X is the second studio album by American rapper Ken Carson. It was released through Opium and Interscope Records on July 8, 2022.[2] The album features guest appearances from his Opium labelmates Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang. Production was executively handled by Playboi Carti, alongside several other record producers, including Ken's frequent collaborators F1lthy and Lil 88, among others. It is a follow-up to his debut studio album Project X (2021). The deluxe version, titled Xtended, was released three months later, on October 31, 2022, containing five additional tracks.[3]
| X | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard cover. In the deluxe version, the background is black. | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 8, 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2021–2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:08 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Ken Carson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from X | ||||
| ||||
X received mixed reviews from music critics. The album entered at number 115 on the Billboard 200.[4]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| HipHopDX |    [5] |
| Pitchfork | 4.7/10[6] |
| AllMusic | [7] |
X was met with mixed to negative reviews. Anthony Malone of HipHopDX stated that Carson was full of identity and creativity, saying, "Lacking variety from the beats and any real force from the artist himself, X is a repetitive listening experience. There are moments of fun: the short and succulent 'Money Hunt'; the energetic flexing in 'Get Rich or Die'; and Destroy Lonely's verse on 'MDMA'. But it's not enough to justify the 20-track output."[5] Pitchfork reviewer Alphonse Pierre said that "Carson lacks the curiosity, imagination, and irreverence to do anything more than lay down the same glazed Auto-Tune raps, with only rare attempts to liven them up", and that "X is such a slog that the smallest signs of taste are cause for celebration. The pitch change at the end of 'Get Rich or Die' is something! When he's listing off his drugs on 'PDBMH', the Auto-Tune is turned up and in that instant the sped-up flow is slightly (emphasis on 'slightly') reminiscent of [Young] Thug!" but that overall the album was "forgettable".[6]
AllMusic said that, "This repetitive production taken in tandem with Carson's often listless and uninspired lyricism (and flows that sometimes struggle to even stay on beat) makes X a largely hollow and forgettable affair."[7]
Commercial performance
editIn the United States, the album entered at number 115 on the Billboard 200.[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" |
|
| 3:15 |
| 2. | "New" |
|
| 2:49 |
| 3. | "Gems" |
|
| 2:16 |
| 4. | "Nobody" |
|
| 2:10 |
| 5. | "Go" |
|
| 1:50 |
| 6. | "MDMA" (featuring Destroy Lonely) |
|
| 3:48 |
| 7. | "X" |
|
| 2:09 |
| 8. | "PDBMH" |
| Bart How | 2:18 |
| 9. | "Money Hunt" |
|
| 1:45 |
| 10. | "South Beach" |
|
| 2:00 |
| 11. | "Going Schitz" |
|
| 1:55 |
| 12. | "Same Thing" |
| Loesoe | 1:55 |
| 13. | "Freestyle 1" |
|
| 3:51 |
| 14. | "Freestyle 2" |
|
| 2:18 |
| 15. | "Fuk 12" |
|
| 1:24 |
| 16. | "Murda Musik" (featuring Destroy Lonely) |
|
| 2:56 |
| 17. | "Delinquent" (featuring Homixide Gang) |
|
| 2:45 |
| 18. | "Get Rich or Die" |
|
| 2:19 |
| 19. | "Turn Up" |
|
| 1:58 |
| 20. | "The End" |
|
| 2:15 |
| Total length: | 48:08 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21. | "Freestyle 3" |
| Bart How | 2:22 |
| 22. | "Fashion Habits" |
| Earl on the Beat | 3:22 |
| 23. | "Shoot" |
|
| 2:47 |
| 24. | "Swag Overload" |
|
| 2:32 |
| 25. | "Lookbook" |
|
| 2:30 |
| Total length: | 61:35 | |||
Notes
edit- "PDBMH" is an acronym for "Please Don't Blow My High"
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[8] | 115 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 50 |
References
edit- ^ "Listen To "X" By Ken Carson". Ratings Game Music. July 8, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Cowen, Trace (July 8, 2022). "Stream Ken Carson's New Album 'X' f/ Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang". Complex. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Barlas, Jon (October 30, 2022). "Ken Carson drops 'Xtended' version of album 'X'". Our Generation Music. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ a b @billboardcharts (July 18, 2022). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." (Tweet). Retrieved September 14, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Malone, Anthony (July 20, 2022). "Ken Carson 'X' Lacks Identity While Being Lapped By His More Talented Peers". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Pierre, Alphonse (July 13, 2022). "Ken Car$on: X Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Staff, TiVo (July 8, 2022). "Ken Car$on - X Album Reviews, Songs & More..." AllMusic. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Week of July 23, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2022.