King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
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King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude Image
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85

Universal acclaim - based on 22 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 165 Ratings

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  • Summary: The second full-length studio release for the rapper features guest appearances from Ab-Liva, A$AP Rocky, Kehlani, Jill Scott, Beanie Sigel, The-Dream, and Kanye West.
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Top Track

M.P.A.
I see the strangest things The evil that money brings It's like a disease That goes round and round and round like sirens And they wanna bury me Why?... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. The A.V. Club
    Dec 18, 2015
    91
    If Darkest Before Dawn really is a prelude to the record King Push to come, you have to wonder where Pusha T will choose to take his music next. Making it deeper, angrier, darker, and more foreboding doesn’t seem possible.
  2. The Quietus
    Dec 18, 2015
    90
    Timbaland, Kanye and Diddy are among the big names on the boards here, battling it out with lesser known producers, all gleefully playing to Pusha's style.... If Pusha T can keep this up throughout King Push proper, the forthcoming main event, he'll have the hip hop album of next year too.
  3. The 405
    Dec 17, 2015
    85
    While MNIMN's faults lie in its sequencing and filler, Darkest Before Dawn is concentrated and trimmed. And Pusha T, strengthened.
  4. Exclaim
    Dec 22, 2015
    80
    The weight of Darkest Before Dawn doesn't simply rest on Pusha T's lyrical weight (literal and figuratively), but also his ability to tap into the strengths of his producers, like Boi-1da's thunderous drums, Kanye West's soulful grandeur or Timbaland's unorthodox layering.
  5. The Guardian
    Jan 7, 2016
    80
    Pusha T takes a tour through the violence of the past 18 months, from Freddie Gray’s death in Baltimore to the shocking phone videos that document death in damning detail but rarely lead to convictions. With Darkest Before Dawn, Pusha T has created his own hip-hop Trojan horse.
  6. AllMusic
    Jan 4, 2016
    80
    The album just doesn't flow as well as his monolithic 2013 effort My Name Is My Name, but as a mere "prelude" to the next LP, it's miles above "throwaway" and comes with the quality control that would put it in the top tiers of both the mixtape and street release formats.
  7. Rolling Stone
    Dec 17, 2015
    70
    Though hip-hop gets more melodic and vocally expressive every year, Pusha keeps his cadences steely and his bars hitting like haymakers, maintaining that ice-cold Nineties feel even when he’s taking on modern troubles.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. 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 inWhat 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.… Expand
  2. 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 peopleThis 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.… Expand
  4. 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 thePush 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.… Expand
  5. 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 isWow! 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
  6. 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 andThis 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
  7. 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    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
  8. 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 thanThis 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.… Expand

See all 16 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Best Album of 2015
59
#59 Most Discussed Album of 2015
34
#34 Most Shared Album of 2015

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