Better | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 13, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2017–19 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 39:16 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Deante' Hitchcock chronology | ||||
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Singles from Better | ||||
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Better (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by American rapper Deante' Hitchcock. It was released on May 13, 2020 through ByStorm and RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. [1] [2] It includes features from JID, 6LACK, Young Nudy, Miguel, and St. Beauty. [3] [4] The deluxe edition was released on October 28, 2020, including 9 additional tracks with features from Reason, Guapdad 4000, Ro James, and Kenny Mason. [5]
In 2017, Hitchcock signed with ByStorm and RCA Records, and announced the trilogy Good, Better, and Best, making this album the second project of the trilogy. [6]
That was really the plan from the start, because it started off as Good, Better, Best. When I met my producer, Brandon Phillips-Taylor, we sat down and we put this whole thing together and he was like this could be a trilogy-type thing. Originally, Better was supposed to come out a lot sooner than it did, but I’m kind of glad that it spanned out this way. I want Best to be the last thing that I drop. [7]
In 2019, Hitchcock was invited to the Revenge of the Dreamers III recording sessions, appearing on the song "PTSD". [8] He later went on the Catch Me If You Can Tour with JID, when the majority of the album was recorded. [9] [10]
On November 5, 2019, he released the single "How TF" featuring 6LACK, supported by a music video in March 2020. [11] [12] On April 15, 2020, he released the second single "I Got Money Now" featuring JID. [13] On October 21, two singles for the deluxe edition of album were released: "Déjà Vu" and "Text Me". [14]
In a positive review of the album from Uproxx , Aaron Williams said Deante' Hitchcock is "somewhat of a bridge between the dusty funk of soulful Dungeon Family predecessors like Goodie Mob and Outkast and the brand of vibey-but-vapid trap of contemporaries who are off-shoots of the Future/Young Thug family tree. Equal parts T.I. and CeeLo or 21 Savage and JID, Hitchcock gracefully glides along on thundering 808s with spiritual insights and introspective wisdom that has as much appeal for fans of trap tales as it does for folks who love 'real hip-hop.'" [15]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [16]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Remember" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 4:15 |
2. | "I Got Money Now" (featuring JID) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:38 |
3. | "Attitude" (featuring Young Nudy) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:21 |
4. | "How TF" (featuring 6LACK) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:58 |
5. | "Flashbacks" (featuring Miguel and St. Beauty) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 4:02 |
6. | "Gimmie Yo Money" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 2:33 |
7. | "Circles" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:07 |
8. | "Shadowman's Interlude" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:10 |
9. | "Growing Up / Mother God" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 5:02 |
10. | "Angels" (contains bonus track "My Bitch") |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 6:10 |
Total length: | 39:16 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Demon" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 2:01 |
2. | "I Got Money Now" (featuring JID) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:38 |
3. | "Attitude" (featuring Young Nudy) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:21 |
4. | "Kenny G" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 2:16 |
5. | "My Bitch" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 2:35 |
6. | "Plug Me In" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:19 |
7. | "Text Me" (featuring Ro James) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:05 |
8. | "Gimmie Yo Money" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 2:33 |
9. | "Circles" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:07 |
10. | "Shadowman's Interlude" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:10 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Remember" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 4:15 |
2. | "How Does It Feel" (featuring Kenny Mason) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:44 |
3. | "Weighing Me Down" (featuring Reason) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 4:34 |
4. | "How TF" (featuring 6LACK) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:58 |
5. | "Déjà Vu" (featuring Guapdad 4000) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:48 |
6. | "Reflections" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 2:33 |
7. | "Flashbacks" (featuring Miguel and St. Beauty) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 4:02 |
8. | "Growing Up / Mother God" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 5:02 |
9. | "Praylude" (featuring JaelSpeaks) |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 2:11 |
10. | "Angels" |
| Brandon Phillips-Taylor | 3:24 |
Notes
Credits adapted from Tidal. [16]
Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas, Ari Lennox, Cozz, Omen, Lute, JID, EarthGang, and Cole himself. Dreamville also houses American record producers Elite, Ron Gilmore, and Cedric Brown.
Abbas Hamad, mononymously known as Bas, is a Sudanese-American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records via Interscope Records. His first studio album Last Winter, was released on April 29, 2014, followed by his second studio album, Too High to Riot, which was released on March 4, 2016. Bas' third album, Milky Way, was released on August 24, 2018.
EarthGang is an American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, composed of Olu and WowGr8. They are co-founders of the musical collective Spillage Village, with JID, Hollywood JB, JordxnBryant, 6LACK, Mereba, and Benji.
Courtney Shanade Salter, known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C. She is the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole's record label, Dreamville Records. She began gaining recognition after the release of her first EP Pho (2016) on the label. That same year, she made an uncredited guest appearance on Cole's song "Change". Lennox's debut studio album Shea Butter Baby followed in 2019.
Christopher Smith Jr., better known by his stage name Smino, is an American rapper. Smino is the founder of the musical collective Zero Fatigue with Bari, Monte Booker, Jay2, and Ravyn Lenae. He is one third of the supergroup Ghetto Sage, with Saba and Noname. Smino is signed to Downtown Records and Interscope.
Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr., known professionally as 6lack, is an American singer-songwriter and rapper.
Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID, is an American rapper and singer. He is a part of the musical collective Spillage Village, founded by EarthGang in 2010, with Hollywood JB, JordxnBryant, and 6lack, among others. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. He is also a member of the hip hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with Smino, Buddy, and Guapdad 4000.
Robert Lee Gill Jr., better known by his stage name Reason, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is signed to hip hop record label Top Dawg Entertainment, where he started to gain recognition. His TDE debut, There You Have It, was released on September 28, 2018, a re-release of an album from 2017. His major label debut album New Beginnings was released on October 9, 2020.
Revenge of the Dreamers III is the third compilation album by American record label Dreamville, released on July 5, 2019, by Dreamville and Interscope Records.
Spillage Village is an American musical collective from Atlanta, Georgia. The group is composed of rappers, singers and producers, and was founded by the members of EarthGang. Spillage Village was primarily made up of five initial members with a split-base in both Atlanta and Baltimore.
American R&B singer 6lack has released three studio albums, one extended play, and 29 singles. His released his debut studio album, Free 6lack in November 2016, which featured the single "Prblms". In September 2018, 6lack released his second album, East Atlanta Love Letter, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. His third album, Since I Have a Lover, was released on March 24, 2023.
Quantavious Tavario Thomas, known professionally as Young Nudy, is an American rapper. Based in Atlanta, he is best known for his collaborations with record producer Pierre Bourne as well as fellow rapper and cousin 21 Savage, including his 2023 song "Peaches and Eggplants.” Thomas released his debut studio album Anyways in 2020, which was followed up with Dr. Ev4l (2021), Rich Shooter (2021), EA Monster (2022) and Gumbo (2023).
American rapper JID has released three studio albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays (EP), four mixtapes and fifteen singles.
Deante' Van Hitchcock, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He initially gained recognition as a rapper following the releases of three mixtapes: 19 Summers (2012), Wishful Thinking (2015) and Good (2016). He received widespread attention on the internet in 2016 after a weekly series of freestyles called New Atlanta Tuesday's. In 2017, he signed to ByStorm and RCA Records. His debut album Better was released on May 13, 2020.
"Down Bad" is a song by American record label Dreamville featuring performances by American rappers J. Cole, JID, Bas, Johnny Venus of EarthGang, and Young Nudy, released on June 12, 2019 alongside "Got Me" as the dual second single from the label's 2019 compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III.
"Got Me" is a song released by American record label Dreamville, performed by American singer Ari Lennox and American rapper Omen featuring fellow American singer Ty Dolla $ign and fellow American rapper Dreezy. It was released on June 12, 2019 alongside "Down Bad" as the second singles from the label's third compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III (2019).
"Costa Rica" is a single released by American record label Dreamville, performed by American rappers Bas and JID, featuring fellow American rappers Guapdad 4000, Reese Laflare, Jace of Two-9, Mez, Smokepurpp, Buddy, and Ski Mask the Slump God. It was released on July 1, 2019, along with "LamboTruck" as the third and fourth single from Dreamville's 2019 compilation album, Revenge of the Dreamers III.
Akeem Ali Douglas Hayes, professionally known as Guap aka Guapdad4000, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is also a member of the hip hop supergroup Zoink Gang, with JID, Smino, and Buddy. He released his first mixtape Scamboy Color on December 6, 2017. His debut studio album Dior Deposits was released on October 25, 2019.
Dior Deposits is the debut studio album by American rapper Guapdad 4000. It was released on October 25, 2019 by TWNSHP and Warner Records. It includes features from Tory Lanez, 6LACK, Chance the Rapper, G-Eazy, Buddy, and Denzel Curry, among others.
Spilligion is the major label debut album by American hip hop collective Spillage Village, headed by JID and EarthGang, released on September 25, 2020 by Dreamville, Interscope, and SinceThe80s. The collective consists of EarthGang, JID, Hollywood JB, Jurdan Bryant, Mereba, 6lack, and Benji. The album features guest appearances from Ant Clemons, Ari Lennox, Buddy, Chance the Rapper, Masego, Lucky Daye, and Big Rube. The production was primarily handled by in-house producers Olu, Benji, Christo, and Hollywood JB, with outside producers Nice Rec, Jay Card, Monte Booker, and Elite, among others.