Fear of God II: Let Us Pray

Last updated

Fear of God II: Let Us Pray
Fear of God II - Let Us Pray cover.jpg
EP by
ReleasedNovember 8, 2011 (2011-11-08)
Recorded2010–11
Genre Hip hop
Length45:04
Label
Producer
Pusha T chronology
Fear of God
(2011)
Fear of God II: Let Us Pray
(2011)
Wrath of Caine
(2013)
Singles from Fear of God II: Let Us Pray
  1. "Trouble on My Mind"
    Released: July 12, 2011 [1]
  2. "Amen"
    Released: September 13, 2011 [2]
  3. "My God"
    Released: March 29, 2012

Fear of God II: Let Us Pray is the major record label debut and extended play by American rapper Pusha T, released on November 8, 2011, under G.O.O.D. Music.[ citation needed ] The EP was his first project with Kanye West's GOOD Music label, since the announcement of his signing in September 2010. Pusha T claims his inspiration for Fear of God is that a vast majority of the people who he came in the music business with are in prison: "I came in the game with super producers. We made hit records. I never thought that it gets deeper. But not for nothing, 2009 I lost eight of my friends to incarceration. Everybody that I came in to the rap game with, and when I realized that those components weren't there anymore, the 'Fear of God' really came over me. It's full of the dichotomy of 'right and wrong' and 'good and evil'. A lot of it deals with greed. A lot of it deals with instant gratification. Personally... life without instant gratification... I don't know what it is." [3]

Contents

Background and release

Pusha T established his solo career in mid-2010, while still in the Clipse with Malice, appearing on songs "Runaway" [4] and "So Appalled" by Kanye West, propagating his features. [5] On March 21, 2011, Pusha T released his first solo work, a mixtape titled Fear of God. Released independently, it included features from Kanye West, 50 Cent, Rick Ross, Pharrell Williams and Kevin Cossom. [6] The EP is a re-release of the mixtape, [7] [8] which has different structure, production and additional tracks. The EP was originally set to be released on June 21, 2011, [9] it was than pushed back to August 23, and for a while September 27, 2011, was believed to be the date, however on October 6, 2011, Thornton announced the EP is set to drop November 8, 2011. In addition it was revealed he added four more songs to the EP making it 12 tracks rather than just the nine tracks that were previously announced. [10] To begin promoting the album, he released a track produced by The Neptunes, titled "Trouble on My Mind", which features the frontman of rap collective Odd Future, Tyler, the Creator. The track "Everything That Glitters" featuring French Montana is also included on DJ Drama's third album Third Power (2011). The song "Amen" was originally meant for Young Jeezy and "Raid" was originally meant for 50 Cent for his third album Curtis (2007). "What Dreams Are Made of" samples a Ric Flair promo.

Singles

The album plays lead and Pusha T's debut single is "Trouble on My Mind", featuring Tyler, the Creator. Released on July 12, 2011, [11] the song was structured in two verses by both rappers. [12] The second single "Amen" featuring Kanye West and Young Jeezy was released August 11, 2011.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Robert Christgau (A−) [14]
HipHopDXStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Pitchfork Media (7.1/10) [16]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
XXL Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg (XL) [18]

Critical response

Fear of God II: Let Us Pray received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [19] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave it an A− rating, [14] indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction." [20] Christgau quipped in his review, "The grand beats are safer than the clenched, confining, arrogantly hookless minimalism of Hell Hath No Fury . But every mean word delivers, and with cameos from Tyler the Creator to 50 Cent it's as if he never went solo." [14]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 66 on the Billboard 200 with 8,900 copies sold in its first week released. [21] It also entered at number ten on Billboard 's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, at number eight on Billboard 's Top Rap Albums, and at number 25 on its Digital Albums chart. [22] [23] On the second week of its release the album sold 4,300 copies, bringing the total to 13,000 copies. [24]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Changing of the Guards" (featuring Diddy) Rico Beats 2:29
2."Amen" (featuring Kanye West and Young Jeezy) Shawty Redd 4:36
3."Trouble on My Mind" (featuring Tyler, the Creator)3:32
4."What Dreams Are Made Of"ThorntonThe VIPs3:35
5."Body Work" (featuring Juicy J, Meek Mill, and French Montana)Rico Beats4:29
6."Everything That Glitters" (featuring French Montana)
  • Thornton
  • Kharbouch
A-Traxx3:29
7."So Obvious" Bangladesh 3:15
8."Feeling Myself" (featuring Kevin Cossom)
Tha Bizness3:34
9."Raid" (featuring 50 Cent and Pharrell)
The Neptunes3:45
10."My God"
3:33
11."I Still Wanna" (featuring Rick Ross and Ab-Liva)
Lee Major 4:16
12."Alone in Vegas"
Nottz 4:31
Total length:45:04

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [21] 66
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums [22] 10
US Top Rap Albums [23] 8

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clipse</span> American hip hop duo

Clipse, also known as The Clipse, is an American hip hop duo, chiefly active from 1994 to 2010. It consists of brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years, while No Malice was originally known as Malicious, then changed his stage name to Malice soon after the group's formation, before changing it again to No Malice in 2012 following a conversion to Christianity. The duo were based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and were heavily affiliated with producer and fellow Virginia Beach native, Pharrell Williams, who convinced the two in 1992 to be a rap duo instead of solo artists. Williams would go on to serve as their label head, main producer and frequent guest artist through most of their career. The duo frequently rapped about the drug dealing they had done in their youth. Clipse was integral in establishing Virginia as one of the East Coast's strongholds in hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pusha T</span> American rapper (born 1977)

Terrence LeVarr Thornton, better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper and songwriter. He rose to prominence as one-half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 2010, alongside his older brother No Malice. As Clipse, the two released three studio albums upon signing to Pharrell's Star Trak Entertainment; they became best known for their 2002 debut single "Grindin'".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeezy discography</span>

The discography of Jeezy, an American rapper, consists of thirteen studio albums, 18 mixtapes, 70 singles and 28 music videos. Aside from his solo career, he has also released albums as a member of Boyz N Da Hood and U.S.D.A., respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clipse discography</span>

This is the discography of Clipse, an American hip hop duo consisting of rappers Pusha T and No Malice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decon</span> American hip hop company

Decon is a New York–based creative studio that houses production, creative, strategy, and music divisions. Decon is known for their "Green Week" initiative for NBC Universal, which involved an installation at the iconic 30 Rockefeller Center. Additionally, Decon has produced documentary-style profiles featuring Nissan Leaf. They were also involved in launch of the Fiat 500 in New York in the year 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler, the Creator discography</span> Musical artists discography

This is the discography of Tyler, the Creator, an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer and the former leader of the Los Angeles hip hop collective Odd Future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trouble on My Mind</span> 2011 single by Pusha T featuring Tyler, the Creator

"Trouble on My Mind" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Pusha T, released as the lead single from his debut EP Fear of God II: Let Us Pray. It was produced by longtime collaborators The Neptunes along with Odd Future's Left Brain and features a guest appearance from fellow American rapper and Odd Future's frontman Tyler, the Creator. The song was unveiled July 8, 2011, and premiered via RedBullUSA.com, it was officially released on July 12, through iTunes and Amazon. The song was also included on the soundtrack to the film Project X.

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

The discography of American rapper Pusha T consists of four studio albums, one extended play (EP), two mixtapes, 53 singles, two promotional singles and 33 music videos.

Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr., known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. In May 2011, he signed a two-year deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music production branch. With this stimulus, he produced chart-topping singles such as the Diamond Certified "Niggas in Paris" by Jay-Z and Kanye West, "Trophies" by Drake, "Clique" by GOOD Music, and "Racks in the Middle" by Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch. "Racks in the Middle" won Best Rap Performance at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercy (Kanye West song)</span> 2012 single by Kanye West

"Mercy" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring fellow American rappers Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz. The song, released April 3, 2012 through GOOD Music and Def Jam, serves as the lead single from the compilation album Cruel Summer (2012). The song's production was handled by Lifted, with additional production from West, Mike Dean, and Mike Will Made It, and additional instrumentation from Hudson Mohawke. The song heavily samples the dancehall song "Dust a Sound Boy" by Super Beagle. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics who praised the bombastic production, the varying quality of the verses, and the wordplay of the individual rappers. The song was featured on the soundtrack for NBA 2K13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amen (Meek Mill song)</span> 2012 song by Meek Mill featuring Drake

"Amen" is a song by American rapper Meek Mill from his debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares (2012). Featuring Canadian rapper Drake, the song includes background vocals from Jeremih. It was produced by Key Wane and Jahlil Beats, with the first serving as a songwriter alongside the vocalists. Due to the interpolation of the Doobie Brothers' "Minute by Minute", written by Lester Abrams and Michael McDonald, they also received songwriting credits. The song was thought of by Key Wane in New York's Times Square, after he prayed when experiencing failure. On June 19, 2012, it was released for digital download and streaming as the album's lead single by Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. At the time of release, Philadelphia reverend Jomo K. Johnson encouraged boycotting the song over alleged usage of the church for sinful activities, leading to the two debating publicly on Hot 107.9. Mill eventually apologized for any offense and Johnson called off the boycott, forgiving him. A hip hop number with pop and R&B elements, the song relies on a gospel beat, with lyrics focused on sexual exploitation and wealth.

<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 the label's then-signees Pusha T, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, Cyhi the Prynce, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Common, D'banj and Malik Yusef, as well as affiliates Jay-Z, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, and Cyhi the Prynce, among others. Production on the album was primarily handled by members of GOOD Music's production wing, Very GOOD Beats, which included West, Hit-Boy, Hudson Mohawke, Travis Scott and Lifted, among others.

<i>My Name Is My Name</i> 2013 studio album by Pusha T

My Name Is My Name is the debut studio album by American rapper Pusha T. It was released on October 7, 2013, by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. While leading up to the album's announcement, Pusha T released the mixtape Fear of God and the EP Fear of God II: Let Us Pray during 2011, along with collaborating on the GOOD Music's compilation album Cruel Summer. In 2013, he also released another mixtape Wrath of Caine. The album's production was handled primarily by Kanye West, along with several producers, including Pharrell Williams, The-Dream, Hudson Mohawke, Sebastian Sartor, Don Cannon, Swizz Beatz, Rico Beats, Mano and Nottz. It also features guest appearances from Rick Ross, Jeezy, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Future, Pharrell Williams, Chris Brown and Kendrick Lamar, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westside Gunn</span> American rapper from Buffalo, New York

Alvin Lamar Worthy aka, known professionally as Westside Gunn, is an American rapper. He is a co-founder of independent hip-hop label Griselda Records. He is the brother of rapper Conway the Machine and cousin of rapper Benny the Butcher, both of whom he frequently collaborates with. Westside Gunn has released five studio albums in addition to an extensive catalog of mixtapes. Gunn was affiliated with Shady Records from 2017 to 2020, but has since returned to independent status.

<i>Daytona</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Pusha T

Daytona is the third studio album by American rapper Pusha T. It was released on May 25, 2018, by G.O.O.D. Music and Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from Rick Ross and Kanye West, and uncredited additional vocals by Tony Williams and 070 Shake. Kanye West also served as executive producer and produced all of its tracks, with additional production from Andrew Dawson and Mike Dean.

"Kids See Ghosts" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of Kanye West and Kid Cudi, from their debut studio album of the same name (2018). The song features a guest appearance from Mos Def, who received credit under his real name of Yasiin Bey. It was produced by West, Kid Cudi, and Plain Pat, while additional production was handled by Andrew Dawson, Justin Vernon and Noah Goldstein. Apart from Plain Pat and Goldstein, the producers wrote the song alongside Bey. Making heavy use of synthesizers, the song draws inspiration from ambient music. Lyrically, the song reflects on the difficulties of fame and success.

"Tell the Vision" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke featuring fellow American rappers Kanye West and Pusha T from the former's second posthumous studio album, Faith (2021). West produced the song with Boogz, FnZ, Rico Beats, and SethInTheKitchen, while Jalil Peraza and Jess Jackson served as additional producers. A drill track, it samples a choir and Angie Martinez's ode to Pop Smoke. In the lyrics of the song, the rapper discusses his upbringing in Brooklyn and the struggles he experienced during this period.

"Life of the Party" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and André 3000. It was intended for West's tenth studio album Donda (2021), but was left off the album due to André 3000 not agreeing to his verse being edited to a clean version. The song was later leaked by Canadian rapper Drake on Sound 42 radio amidst a feud with West. It was initially released as an exclusive to the Donda Stem Player in October 2021. The song was released fully in November 2021 on the deluxe version of Donda, and an explicit version as a single.

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2022.

References

  1. Trouble on My Mind Amazon.com
  2. Amen (Explicit) Pusha T Amazon
  3. "Pusha T's Fear of God II: Let Us Pray Trailer [Video]". XXLMAG.COM. November 8, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  4. "Kanye West f. Pusha T – Runaway". HipHopDX. September 14, 2010. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  5. Steven Horowitz (October 6, 2011). "Pusha T Announces Release Date For "Fear Of God II: Let Us Pray"". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  6. "Pusha T – Fear of God mixtape". HipHopDX. March 21, 2011. Archived from the original on May 30, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  7. Kuperstein, Slava (May 8, 2011). "Pusha T Talks Odd Future, "Fear Of God 2"". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on August 4, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  8. Iandoli, Kathy (July 19, 2011). "Tracklist Revealed For Pusha T's "Fear Of God: Let Us Pray" EP". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  9. Blanco, Alvin (April 19, 2011). "Pusha T Set To Drop Fear of God 2 In June - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV.com. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  10. "Pusha T Announces November Release For Solo Debut, 'Fear of God II'". Ballerstatus. October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
  11. "Pusha T – Trouble on My Mind (feat. Tyler, The Creator) single at iTunes". iTunes. July 12, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  12. "Pusha T f. Tyler The Creator – "Trouble On My Mind" video". HipHopDX. July 21, 2011. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  13. Jeffries, David. link. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-11-12.
  14. 1 2 3 Christgau, Robert (November 29, 2011). "Tom Waits/Pusha T". MSN Music . Microsoft. Archived from the original on December 4, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  15. Thornton, Alex. link Archived November 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . HipHopDX. Retrieved on 2011-11-12.
  16. Sargent, Jordan. link. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2011-11-12.
  17. Trammell, Matthew. link. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2011-11-12.
  18. Bristout, Ralph. link. XXL. Retrieved on 2011-11-12.
  19. "Fear of God II: Let Us Pray [EP] Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  20. Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). "CG 90s: Key to Icons". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  21. 1 2 "Pusha T Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  22. 1 2 R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Week of November 26, 2011. Billboard. Retrieved on 2011-11-19.
  23. 1 2 Rap Albums – Week of November 26, 2011. Billboard. Retrieved on 2011-11-19.
  24. Jacobs, Allen. "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 11/20/2011". Hip Hop DX. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2011.