| Empire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 27, 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2014 | |||
| Genre | Christian hip hop | |||
| Length | 58:16 | |||
| Label | Reflection, eOne | |||
| Derek Minor chronology | ||||
| ||||
Empire is the fifth studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Derek Minor, released on January 27, 2015.[1] It was released through RMG and Entertainment One.
Concept
Derek Minor explained that the concept of the album addresses how people build their own empires vs. the empire of God.[2]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [3] |
| CCM Magazine | [4] |
| Cross Rhythms |   [5] |
| HipHopDX | [6] |
| Indie Vision Music | [7] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [8] |
| New Release Tuesday | [9] |
Kevin Hoskins from Jesus Freak Hideout gave the album a 4.5 out of 5, saying "the beats are amazing, the rapping flows wonderfully, and there's an abundance of great guest spots. All rap fans need to grab this album as it has the potential to be the best hip hop album in what is gearing up to be a great year for hip hop music."[8] Ronald Grant of HipHopDX rated the album a 3.5 out of 5, describing it as a "bold body of with Derek Minor applying message to a form that can appear nihilistic."[6] Mark Ryan awarded the album 4.5 out of 5, claiming it is a "truly provoking and, as has become expected, the quality is top notch."[9] Anthony Peronto from Indie Vision Music assigned the album a 4 out of 5, declaring it as "a powerful statement on kingdom-building and has raised the bar for what could be a fantastic year for music."[7] Grace S. Aspinwall from CCM Magazine gave the album 3 out of 5, writing "Overall, Empire is a promising preview-with his superior songwriting and performance, we expect to hear much more from Derek Minor in the years to come."[4] Thom Jurek from AllMusic gave the album a 3.5 out of 5 also saying "Empire is massive: it's creative, expansive, and expertly sequenced. No matter what your spiritual predilection, there is much to enjoy here. Minor is not only a great rapper, but an excellent conceptual thinker. This is CCHH at its best."[3] Steve Hayes from Cross Rhythms gave the album a 9 out of ten describing, "'Empire' is a search for meaning and grace amid the false gods and temptations of a fallen world."[5]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 54 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of approximately 11,000 copies.[10][11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" (feat. Danika Hawkins- uncredited) | Derek Johnson, Chris Mackey | Derek Minor, Dirty Rice | 2:12 |
| 2. | "All Hail the King" (feat. Deraj & nobigdyl) | D. Johnson, Jared Wells, Dylan Phillips | Derek Minor | 3:42 |
| 3. | "Empire" (feat. Traneisha "Truth" Chiles) | D. Johnson, Traneisha Chiles, Brandon Peavy | Derek Minor, Black Knight Creationz | 3:11 |
| 4. | "Who You Know" | D. Johnson, C. Mackey | Dirty Rice | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Babel 1" ((feat. Rachel Kate- uncredited)) | D. Johnson, Rachel Kate, Jon Hicks, Mel Washington | Jonny Grande | 3:05 |
| 6. | "Kingdom Come" (voiceover by Camille Faulkner (uncredited)) | D. Johnson, Brad Cooper, Anthony Markeith Reid | Anthony AntMan Wonder Reid | 3:27 |
| 7. | "Slow Down" (feat. Tony Tillman & Tedashii) | D. Johnson, Tony Frazier, Tedashii Anderson, C. Mackey, Tyshane Thompson | Dirty Rice, Tyshane | 3:49 |
| 8. | "Stranger" (feat. Roz (with Camille Faulkner, uncredited)) | D. Johnson, Roslyn Welch, C. Mackey | Dirty Rice, Derek Minor, | 4:45 |
| 9. | "Last Forever" (feat. B. Cooper & Leah Smith) | D. Johnson, B. Cooper, Krishon Gaines, C. Mackey | Dirty Rice, Derek Minor, Bandplay | 3:48 |
| 10. | "Save Me" (feat. J. Paul) | D. Johnson, George Ramirez | G Roc for Beat Mechanicz | 3:45 |
| 11. | "Babel 2" ((feat. Roz- uncredited)) | D. Johnson, C. Mackey, Roslyn Welch | Dirty Rice, Derek Minor | 1:57 |
| 12. | "Fly" (feat. Colton Dixon (with Mel Washington- uncredited)) | D. Johnson, Colton Dixon, Jon Hicks | Jonny Grande | 3:42 |
| 13. | "Oceans" (feat. Move Aside (with Greag Breal & Stephanie Lauren- uncredited)) | D. Johnson, Jon Hicks, Justin Paul | Jonny Grande | 3:35 |
| 14. | "Right By My Side" (feat. Chad Jones & Anthony Evans Jr. (with J. Paul, uncredited)) | D. Johnson, Chad Jones, Gabriel Azucena | Gawvi | 3:47 |
| 15. | "Party People" (feat. Social Club (with Camille Faulkner- uncredited)) | D. Johnson, Martin Santiago, Fernando Miranda, Justin Scruggs | Syksense, Derek Minor, Johnny Grande | 3:58 |
| 16. | "Until the End of Time" (feat. Lecrae & Canon) | D. Johnson, Lecrae Moore, Aaron McCain, C. Mackey | Dirty Rice, Derek Minor | 5:19 |
References
- ↑ "Derek Minor "Empire" Release Date, Cover Art & Album Stream | Get the Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales | HipHopDX". Archived from the original on 2015-01-31. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
- ↑ Roman Flores. "Video: Derek Minor Reveals New Album 'Empire'". Rapzilla.
- 1 2 Jurek, Thom. "Derek Minor: Empire". Allmusic. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
- 1 2 Aspinwall, Grace S. "Derek Minor: Empire". CCM Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
- 1 2 Hayes, Steve (November 7, 2015). "Review: Empire – Derek Minor". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- 1 2 "HipHopDX: Derek Minor, "Empire" Review". 2 February 2015.
- 1 2 "Derek Minor - Empire Reviews". 2 February 2015.
- 1 2 "Jesusfreakhideout.com: Derek Minor, "Empire" Review".
- 1 2 "Empire by Derek Christian CD Book Reviews".
- ↑ "Derek Minor's 'Empire' sells 10,584 units in first week". 4 February 2015.
- ↑ "Top 200 Albums - Billboard 200 chart". Billboard.