The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera is the full-length debut studio album by American rapper MF Grimm. It was released on January 12, 2002, through Metalface/Day by Day Entertainment.
| The Downfall Of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 12, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2000–2001 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 47:41 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| MF Grimm chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[1] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[2] |
The album was produced by Metal Fingers, Count Bass D, Dr. Butcher, Cas, DJ Eli, dminor and Protest. It features guest appearances from fellow Monsta Island Czars members MF Doom and Megalon, and Count Bass D.
All the tracks on the album are original, except for "Break 'Em Off", which appeared on the MF EP collaboration with MF Doom.
Grimm was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2000 for narcotics and conspiracy offences. Paying a one-day bail of $100,000, he recorded The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera in those twenty-four hours. Grimm also said in an interview that the album is mainly a lot of questions he had about his life and that his other albums are answers to life.[3] Studying law while incarcerated, Grimm appealed his sentences and filed counter-suits, with the ultimate effect that his sentence was commuted to three years and he was released in 2003.
The album is widely considered to be an underground classic alongside MF Doom's Operation: Doomsday and Count Bass D's Dwight Spitz.
The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera was, along with Digital Tears: E-mail from Purgatory, re-issued in 2010 after being out of print for many years.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alpha" (featuring Count Bass D) |
| 0:35 | |
| 2. | "Time and Space" | Percy Carey | Metal Fingers | 2:51 |
| 3. | "Life and Death" | Carey | Metal Fingers | 4:21 |
| 4. | "Freedom" | Carey |
| 3:07 |
| 5. | "Foolish" (featuring Megalon and MF Doom) |
| Metal Fingers | 3:15 |
| 6. | "Together" | Carey | dminor | 1:58 |
| 7. | "Break Em Off" | Carey | Cas | 4:04 |
| 8. | "Rain Blood" (featuring Megalon) | Rollins | Metal Fingers | 3:59 |
| 9. | "Voices, Pt. 0" | Carey | Metal Fingers | 1:57 |
| 10. | "Voices, Pt. 1" (featuring MF Doom) | Dumile | Metal Fingers | 1:54 |
| 11. | "Yes You Are (It's Only a Movie)" | Carey | DJ Eli | 2:25 |
| 12. | "I.B.'s" | Carey | Metal Fingers | 3:53 |
| 13. | "To All My Comrades" | Carey | Metal Fingers | 2:05 |
| 14. | "Howl" | Carey |
| 2:27 |
| 15. | "Words" | Carey | Count Bass D | 3:24 |
| 16. | "Teach the Babies" | Carey | Protest | 2:28 |
| 17. | "Omega" | D. Farrell | Count Bass D | 2:58 |
| Total length: | 47:41 | |||
References
edit- ^ Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (April 6, 2003). "MF Grimm: The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Damon (August 2, 2002). "MF Grimm :: The Downfall of Ibliys – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ "Parsing 'Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm'". NPR. November 7, 2007. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
External links
edit- The Downfall Of Ibliys (Curse Him): A Ghetto Opera at Discogs (list of releases)