User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info

NoYork!
by
NoYork! Image
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

  • Summary: Originally set to be released in 2011 with Warner Bros., the sixth solo studio release for the Los Angeles rapper featuring production from Daedalus, Dibia$e, Exile, Flying Lotus, Madlib, and Samiyam is finally released as York.
Buy Now
Buy on

Top Track

My Sunshine
With enough love to light up a sky Earth must’ve asked the Sun for a sign and he smiled No reply, just shined, it’s no surprise, I see As the... See the rest of the song lyrics
See Full Track List »
Powered by

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. PopMatters
    Mar 27, 2013
    90
    There are a few moments that don’t feel too far removed from regular west coast tropes (“A Bove Crenshaw”, the opening/closing duo “Doin’ Nothin’ / Doin’ Somethin’”, and “Ronal Morgan”), but most of your time spent with NoYork! will be a decidedly original experience.
  2. Pitchfork
    Mar 27, 2013
    81
    This version of NoYork! doesn’t offer any new revelations about the record, but as the physical document of that time a gifted rapper blew off a promising record deal to geek out in the studio with friends and then came out with one of the defining documents of his scene, it’s still a win.
  3. Exclaim
    Mar 27, 2013
    70
    As a mystical and cosmic album, No York! sheds light on Blu's inspiring sonic dexterity.
  4. AllMusic
    Mar 27, 2013
    60
    Listeners willing to pull out a shovel and dig through the layers are bound to find something new each time they listen, but for most newbies, a simpler album would be a better starting point.
  5. RapReviews.com
    Apr 26, 2013
    60
    York is an interesting and often times bizarre album.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. beflygelt
    May 24, 2015
    9
    Favorites: Doin' Nothin, Above Crenshaw, Ronald Morgan

    One of the most ambitious rap records of the 2010's!! Blu has already proved his    Favorites: Doin' Nothin, Above Crenshaw, Ronald Morgan

    One of the most ambitious rap records of the 2010's!! Blu has already proved his rapping abilities with his 2007, Exile-supported album "Below The Heavens", meanwhile praised as an underground classic. The masses loved the record for the soul-y beats by Exile and Blu's personal and confident rapping.

    For this record Blu connected with the LA club The Low End Theory, home of the most forward thinking hip-hop artists of our time: Madlib, Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Daedelus, Knxledge, all of which are listed as producers of this record. The album is an experiment, since Blu is one of the first rappers since Doom to use such heavy-textured beats. But if you ask me, it worked. The beats end up being quite bass-heavy and glitchy and are defined through the overwhelming usage of retro-videogame-like synthesizers. Blu stays confident and doesn't get drowned by the incredibly loud soundscape, also he chooses some great rappers as features, above all the way-to-underrated Edan (every fan of Madvillain should check out his album "Beauty & The Beat"!!), but also U-God of the Wu-Tang Clan and a bunch of more underground names, noteworthy multiple female ones.

    The album is an experiment and the result is difficult, but great. This album is not perfect. Everyone will have his own difficulties with it, that's for sure. For me the one or the other hook takes in too much space in a song (e.g. Spring Winter Summer Fall) and is too soft. You could say this softness is the anti-pol to the at times nearly disturbing beats on the other hand :)

    Conclusion: As a fan of the production line-up plus the rappers on this record this is indeed one of my favorite hip-hop releases of the recent years. I can only hope more rappers are going to realize the beauty in a Flying Lotus or Madlib beat. (I am low-key badly hoping for a Kendrick Lamar x Flying Lotus record)    … Expand

Current Music Releases

Full List »
99 Band on the Run [50th Anniversary Edition] - Paul McCartney & Wings
95 If I don't make it, I love u - Still House Plants
95 The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow - Charles Lloyd
92 COWBOY CARTER - Beyoncé
91 The Carnegie Hall Concert - Alice Coltrane
90 1989 (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
90 Iechyd Da - Bill Ryder-Jones
90 This Could Be Texas - English Teacher
89 I Got Heaven - Mannequin Pussy
89 Black Bayou - Robert Finley
89 Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee
88 Only God Was Above Us - Vampire Weekend
88 What Now - Brittany Howard
88 Hey Panda - The High Llamas
88 Orquídeas - Kali Uchis
88 The Past Is Still Alive - Hurray for the Riff Raff
87 Filthy Underneath - Nadine Shah
87 i/o - Peter Gabriel
87 Blue Lips - ScHoolboy Q
87 Bright Future - Adrianne Lenker
All Current Music »