Absolute Value (album)
Absolute Value is the second studio album by Boston rapper Akrobatik.[1] It was released on February 19, 2008 by Fat Beats Records. The album features guest appearances by hip hop artists Talib Kweli, Chuck D, and B-Real, as well as production by 9th Wonder, Illmind, J Dilla, and Da Beatminerz. Despite receiving rave reviews, the album sold about 600 units in its opening week.[2]
| Absolute Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 19, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 52:07 | |||
| Label | Fat Beats Records | |||
| Producer |
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| Akrobatik chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Absolute Value | ||||
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Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com | [3] |
| ArtofRhyme.com | [4] |
| AllMusic | [5] |
| DJBooth.net | [6] |
| HipHopDX | [7] |
| HipHopLinguistics.com | [8] |
| The Phoenix | [9] |
| PopMatters | [10] |
| RapReviews.com | 9/10[11] |
| XLR8R | 7.5/10[12] |
Marisa Brown of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, commenting that it "mixes his socially conscious messages and his battle-honed cadence, healthy ego, and energetic production (courtesy here of Illmind, Dilla, J-Zone, and 9th Wonder, among others) into a palatable but intelligent creation that entertains as much as it educates."[5] She added, "Absolute Value has a few requisite tracks -- the melancholy 'Rain,' the sweet 'Back Home to You' -- but it also has a lot of sharp, thoughtful, fun material that knows how to keep the audience moving, both in body and mind."[5] J-23 of HipHopDX gave the album a 4.0 out of 5, saying, "you won't find anything on this album that will have you reaching for the skip button."[7]
Andrew Martin of PopMatters gave the album 7 stars out of 10, calling it "a strong representation of Ak's versatility as an emcee."[10] Max Herman of XLR8R gave the album a 7.5 out of 10, writing, "the MC leaves the greatest impression when he balances his hard-hitting approach with focused subject matter as he does on the Little Brother-assisted 'Be Prepared,' a soulful examination of the rap game."[12]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A to the K" (featuring B-Real) | Illmind | 2:52 |
| 2. | "Soul Glo" | Da Beatminerz | 2:38 |
| 3. | "Put Ya Stamp on It" (featuring Talib Kweli) | J Dilla | 3:22 |
| 4. | "Step It Up" | Hezekiah | 3:02 |
| 5. | "Rain" (featuring Brenna Gethers) | Illmind | 3:11 |
| 6. | "Be Prepared" (featuring Little Brother) | 9th Wonder | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Absolute Value" | J-Zone | 2:43 |
| 8. | "Black Hell Breaks Loose" (featuring Willie Evans Jr. and DJ Therapy) | DJ Therapy | 3:36 |
| 9. | "Kindred" (featuring Chuck D and Brenna Gethers) | Illmind | 4:00 |
| 10. | "Front Steps Pt. II (Tough Love)" | Tzarizm | 3:34 |
| 11. | "Beast Mode" (featuring Mr. Lif) | DJ Fakts One | 3:09 |
| 12. | "If We Can't Build" (featuring Bumpy Knuckles) | Illmind | 3:00 |
| 13. | "Ak B. Nimble" |
| 2:55 |
| 14. | "Back Home to You" | DJ Therapy | 6:35 |
| Total length: | 52:07 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
- Akrobatik – vocals
- B-Real – vocals (1)
- Illmind – production (1, 5, 9, 12)
- Da Beatminerz – production (2)
- DJ Evil Dee – turntables (2)
- Talib Kweli – vocals (3)
- J Dilla – production (3)
- DJ Jayceeoh – turntables (3, 4, 6, 10, 14)
- Hezekiah – production (4)
- Brenna Gethers – vocals (5, 9)
- Little Brother – vocals (6)
- 9th Wonder – production (6)
- J-Zone – production (7)
- Willie Evans Jr. – vocals (8)
- DJ Therapy – vocals (8), production (8, 14), turntables (13)
- Chuck D – vocals (9)
- Tzarizm – production (10)
- Mr. Lif – vocals (11)
- DJ Fakts One – production (11)
- Bumpy Knuckles – vocals (12)
- Baba Israel – production (13)
- Yako – production (13)
- Buttaskotch – engineering
- Lucy Fernandes – engineering
- Ray Fernandes – engineering
- Sir Bob Nash – engineering
- Mark Donahue – mastering
- Alphabet Arm Design – art direction
- Billy Nunez – illustration
- A. Garcia – photography
References
- ^ Jones, Kevin (May 2008). "Akrobatic - Absolute Value". Exclaim!.
- ^ Ewing, Aliya (February 27, 2008). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 2/24/08 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ Adaso, Henry (February 19, 2008). . Rap.about.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ . Artofrhyme.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c Brown, Marisa. "Absolute Value - Akrobatik". AllMusic. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
- ^ S., Nathan. "Akrobatik - Absolute Value". DJBooth.net. Retrieved September 7, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b J-23 (February 20, 2008). "Akrobatik - Absolute Value". HipHopDX.
- ^ "HipHopLinguistics review". Hiphoplinguistics.com. February 19, 2008. from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ Graham, Andrew (February 26, 2008). "Akrobatik - Absolute Value - Fat Beats". The Phoenix.
- ^ a b Martin, Andrew (March 2, 2008). "Akrobatik: Absolute Value". PopMatters. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ Juon, Steve (February 5, 2008). "Akrobatik :: Absolute Value :: Fat Beats Records". RapReviews.com. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Herman, Max (March 18, 2008). "Akrobatik - Absolute Value". XLR8R.
External links
- Absolute Value at Discogs (list of releases)