| Glorious Game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 14, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 31:00 | |||
| Label | Big Crown | |||
| Producer | El Michels Affair | |||
| El Michels Affair chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Black Thought chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Glorious Game | ||||
| ||||
Glorious Game is a collaborative studio album by American soul group El Michels Affair and American emcee Black Thought,released on April 14,2023,by Big Crown Records. [1]
On January 11,2023,Black Thought announced that a collaborative album with El Michels Affair titled Glorious Game would be releasing on April 14,2023,and released the first single for the album "Grateful". [2] According to the press release,work for the album started in 2020,during the COVID-19 pandemic. The album features Michels' close collaborators and artists from his record label Big Crown,including Lady Wray,Brainstory,and Paul Spring.
On February 14,the second single for the album,"That Girl",was released. [3] On March 6,the third single for the album,"Glorious Game",was released,featuring singer Kirby. [4] On March 29,the fourth single for the album,"I'm Still Somehow",was released. [5] The album was released on April 14. [6]
Black Thought has described Glorious Game as "one of my most personal projects to date",and has stated that his goal for the album was to have every song tell a story from or about his life. [7] [8] Bandcamp characterizes Black Thought as "in an introspective mood" on the album. [8] The title Glorious Game is a term for "information passed down from... an elder statesman with a cautionary tale here and there". [7] The decision to include a reprise of the title track was inspired by musical theater. [8]
In producing the album,Leon Michels wrote several original songs and then,rather than using those songs directly,created hip hop beats that sampled them. [7] [8]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 81/100 [9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Clash | 8/10 [11] |
| HipHopDX | 4.6/5 [12] |
| Loud and Quiet | 6/10 [13] |
| PopMatters | 7/10 [14] |
| Under the Radar | 7.5/10 [15] |
Upon release,Glorious Game was met with critical acclaim. At Metacritic,which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications,the album received an average score of 81,based on seven reviews. [9]
Writing for Under the Radar,Chris Thiessen writes "Glorious Game pays homage to hip-hop's lineage of soul,funk,and boom-bap," and praises Black Thought's lyricism,saying "In both the familiar and the unexpected,Black Thought is perfectly at ease. He finds ample room and inspiration in Michels' thoughtful production to reflect on his life." [15] Robin Murray at Clash praised El Michels Affair's production,writing,"A word,too,for the ever-resistant consistency that cinematic soul outfit El Michels Affair apply to their art –the group's third album in three years,they never once let standards slip." [11] Riley Wallace of HipHopDX commended Black Thought's storytelling,writing,"Playing out as a stage-worthy one-person show,Thought remains endearingly personal throughout the tightly curated 31-minute project,walking us through the sights,sounds,smells and sensibilities instilled coming up in the Point Breeze neighborhood of South Philadelphia." [12] AllMusic's Andy Kellman praised Black Thought's writing on the album,stating:"While Thought remains unrelentingly stern in his delivery,his rhymes remain packed with comic references and imagery contradicting his improper classification as one of hip-hop's most sullen and humorless MCs." [10] Writing for PopMatters ,Chris Conaton concludes his review stating "This project is worth checking out,with excellent production and even better verses." [14] KCRW's Jeremy Sole writes of the album "Together,these master craftsmen bring a depth and introspection so needed in this world today. The album not only transmutes pain and struggle into beauty and wisdom,but does so in a way that we can ride to it,slow and low,calm and collected." [16]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| KCRW | The 23 Best Albums of 2023 | 14 | |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | Best Albums of 2023 | 2 | |
| Under the Radar | Top 100 Albums of 2023 | 67 | |
| Uproxx | The Best Albums Of 2023 | — |
All tracks are written by Tariq Trotter, except where noted, and produced by Leon Michels
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Grateful" | 2:51 | |
| 2. | "Glorious Game" (featuring Kirby) |
| 3:53 |
| 3. | "I'm Still Somehow" |
| 2:04 |
| 4. | "Hollow Way" |
| 2:24 |
| 5. | "Protocol" (featuring Son Little) |
| 2:56 |
| 6. | "The Weather" |
| 2:59 |
| 7. | "That Girl" |
| 2:10 |
| 8. | "I Would Never" |
| 2:43 |
| 9. | "Alone" |
| 2:06 |
| 10. | "Miracle" |
| 2:32 |
| 11. | "Glorious Game (Reprise)" |
| 1:23 |
| 12. | "Alter Ego" (featuring Brainstory) |
| 3:10 |
| Total length: | 31:16 | ||
Musicians
Technical
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [22] | 44 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [23] | 24 |
| US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [24] | 15 |
Bernard James Freeman, known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK, a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with UGK, Bun B has released five solo albums, including 2010's Trill OG, which received the rare 5-mic rating from The Source.
Tariq Luqmaan Trotter, better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, actor and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove. Regarded as "one of the most skilled, incisive, and prolific rappers of his time", he is widely lauded for his live performance skills, continuous multisyllabic rhyme schemes, complex lyricism, double entendres, and politically aware lyrics. He and The Roots are a part of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, frequently playing games with Fallon and his guests.
Mario Sentell Giden Mims, known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper and music executive. In 1996, he released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to release From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), Back 2 da Basics (2006), Live from the Kitchen (2012), I Am (2013), The Art of Hustle (2016), I Still Am (2017), Untrapped (2020), and CM10: Free Game (2022).
The discography of The Game, an American rapper, consists of eleven studio albums, six compilation albums, two soundtrack albums, fifteen mixtapes, 31 singles, and 39 music videos. His music released on major record labels such as Interscope, Geffen, and DGC Records, along with subsidiaries Aftermath Entertainment and G-Unit Records, including independent record labels Get Low Recordz and Fast Life Music, Inc. Records of which has released some of his early material.
The discography of Bun B, an American rapper, and one half of Southern hip hop group UGK, along with the late Pimp C.
Menahan Street Band is a Brooklyn, New York–based instrumental band formed in 2007, that plays funk and soul music. The band features musicians from Antibalas, El Michels Affair, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and the Budos Band. The group was founded by Thomas Brenneck while living in an apartment on Menahan Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. Their debut album, Make the Road by Walking, was released in 2008 on Dunham, a sublabel of Daptone Records and was followed by The Crossing in 2012.
Jermaine Coleman, better known by his stage name Maino, is an American rapper and radio personality. His 2008 debut single, "Hi Hater" entered Billboard's Hot Rap Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts. This led to him to sign with Atlantic Records and release his 2009 follow-up single "All the Above", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Both songs preceded the release of his debut studio album If Tomorrow Comes… (2009), which peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200. Its sequel, The Day After Tomorrow (2012) peaked at number 94 and was supported by the single "Let It Fly".
The discography of Styles P, an American hip hop recording artist, consists of fifteen solo studio albums, two extended plays, sixteen mixtapes, 5 collaborative albums, 30 singles and one promotional single.
The discography of American rapper Wale consists of seven studio albums, three compilation albums, ten mixtapes, one extended play, sixty-five singles, two promotional singles and forty-one music videos. In 2005, Wale started his music career by releasing mixtapes in the Washington, D.C. area. His debut mixtape was titled Paint a Picture. Following that, Wale released his second mixtape in 2006, Hate Is the New Love. In the same year, Wale signed with a local record label in Studio 43. In 2007 Wale was discovered by Mark Ronson, and was signed by Allido Records, which released his third mixtape, 100 Miles & Running, featuring artist Daniel Merriweather.
Success Is Certain is the fifth studio album by rapper Royce da 5'9" released on August 9, 2011. The first single is "Writer's Block" featuring Eminem, which was released in March 2011. Production for the album came from DJ Premier, Mr. Porter, Eminem, Nottz, Streetrunner, The Futuristiks and The Alchemist among others. Guest appearances include Eminem, Joe Budden, Kid Vishis and Travis Barker.
Student of the Game is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist N.O.R.E.. The album was released on April 16, 2013, under Militainment Business, Conglomerate and E1 Music. The album features guest appearances from French Montana, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, Pusha T, Pharrell, Pete Rock, Havoc, Jeremih, Mick Jones, Large Professor, Swizz Beatz, Raekwon, Tech N9ne, Busta Rhymes and Scarface among others.
The discography of American rapper Meek Mill consists of five studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, three collaborative albums, eleven mixtapes, fifty-four singles, ten promotional singles and thirty music videos.
Jesus Piece is the fifth studio album by American West Coast hip hop recording artist the Game, released on December 11, 2012, by DGC Records and Interscope Records, his last release on both labels as he parted ways a year following. The album is also the final DGC Records album to be released as the label became inactive in 2013, before being permanently merged into Interscope's division and Game's previous label, Geffen Records in September 2021.
The discography of Moroccan-American rapper French Montana consists of five studio albums, twenty-six mixtapes, 51 singles including 57 as featured artist, 32 music videos and 18 promotional singles.
The discography of American rapper and recording artist Killer Mike consists of six studio albums, three collaborative albums, five mixtapes and eleven singles.
Cydel Charles Young, known professionally as CyHi the Prynce, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He signed his first major-label recording contract with Akon's Konvict Muzik, in a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings in 2009. The following year, he gained mainstream attention for his guest appearance on Kanye West's 2010 song "So Appalled" from his fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). Young was thereafter credited with extensive songwriting work for West's following releases, resulting in five Grammy Award nominations for Best Rap Song, as well as one further nomination for his work on Travis Scott's 2018 single "Sicko Mode."
Assata Perkins, known professionally as Sa-Roc, is an American rapper. In 2016, she became the second female rapper to sign with the Rhymesayers label.
Epic Beard Men is an American hip hop duo from Providence, Rhode Island. It consists of Sage Francis and B. Dolan.
El Michels Affair is an American cinematic soul group led by musician and producer Leon Michels. Based in New York, the group is noted for its wide-ranging influences, analog production approach, and hip hop collaborations. The group released its debut album Sounding Out the City in 2005. After touring behind Raekwon and other Wu-Tang Clan members, the group recorded the popular cover album Enter the 37th Chamber in 2009. After releasing other tribute albums in the following decade, El Michels Affair returned with the original albums Adult Themes in 2020 and Yeti Season in 2021. Since then, the group has released collaborative projects with Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Liam Bailey, and Black Thought, including 2023's Glorious Game.
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2020.
