| Clouds | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 22, 2011 | |||
| Genre | Instrumental hip hop | |||
| Length | 50:24 | |||
| Label | Mello Music Group | |||
| Producer | Apollo Brown | |||
| Apollo Brown chronology | ||||
| ||||
Clouds is the third studio album by Detroit-based hip hop producer Apollo Brown, released on February 22, 2011, by Mello Music Group. Upon its release, Clouds received mixed reviews from music critics. Despite that, it ended up being Apollo Brown's highest-selling album and the one he considers the most important in his career.
Apollo Brown recorded Clouds using his unorthodox hardware setup: a computer with Cool Edit Pro audio editor, described by MTV as "almost archaic", [1] blown speakers and a keyboard with only 16 working keys. The artist admits that he'd tried using newer and bigger studio equipment but ultimately returned to his usual setup, which he used for more than a decade, as he's more familiar with it and as it allows him to keep his signature sound. [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| HipHopDX |   [3] |
| RapReviews | 9/10 [4] |
Clouds received mixed reviews from critics. Roman Cooper of HipHopDX gave the album three out of five, saying that it was "more akin to a beat tape than an album". [3] Mike Baber of RapReviews gave the album nine out of ten and called it "a very impressive and thoroughly enjoyable effort", noting that "album's sheer range and variety of songs is remarkable". [4]
According to Apollo Brown, Clouds was a "pretty big success". [5] As of 2022, it's his highest-selling album. He considers Clouds to be the most important album of his career. [6] In an interview with The Source magazine Apollo Brown also said that his fans loved the album and always asked him to make another instrumental album. Reluctantly, in 2014 he released Thirty Eight , [5] a more minimalistic, "grimy noir" album. [7] [8] In 2022 Apollo Brown released another instrumental album, This Must Be the Place, which he describes as "a continuation of the celebrated Clouds and a departure from it". [8]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sound Of Guns" | 1:18 |
| 2. | "Blue Ruby" | 2:03 |
| 3. | "Never In A Million Years" | 2:14 |
| 4. | "Balance" | 2:14 |
| 5. | "The Eleventh Hour" | 2:03 |
| 6. | "Wisdom" | 0:45 |
| 7. | "Black Pearls" | 2:04 |
| 8. | "Shoot The Heart" | 2:14 |
| 9. | "Push" | 2:14 |
| 10. | "One Chance" | 2:09 |
| 11. | "Human Existence" | 0:43 |
| 12. | "Know The Time" | 2:05 |
| 13. | "Heirloom" | 2:16 |
| 14. | "Seed Of Memory" | 2:11 |
| 15. | "Bridge Through Time" | 2:12 |
| 16. | "Just Walk" | 0:33 |
| 17. | "Shadows Of Grief" | 2:08 |
| 18. | "Time Passed Autumn" | 2:18 |
| 19. | "Choices" | 2:11 |
| 20. | "Father And Son" | 2:09 |
| 21. | "A Conscious Breath" | 0:50 |
| 22. | "Drinking Life" | 2:12 |
| 23. | "Imagination" | 2:17 |
| 24. | "Tao Te Ching" | 2:11 |
| 25. | "Heart Of Glass" | 2:14 |
| 26. | "The Baghdad Sun" | 2:03 |
| 27. | "A Day's End" | 0:36 |
| Total length: | 50:24 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 28. | "The Times" (featuring Oddisee) | 02:47 |
| 29. | "Heirlooms" (featuring Has-Lo) | 02:16 |
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [9]
Alan Daniel Maman, professionally known as the Alchemist, is an American hip hop producer, DJ, rapper, and entrepreneur. He began his music career in 1991 in the hip hop duo the Whooliganz under the moniker Mudfoot, along with now-actor Scott Caan. He has produced music since the 1990s.
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with producer Jim Jonsin through his Rebel Rock Entertainment label in 2006. Two years later, he signed a joint venture recording contract with fellow Georgia rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records. Following his major-label deal, Simmons quickly achieved commercial success when his 2009 debut single, "Nothin' on You", peaked the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and received three nominations—Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration—at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
Gregory Skyler Taylor, known professionally as Skyzoo, is an American rapper and songwriter. He has released a number of notable solo and collaborative albums, including Cloud 9: The 3 Day High with 9th Wonder in 2006, The Salvation in 2009, A Dream Deferred in 2012, Music For My Friends in 2015, and his most recent solo album All the Brilliant Things. Skyzoo has also released a plethora of non-commercial mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Great Debater throughout his career, and has worked with artists such as Jill Scott, Wale, Lloyd Banks, Tyrese, Dr. Dre, Raheem Devaughn, Black Thought, Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Spike Lee, John Legend, and others. Skyzoo has headlined or co-headlined often-yearly tours throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, and Asia, and he owns and operates the independent record label First Generation Rich.
"Say Something" is a song recorded by American producer Timbaland, for his third studio album Shock Value II (2009). The song features vocals from Canadian rapper Drake. It was written by Mosley, Jerome Harmon, Graham, Timothy Clayton and John Maultsby. The production was helmed by Mosley under his stage-name Timbaland while Harmon served as the assistant producer, under the stage-name Jroc. The song was tailored to Drake's sound and when the rapper wrote to it, he contacted the producer about the lyrics. Despite the verses feeling more like Graham's record, Mosley gave his blessing and went the product. The song was solicited to digital retailers on November 3, 2009 in the United States as the album's second single.
Kyle Alfonso Myricks, better known by his stage name Stalley, is an American rapper from Massillon, Ohio.
Amir Mohamed el Khalifa, better known by his stage name Oddisee, is a rapper and record producer from Washington, D.C. He is one third of the rap trio Diamond District. He was also part of the Low Budget Crew. He is based in Brooklyn, New York.
Dice Game is a collaborative studio album by Detroit-based producer Apollo Brown and rapper Guilty Simpson. It was released online independently under hip hop label Mello Music Group on November 6, 2012 in digital format, and physical copies were made available on November 13, 2012. Recording sessions for Dice Game took place at LabCabInRoyalOak in Royal Oak, Michigan by Tate McBroom. The album was mixed at The Disc by Magnetic, and was mastered at Studio A by Eric Morgeson in 2012. The record was entirely produced and arranged by Apollo Brown, and features guest appearances from Torae and Planet Asia. The album was preceded by Apollo Brown & O.C.'s Trophies (2012).
Dan Weiss, better known by his stage name Verbal Kent, is an alternative hip hop artist from Chicago.
Trophies is a collaborative studio album by Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown and D.I.T.C. member O.C. It was released by Mello Music Group in 2012.
My Own Lane is the second studio album by American rapper Kid Ink. The album was released on January 7, 2014, by Tha Alumni Music Group, 88 Classic, and RCA Records. Recording for the album took place during 2013 and finished in November 2013. The album's production was handled by DJ Mustard, Cardiak, The Runners, The Futuristics, Arthur McArthur, soFLY and Nius and Ned Cameron, among others. Kid Ink collaborated with various artists on the album including Chris Brown, Tyga, French Montana, ASAP Ferg, Pusha T, Elle Varner, Machine Gun Kelly, King Los, Meek Mill, Wale, and August Alsina, among others.
Mello Music Group (MMG) is an American independent record label based in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 2007, Mello Music has released hip hop compilations and albums by producers and rappers such as Oddisee, Apollo Brown, Mr. Lif, Ghostface Killah, Open Mike Eagle, L'Orange, Quelle Chris, Jean Grae, Kool Keith, Nottz, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Pete Rock, and Rapper Big Pooh. In 2012, MTV Hive described MMG as having a "dedication to intelligent, street-wise boom bap", although the label has released a number of purely instrumental albums as well. In 2016, Forbes magazine called Mello Music Group the most successful indie rap label of the decade.
People Hear What They See is a studio album by American hip hop artist Oddisee. It was released via Mello Music Group on June 5, 2012.
Twelve Reasons to Die is the first collaborative studio album by American rapper Ghostface Killah and American composer Adrian Younge. It is a concept album based on a comic book of the same name. The album was executive-produced and narrated by RZA. It was released on April 16, 2013, by RZA's Soul Temple Records label and RED Distribution. It features guest appearances from Wu-Tang members Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna along with William Hart and Killa Sin.
Charlene is the third studio album by American singer Tweet. It was released on February 26, 2016, by eOne Music. "Won't Hurt Me" was released on September 21, 2015, as the album's lead single. The second single "Magic" was released on January 21, 2016, followed by "Neva Shouda Left Ya" on February 11, 2016. Rolling Stone listed Charlene as the 12th best R&B album of 2016.
Street King Immortal was a planned studio album by American rapper 50 Cent.
Thirty Eight is the fourth studio album by Detroit-based hip hop producer Apollo Brown, released digitally on April 29, 2014 by Mello Music Group. The album was later released physically, on CD and vinyl, with their own bonus tracks. Apollo Brown described Thirty Eight as a ride through Detroit of the early 1980s, that was inspired by various 1970s and 1980s films' soundtracks. One single was released from the album, "The Answer", as a preorder bonus.
The Iceberg is a studio album by American hip hop artist Oddisee. It was released via Mello Music Group on February 24, 2017. It is the official follow-up to his 2015 album, The Good Fight. It features guest appearances from Toine and Olivier St. Louis. Music videos were created for "NNGE" and "You Grew Up".
Gavin Christopher Tennille, known as Quelle Chris, is an American record producer, rapper and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He has released over 15 albums as a solo act and with his collaborative projects. He has been described as a student of Detroit hip hop.
Time? Astonishing! is a collaborative studio album by American record producer L'Orange and American rapper Kool Keith. It was released via Mello Music Group on July 24, 2015. It features guest appearances from J-Live, Mr. Lif, Open Mike Eagle, Blu, Montage One, DJ Trackstar, MC Paul Barman, and MindsOne.
Erik Vincent Stephens, better known professionally as Apollo Brown, is an American record producer from Detroit, Michigan, United States. He is a member of the hip hop group Ugly Heroes and has released numerous collaborations with the likes of Guilty Simpson, O.C., Ras Kass, Skyzoo and Planet Asia.