their collaboration works as well as fans would expect.

70
The 405

Random references and non-sensical metaphors aside, Malibu Ken is proof that abstract hip-hop is very much alive. While cloud rap and trap beats continue to grab headlines and garner streams, the potential of experimental rap may lie within the marriage between two aging and well-established artists.

BradTasteMusic
82

Malibu Ken is pure fun for total weirdos.

jordymusic
84

I have absolutely no idea how people are singling out the production as being a downfall here, did anyone even listen to this properly or did you just put it on in the background expecting it to 'bump hard'?. The production is fantastic and pretty original to be honest. Some lovely ever-evolving lucid and shimmering instrumentals on here which have beautiful ambient electronic tones to them. I swear some people on this site will call any production that isnt deafening and bass cranked basic. ... read more

Geem
75

This album reminds me of Mad Magazine. Never read one, but those covers where pretty gnarly. I'm gonna be honest here, I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as some other Aesop Rock albums. I don't know what it is, but maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm not a total weirdo. Of course, you have to go the full 37.4 yards to enjoy this to the fullest.

pyddl
80

hard to look at, not hard to listen to

f10ating
90

yerp

MYEYEHURTS
85

Some of the coolest production Aesop has ever rapped over.

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Track List

1Corn Maze
3:22
87
2Tuesday
3:29
82
3Save Our Ship
3:28
77
4Sword Box
4:01
83
5Dog Years
3:04
79
6Acid King
3:32
90
7Suicide Big Gulp
3:29
78
81+1=13
3:45
78
9Churro
2:27
77
10Purple Moss
3:51
81
Total Length: 34 minutes
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Added on: November 20, 2018