And the Anonymous Nobody...

Last updated

And the Anonymous Nobody...
And The Anonymous Nobody album cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 26, 2016
Genre Hip hop
Length67:59
Label
Producer
De La Soul chronology
For Your Pain & Suffering (EP)
(2016)
And the Anonymous Nobody...
(2016)
Singles from and the Anonymous Nobody...
  1. "Trainwreck"
    Released: April 29, 2016
  2. "Pain"
    Released: June 1, 2016
  3. "Royalty Capes"
    Released: July 20, 2016
  4. "Drawn"
    Released: August 10, 2016
  5. "Greyhounds"
    Released: August 17, 2016

And the Anonymous Nobody... (stylized as and the Anonymous Nobody...) is the ninth and most recent full-length studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul, the group's first full-length album since The Grind Date and its last prior to group member Trugoy the Dove's death in 2023. [1] [2] It was released on August 26, 2016, on A.O.I. Records, executive produced by Jordan Katz. The group announced the track list on May 20, 2016. [3]

Contents

The album has guest features from 2 Chainz, Damon Albarn, David Byrne, Estelle, Little Dragon, Snoop Dogg, Jill Scott, Justin Hawkins, Pete Rock, and Roc Marciano. It received positive reviews by critics, and peaked at 12 on the Billboard 200. The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards.

Background

In early 2015, De La Soul created a Kickstarter in order to fund the album. In under ten hours, it surpassed the projected goal of $110,000. [4] Initially, the group announced that the album would be released on April 29, 2016. [5] Subsequently, releasing a new EP titled For Your Pain & Suffering on April 29, 2016, the group rescheduled the release of the album for August 26, 2016. [6] The first single, "Pain" (featuring Snoop Dogg), was released on June 1, 2016.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 77/100 [7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The A.V. Club A− [9]
Consequence of Sound B− [10]
Drowned in Sound 8/10 [11]
Exclaim! 8/10 [12]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Pitchfork 6.4/10 [14]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Spin 8/10 [16]
XXL Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [7] Writing for Exclaim! , Kyle Mullin gave the album a rave review, calling it "one of the most thrilling, wide-ranging rap releases of the year." [12]

Commercial performance

In the United States, And the Anonymous Nobody... debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, with 23,000 album-equivalent units, marking the fifth highest debut of the week. [18] It was the seventh best-selling album of the week, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. [19] And the Anonymous Nobody... was the first De La Soul album to debut at number one on the Billboard Top Rap Albums. [20] [21] The album was also streamed 2 million times in the first week. [18] It was nominated at the 59th Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album.

Track listing

And the Anonymous Nobody... track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Genesis" (featuring Jill Scott)The Anonymous Nobodies1:36
2."Royalty Capes"
3:46
3."Pain" (featuring Snoop Dogg)
4:39
4."Property of Spitkicker.com" (featuring Roc Marciano)
  • Plug Too
  • The Anonymous Nobodies [a]
5:32
5."Memory of… (Us)" (featuring Estelle and Pete Rock)
4:55
6."CBGB's"
  • Plug Too
  • Ethan Phillips [a]
1:20
7."Lord Intended" (featuring Justin Hawkins)
  • The Anonymous Nobodies
  • Joshua Matthew Lopez [a]
7:16
8."Snoopies" (by De La Soul and David Byrne)
4:15
9."Greyhounds" (featuring Usher)
  • Phillips
  • The Anonymous Nobodies [a]
  • Chegwidden [a]
5:26
10."Sexy Bitch"Plug Won1:31
11."Trainwreck"
  • West
  • The Anonymous Nobodies [a]
3:17
12."Drawn" (featuring Little Dragon)
5:33
13."Whoodeeni" (featuring 2 Chainz)Plug Too4:31
14."Nosed Up"West3:57
15."You Go Dave (A Goldblatt Presentation)" (featuring David Goldblatt)
  • Chegwidden
  • Phillips
  • The Anonymous Nobodies [a]
1:20
16."Here in After" (featuring Damon Albarn)
  • The Anonymous Nobodies
  • Rastegar [a]
  • Lopez [a]
  • Chegwidden [a]
5:41
17."Exodus"The Anonymous Nobodies3:24
Total length:67:59
Notes

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [22] 25
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [23] 34
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [24] 14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [25] 31
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [26] 51
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [27] 19
French Albums (SNEP) [28] 53
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [29] 22
Irish Albums (IRMA) [30] 34
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [31] 31
Scottish Albums (OCC) [32] 14
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [33] 12
UK Albums (OCC) [34] 16
UK Official Vinyl Albums (OCC) [35] 1
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [36] 2
US Billboard 200 [37] 12
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [38] 3
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [39] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [40] 66

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Soul</span> American hip hop group

De La Soul is an American hip hop group formed in 1988 in the village of Amityville on Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres. Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer, David "Trugoy the Dove" Jolicoeur, and Vincent "Maseo" Mason formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'".

<i>3 Feet High and Rising</i> 1989 studio album by De La Soul

3 Feet High and Rising is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group De La Soul, released on March 3, 1989 by Tommy Boy Records. It was the first of three collaborations with the producer Prince Paul, and was the critical and commercial peak of both parties. The album title comes from the Johnny Cash song "Five Feet High and Rising". The album contains the singles "Me Myself and I", "The Magic Number", "Buddy", and "Eye Know".

<i>Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump</i> 2000 studio album by De La Soul

Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul, it was released on August 8, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De La Soul discography</span>

This article is a detailed listing of releases by the hip hop group De La Soul. They have one platinum and two gold records, and one Grammy Award. The group have sold over 5 million albums in the US.

<i>Cruel Summer</i> (GOOD Music album) 2012 compilation album by GOOD Music

Kanye West Presents: Good Music – Cruel Summer, commonly referred to simply as Cruel Summer, is a compilation album by recording artists of American record label GOOD Music, released on September 14, 2012, by the label and Def Jam Recordings. American rapper Kanye West, head of the label, first revealed plans for a label collaborative album in October 2011. The album produced four singles—"Mercy", "Cold", "New God Flow", and "Clique"—that charted on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album features West himself, alongside GOOD Music signees Pusha T, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, Cyhi the Prynce, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Common, D'banj and Malik Yusef, as well as affiliates 2 Chainz, Jay-Z and Travis Scott, among others. Production on the album was primarily handled by members of GOOD Music's production wing, Very GOOD Beats, including West, Hit-Boy, Hudson Mohawke, Travis Scott and Lifted, among others.

<i>The Heist</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

The Heist is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on October 9, 2012, by Macklemore LLC, distributed under the Alternative Distribution Alliance. The album was independently self-produced, self-recorded and self-released by the duo, with no mainstream promotion or support. After the album's release, the duo hired Warner Music Group's radio promotion department to help the push with their singles for a small percentage of the sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ASAP Mob</span> American hip hop collective

ASAP Mob is an American hip hop collective formed in 2006 in Harlem, New York City, that consists of rappers, record producers, music video directors and fashion designers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schoolboy Q discography</span> Hip hop recording artist discography

American rapper Schoolboy Q has released five studio albums, two mixtapes, 30 singles, and 36 music videos.

<i>General Admission</i> (Machine Gun Kelly album) 2015 studio album by Machine Gun Kelly

General Admission is the second studio album by American rapper Machine Gun Kelly. It was released on October 16, 2015, by his indie record label EST 19XX, distributed by Bad Boy and Interscope Records. The album was supported by two singles: "Till I Die" and "A Little More" featuring Victoria Monet.

<i>Royalty</i> (Chris Brown album) 2015 studio album by Chris Brown

Royalty is the seventh studio album by American singer Chris Brown. It was released on December 18, 2015, by CBE and RCA Records. The album was anticipated by the mixtape Before the Party, released as its prelude, and serves as the follow-up to his sixth album X (2014). The album is named after the singer's daughter, Royalty Brown, whom the album is dedicated to.

<i>Coolaid</i> 2016 studio album by Snoop Dogg

Coolaid is the fourteenth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on July 1, 2016, by Doggystyle Records and eOne Music. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2015 to 2016 at the Doggystyle Studios Records, in Diamond Bar, California. The production on the album was handled by Snoop Dogg and other record producers, including Just Blaze, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. Snoop Dogg also enlisted a variety of guest vocalists such as Too $hort, Swizz Beatz, Jeremih, Wiz Khalifa, Trick Trick, E-40, Jazze Pha, Suga Free and October London, among others.

<i>1992</i> (album) 2016 studio album by the Game

1992 is the ninth studio album by American rapper the Game. It was released on October 14, 2016, by Blood Money Entertainment and eOne Music. The album features two guest appearances by R&B singer Jeremih and by Jason Derulo, as well as uncredited appearances by Osbe Chill, Lorine Chia and Sonyae Elise.

<i>The Suns Tirade</i> 2016 studio album by Isaiah Rashad

The Sun's Tirade is the second studio album by American rapper Isaiah Rashad. It was released on September 2, 2016, and is his second release with Top Dawg Entertainment, following 2014's acclaimed Cilvia Demo.

<i>Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends</i> 2016 studio album by ASAP Mob

Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends is the debut studio album by hip hop collective ASAP Mob. It was released on October 31, 2016, by ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records. The album contains verses from each member of the ASAP Mob group such as ASAP Rocky, ASAP Twelvyy, ASAP Ant, ASAP Ferg, ASAP Nast, Playboi Carti and Yung Lord/ASAP Bari. ASAP Mob enlisted the variety of guest appearances from Juicy J, Key!, Wiz Khalifa, BJ the Chicago Kid, Buddy, Skepta, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, MadeinTYO, Onyx, Offset, Tyler, The Creator and Yung Gleesh; as well as the album's production was provided by Hector Delgado, alongside several other record producers such as AyoDlo, Crazy Mike, Dun Deal, Lil Awree, DJ Smokey, Plu2o Nash, Maaly Raw and Wavy Wallace.

<i>Still Striving</i> 2017 mixtape by ASAP Ferg

Still Striving is the second mixtape by American rapper ASAP Ferg. It was released through ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music, and RCA Records on August 18, 2017. The album features guest appearances from Meek Mill, Cam'ron, Dave East, Lil Yachty, Nav, Famous Dex, Playboi Carti, Migos, ASAP Rocky, MadeinTYO, Busta Rhymes, French Montana, Rick Ross, and Snoop Dogg. It was supported by the single "Plain Jane".

<i>17</i> (XXXTentacion album) 2017 studio album by XXXTentacion

17 is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer XXXTentacion. It was released on August 25, 2017, by Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution. With a runtime of just under 22 minutes, 17 is a brief album and does not feature a song longer than three minutes. The album was supported by the lead single "Revenge", and is XXXTentacion's second commercial record, following the compilation mixtape of the same name (2017). 17 includes a sole appearance from Trippie Redd and heavy sampling of Shiloh Dynasty, and production was handled by XXXTentacion, among others.

<i>Lil Pump</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Lil Pump

Lil Pump is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Pump. It was released on October 6, 2017, through Tha Lights Global and Warner Records. The album features guest appearances from frequent collaborator Smokepurpp, alongside Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross. It also features production from Bighead, Ronny J, TM88, among others.

<i>?</i> (XXXTentacion album) 2018 studio album by XXXTentacion

? is the second studio album by American rapper and singer XXXTentacion and his last studio album to be released before his murder. It was released on March 16, 2018, by Bad Vibes Forever, Caroline Distribution, and Capitol Music Group. It succeeds the release of his debut studio album 17 (2017) and the extended play A Ghetto Christmas Carol (2017). The album was primarily produced by frequent collaborator John Cunningham, and includes guest appearances from PnB Rock, Travis Barker, Joey Badass, Matt Ox, Rio Santana, Judah, and Carlos Andrez.

<i>Wrld on Drugs</i> 2018 mixtape by Future and Juice Wrld

Wrld on Drugs, also known and stylized as Future & Juice WRLD Present... WRLD ON DRUGS is a collaborative commercial mixtape by American rappers Future and Juice Wrld. It was released on October 19, 2018 by Epic Records, Freebandz, Grade A and Interscope Records after being originally announced on October 17, 2018. The lead single "Fine China" was released on October 15, 2018. The mixtape contains guest appearances from Young Scooter, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Yung Bans, Gunna and Nicki Minaj.

<i>Pegasus</i> (Trippie Redd album) 2020 studio album by Trippie Redd

Pegasus is the third studio album by American rapper Trippie Redd, released on October 30, 2020. The album features guest appearances from Myiah Lynnae, Yung LB, PartyNextDoor, Chris Brown, Rich the Kid, Young Thug, Future, Lil Mosey, Quavo, Busta Rhymes, Sean Kingston, Doe Boy, Lil Wayne, HoodyBaby, and Swae Lee. The deluxe version titled Neon Shark vs Pegasus made in collaboration with Travis Barker was released on February 19, 2021, featuring Machine Gun Kelly, blackbear, Chino Moreno, Scarlxrd, and ZillaKami.

References

  1. Gee, Andre. "De La Soul's Trugoy the Dove Dead At 54". Rolling Stone . Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  2. Sisario, Ben. "De La Soul's David Jolicoeur, Who Rapped as Trugoy the Dove, Dies at 54". New York Times . Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  3. Schwartz, Danny (May 20, 2016). "De La Soul announce tracklist". Hotnewhiphop.com. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  4. Cohen, Finn (August 9, 2016). "De La Soul's Legacy Is Trapped in Digital Limbo". The New York Times . Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  5. Walker, Angus (November 21, 2015). "De La Soul Sets New Release Date For Upcoming Album". hotnewhiphop.com. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  6. Simmons, Ted (April 29, 2016). "De La Soul announced that their Kickstarter-funded album would be delayed". XXL . Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "And the Anonymous Nobody". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  8. Sendra, Tim (August 26, 2016). "De La Soul – and the Anonymous Nobody". AllMusic . Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  9. Bray, Ryan (August 26, 2016). "And The Anonymous Nobody… is De La Soul's long-awaited but inspired return". The A.V. Club . Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  10. Eustice, Kyle (August 26, 2016). "De La Soul – and the Anonymous Nobody". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  11. Miller, Kellan (August 26, 2016). "De La Soul - and the Anonymous Nobody..." Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Mullin, Kyle (August 30, 2016). "De La Soul - And the Anonymous Nobody". Exclaim! . Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  13. Bemrose, Bekki (August 26, 2016). "De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody". musicOMH . Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  14. Patrin, Nate (September 3, 2016). "De La Soul: and the Anonymous Nobody". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  15. And the Anonymous Nobody delivers. [Sep 2016, p.104]
  16. Williams, Stereo (August 25, 2016). "Spin Magazine Review". Spin.com. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  17. "De La Soul Make a Strong Return With 'And the Anonymous Nobody' - XXL". XXL . Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  18. 1 2 Hernandez, Victoria (September 5, 2016). "Young Thug's "No, My Name Is Jeffery" Lands In Top 10 Of Billboard 200". HipHopDX . Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  19. "Top Album Sales". Billboard . Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  20. "De La Soul's First Album In 12 Years Lands At No. 1 On Billboard Rap Albums Chart". Vibe. September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  21. "De La Soul's Crowd-Funded Album Debuts at No. 1 on Top Rap Albums Chart". Billboard . September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  22. "Australiancharts.com – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  23. "Austriancharts.at – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  24. "Ultratop.be – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  25. "Ultratop.be – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  26. "De La Soul Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  27. "Dutchcharts.nl – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  28. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes - SNEP (Week 35, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. June 10, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  29. "Offiziellecharts.de – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  30. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 35, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  31. "Charts.nz – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  32. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  33. "Swisscharts.com – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  34. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  35. "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  36. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  37. "De La Soul Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  38. "De La Soul Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  39. "De La Soul – Chart History: Vinyl Albums". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  40. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2017.