Buy Now
| Buy on |
|
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
Dec 22, 2010Apollo Kids feels just the slightest bit unfinished.
-
Jan 3, 2011It's hard not to feel conflicted about Apollo Kids. Unlike Ghostface records that presumably get unfairly judged by the standards of his best work, it's tempting to overrate it due a general relief that he didn't try to make Ghostdini again.
-
Jan 13, 2011Apollo Kids definitely feels like a bit of an apology to his fans, and might be more accurately considered a stopgap, street album before Ghost's next labor of love.
-
Dec 21, 2010Ghostface Killah is so charismatic, he can brag about being an old coot and make it sound badass.
-
Dec 21, 2010Even without that tribute to the early days of hip-hop, Apollo Kids would still boast an ingratiatingly retro feel, as Ghostface returns to the soulful formula that served him so well on The Pretty Toney Album and Fishscale. Ghost never went anywhere, yet Kids feels like a comeback all the same.
-
Dec 21, 2010Ghostface Killah's ninth album consoles his hardcore constituency: Forty-plus minutes of gritty, soul-sampling beats soundtracking bizarro street tales ("Starkology," "Ghetto"), with lyrical tough-guys Busta Rhymes, Redman, and more than half the Wu Tang Clan tagging along.
-
Jan 10, 2011They [Ghostface and Wu-Tang Clan] are truly a hip-hop enigma, and Apollo Kids is just another piece of proof.
-
Jan 3, 2011Many of these tunes sound like they could have been recorded at any point in his 17-year career - and that's great news for fans.
-
Dec 20, 2010Much like Raekwon on his 2009 landmark, Ghostface manages to steal the show despite the esteemed roll of guest spots. His rapid-fire delivery and blitz of sassy metaphors set a high-octane pace.
-
Jan 3, 2011Ghost has had his share of ups and downs, but Apollo Kids finds him back near the top.
-
Jan 7, 2011If you still have a stomach for violent, vulgar content, this is recommended.
-
Jan 4, 2011Ghostface can rest easy in the fact that Apollo Kids shows that the drop in quality on Wizard of Poetry was just temporary, and amongst rappers who are 40-years-old or older, he's the definite champ. There aren't even many graying rockers making art as vital as Apollo Kids, radio play or not.
-
Jan 11, 2011If anything, Apollo Kids is the biggest reason to get excited about Ghost in years; putting out a seemingly rushed disc, he's outdone much of his recent work.
-
Dec 21, 2010Apollo Kids shows that one of rap's company drivers is still on the speedway--zooming slightly slower than before, but with better pacing and control of the wheel.
-
Jan 5, 2011If Apollo Kids is a warm-up, we can expect monster things from Ghost in the New Year.
-
Jan 13, 2011When it's all said and done, Ghostface Killah treats Apollo Kids like a seasoned veteran would treat a game on the hardwood; he picks his spots, lets his teammates have their moments, and takes over when necessary. In that respect, Apollo Kids is another project we can tally up in Ghost's win column.
-
Jan 14, 2011It's a testament to Ghostface's MC bonafides and sheer force of personality that, while easily his weakest solo outing, Apollo Kids is far from a bad album. It just doesn't quite feel like a Ghostface Killah album.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 31 out of 35
-
Mixed: 2 out of 35
-
Negative: 2 out of 35
-
Jan 14, 2011
-
Jan 3, 2011
-
Apr 26, 2015