A Martyr's Reward

A Martyr's Reward
Studio album by Ka
Released	August 13, 2021 (2021-08-13)
Genre	Hip-hop
Length	41:11
Label	Iron Works
Producer	Ka Navy Blue Preservation
Ka chronology
Descendants of Cain (2020) A Martyr's Reward (2021) Languish Arts / Woeful Studies (2022)

A Martyr's Reward is the sixth solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Kaseem "Ka" Ryan. It was released on August 13, 2021, through Iron Works Records. Production was handled by Ka himself, DJ Preservation and Navy Blue. It features guest appearances from Joi and Navy Blue.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Beats Per Minute	84% [2]
Pitchfork	8.3/10 [3]
Spectrum Culture	80% [4]
The Line of Best Fit	9/10 [5]

A Martyr's Reward was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics.

Tim Sentz of Beats Per Minute found that the album "feels like the most complete Ka album yet, from the brighter production to the ever-evolving wordplay". ^[2] Mano Sundaresan of Pitchfork stated: "one of rap's most inventive stylists surfaces from his memories to reflect on himself and his vocation, transforming his latest record into a searing, soulful gem in his catalog". ^[3] AllMusic's David Crone wrote: "make no mistake, A Martyr's Reward is an excellent rap record -- but from one of the genre's most visionary poets, it can't help but feel slightly underbaked". ^[1]

Accolades

Accolades for A Martyr's Reward

Publication	Accolade	Rank	Ref.
Beats Per Minute	BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2021	11	[6]
Complex	The Best Albums of 2021	40	[7]
Passion of the Weiss	The POW Best Albums of 2021	26	[8]
Pitchfork	The 50 Best Albums of 2021	48	[9]
Spin	The 30 Best Albums Of 2021	26	[10]
Stereogum	The 50 Best Albums Of 2021	22	[11]

Track listing

A Martyr's Reward track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Everybody Up"	Ka	2:48
2.	"I Need All That"	Ka	3:51
3.	"Peace Peace Peace" (featuring Joi)	Ka	2:53
4.	"Sad to Say"	Ka	2:13
5.	"P W H"	Ka	2:16
6.	"I Notice"	Ka	3:21
7.	"Like Me"	Ka	4:09
8.	"We Living / Martyr" (featuring Navy Blue)	Navy Blue	4:32
9.	"Subtle"	DJ Preservation	2:14
10.	"With All My Heart"	Ka	2:59
11.	"Enough Praise / Recovering"	Ka	5:12
12.	"Be Grateful"	Ka	2:21
13.	"Having Nothin'"	Ka	2:22
Total length:			41:11

Personnel

• Kaseem "Ka" Ryan – main artist, producer (tracks 1–7, 10–13)
• Joi Gilliam – vocals (track 3)
• Sage "Navy Blue" Elsesser – vocals & producer (track 8)
• Jean "Preservation" Daval – producer (track 9)
• Chris Pummill – engineering
• Charles Scott Harding – mixing
• Michael Fossenkemper – mastering
• Mark Shaw – design

References

1. Crone, David. "Ka - A Martyr's Reward Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved April 22, 2023.
2. Sentz, Tim (August 18, 2021). "Album Review: Ka – A Martyr's Reward | Beats Per Minute". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved April 22, 2023.
3. Sundaresan, Mano (August 21, 2021). "Ka: A Martyr's Reward". Pitchfork . Retrieved April 22, 2023.
4. Stremfel, Thomas (September 1, 2021). "Ka: A Martyr's Reward". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
5. McMullen, Chase (August 19, 2021). "Brooklyn rapper Ka proves he's holding an immense power on A Martyr's Reward". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved April 22, 2023.
6. Johnston, Andy (December 16, 2021). "BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2021 | Beats Per Minute". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved April 22, 2023.
7. Gee, Andre (December 1, 2021). "The Best Albums of 2021". Complex . Retrieved April 22, 2023.
8. Nabavian, Evan (December 31, 2021). "The POW Best Albums of 2021". Passion of the Weiss. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
9. Kearse, Stephen (December 7, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork . Retrieved April 22, 2023.
10. Schonfeld, Zach (December 13, 2021). "The 30 Best Albums Of 2021". SPIN . Retrieved April 22, 2023.
11. "The 50 Best Albums Of 2021". Stereogum . December 6, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2023.

External links

• A Martyr's Reward at Discogs (list of releases)