King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
by Pusha T
  • Record Label: G.O.O.D.
  • Release Date: Dec 18, 2015
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 186 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 171 out of 186
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 186
  3. Negative: 10 out of 186
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  1. israelvg49
    Feb 14, 2016
    10
    This is only the beginning for a new chapter for Pusha T. Outstanding production was shown in this project, sends a powerful of being 3 people at a time, perfect flow and awesome features. Can not wait for King Push this year.
  2. adeworldpeace
    Dec 18, 2015
    10
    Push is doing his best rapping since Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury. Raw flow, disgusting lyricism, boosted by fire beats. King Push is the perfect album coming at the perfect time.
  3. lisiak
    Dec 19, 2015
    7
    I really regret that this album is so short. Thirty minutes of great music. 'Sunshine', 'Keep Dealing' and track with West are mu favourite. I'm waiting for nex year's King Push :)
  4. m80boosh
    Dec 20, 2015
    9
    Darkest Before Dawn is Pusha's best solo work to date. He takes the elements from MNIMN that worked so well and lays them down consistently over these 10 tracks, with no fillers. This album is Pusha doing what he does best for 33 minutes, delivering bar after bar over excellent production. Best cuts - Untouchable, M.F.T.R, CCC, Sunshine, Keep Dealing.
  5. geedup
    Dec 20, 2015
    5
    Other than the leaed/debut track from this, Untouchable, i didn't like any other song. Now, I do like that Pusha seems to be going into a new area. Using different beats and pace, etc. His voice echoes throughout each track without yelling. However, this 10 track Prelude was not for me.
  6. bhooks
    Dec 29, 2015
    0
    This album is average, random raps, hes following a clichê formula, on oversatured trap beats, hes eating on te Kanye West appeal. Other than that this album is boring, an ugly face of hip hop.
  7. ben_zo77
    Dec 19, 2015
    9
    Wow. If this is the prelude, I can hardly imagine how incredible the real King Push album is going to be. Darkest Before Dawn is a masterful composition of what I assume are the throwaways from King Push. DBD isn't perfect, but every song contributes something important. Pusha T's tight flow, impressive lyricism, and incredible production make this album stand out from everything that'sWow. If this is the prelude, I can hardly imagine how incredible the real King Push album is going to be. Darkest Before Dawn is a masterful composition of what I assume are the throwaways from King Push. DBD isn't perfect, but every song contributes something important. Pusha T's tight flow, impressive lyricism, and incredible production make this album stand out from everything that's been released in 2015. Arguments could be made for several other albums being better, such as Kendrick Lamar's classic 'To Pimp A Butterfly' and Vince Staples's 'Summertime '06'; but DBD is without a doubt in the conversation for being a top 5 rap album of 2015. Fresh off being named the president of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label, Pusha further shows a similarity to his boss in that they both take perfectionism to a crazy level when it comes to their studio albums. I, and the rest of the hip hop world, will now be waiting anxiously to see how good King Push is.
    ~ 8.6/10
    Best track: "M.P.A."
    Other notable tracks: "Untouchable" & "Crutches, Crosses, Caskets"    … Expand
  8. brockcheese
    Jun 4, 2018
    9
    This album is the epitome of Pusha's style. His witty lyricism is on full display here as he shows the good and bad of fame and how it compares to his crack rap roots.
  9. Princethadon
    Dec 30, 2015
    9
    Wow! Pusha T has done it again. His prelude to next year's King Push is another great album in Pusha T's discography. His sophomore effort is not better than his debut (My Name is My Name - which was my favorite album of 2013) but it's still awesome.
    The first 2 tracks (Intro and Untouchable) get you pumped for the album, M.F.T.R. has an awesome instrumental and some of the most clever    Wow! Pusha T has done it again. His prelude to next year's King Push is another great album in Pusha T's discography. His sophomore effort is not better than his debut (My Name is My Name - which was my favorite album of 2013) but it's still awesome.
    The first 2 tracks (Intro and Untouchable) get you pumped for the album, M.F.T.R. has an awesome instrumental and some of the most clever lines, Crutches, Crosses, and Caskets has great bars from Push (which we expect), M.P.A. we will get to it later, Got em Covered (a track that feels a lot like Suicide from MNIMN which also features Ab-Liva) has a good feature from Ab-Liva and an awesome instrumental that I really enjoy listening to, Keep Dealing has a very experimental strange instrumental and pretty good bars, Retribution (my least favorite track) has an average rap beat, okay and average bars, and a hook that sounds like all the rap I hear that isn't Push, F.I.F.A. has a pretty sweet instrumental, and Sunshine has guest vocals by Jill Scott but it sounded a little bit not like Jill Scott.
    Now back to M.P.A. which has an amazing instrumental that sounds like a beat off Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Has guest vocals I really dig by Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, and The Dream. Has a very interesting kinda moral. Definitely listen to this track it's the best on this album.
    So to end of the review I'm definitely and highly anticipating King Push next year and anymore Albums, EP's, mixtapes, and compilations Pusha T releases. It's totally worth the listen.
    Favorite Tracks: M.P.A., M.F.T.R., Got em Covered
    Least Favorite Tracks: Retribution and Keep Dealing
    Overall rating 8.8/10 or A-    … Expand
  10. Luckyluke93
    Feb 11, 2016
    5
    So angry so frustrated so talented, but... this album is not cohesive, a collection of good and not-so-good songs whithout a big hit and in only 35 minutes at least is not boring. King Push must be better or his rap carrer could end
  11. swagkonyjohnson
    Jan 4, 2016
    8
    This prelude project sets the bar pretty high for Pusha T's King Push album expected to come out in 2016. Pusha T doesn't waste time and doesn't waste words: this album of is 33 minutes of Pusha T getting straight to the point. While utilizing great flow and great lyricism, Pusha T repeatedly delivers punch after punch with no fillers over a wide array of some very fantastic productionThis prelude project sets the bar pretty high for Pusha T's King Push album expected to come out in 2016. Pusha T doesn't waste time and doesn't waste words: this album of is 33 minutes of Pusha T getting straight to the point. While utilizing great flow and great lyricism, Pusha T repeatedly delivers punch after punch with no fillers over a wide array of some very fantastic production from the likes of Timbaland, Kanye West, Boi-1da, and others.… Expand
  12. Urbanlistener
    Feb 11, 2016
    10
    What can you expect when you have productions by Kanye West, Timbaland and Boi-1-da and Pusha-T doing his best lyrical and vocal work in years? A gem is what you can expect and is what you get with this prelude.
  13. Jackie_Jdog
    Mar 17, 2016
    10
    I was going into this unsure, but after many listens I have to say I really enjoy this album Pusha comes through with some great veses, and Im a big fan of the production its top notch
  14. TalentlessHack
    Dec 31, 2015
    7
    King Push delivers with this prelude album. It only makes you think what he has in store for us for the real thing.

    While the songs on here don't have the same "hit"-factor as some songs on My Name Is My Name, it makes up for it by being more consistent with it's quality. Solid effort by King Push. While it may not by fire, it's definitely worth a listen. Fav Tracks: Keep Dealin',    King Push delivers with this prelude album. It only makes you think what he has in store for us for the real thing.

    While the songs on here don't have the same "hit"-factor as some songs on My Name Is My Name, it makes up for it by being more consistent with it's quality.

    Solid effort by King Push. While it may not by fire, it's definitely worth a listen.

    Fav Tracks: Keep Dealin', Sunshine, Untouchable
    Least Fav Track: M.P.A. (Maybe I was in the wrong mood for this one... I just wasn't feeling it.)    … Expand
  15. eli_obeid
    Feb 12, 2016
    10
    Flames is an understatement,, Thugger executed it so swiftly in this project................ just wow, what a beautiful work of art. Now excuse me while I go and bump this album in my car
  16. Emaduldeen1
    May 27, 2019
    10
    One of the beat albums of the decade pusha’s rapping is impeccable with amazing flows and not so special subject matter but with alot of great punchlines and amazing production by timbo especially on got em coverd
  17. MC_H
    Feb 11, 2020
    9
    This album is a taster to king Push, and it really keeps us on the edge of the seat to see what push will next bring to the table.
  18. DC95
    Apr 28, 2022
    10
    Untouchable! Pusha is still so underrated. Wish the album got promoted better but overall another great album.
  19. daytonatabooywr
    Oct 6, 2022
    9
    keep dealing, CCC and intro are amazing songs. 0 skips. very enjoyable project

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Best Album of 2015
54
#54 Most Discussed Album of 2015
34
#34 Most Shared Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. The Wire
    Feb 18, 2016
    80
    It's an unlikely triumph of personality, a glacially slow decay of his icy facade revealing an earnest dedication to his craft, in its own way every bit as spiritual as his brother's more orthodox practice. [Feb 2016, p.56]
  2. Q Magazine
    Feb 4, 2016
    80
    It's a collision of classic rap skills and singular beats that makes this album outstanding and far more substantial than its "prelude" billing implies. [Mar 2016, p.110]
  3. RapReviews.com
    Jan 19, 2016
    85
    King Push's Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude is a damn good record, but it is not flawless.
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