Whole Lotta Red | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 25, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2018 – November 2020 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 62:12 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Playboi Carti chronology | ||||
|
Whole Lotta Red is the second studio album by American rapper Playboi Carti. It was released through AWGE and Interscope Records on December 25, 2020. Production was executively handled by Kanye West, who appears on the song "Go2DaMoon" and was primarily handled by F1lthy and Art Dealer alongside several other record producers, including Pi'erre Bourne, Maaly Raw, Lil 88, Ken Carson and Wheezy. The album consists of 24 tracks and features guest appearances from Kid Cudi, Future and Kanye West. Work on the album commenced in late 2018 and concluded in November 2020. The album serves as a follow-up to his debut studio album, Die Lit (2018).
Whole Lotta Red received mostly positive reviews from music critics. The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200, earning 100,000 album-equivalent units of which 10,000 were pure sales, becoming Carti's first US number-one album. In January 2022, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In August 2018, following the release of Carti's debut studio album, Die Lit , a video surfaced of him discussing his next album and calling it Whole Lotta Red. [4] In November, he performed unreleased songs at a concert in Seattle. [5] In March 2019, during an interview with GQ , Carti said that Virgil Abloh would be the album's creative director. [6] [7] In May 2019, he featured on "Earfquake", the lead single of Igor by Tyler, the Creator with fans noting his "baby voice". [8] Later that month, a song titled "Pissy Pamper" with Young Nudy leaked and went viral on social media platform TikTok. "Pissy Pamper" also reached number one on Spotify's US Viral 50 before being removed. Several other songs would go on to leak via YouTube and SoundCloud as well, reportedly causing Carti to remake the album. [9] In June 2019, he revealed in an interview with The Fader that he began recording Whole Lotta Red towards the end of 2018, recording at DJ Drama's Means Street Studios in Atlanta and at his own home. [6]
On April 14, 2020, Carti tweeted the cover to "@ Meh", which was released as a single two days later. [10] The song was noted for Carti's usage of the aforementioned "baby voice". [11] In May, Carti was featured on the track "Pain 1993", from Drake's mixtape, Dark Lane Demo Tapes , which continued his use of the "baby voice" and became his first top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number seven on the chart. [12]
On November 23, following a social media hiatus, Carti posted on his socials, blurry photos of himself, while revealing that the album was turned in to his label. [13] The same day, in a GQ profile, he called the album "alternative" and "psyched out". [14] In the following days, Carti announced collaborations with several other rappers including Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, and Future. [15] [16] He also tweeted at Post Malone and Pharrell Williams. [17] DJ Akademiks posted on Twitter and mentioned on a livestream that the album was to be released Christmas Day and would be executively produced by Kanye West; he mentions in both the stream and Twitter that he "nearly sold his soul" to obtain said information. [18] On December 21, Carti announced the cover art, release date, and pre-orders for merchandise on his social media accounts. [19] The album was executively produced by Kanye West. [20] [21] It was the highly anticipated follow up to Die Lit. [22] [23]
Whole Lotta Red sees Playboi Carti showcase "a unique depth that has developed since the release of Die Lit", with him minimizing the use of his "baby voice". Instead, as noted by Hypebeast's Nicolaus Li, the album contains a "frenetic vocal styling that ... defines Whole Lotta Red". [1] Latesha Harris of NPR also noted how Carti trades in his baby cadences for a more aggressive sound, as he "continues with his signature unearthly sound. He opts out of being a traditional lyricist and instead acts a conductor of fun. His bars bounce among synthy, fractured beats from various producers [...], the end result showcasing how comfortable he is toeing the line between riveting and repetitive". [24] The album features production by Pi'erre Bourne, Art Dealer, Outtatown, Star Boy, F1lthy, Juberlee, Richie Souf, Maaly Raw, and Wheezy, among others, all of whom help deliver a contemporary trap sound. [1]
On December 22, 2020, Carti announced the cover art for Whole Lotta Red via social media. It was designed by Jung "Art Dealer" Chung. [25] The cover is a black and white image of Carti with a white outline and the word Red in large red letters on the top of the cover. The cover is based on and pays homage to a cover of late 70s punk-rock magazine Slash ; featuring David Vanian of the Damned. [26] [14] On the left side of the cover, next to the parental advisory label, it reads "Volume One Number One" Of Red", the fictional magazine from Carti's Opium imprint. [14] [22] The album's imagery and merchandise designs have been noticed by journalists to be drawn from heavy metal imagery. [27] [28] Carti portrays himself as a vampire rock star in the album and uses his signature "baby voice" throughout the album. [29]
On April 16, 2020, the album's expected lead single, "@ Meh", was released. [30] The song peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it became his second top 40 entry on the chart as a lead artist. [31] Its music video debuted on the same day as the song's release, and was directed by Carti himself and Nick Walker. [32]
On December 25, 2020, on the album's release date, a music video for the track "M3tamorphosis" featuring Kid Cudi was released. [14] It was directed by Nico Ballesteros. [33]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.6/10 [34] |
Metacritic | 75/100 [35] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [36] |
And It Don't Stop | [37] |
Beats Per Minute | 27% [38] |
HipHopDX | 4.4/5 [39] |
NME | [40] |
Pitchfork | 8.3/10 [3] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [41] |
Rolling Stone | [29] |
Spectrum Culture | 80% [42] |
Whole Lotta Red was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on seven reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [35] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [34]
Fred Thomas reviewed the album for AllMusic, lauding the "blown-out instrumentals" and "demonic vocal performances". [36] Paul A. Thompson of Pitchfork described Whole Lotta Red as "both wildly innovative and strikingly consistent", praising the "bright and serrated beats" and Carti's "soutré, expressive" vocals. [3] Danny Schwartz from Rolling Stone enjoyed the album, saying, "Playboi Carti—Gen Z's answer to Nosferatu —performs emotions, toggles between them, and disguises them with a disquieting ease. He has never been more enigmatic". [29] Reviewing the album for PopMatters , Semassa Boko stated, "Whole Lotta Red demonstrates Playboi Carti's commitment to dynamic growth and experimentation. However, it's painfully apparent that Carti needs more features". [41] Colin Dempsey of Spectrum Culture praised the album, stating, "Carti comes into his own by stepping into the coffin of a vampire, scoffing at every critique tossed towards his vaudeville fangs". [42] Vivian Medithi of HipHopDX said, "Semi-automatic dracos are made in Romania and Dracula was too. Whole Lotta Red is the sound of a new legend dying to be born. It'll be album of the year in 2022". [39]
In a mixed review, NME 's Kyann-Sian Williams said, "Initially, you might be disappointed to have waited two years for what at first sounds like an underworked collection of throwaways. In places, though, the record rewards repeat listens. [...] But there's no getting away from the fact that at 24 tracks long, there's not a lot of variety on 'Whole Lotta Red', and the biggest take away here is perhaps that perennial rap fan favourite: less is most definitely more". [40] In a negative review, Beats Per Minute 's Mimi Kenny stated: "Whole Lotta Red has a vibe the same way a TGI Fridays has an atmosphere; it just rides a wave of different shades of lifeless trap, an endless TikTok dance in purgatory. [...] The problem is Whole Lotta Red hardly ever gives Carti a chance to be real. He puts on vapid personas like 'rock star' and 'vampire' like he's at Halloween Express. Tracks are Seinfeldian in their nothingness." [38] Veteran critic Robert Christgau highlighted "Rockstar Made" and "Punk Monk" while conceding that Playboi Carti "sounds like nobody else", but concluded that he "means as little as any rapper of consequence ever". [37]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
The Fader | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 45 | |
The New York Times | Jon Caramanica's Best Albums of 2020 | 9 | |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 9 | |
Rolling Stone | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 11 | |
The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2021 | 1 | ||
The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time | 129 | ||
Stereogum | The 10 Best Rap Albums of 2021 | 5 | |
The Washington Post | Best Music of 2021 | 1 |
Whole Lotta Red debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 100,000 album-equivalent units (including 10,000 pure album sales) in its first week. [51] This became Carti's first US number-one debut and his second top 10 album. [51] The album also accumulated a total of 126.43 million on-demand streams for its tracks, in the week ending December 31, 2020. [51] On January 11, 2022, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and streams in excess of 500,000 units in the United States. [52]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Rockstar Made" |
|
| 3:13 |
2. | "Go2DaMoon" (featuring Kanye West) |
| Wheezy | 1:59 |
3. | "Stop Breathing" |
|
| 3:38 |
4. | "Beno!" |
|
| 2:23 |
5. | "JumpOutTheHouse" |
| Richie Souf | 1:33 |
6. | "M3tamorphosis" (featuring Kid Cudi) |
|
| 5:12 |
7. | "Slay3r" |
|
| 2:44 |
8. | "No Sl33p" |
|
| 1:28 |
9. | "New Tank" |
|
| 1:29 |
10. | "Teen X" (featuring Future) |
| Maaly Raw | 3:25 |
11. | "Meh" |
|
| 1:58 |
12. | "Vamp Anthem" |
|
| 2:04 |
13. | "New N3on" |
| Maaly Raw | 1:56 |
14. | "Control" |
|
| 3:17 |
15. | "Punk Monk" |
|
| 3:49 |
16. | "On That Time" |
|
| 1:42 |
17. | "King Vamp" |
|
| 3:06 |
18. | "Place" |
| Pi'erre Bourne | 1:57 |
19. | "Sky" |
| Art Dealer | 3:13 |
20. | "Over" |
| Art Dealer | 2:46 |
21. | "ILoveUIHateU" |
| Pi'erre Bourne | 2:15 |
22. | "Die4Guy" |
|
| 2:11 |
23. | "Not PLaying" |
| Art Dealer | 2:10 |
24. | "F33l Lik3 Dyin" |
|
| 3:24 |
Total length: | 62:12 |
Sample credits
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal. [54] [55]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [79] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [80] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [81] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [52] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Label(s) | Format(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | December 25, 2020 |
| [24] | |
May 28, 2021 | Vinyl | [82] |
American rapper and record producer, Ye, better known as Kanye West, has released 10 studio albums, three collaborative studio albums, one compilation album, one demo album, two live albums, one video album, and five mixtapes. All ten of his studio albums have been certified at least gold in the United States. As of June 2021, West has certified 25 million equivalent solo albums units in the United States, placing him among the highest-certified music artists in the United States.
808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dominating its production, West was assisted by fellow producers No I.D., Plain Pat, Jeff Bhasker, and Mr Hudson, while also utilizing guest vocalists for some tracks, including Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, and Lil Wayne.
The discography of American rapper Kid Cudi consists of ten studio albums, one compilation album, one box set, three extended plays (EPs), one mixtape, 32 singles, eight promotional singles and 32 music videos, the details of which are included in his videography.
"Off the Grid" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his tenth studio album Donda (2021). The song features vocals from American rappers Playboi Carti and Fivio Foreign. It was released to US urban contemporary radio stations as the album's fourth single on November 30, 2021.
Nasir Pemberton, known professionally as Digital Nas or DN, is an American record producer, singer and songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. He first gained recognition for his production work for Lil Yachty, and later for his work with Kanye West on his albums Donda (2021) and Vultures 1 (2024), both of which debuted atop the Billboard 200.
Jordan Terrell Carter, known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. An influential figure among his generation, he has contributed to the progression of trap music along with its subgenre of rage. He first signed with the local underground record label Awful Records in 2014, and later signed with ASAP Mob's record label AWGE, in a joint venture with Interscope Records two years later. Carter gained mainstream attention following the release of his eponymous debut mixtape (2017), which peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-charting singles "Magnolia" and "Wokeuplikethis".
Playboi Carti is the self-titled debut commercial mixtape by American rapper Playboi Carti. It was released through AWGE and Interscope Records on April 14, 2017. Production was primarily handled by Pi'erre Bourne alongside several other record producers, including Harry Fraud, Hit-Boy, Jake One, and Southside. It features guest appearances from American rappers Lil Uzi Vert, ASAP Rocky, and Dutch singer Leven Kali. The physical version of the mixtape was released on October 6, 2017, and a vinyl edition was released on November 17, 2017.
The discography of American rapper Playboi Carti, consists of two studio albums, two extended plays (EP), one collaborative extended play (EP), four mixtapes, seven promotional singles, and 26 singles. Playboi Carti, who was known as Sir Cartier at the time, released two mixtapes between November 2011 and November 2012: THC: The High Chronicles and Young Misfit. In 2016, he was signed to Interscope Records and ASAP Mob's imprint label, AWGE, after gaining attention with his singles, "Broke Boi" and "Fetti", both of which were published to SoundCloud in 2015. His first single to hit the Billboard Hot 100 was the track, "Magnolia", debuting at number 29 on the chart. The single became certified three-times platinum by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA).
Testing is the third studio album by American rapper ASAP Rocky. It was released on May 25, 2018, by ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records. The album includes guest appearances from Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi, Skepta, French Montana, Kodak Black, Dev Hynes and FKA Twigs, among others, and was produced primarily by Hector Delgado and ASAP Rocky himself, alongside a variety of high-profile record producers.
Kids See Ghosts is the debut studio album by the American hip hop supergroup Kids See Ghosts, composed of the rappers and producers Kanye West and Kid Cudi. It was released on June 8, 2018, through Wicked Awesome Records and GOOD Music, and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Prior to the release, West and Cudi had collaborated on each others' work since 2008, although they experienced personal quarrels due to creative differences. The first studio sessions for the album began after the two reunited in late 2016.
Die Lit is the debut studio album by American rapper Playboi Carti. It was released through AWGE and Interscope Records on May 11, 2018. Production was primarily handled by Pi'erre Bourne alongside several other record producers, including Don Cannon, Maaly Raw, IndigoChildRick and Art Dealer. The album features a wide range of guest appearances from artists including Skepta, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Pi'erre Bourne, Nicki Minaj, Bryson Tiller, Chief Keef, Gunna, Red Coldhearted, Young Thug, and Young Nudy. The album serves as a follow-up to his debut self-titled mixtape (2017).
"Pissy Pamper" is an unreleased song by American rapper Young Nudy. It was produced by Pi'erre Bourne and features vocals by Playboi Carti. The song initially leaked online on April 18, 2019. An unofficial upload of the song, featuring just Playboi Carti's verse, topped the Spotify US Viral 50 chart in late May 2019, after a performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Donda is the tenth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released through GOOD Music on August 29, 2021, with distribution handled by Def Jam Recordings, as his final release with the label. The album features a wide range of guest performances from artists including the Weeknd, Jay-Z, Marilyn Manson, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Lil Yachty, Baby Keem, Playboi Carti, Jay Electronica, Lil Baby, DaBaby, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla Sign, Fivio Foreign, Lil Durk, Pop Smoke and Young Thug, among others; vocals from Chris Brown were also included prior to the album being updated. A deluxe edition was released on November 14, 2021 and featured guest vocals from André 3000, Tyler, the Creator, and KayCyy. West himself, as well as BoozDaBeast, Dem Jointz, Mike Dean, and Ojivolta primarily helmed the albums production. West recorded much of the material at multiple locations in the summer of 2021, including Bighorn Mountain Ranch in Wyoming and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
"@ Meh" is a song by American rapper and singer Playboi Carti, released on April 16, 2020. It was released in promotion for Carti's second studio album Whole Lotta Red; however, it was excluded from the project's final tracklist. The song was produced by JetsonMade, Neeko Baby and Deskhop.
Dark Lane Demo Tapes is the sixth mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake. The mixtape is a compilation of songs that were released on SoundCloud or leaked on the internet, as well as new songs, and is considered a "warm-up" to Drake's sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy (2021). It was released on May 1, 2020, by OVO Sound and Republic Records. Production was handled by Drake's longtime collaborator 40, among others. Featured guest appearances include Future, Young Thug, Chris Brown, Playboi Carti, Giveon, Fivio Foreign, and Sosa Geek.
Mario Diamond-Judah Douglas is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 2017, Judah began producing music at age 17. Three years later, he released his first commercial single. He rose to prominence as an internet meme with his single "Die Very Rough” as well as for his sardonic criticism of American rapper Playboi Carti regarding the delayed release of his second studio album, Whole Lotta Red.
"Go2DaMoon" is a song by Atlanta-American rapper Playboi Carti, featuring fellow American rapper Kanye West. It was released as the second track from Carti's second studio album, Whole Lotta Red, on December 25, 2020. The song was written by Playboi Carti and Kanye West, alongside producers Wheezy and Outtatown.
Rage is a microgenre of trap music. Distinguishing features of rage include short looping stereo-widened future bass-influenced synthesizer lead hooks and basic, energetic trap rhythms. Among the pioneers of rage are rappers Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, and Trippie Redd.
Opium is an American record label and rap collective that was founded in 2019 by American rapper Playboi Carti. The label, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, currently holds four acts all of whom are natives to the city; Playboi Carti himself, rappers Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely, and the duo Homixide Gang. The label is also affiliated with a variety of producers including KP Beatz, F1lthy, and Art Dealer, who all worked extensively on Playboi Carti's second studio album, Whole Lotta Red.
American rapper Playboi Carti is scheduled to release his upcoming third studio album sometime in 2024, through Interscope Records, AWGE and Opium. The album's title has not yet been confirmed, but several tentative titles, including Narcissist, Antagonist, Music, and I Am Music, have been teased at various points throughout the project's development. The album will serve as a follow-up to his second studio album Whole Lotta Red (2020).
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)