Wikipedia

Crown of Thorns (album)

For other uses, see Crown of Thorns (disambiguation).

Crown of Thorns is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Rakaa, a member of the Dilated Peoples crew. It was released on Decon in 2010.[1] The cover art was painted by Doze Green.[2] The album peaked at number 72 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[3]

Crown of Thorns
Studio album by
Rakaa
ReleasedJuly 20, 2010 (2010-07-20)[1]
GenreHip hop
Length58:27
LabelDecon
Producer
Rakaa chronology
Crown of Thorns
(2010) 		The Delilah EP
(2010)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Alarmfavorable[4]
HipHopDX     [5]
The Phoenix    [6]
Potholes in My Blog     [7]
URB     [8]

Chris Faraone of The Phoenix gave the album 3.5 stars out of 4, writing, "A couple of dud throwbacks briefly interrupt, but otherwise Rakaa has painted the sort of edgeless canvas that even the most eclectic acts are scared to make these days."[6] Scott Morrow of Alarm described the album as "a straightforward, original disc of hip-hop jams with a diversity of samples and sounds, whether they're hard-hitting, funky, or jazzy."[4] Brett Uddenberg of URB gave the album 3 stars out of 5, stating, "While the solo record is an extension of what he has accomplished with his group, it is unlikely to spawn any memorable hits."[8] He added, "The beats are excellent and the flow is solid, but there's something missing here."[8]

HipHopDX included it on the "Top 25 Albums of 2010" list.[9]

Track listing

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No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Crown of Thorns" (featuring Aloe Blacc)Sid Roams4:23
2."The Observatory" (featuring Mad Lion)King Jahzzy5:31
3."Delilah"Evidence4:50
4."Human Nature (Now Breathe)" (featuring KRS-One)Exile4:08
5."C.T.D."DJ Babu3:35
6."Assault and Battery"Oh No3:45
7."Ambassador Slang" (featuring Tasha, Tiger JK, Roscoe Umali, Bigryzn, Moshpit, Dumbfoundead, Tassho Pearce, Tablo, Mithra Jin, Jay Jaballas, and King Kapisi)DJ Honda4:36
8."Eyes Wide" (featuring Krondon)DJ Babu4:16
9."Mezcal"Illmind5:11
10."Rosetta Stone Grove (Universal Language)" (featuring Noelle Scaggs)
4:08
11."Aces High" (featuring Evidence, Fashawn, and Defari)The Alchemist4:53
12."Mean Streak" (featuring Chali 2na)El-P4:37
13."Upstairs"The Alchemist4:34
Total length:58:27

Charts

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Chart Peak
position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[3] 72

References

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  1. ^ a b Martin, Andrew (May 4, 2010). "Dilated Peoples' Rakaa Dropping Debut, 'Crown of Thorns,' July 20". Prefix. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  2. ^ Bozzer, Mark (July 20, 2010). "Rakaa Iriscience - Crown of Thorns". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on May 21, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Rakaa - Chart history - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Morrow, Scott (July 20, 2010). "This Week's Best Albums: July 20, 2010". Alarm. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  5. ^ Semaun, Remco (July 21, 2010). "Rakaa - Crown of Thorns". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Faraone, Chris (July 28, 2010). "Rakaa - Crown of Thorns - CD Reviews". The Phoenix. Archived from the original on August 25, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  7. ^ Elabbady, Ali (August 7, 2010). "Album Review: Rakaa - Crown of Thorns". Potholes in My Blog. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c Uddenberg, Brett (June 29, 2010). "Rakaa - Crown Of Thorns (Review)". URB. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  9. ^ "HipHopDX's Top 25 Albums of 2010". HipHopDX. December 20, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
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