| Full Court Press | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 8, 2022 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 31:19 | |||
| Label | Asylum, Taylor Gang | |||
| Producer | Girl Talk | |||
| Girl Talk chronology | ||||
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| Wiz Khalifa chronology | ||||
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| Big K.R.I.T. chronology | ||||
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| Smoke DZA chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Full Court Press | ||||
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Full Court Press is a collaborative hip hop album by American producer Girl Talk and rappers Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., and Smoke DZA, released April 8, 2022 via Asylum Records and Taylor Gang Entertainment.[1] Full Court Press is Girl Talk's first full album in over a decade, following 2010's All Day.[2][3]
Background
Three singles were released from the album: "Put You On" was released March 9 along with an animated music video directed by Lisa Ramsey.[2] "How the Story Goes" released March 23,[4] and "Ain't No Fun" came out April 6 with a music video.[5] A video for "Season" directed by Slick Jackson was released December 2.[6]
In discussing the recording process behind the album, Girl Talk said "These guys all go back with each other over 10 years, so it was just a great energy in the room", and that he "wanted to have an environment where they could do what they do best; try out a bunch of different ideas and have fun with it." He also noted the three have very different styles and "as a fan of each of them, I wanted to capture what it is that draws me to their music." The album was recorded over multiple days in a studio in Los Angeles.[2] "How the Story Goes" started with Khalifa recording his verse, followed by K.R.I.T. building the rest of the song around that verse, "captur[ing] the feel of the sample and tak[ing] it somewhere new."[4] For "Ain't No Fun", Girl Talk's philosophy was to make "a flip on the concept of Snoop's original, kind of from the female perspective of the titular line. I wanted to keep the production diverse throughout the project, while still maintaining a cohesive feel. This beat stands out in the context of the album because it doesn't have a sample and uses a more minimal style. But I thought that with some of the specific sound design and the overall energy, it really connected to the project as a whole."[5]
Girl Talk had previously collaborated with all three artists separately,[2] having produced Khalifa's 2017 song "Steam Room" which appeared on his Bong Rips EP the same year,[7] DZA's 2018 track "The Hook Up" from his album Not for Sale,[8] and the 2020 DZA track "Santos Party House", which featured Khalifa, K.R.I.T., and Currensy, and appeared on his album Homegrown.[9]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10[10] |
HipHopDX's David Aaron Brake called the album "particularly unique given each of the different rappers' unique style", but that despite their differences "their distinct influences are blended seamlessly thanks to Girl Talk's thoughtful and soul-laden production."[11] Pitchfork's Evan Rytlewski gave specific praise to Khalifa's performance, writing that while his "track record with albums is horrid ... as if the burden of carrying a full-length project sucks all the air out of him before he even arrives at the booth", "in short doses he's an absolute charisma machine, and with three co-headliners to help him carry the weight, he raps with uncharacteristic joviality." Rytlewski also praised Girl Talk's curatorial skills, noting that he "produces like his finger is always hovering over the skip button in case things ever get dull", but that "it's a credit to him that on Full Court Press they never do."[10]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mind Blown" | 3:36 |
| 2. | "Put You On" | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Season" | 3:07 |
| 4. | "How the Story Goes" | 3:09 |
| 5. | "No Singles" | 2:30 |
| 6. | "Ready for Love" (featuring Nile Rodgers) | 3:14 |
| 7. | "Revenge of the Cool" | 3:09 |
| 8. | "Ain't No Fun" | 2:27 |
| 9. | "Fly the Coop" | 3:19 |
| 10. | "Everyday" (featuring Currensy) | 3:52 |
| Total length: | 31:19 | |
Personnel
- Girl Talk – producer
- Smoke DZA – vocals (1–3, 5, 7, 8, 10)
- Wiz Khalifa – vocals (1, 2, 4–6, 8, 10)
- Big K.R.I.T. – vocals (2, 4, 5, 7–10)
- Nile Rodgers – producer (6)
- Currensy – vocals (10)
- Colin Leonard – mastering engineer
- Frank Musarra – mastering engineer, mixing engineer
References
- ↑ Fu, Eddie (March 9, 2022). "Girl Talk, Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., and Smoke DZA Announce Collaborative Album, Share "Put You On"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 Blistein, Jon (March 9, 2022). "Mash-Up King Girl Talk Teams With Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA for New Song "Put You On"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ↑ Gomez, Jade (March 9, 2022). "Girl Talk Returns with New Single "Put You On", Announces New Album Full Court Press". Paste. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- 1 2 Rose, Jordan (March 23, 2022). "Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., and Girl Talk Release New Single "How the Story Goes" Off Collab Album". Complex. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- 1 2 Williams, Aaron (April 6, 2022). "Wiz Khalifa, Big KRIT, Smoke DZA, and Girl Talk Party Like They Mean It in Their "Ain't No Fun" Video". Uproxx. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ↑ Duong, Paul "Big Homie" (December 2, 2022). "Video: Smoke Dza, Girl Talk "season"". RapRadar. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ↑ Coleman, C. Vernon II (June 24, 2017). "Wiz Khalifa Drops Bong Rips EP". XXL. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ↑ Setaro, Shawn (April 10, 2018). "Premiere: Smoke DZA, Dom Kennedy, and Cozz Got "The Hook Up" on New Single". Complex. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Smoke DZA, Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T. & Curren$y Come Together in the "Santos Party House"". HotNewHipHop. September 18, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- 1 2 Rytlewski, Evan (April 14, 2022). "Girl Talk / Wiz Khalifa / Big K.R.I.T. / Smoke DZA: Full Court Press Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ↑ Brake, David Aaron (April 7, 2022). "New Music Friday - New Albums from Coi Leray, Fivio Foreign, Vince Staples, Syd + More". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 1, 2022.