Cruel Summer - Various Artists
Cruel Summer Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 71 Ratings

  • Summary: This studio compilation album features artists from the G.O.O.D. Music label and guest appearances from others including: Kanye West, Jay Z, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Push T, R. Kelly, Common, Kid Cudi, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, DJ Khaled, Ma$e, and Teyana Taylor.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 28
  2. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. 91
    Cruel Summer is a posse album struck in West's image, full of the same idiosyncratic bombast that has fueled his biggest hits. He's a benevolent host, letting each squad member show off his skills.
  2. Oct 25, 2012
    80
    Cruel Summer is a mistitled fireworks show from Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music label/roster/empire, one that comes off as mixtape-minded follow-up to his flossy Jay-Z team-up Watch the Throne.
  3. Sep 28, 2012
    60
    Cruel Summer is certainly an accomplished CD, and perhaps by sheer numbers can claim to be as massive as it assumes, but it's mostly a disc that don't have much unifying character other than "yea, this sounds as big as G.O.O.D. Music's ego."
  4. Oct 11, 2012
    60
    Other posses succeeded because all members contributed to a central sensibility and ethos that made the whole greater that the sum of its parts. G.O.O.D. Music just obscures the greatness already there.

See all 28 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. Severely mis-appreciated - that would be the perfect way to describe Cruel Summer. The reason why the album will have a low score is not because it is bad - in fact, it's a great album. However, most reviewers (professional or not) are judging this album based of "what they expected". This is wrong; sure, considering GOOD Music's roster, the album may have been much, much better, but you have to be objective and take the album for what it is - a compilation showcasing GOOD's main artists. If you can do so, you will realize, that this is a great release. None of the other labels pay as much attention to detail as GOOD. If you listen to this album along with all the other label compilations out there, you will realize - GOOD is the best (mainstream) group out there, at the moment. Expand
  2. Not as good as a Kanye solo album but still an almost very good album! Best songs are Clique, Creepers, The One and To The World. Disappointed not to see Mr Hudson though! Expand
  3. Cruel Summer is not a Kanye album. Don't treat it like it is. It's not suppose to be consistent, it's not suppose to have a theme. It is merely a compilation for each of the G.O.O.D. Music artist (sans Q-Tip or Mos Def) to perform. The whole point of this album is to cherry-pick the songs you like and go and with that said, I liked a bit over half this album. As a full, cohesive album that would be an issue but for a compilation that's a pretty good thing. Songs like Mercy, Cold, Clique I Don't Like (Remix) are some ill songs. Even though I despise Chief Keef, that remix is a banger. Songs like New God Flow and The Mourning are great songs with even better lyrics. The One (in spite of cheesy chorus) is pretty good, and I won't lie I kinda dig Sin City. The song To The World has a crazy ass R. Kelly singing about how "the world is his couch, I'm Rick James toniiight." Ghostface Killah pretty much slaughtered his verse on New God Flow. And I can't lie, I dug Big Sean's verse on Clique. With that said it still has flaws Higher is boring as hell and Ma$e is awful, I did not like Kid Cudi's singing on Creepers and some of CyHi's verses on this album were cornier than Big Sean's verses. Plus what the is up with Common's measly one 8-bar verse. Really?!! Anyways as far as compilations go, this is pretty good. But make sure you buy the digital version because you're going to be skipping a lot of songs. Expand
  4. Very very mediocre. Apart from some of the production the album really didn't have any highlights. It's sad to see someone like Kanye release an album like this. Extremely disappointed. Expand

See all 16 User Reviews