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CRITIC REVIEWS
90
A massively beautiful and thoughtful album in a small package.
3mo
90
Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? is a body of a work which takes the listener on a journey. McKinley Dixon has produced songs full of introspection and reflection but delivered in a variety of styles – sometimes harsh and hard-hitting and yet at other times gentle and tender.
3mo
90
Dixon’s radiant songwriting paves the way, and his expressive style makes for an enchanting journey through blissful soundscapes.
3mo
80
Dixon clearly loves florid language, but his genius lies in knowing when less is more.
3mo
80
Like Morrison, Dixon knows the necessity of scaling the boundaries of history and memory to reconcile the past, both good and bad — a slain friend and a loving mother, all of it — to manifest a future filled with life touched by the sun, some kind of tomorrow cast in gold and love.
3mo
80
The Harlem Renaissance remains a watershed in African-American cultural history, but interestingly BELOVED! often finds itself four miles across Central Park and on Broadway. Thematic and lyrical motifs find repetition throughout the album like a musical director slowly pulling the strings together.
3mo
80
It’s all gorgeously rich in both sound and delivery.
3mo
72
What clicks with rappers like Billy Woods, Ka, and Roc Marciano is that they can be heady and precise without having to double back all the time. Dixon, in contrast, can leave listeners frustrated when he gets lost in his own writing.
3mo
70
At this point, Dixon isn’t just an increasingly vital lyricist, he’s a conductor, arranger, and vivid storyteller who wonders and wanders but locks in with an instant, metronomic click. He might have been more selective here but his stories aren’t diminished for it.
4mo
70
Dixon’s newest full-length makes no concessions, but a sub-half-hour runtime paired with such a brisk pace makes for some of the man’s most accessible music to date.
3mo
Oh heckin heck! Fantano gave it a 9 so it means I must review it now!!
I've been aware of the existence of this album since it came out, And I saw it received a very decent amount of praise on the site. But admittedly I didn't care enough about it to actually check it out to be honest, But yeah, I'm so glad I did because this thing is great.
Not many artists are capable of creating something so dense, Complex, Grand and layered through a runtime so short that it doesn't even reach the 30 ... read more
Minimalists fuck off, this album is not for you.
Some of the best production of the 2020's, and McKinley's no fucking slouch on the mic either. No matter what emotion is explored, it's done with impassioned deliveries, a multitude of varying voices, and crazy amounts of detail in each beat. The variety in mood is especially appreciated - Mezzanine Tippin brushes Injury Reserve level abrasive, Run, Run, Run is GORGEOUS, and Dedicated To Tar Feather strikes the perfect balance between nostalgic ... read more
Oh man, when was the last time an album under 30 minutes has been this varied, this genre blending, and overall this damn good! I didn't know what to expect given that I hadn't heard any of McKinley's prior material, but this shit really did surprise me. The production is probably the best I've heard so far this year. At times it's extremely layered, at times it's experimental, at times it's super jazzy. Each track is so different in sound, yet fits the overall vibe of the album perfectly. ... read more
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Track List
| 1 | Hanif Reads Toni 2:23 feat. Hanif | 75 |
| 2 | Sun, I Rise 3:21 feat. Angélica Garcia | 89 |
| 3 | Mezzanine Tippin' 2:47 feat. Teller Bank$, Alfred. | 78 |
| 4 | Run, Run, Run 3:02 | 91 |
| 5 | Live! from the Kitchen Table 3:23 feat. Ghais Guevara | 88 |
| 6 | Tyler, Forever 3:02 | 85 |
| 7 | Dedicated to Tar Feather 2:36 feat. Anjimile | 86 |
| 8 | The Story So Far (Interlude) 1:06 | 78 |
| 9 | The Story So Far 2:50 feat. Seline Haze | 82 |
| 10 | Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? 4:07 feat. Ms. Jaylin Brown | 90 |
Total Length: 28 minutes
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5d
Sun, I Rise is a perfect song and I think the only track I've heard from this year that I've given a perfect score to? I'd die for it, basically.
Added on: March 7, 2023