| Ascension | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 24, 2001 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 73:48 | |||
| Label | Hiero Imperium | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Pep Love chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ascension | ||||
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Ascension is the first studio album by American hip hop artist Pep Love. It was released by Hiero Imperium on July 24, 2001.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The A.V. Club | mixed[2] |
| Exclaim! | favorable[3] |
| RapReviews.com | 9/10[4] |
Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club commented that "Pep Love is another Hieroglyphics original, even if his ambitious but flawed debut remains as notable for its unfulfilled promise as for its uneven execution."[2] Matt Conway of AllMusic wrote, "While Ascension is a notch below the classic debuts delivered by Love's more established teammates, it is a critical building block, as it generates renewed faith in the Hiero collective."[1] Del F. Cowie of Exclaim! praised his "commanding flow" and "rich vocabulary," stating that "he is nothing short of impressive, balancing an insistent philosophical edge with the urge to hand out verbal beat-downs."[3]
In 2014, Paste placed it at number 6 on the "12 Classic Hip-Hop Albums That Deserve More Attention" list.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Grime & Grit" | Jay-Biz | 3:21 |
| 2. | "Living Is Beautiful" | A-Plus | 3:52 |
| 3. | "The Grind" | A-Plus | 4:11 |
| 4. | "The Fight Club" | Evidence | 4:18 |
| 5. | "U.S." / "U.S. Interlude" |
| 6:42 |
| 6. | "The Onus (What You Are)" (featuring Tajai) | A-Plus | 6:12 |
| 7. | "T.A.M.I." | Mako | 4:53 |
| 8. | "My Energy" | Toure | 4:17 |
| 9. | "Ascension" | Mako | 4:07 |
| 10. | "Act. Phenom" | Domino | 4:17 |
| 11. | "A New Religion" (featuring The Grouch) | Jay-Biz | 3:58 |
| 12. | "Pacific Heights" | A-Plus | 4:52 |
| 13. | "Karma (The Snake Charmer)" (featuring Major Terror) | A-Plus | 5:33 |
| 14. | "If You Can't Beat 'Em" (featuring Casual) | Casual | 3:49 |
| 15. | "Different" | Domino | 3:55 |
| 16. | "Black People (Melanin Magnetic)" | A-Plus | 4:20 |
| Total length: | 73:48 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
- Pep Love – vocals, art direction
- Jay-Biz – production (1, 11), turntables (5, 10, 16)
- A-Plus – production (2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16)
- DJ Lex – turntables (3, 6, 8, 15, 16)
- Casual – background vocals (4), vocals (14), production (14), recording
- DJ Babu – turntables (4)
- Evidence – production (4), recording (4), mixing (4)
- Kurt Matlin – recording (4), mixing (4)
- Goapele – background vocals (5)
- Bicasso – production (5)
- Tajai – vocals (6), additional vocals (8), recording
- Eric McFadden – mandolin (6), guitar (6, 12)
- Mako – production (7, 9)
- Erika – additional vocals (8)
- Toure – production (8), recording
- Domino – production (10, 15)
- The Grouch – vocals (11)
- Major Terror – vocals (13)
- Moses Milliyons – djembe (16)
- Matt Kelley – additional recording, engineering, mixing
- Ken Lee – mastering
- Lady T – art direction
- Gannon Graphics – design
- B+ – photography
References
- 1 2 Conaway, Matt. "Pep Love - Ascension". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 8, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- 1 2 Rabin, Nathan (April 19, 2002). "Pep Love: Ascension". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- 1 2 Cowie, Del F. (October 31, 2001). "Pep Love - Ascension". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ↑ Juon, Steve (July 17, 2001). "Pep Love :: Ascension :: Hiero Imperium". RapReviews.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ↑ Spinelli, Adrian (November 6, 2014). "12 Classic Hip-Hop Albums That Deserve More Attention". Paste. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2016.