Issa Album is the debut studio album by British-American rapper21 Savage. It was released on July 7, 2017, through Slaughter Gang Entertainment and distributed byEpic Records. The album features production from frequent collaboratorMetro Boomin, alongsideSouthside,Pi'erre Bourne,Zaytoven,Wheezy,DJ Mustard and 21 Savage himself. It succeeds 21 Savage's collaborative EP with Metro Boomin,Savage Mode (2016).
Issa Album was supported by thelead single, "Bank Account". The album charted at number two on the USBillboard 200, and received generally positive reviews from critics.
On February 9, 2017, 21 Savage announced the title of the album.[1] On June 29, 21 Savage revealed the album's cover art, along with the release date.[2] On July 2, 2017, 21 Savage confirmed the album's producers.[3]
"Issa" featuringYoung Thug andDrake, was a planned single to be released on Savage's album.[4] On December 19, 2016, Young Thug posted a video confirming that he will collaborate with 21 Savage on his debut studio album.[5] However in May 2017, the original track was leaked online and made many fans unaware of the song being on the album. It is also been confirmed that 21 Savage has scrapped the song from his studio album.[6]
Issa Album was met with generally positive reviews. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received anaverage score of 70, based on 10 reviews.[10] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[9]
InXXL, Scott Glaysher opined that the artist "manages to craft a fairly concise project withIssa Album about all the things that make him such a compelling rapper in today's hip-hop landscape".[20]Exclaim!'s M.T. Richards wrote that "Savage's strength of feeling against certain people cannot be overstated".[13] Corrigan B ofTiny Mix Tapes noted, "Despite expectations, it's an utter joy to listen to—a simple display of what 21 Savage sounds like when he's having fun rapping".[19]Jon Caramanica ofThe New York Times wrote positively, "Issa Album contains some of 21 Savage's best and most fully realized songs to date—especially "Bank Account" and "Bad Business"".[21] Justin Ivey ofHipHopDX stated, "The budding star easily could have played it safe and stuck to a winning formula, which remains a strong suit (i.e.Issa's "Bank Account" and "Close My Eyes"). Instead, he challenged himself to be more musically ambitious. While his experiments didn't produce dynamic results, the positives overshadow the negatives".[15]
Steve "Flash" Juon ofRapReviews said, "For better or worse the album also achieves a certain bland uniformity at times by staying so true to the trap aesthetic and having Metro Boomin produce so much of the music. It's not ill-conceived, it's just that it all winds up becoming a bit monotonous if you don't randomize it and/or mix in some songs by other artists".[18] Sheldon Pearce ofPitchfork states, "He is so compelling when he digs deeper into his psyche this way, providing more than superficiality, but there aren't enough of these moments to sustainIssa Album, which is as basic as its title".[17] In a mixed review,AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung stated: "Overall,Issa is a competent statement that demonstrates promise from the young rapper."[11] Brian Josephs ofSpin said, "Issa Album needn't be The Infamous, but it could've benefitted from a clearer and tighter direction".[22] Wren Graves ofConsequence criticized the "repetitive odes to getting high, getting laid, and getting lots of money".[12]
^"Czech Albums – Top 100".ČNS IFPI.Note: On the chart page, select28.Týden 2017 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
