LEGACY! LEGACY!
by Jamila Woods
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Consequence
    May 13, 2019
    100
    Woods embodies the cultural makeup of Chicago, tackles the multiplicity of identity, and balances her dominance with flawlessly selected features that build her up. ... This record could be the basis for a college course or used as an actually accurate history book.
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    May 10, 2019
    100
    Quite frankly, LEGACY! LEGACY! is one of the albums of the year. It’s a confident and self-assured project that affirms Woods’ own place alongside the historical greats she praises.
  3. PopMatters
    May 10, 2019
    90
    Woods, herself, a poet, singer, activist, and teacher, casts Legacy! Legacy! as a beacon for a type of self-empowerment informed by the predecessors who built and shaped culture.
  5. AllMusic
    May 10, 2019
    90
    Racism and its side effects, from theft of culture and land to willful distortions and ignorance of black achievement, weigh heaviest on Woods' mind, yet her voice maintains a sweetness, unfurling like ribbon over the rhythms.
  6. Uncut
    May 9, 2019
    90
    Serves as both a potent primer on the traumas and triumphs of life in a not-so-racial America and an enthralling demonstration of her playful musical sensibility. [Jun 2019, p.37]
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  7. Chicago Tribune
    May 13, 2019
    88
    Just like these artists [poet Nikki Giovanni, singer Eartha Kitt, blues legend Muddy Waters, funk rebel Betty Davis, jazz greats Miles Davis and Sun Ra, literary icons James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston and Octavia Butler, poet Sonia Sanchez, iconoclastic painter Basquiat] resisted being boxed in, so does Woods’ music. These are songs that elude genre--a blend of trip-hop, rap/spoken word, R&B, gospel.
  8. Paste Magazine
    Dec 11, 2019
    87
    Not only is LEGACY! LEGACY! one of the best albums of the year with its incandescent power and hooks that never stop giving, it achieves the remarkable feat of crafting a cohesive whole out of a dozen disparate stories.
  9. Pitchfork
    May 15, 2019
    85
    With LEGACY! LEGACY!, Jamila Woods positions herself to join the battle, bridging the gap, once and for all, between our unresolved past and the promise that awaits us all on the horizon.
  10. Under The Radar
    May 14, 2019
    85
    Woods paints striking portraits of each legend, bearing in mind the times, tradition, and discipline they rose from, distilling them to their essence.
  11. No Ripcord
    Jun 19, 2019
    80
    Woods uses the strength of her vibrant band to mask her reedy vocals, a minor drawback in an otherwise enlightening offering that positions her as one of neo-soul's essential new voices.
  12. Slant Magazine
    May 21, 2019
    80
    Although the album explores intergenerational black trauma and joy, Woods’s personal insight into such experience functions as the album’s anchor and serves as a more accessible entry point.
  13. The Wire
    May 20, 2019
    80
    LEGACY! LEGACY! is just as much a celebration of Chicago musical talent. ... It also demonstrates Woods’s vast talent as singer and songwriter. [Apr 2019, p.69]
    All this publication's reviews
  14. The New York Times
    May 15, 2019
    80
    Legacy! Legacy! is a fully realized follow-up, sure-footed in its blend of what was, what is and what might be.
  15. The Observer (UK)
    May 13, 2019
    80
    Each song on this engaged but accessible record memorialises a figure from the African diaspora--often lesser-known poets, or figures like Miles and Basquiat.
  16. The Guardian
    May 10, 2019
    80
    The result is a free-spirited and joyful record, infused with a sense of community and full of affirmations you can repeat in the mirror.
  17. Clash Music
    May 9, 2019
    80
    Emotion and passion are apparent in every word, key and chord throughout this project, boldly asserting Jamila’s second offering as a brilliant new addition to her own legacy, rather than a mere follow up to 2016’s ‘HEAVN’.
  18. Exclaim
    May 9, 2019
    80
    LEGACY! LEGACY! is a complex and near-flawless reworking of genre--"I am not your typical girl," as Woods notes on "Betty"--as the singer-songwriter evolves her art, thought and reason for being.
  19. Rolling Stone
    May 9, 2019
    80
    Like The Social Experiment project, as well as her last record, Legacy! Legacy! is about community, about legacies as heritage but also as that which is forged on the ground in the moment. Woods is a teacher and organizer, so it’s not surprising she encourages her guests to shine.
  20. Sputnikmusic
    May 16, 2019
    60
    Afflicted in the end with a touch of offputting sameyness, LEGACY! LEGACY! nonetheless has remarkable staying power and a gracious ambition to in some small way materially improve the world of which it is an image. Aesthetic or not, that's worth something.

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Album of 2019
100
#100 Most Discussed Album of 2019

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 83 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 83
  3. Negative: 6 out of 83
  1. musicwizard636
    May 10, 2019
    8
    Despite keeping us waiting for six long months since dropping the first single, Jamila Woods' "LEGACY! LEGACY!" is a lush, exquisitelyDespite keeping us waiting for six long months since dropping the first single, Jamila Woods' "LEGACY! LEGACY!" is a lush, exquisitely produced Pop record. At it's heart is Woods' unwavering attitude, harmonious vocals, and cutting-edge production all condensed into one effective, cohesive sound. To accompany this sound is a large list of important poets, artists, and activists from the Civil Rights Movement to which this album was inspired by. Undoubtedly a highlight of 2019.… Full Review »
  2. drums_n_scotch
    May 29, 2019
    10
    I created a Metacritic account just to be able to praise this album. From start to finish, it's the most immediately captivating,I created a Metacritic account just to be able to praise this album. From start to finish, it's the most immediately captivating, note-for-note perfect album since Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly. Each listen brings new depth and unveils new treasures. It's an instant classic, the kind of record that comes along only every few years, reminds listeners of the true power of music, and should be studied for years to come.… Full Review »
  3. noequ
    May 17, 2019
    10
    I wasn't too familiar with Jamila Woods, but I decided to listen to it, since I'm a fan of R&B, and the only thing I have to say is that theI wasn't too familiar with Jamila Woods, but I decided to listen to it, since I'm a fan of R&B, and the only thing I have to say is that the production in this is just great, her voice is beautiful and it is a great project overall.
    Also, that Saba verse was one of my favorite parts on the album. I highly recommend it.    … Full Review »
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