| 1988 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 27, 2020 | |||
| Studio | Knxwledge's home [1] | |||
| Genre | Instrumental hip hop, [2] funk, [3] jazz, [3] soul, [3] R&B [4] | |||
| Length | 37:57 | |||
| Label | Stones Throw Records | |||
| Knxwledge chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 1988 | ||||
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1988 is the second studio album by American hip hop record producer Knxwledge, released on March 27, 2020 through Stones Throw Records.
Knxwledge has released over 100 projects; 1988 is his second studio album released through Stones Throw Records. [1] [5] It follows MEEK.VOL5, released on January 24, 2020, the fifth in a remix album series of Meek Mill freestyles, and is an official follow up to his first studio album, Hud Dreems, released on May 5, 2015. [4] [6] [7] The album is named after the year that Knxwledge was born. [8] [9] It contains themes of emotional growth as one ages. [10] It was produced at his home studio, using instruments including a SP-303, Mellotron, and Prophet keyboard. [1]
The album is primarily an instrumental hip hop record and contains samples from a variety of media sources, including music, film, and radio interviews. [8] [11] [2] [12]
"Dont be afraid" features a pitched-up sample of “Surrender” by Kut Klose and galvanizing percussion and horns. [8] [13] [14] [15] “[Bc] tm_s not promised” is an ambient track that contains a piano loop and vocal samples. [13] “Do You” contains layers of synths, piano chords, drum loops, and bass guitar, alongside a vocal sample of "Just Because I'm Wrong" by Gerald Levert. [16] [17] [18] "Listen" contains a sample of a church pastor and gospel singers. [7] [15] "Learn" is a "warm, electro-based and lo-fi" track composed of drums and bass lines. [19] [20] "Howtokope." contains a vocal sample of a Ebro Darden radio interview. [19] "With[reality]" features a rapper making aggressive threats over an analogue synth riff that gives the track a "dreamlike quality." [15] "Solivelife" contains pitched Anderson .Paak vocals over horn samples. [15] [21] “Watchwhoyoukallyourhomie” samples a Meek Mill freestyle. [22] [23] "Don_tgottabe" contains a humming vocal sample, guitar strums, punchy drums, and minimalistic percussion. [24] “Awomanslifeislove” is a funk track containing bass, drums, and a cracking snare. [7] "Amansloveislife_keepon" contains a sample of "Keep On" by Kut Klose. [8] [2]
On January 7, 2020, Knxwledge released the album's lead single, "Do You". [16] [17] [25] On February 12, 2020, the album's next two singles, "Learn" and "Howtokope." were released. [5] [20] [26] He released the album's next two singles "dont be afraid" and "[bc]tm_s not promised" on March 3, 2020, alongside an animated music video by Rhymezlikedimez. [14] [27] [28] [29] The album released on March 27, 2020. [11] [30] [31] An animated music video for "makeitliveforever" was released on the same day. [32] An animated music video for "Don_tgottabe" was released on May 7, 2020. [24] [33]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100 [34] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10 [15] |
| Pitchfork | 7/10 [8] |
| Q | [3] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic , 1988 received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 5 critic scores. [34]
Writing for Q , Rupert Howe said that the album "radiates a warmth often missing from other hi-tech laptop jams." [3] Exclaim! 's Kyle Mullin concludes that the album maintains a "soulful throwback sound" while "stretching in unpredictable new directions." [15] In his review for Pitchfork, Stephen Kearse praised Knxwledge as a "distinctive and prolific sculptor of sounds" but that said that 1988 did not do enough to distinguish itself from his other albums. [8] Andy Kellman of AllMusic praised the variety of samples used in the album as "cutting across genres, decades, and moods." [2]
Micah Peters of The Ringer described the album as "a shifting collage of analog sounds and surprise vocals." [8] Hypebeast's Patrick Johnson wrote that the album "craft[s] a narrative of gratitude, and offers up a soundtrack that can even be considered soothing given the current unprecedented times of self-quarantines and isolation." [32] The Asbury Park Press listed the album as a top Jersey album of 2020. [35] Writing for The Fader , Shaad D'Souza described the album as "another warm, soulful chapter of Knxwledge’s output." [36] Jim Wilson of The Michigan Daily wrote that the album was innovative in an "ultra-modern landscape" despite its "throwback nature." [37]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okayplayer | Best Albums of 2020 | 15 | |
| XLR8R | Our Favorite Releases of 2020 | — | |
All music produced by Glen Earl Boothe.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dont Be Afraid" | 1:34 |
| 2. | "[Bc] Tm_s Not Promised" | 0:54 |
| 3. | "Do You" | 2:49 |
| 4. | "Thats Allwekando." | 0:57 |
| 5. | "Listen" | 1:14 |
| 6. | "Learn" | 1:41 |
| 7. | "Howtokope." | 2:00 |
| 8. | "With[reality]" | 0:54 |
| 9. | "Uonlygetone" | 0:55 |
| 10. | "Solivelife" | 1:39 |
| 11. | "Be Safe" | 1:00 |
| 12. | "Watchwhoukallyourhomie" | 1:29 |
| 13. | "Theykome&go" | 1:33 |
| 14. | "Don_tgottabe" | 2:09 |
| 15. | "Gangstallthetime" | 1:58 |
| 16. | "Believeme" | 1:08 |
| 17. | "Itkanbe[sonice]" (featuring NxWorries) | 1:43 |
| 18. | "Makeuseofthetime" | 1:18 |
| 19. | "Makeitliveforever" | 1:50 |
| 20. | "Awomanslifeislove" | 1:15 |
| 21. | "Amansloveislife_keepon" | 3:19 |
| 22. | "Minding_my Business" (featuring Durand Bernarr and Rose Gold) | 4:28 |
| Total length: | 37:57 | |
Notes
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