Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 21
  2. Negative: 1 out of 21
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Jul 28, 2011
    93
    BlackenedWhite is a refreshingly original album where it counts and it never gets under your skin the way Tyler's albums can.
  2. While Goblin is a slow, 75-minute mental breakdown of Tyler, Blackenedwhite is a brisk, crisp, and energetic hip-hop record, clocking in at barely 30 minutes.
  3. Jul 29, 2011
    81
    The catch-22 for MellowHype is that while their centrism certainly has its merits, their music is unlikely to convert anyone that has, at this point, already written off Odd Future. Which leaves them with a solid, fun rap album to satiate a feverish cult and a growing number of casual fans.
  4. Jul 11, 2011
    81
    Blackenedwhite pushes them closer to humanity without sacrificing the weirdness that's so central to their appeal. They're not out of surprises yet, and they probably won't be for a long time.
  5. Aug 2, 2011
    80
    The original mixtape is worth checking for the Sweatshirt bits alone, but this version does a better job of putting the spotlight on Mellowhype, the Odd Future crew's secret weapon.
  6. Jul 11, 2011
    80
    The duo strikes a fine working relationship throughout BlackenedWhite too, with Left ensuring his colleague's standout bars are accentuated with a quirky sample or a sudden key change. In all, this is a far more accessible affair than Goblin; it never comes close to being as downright offensive, and Hodgy's breezy flow helps make this a far easier album to digest.
  7. Jul 11, 2011
    80
    Producer Left Brain breaks ground on bangers that stitch ambient electronica to cracked G-funk, while Hodgy sports the casual swag of Wiz Khalifa or Lil Wayne, with 
a less cringe-worthy sense of humor than his peers.
  8. Jul 11, 2011
    80
    That BlackenedWhite doesn't really bother with the kind of extreme lyrical content Bastard and Earl traded in is what makes it an infinitely more enjoyable listening experience on just the most basic level.
  9. Jul 8, 2011
    80
    Luckily, Blackenedwhite, the first post-Odd Future hype machine album, is still as good as it was eight months ago, when it came out and was instantly the most fun album in the Odd Future oeuvre. It's a triumph of two kids putting all of their efforts into an album, and coming out with something great.
  10. Entertainment Weekly
    Jul 27, 2011
    75
    Cuts like "64" and "Deaddeputy" prove that they too enjoy lyrically attacking everything in their way. [29 Jul 2011, p.72]
  11. Jul 18, 2011
    75
    In spite of its marvelous production from Left Brain, who shares Tyler's ear for beautifully deformed grooves and Lex Luger's gift for epileptic bangers, Blackenedwhite doesn't boil over as maniacally as Goblin, and it never fully reaches that album's reckless highs.
  12. Aug 2, 2011
    71
    Among the many Odd Future efforts already circulating on the Internet, BlackenedWhite was a wise choice for an attempted mainstream incursion: It's got enough of the outfit's deranged humor to titillate tourists (see tracks "Gunsounds" and "Deaddeputy"), but softens the edginess with a pronounced pop sensibility.
  13. Sep 6, 2011
    70
    If you're not a fan of gangster rap, BlackenedWhite is unlikely to change your attitude towards the genre. But for fans, this album is definitely worth checking out.
  14. Jul 12, 2011
    70
    Ultimately, Blackenedwhite is conflicted, but quality music.
  15. Jul 3, 2012
    65
    It's clearly a release intended for hardcore Odd Future fans.
  16. Aug 3, 2011
    65
    With snappier sounds and clearer EQs, the tracks on BlackenedWhite sound much crisper than anything on Goblin – a record that sounded too muddy for its own good.
  17. Aug 15, 2011
    60
    BlackenedWhite is rage for rage's sake: L.A. gangsta rap for the swag generation that die-hard fans will eagerly lap up, but will inspire few think pieces.
  18. Jul 14, 2011
    60
    Unfortunately, five tracks have been trimmed from the original release, the most conspicuous being previous standout "Chordaroy," leaving an album that feels a bit slight when taken as a whole.
  19. Aug 29, 2011
    50
    Mostly, it just sounds like a re-issue with little motivation behind it other than dollar signs, which is out of character for both the group and Fat Possum. Even the cover-art feels somewhat sterilized, a capitalization on cult of personality as much as true art.
  20. Aug 8, 2011
    40
    There's the occasional clever turn of phrase, but MellowHype's brand of vulgarity is subtler and less arresting than Tyler's.
  21. Jul 12, 2011
    30
    The reissue of BlackenedWhite comes as a missed opportunity. Odd Future followers will likely have grabbed the expanded (and notably better) version when it was available free online a few months back; newcomers to the collective's output have better entry points elsewhere in their continuously-growing catalog.
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. Nov 5, 2011
    8
    This is a very accessible album from the duo; Hodgy's delivery and lyrics matched with Left Brain's beats makes for great listening. At times,This is a very accessible album from the duo; Hodgy's delivery and lyrics matched with Left Brain's beats makes for great listening. At times, I felt the production could be a bit more minimalistic - take a tip from Tyler - but overall, a great album. Full Review »
  2. Oct 5, 2011
    8
    Mellowhype has a wierd and unique way of expressing theirselves through their music and when it comes to the lyrics they add a twist that youMellowhype has a wierd and unique way of expressing theirselves through their music and when it comes to the lyrics they add a twist that you don't usually hear in other rappers music but, yet it's creative and interesting to listen to. there should be more music or more (lyrical) rappers like this. Full Review »
  3. Feb 8, 2012
    8
    MellowHype is flat out, undeniably dope as hell. Left Brain is able to make the perfect sound for hodgy to excel over. I can see many moreMellowHype is flat out, undeniably dope as hell. Left Brain is able to make the perfect sound for hodgy to excel over. I can see many more great things coming out of these guys. F*ck the Police is so badass and Left Brain kills the verse haha!! Full Review »