Maps (Billy Woods and Kenny Segal album)

Last updated

When he showed up, it was memorable. Danny came through with two cars ... He had the rhyme on two separate phones. He continued rhyming. I mean, it just went on. It was crazy. It's longer than even what's on there, I think. [4]

The midpoint of the tracklist is "Hangman", a song that incorporates moments of "bemused comfort" [11] despite an overall grim mood. [15] On "Baby Steps", Woods narrates an incident when he had to take an interstate Uber ride to travel between tour dates; [4] he compares himself to the album cover of Future's I Never Liked You when describing his attempts to sleep through the journey. [13] "The Layover" samples a bebop piano line [13] as Woods compares bystanders who witness police brutality to those who observed the sick from afar during the Black Death. [16] Lead single "FaceTime", a track that has been described as the album's "emotional core", [22] features a boom bap beat upon which Segal layers saxophone, bass, and synth keyboard elements. [6] Samuel T. Herring provides the song's chorus, which reflects on the loneliness that touring can bring; [14] [7] Woods recounts a situation where, alone at a hotel, he watched concertgoers attending an afterparty. [17] In an interview with Huck , Woods elaborates further on the song's themes of how a traveler can become isolated from their loved ones:

I was expanding upon the idea of maintaining relationships at a distance. Your daily life when you are out on the road and touring is confusing. ... You feel like you are missing out on [family] life, but other times it is a rush and a getaway from things you can't deal with. ["FaceTime"] definitely explores this duality. [24]

"Agriculture" is a "dreamy" track [1] where Woods imagines himself as a farmer and cannabis grower. [15] It is followed by "Houdini", where Woods portrays himself as using marijuana to keep occupied during a lull in his travel schedule. [14] [16] "Waiting Around" features a lyrically dense verse from rapper Aesop Rock. [11] "NYC Tapwater", the album's penultimate song, sees Woods returning to his New York home, where he discovers that gentrification has transformed the neighborhood during his absence. [15] [17] Maps concludes with "As the Crow Flies", a track that includes a "meditative" guest appearance from Elucid. [16] In a brief closing verse, Woods describes himself playing with his son at a park, as he realizes that observing his son's growth makes him increasingly aware of his own mortality. [16] [17]

Critical reception

Maps
Billy Woods Kenny Segal Maps.jpg
Studio album by
Billy Woods and Kenny Segal
ReleasedMay 5, 2023
Genre Hip hop
Length44:08
Label Backwoodz Studioz
Producer Kenny Segal
Billy Woods chronology
Church
(2022)		Maps
(2023)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 90/100 [25]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Beats Per Minute 91% [15]
Clash 9/10 [23]
HipHopDX 4.6/5 [19]
Pitchfork 8.9/10 [1]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Sputnikmusic 4.1/5 [22]
Stereogum Favorable [17]
The Line of Best Fit 9/10 [11]

Maps achieved widespread praise from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Maps received an average score of 90 based on 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [25]

Woods' writing on Maps has attained particular commendation: Sheldon Pearce of NPR lauded the album as a "master class, even for one of rap's greatest-ever penmen", [16] and Pitchfork 's Stephen Kearse argued that it placed Woods "into the ranks of rap's great stylists and storytellers". [1] Jeff Terich of Treble described Woods' lyrics as "profound, subtle poetry", [21] and Kearse remarked that the writing "brings people and places to life with quick, visceral strokes". [1] A more mixed appraisal of Woods' writing came from Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone, who viewed Maps as less passionate than 2022's Aethiopes. [13] Several critics, including Pearce and AllMusic's Paul Simpson, identified Maps as one of the most accessible albums in Woods' catalogue: Simpson stated that it "contain[s] some of his clearest, most vivid narratives", [14] while Pearce found it to be the rapper's "clearest, most engaging music". [16] Eden Tizard of Clash opined that Maps featured more "emotional frankness" than Woods' solo discography. [23] Woods' deadpan humor on the album also received favorable commentary. [1]

Segal's production on Maps was regarded positively as well. Stephen Kearse characterized it as "globetrotting", and credited Segal with using a diverse selection of beats to encourage Woods to explore "new sonic and narrative spaces". [1] Stereogum 's Tom Breihan described the overall mood of the production as a reflection of Woods' "combination of comfort and anxiety". [17] Dash Lewis of HipHopDX characterized Segal's work on Maps as "a palette of clean, expansive beats", and commended him for creating a diverse soundscape while also allowing Woods' lyrics to take the foreground; [19] Miloslaw Archibald Rugallini of Sputnikmusic gave further praise to the chemistry between the two artists, remarking that Segal "has a firm grasp on [Woods'] gift" and had composed instrumentals that would enable Woods to showcase his strengths. [22] Segal's beats have been identified as employing "clear melodies that invite the listener to lean in closer", [13] but also as featuring drum lines that "lurch sideways [rather than] falling into the old head-nod patterns". [17] The overall sound of Maps was described by Sheldon Pearce as having "more color and pulse" than Segal's earlier work on Hiding Places. [16]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of Maps
Critic/PublicationListRankRef.
Consequence The 50 Best Albums of 2023
4
Exclaim! Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2023
7
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2023
23
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2023
3
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Albums of 2023
8
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2023
3
The Line of Best Fit The Best Albums of 2023
8

Track listing

Maps track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Kenwood Speakers"1:21
2."Soft Landing"2:53
3."Soundcheck" (with Quelle Chris)2:56
4."Rapper Weed"3:14
5."Blue Smoke"1:32
6."Bad Dreams Are Only Dreams"1:09
7."Babylon by Bus" (with ShrapKnel)2:08
8."Year Zero" (with Danny Brown)3:40
9."Hangman"2:55
10."Baby Steps" (with Elucid and Benjamin Booker)3:25
11."The Layover"2:50
12."FaceTime" (with Samuel T. Herring)3:32
13."Agriculture"1:40
14."Houdini"2:24
15."Waiting Around" (with Aesop Rock)3:01
16."NYC Tapwater"3:08
17."As the Crow Flies" (with Elucid)2:20
Total length:44:08

Personnel

Credits adapted from Bandcamp and Apple Music. [3] [33]

Performance

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Maps
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [34] 81
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [35] 31
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [36] 7

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Kearse, Stephen (May 5, 2023). "billy woods / Kenny Segal: Maps". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jenkins, Craig (May 9, 2023). "billy woods Is on an Indie-Rap Hero's Journey". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Maps by billy woods & Kenny Segal". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Malone, Anthony (May 3, 2023). "Underground Rap Hero Billy Woods on Coming Full Circle". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  5. ↑ Bloom, Madison (March 27, 2023). "billy woods and Kenny Segal Announce New Album and 2023 Tour Dates". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Helfand, Raphael (April 12, 2023). "billy woods and Kenny Segal share Maps' lead single, "FaceTime"". The Fader . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Fu, Eddie (April 13, 2023). "billy woods Teams with Future Islands' Samuel T. Herring on New Song "FaceTime": Stream". Consequence . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Legarde, Arielle Lana (May 3, 2023). "billy woods and Kenny Segal link up for "Soft Landing"". The Fader . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ Torres, Eric (May 5, 2023). "billy woods and Kenny Segal Share New Video Directed by Tim Blake Nelson: Watch". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ Strauss, Matthew (May 26, 2023). "Watch billy woods and ShrapKnel's New "Babylon by Bus" Video". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Inscoe-Jones, Liam (May 5, 2023). "billy woods & Kenny Segal: Maps". The Line of Best Fit . Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  12. ↑ Fu, Eddie (May 5, 2023). "billy woods and Kenny Segal Go Road Tripping on New Album Maps: Stream". Consequence . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Reeves, Mosi (May 4, 2023). "billy woods' 'Maps' is the Kind of Album That's Designed to Get You Lost". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Simpson, Paul (May 5, 2023). "billy woods - Maps Album Reviews, Songs & More". allMusic . Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Wohlmacher, John (May 8, 2023). "Album Review: billy woods & Kenny Segal – Maps". Beats Per Minute . Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pearce, Sheldon (May 17, 2023). "It's time to get on the billy woods bandwagon". NPR . Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Breihan, Tom (May 2, 2023). "Album of the Week: billy woods & Kenny Segal Maps". Stereogum . Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  18. ↑ Chick, Stevie (May 8, 2023). "David Attenborough, weed and 'American apartheid': the awesome mind of rapper Billy Woods". The Guardian . Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lewis, Dash (May 25, 2023). "Billy Woods & Kenny Segal's 'Maps' is a stellar reflection on the casualties of tour". HipHopDX . Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  20. 1 2 Hudson, Alex (May 14, 2023). "Exclaim!'s Staff Picks: billy woods Keeps His Hot Streak Going with the Kenny Segal-Assisted 'Maps'". Exclaim! . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Terich, Jeff (May 4, 2023). "billy woods & Kenny Segal: Maps". Treble. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Rugallini, Miloslaw Archibald (May 18, 2023). "Review: Billy Woods and Kenny Segal - Maps". Sputnik Music . Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Tizard, Eden (May 23, 2023). "billy woods, Kenny Segal – Maps". Clash . Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  24. ↑ Hobbs, Thomas (June 20, 2023). "Billy Woods is finally having his moment". Huck . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  25. 1 2 "Maps by billy woods". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  26. ↑ Krueger, J. (December 4, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023 Ranked". Consequence . Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  27. ↑ Hopfe, Safiya (November 30, 2023). "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2023". Exclaim! . Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  28. ↑ Ham, Robert (November 27, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Paste . Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  29. ↑ Pierre, Alphonse (December 5, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  30. ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone. November 30, 2023. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  31. ↑ Buford, Jayson (December 5, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Stereogum. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  32. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (December 4, 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit . Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Maps – Album by billy woods & Kenny Segal – Apple Music". Apple Music . May 5, 2023. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  36. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
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