Absolute Value
Studio album by
Akrobatik
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2008 (2008-02-19)
GenreHip hop
Length52:07
LabelFat Beats Records
Producer
Akrobatik chronology
Balance
(2003)		 Absolute Value
(2008)		 Built to Last
(2014)
Singles from Absolute Value
  1. "A to the K / Beast Mode"
    Released: 2006
  2. "Put Ya Stamp on It"
    Released: 2008

Absolute Value is the second studio album by Boston rapper Akrobatik.[1] It was released on February 19, 2008 by Fat Beats Records. The album features guest appearances by hip hop artists Talib Kweli, Chuck D, and B-Real, as well as production by 9th Wonder, Illmind, J Dilla, and Da Beatminerz. Despite receiving rave reviews, the album sold about 600 units in its opening week.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[3]
ArtofRhyme.com[4]
AllMusic[5]
DJBooth.net[6]
HipHopDX[7]
HipHopLinguistics.com[8]
The Phoenix[9]
PopMatters[10]
RapReviews.com9/10[11]
XLR8R7.5/10[12]

Marisa Brown of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, commenting that it "mixes his socially conscious messages and his battle-honed cadence, healthy ego, and energetic production (courtesy here of Illmind, Dilla, J-Zone, and 9th Wonder, among others) into a palatable but intelligent creation that entertains as much as it educates."[5] She added, "Absolute Value has a few requisite tracks -- the melancholy 'Rain,' the sweet 'Back Home to You' -- but it also has a lot of sharp, thoughtful, fun material that knows how to keep the audience moving, both in body and mind."[5] J-23 of HipHopDX gave the album a 4.0 out of 5, saying, "you won't find anything on this album that will have you reaching for the skip button."[7]

Andrew Martin of PopMatters gave the album 7 stars out of 10, calling it "a strong representation of Ak's versatility as an emcee."[10] Max Herman of XLR8R gave the album a 7.5 out of 10, writing, "the MC leaves the greatest impression when he balances his hard-hitting approach with focused subject matter as he does on the Little Brother-assisted 'Be Prepared,' a soulful examination of the rap game."[12]

Track listing

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."A to the K" (featuring B-Real)Illmind2:52
2."Soul Glo"Da Beatminerz2:38
3."Put Ya Stamp on It" (featuring Talib Kweli)J Dilla3:22
4."Step It Up"Hezekiah3:02
5."Rain" (featuring Brenna Gethers)Illmind3:11
6."Be Prepared" (featuring Little Brother)9th Wonder3:40
7."Absolute Value"J-Zone2:43
8."Black Hell Breaks Loose" (featuring Willie Evans Jr. and DJ Therapy)DJ Therapy3:36
9."Kindred" (featuring Chuck D and Brenna Gethers)Illmind4:00
10."Front Steps Pt. II (Tough Love)"Tzarizm3:34
11."Beast Mode" (featuring Mr. Lif)DJ Fakts One3:09
12."If We Can't Build" (featuring Bumpy Knuckles)Illmind3:00
13."Ak B. Nimble"
  • Baba Israel
  • Yako
2:55
14."Back Home to You"DJ Therapy6:35
Total length:52:07

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

  • Akrobatik – vocals
  • B-Real – vocals (1)
  • Illmind – production (1, 5, 9, 12)
  • Da Beatminerz – production (2)
  • DJ Evil Dee – turntables (2)
  • Talib Kweli – vocals (3)
  • J Dilla – production (3)
  • DJ Jayceeoh – turntables (3, 4, 6, 10, 14)
  • Hezekiah – production (4)
  • Brenna Gethers – vocals (5, 9)
  • Little Brother – vocals (6)
  • 9th Wonder – production (6)
  • J-Zone – production (7)
  • Willie Evans Jr. – vocals (8)
  • DJ Therapy – vocals (8), production (8, 14), turntables (13)
  • Chuck D – vocals (9)
  • Tzarizm – production (10)
  • Mr. Lif – vocals (11)
  • DJ Fakts One – production (11)
  • Bumpy Knuckles – vocals (12)
  • Baba Israel – production (13)
  • Yako – production (13)
  • Buttaskotch – engineering
  • Lucy Fernandes – engineering
  • Ray Fernandes – engineering
  • Sir Bob Nash – engineering
  • Mark Donahue – mastering
  • Alphabet Arm Design – art direction
  • Billy Nunez – illustration
  • A. Garcia – photography

References

  1. ↑ Jones, Kevin (May 2008). "Akrobatic - Absolute Value". Exclaim!.
  2. ↑ Ewing, Aliya (February 27, 2008). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 2/24/08 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Adaso, Henry (February 19, 2008). "Akrobatik - Absolute Value (Fat Beats)". Rap.about.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ "review". Artofrhyme.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 Brown, Marisa. "Absolute Value - Akrobatik". AllMusic. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ S., Nathan. "Akrobatik - Absolute Value". DJBooth.net. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  7. 1 2 J-23 (February 20, 2008). "Akrobatik - Absolute Value". HipHopDX.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "HipHopLinguistics review". Hiphoplinguistics.com. February 19, 2008. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  9. ↑ Graham, Andrew (February 26, 2008). "Akrobatik - Absolute Value - Fat Beats". The Phoenix.
  10. 1 2 Martin, Andrew (March 2, 2008). "Akrobatik: Absolute Value". PopMatters. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  11. ↑ Juon, Steve (February 5, 2008). "Akrobatik :: Absolute Value :: Fat Beats Records". RapReviews.com. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  12. 1 2 Herman, Max (March 18, 2008). "Akrobatik - Absolute Value". XLR8R.
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