DAYTONA
| Pusha T
DAYTONA
Daytona (stylized in all caps) is the third studio album by American rapper Pusha T. It was released on May 25, 2018 by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from Rick Ross and Kanye West, the latter of whom produced all of its tracks, with additional production from Andrew Dawson and Mike Dean and uncredited vocals by Tony Williams and 070 Shake. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Produced entirely by Kanye West, the spare and serrated solo album from Pusha-T is a near-airtight exercise in flair and focus.
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Rolling Stone
The veteran MC doesn’t cut his lyrical product with pop fillers on his seven-song, 21-minute album.
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Consequence of Sound
Coke rap’s poet laureate continues to amaze as he rhymes about the hustle and grind.
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Pretty Much Amazing
Another rare instance of an artist coming up with a classic a decade after what seemed like the peak of his career (Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury), and the only thing that could’ve made it better was if he pre-released “Infrared” so that Drake could’ve responded and we could’ve had an album with “The Story of Adidon” on it.
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Clash Music
While ‘My Name Is My Name’ was a great album, this is a masterclass in design: in contrast to the 20+ track albums of this streaming era, Kanye’s ruthless editing ensures every song, every bar and every sample have purpose.
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musicOMH
This is not the King Push we were led to expect, but it is a quality record in its own right.
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Pop Matters
Despite the hardcore gangsta rap nature of the album, the hooks are surprisingly unapologetic in their hookiness.
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The Observer
Brevity sharpens the ex-Clipse rapper’s focus, though: rarely has he sounded as urgent, even with his signature laconic tempo, as he does on bravura opener If You Know You Know; or as authoritative as on Santeria, which packs three different movements into under three minutes.
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Sputnik Music
A work of sheer hip-hop utility and performance.
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The A.V. Club
For the first time since going solo, it all feels of a piece. ... The sonic setting he [Kanye West] places this performance from Pusha in is an absolute masterpiece of minimalism.
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HipHopDX
The seven-track album goes the distance to add further refinement and distillation to the steely, luxurious drug raps that earned him rap relevance. ... The album is only seven songs and 21 minutes long, but Kanye covers a lot of ground sonically without getting scatterbrained.
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The 405
It’s evident that Pusha T is at his most confident on DAYTONA; his rhymes carry confidence and clarity paired with a high head and a release that was well worth the three-year waiting period.]
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The Quietus
Any flaws feel minor, and they only lightly chip at this monolithic piece of work, where commonplace rap stories breathe in ways they haven’t before. The mystery is this record’s greatest strength, and it lives in every crevice, spicing up what could otherwise just be a collection of especially hard bars.
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All Music
Kanye West grants taut, grimace-inducing beats, assisted infrequently by Mike Dean and Andrew Dawson, enabling Pusha to pack each one of the seven tracks with characteristically trenchant and terse rhymes. The lyrical focus is similarly laser-sharp.
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SPIN
The album is claustrophobic and unrelenting, but also intensely exhilarating in its brevity.
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NOW Magazine
The record’s simple presentation and briefness make for an engaging change from the epic crossover attempts of his prior LP Darkest Before Dawn.
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The Guardian
Aside from the crisply brilliant drug poetry, the production, entirely by Kanye West, is another big draw. This is the roughshod style of cut-and-shut soul samples that characterised Bound 2 and much of Life of Pablo.
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Exclaim!
All the controversy gives elements of DAYTONA some delicious extra novelty, though thankfully its core ingredients are more than fulfilling on their own.
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Rap Reviews
This is the sort of 'really good album' that can precede an all-time classic breakthrough album.
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The New York Times
Daytona may stand alone in this moment--particularly in contrast to the woozy, blown-out rap albums dominating the charts because of the primacy of streaming--but it isn’t as effective as “My Name Is My Name,” Pusha-T’s 2013 full-length solo debut album. Daytona is terser, leaving only nits to pick; say, that the second and third verses of “Come Back Baby” lack the fire and wit of the rest of the album.
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Daily Lobo
Like “The Story of Adidon,” “Daytona” is a carefully calculated album that is concise, to the point and hits all the right notes along the way. Diddy said it first — ““Daytona” is a classic.”
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DJ Booth
"'DAYTONA' puts on display a maximized portrait of potent potential realized."
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Hot New Hip Hop
Nearly a quarter of a century into his career, Pusha T drops off his best solo effort to date.
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Stereogum
He gently flips Drake’s own lyrics and turns them into indictments, calling back to Birdman’s well-established exploitative business practices and Wayne’s own stalled-out career, depicting himself as a survivor, as someone who’s gotten through it all. And after hearing Daytona it’s hard to disagree. The man is 41 years old, and he’s just given us what might be the year’s hardest rap album.
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NPR Music
But despite the logistics of the album being a moving target, the music itself is not. Over just seven songs, Push delivers the type of bars synonymous with his brand: combative and grimy but never rushed, nuanced but never too brainy.
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HIGHSNOBIETY
DAYTONA is an album with few wasted moments, a lean project that’s made for repeat consumption to ensure that you catch every punchline and revel in every sample.
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XXL Mag
Daytona is undoubtedly Pusha-T's best solo work to date. Casual fans will focus primarily on the Drake feud (centralized on album closer "Infrared") but it's the seven songs in totality that make the album—and this star moment for Push—great. Don't get caught up in the hype; Daytona is the real, uncut raw. If you know, you know.
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Daily Cal
DAYTONA culminates in “Infrared,” Pusha T’s lyrical shot at Drake and Birdman’s camp. Suffice it to say that in a war of Twitter and trigger fingers, a singer was bodied by a former slinger. If, on his upcoming album, Drake chooses to respond to Pusha T’s threats of a “surgical summer,” he will have a tough act to follow: DAYTONA is not only authentic, but also short and to the point, the antithesis of the modern album. Eghck!
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Penn State COMM Media
On this album Pusha T provides the street lyricism that he has been synonymous with for over 25 years. Kanye West executively produced the whole project and goes back to his roots of surgically chopping up soul samples to push this album to the next level. Daytona is only 7 tracks and gives the listener just enough lyrical content about the luxurious life of a drug dealer so they come back again and again.
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Pop Matters
It may not be the most woke album of the year. But nothing is going to touch the "YUGH" factor of DAYTONA this year.
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Sputnik Music
There isn’t much purpose to rambling about Daytona, in part because its abruptness doesn't lend itself to the format. You’ve read the tired rhetorical narrative points already. You’re not going to learn a lot about Pusha-T that way. You’re not going to enjoy Daytona that way, either. Without wanting to make an oversimplified declaration, this is not music that lends itself well to blather.
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Bearded Gentleman Music
Gestating for over four years, this may not be the album Pusha wanted to make, but in teaming with West and creating something urgent, volatile, and breathless in a very, very short amount of time, it’s the album he needed to make. With each subsequent listen, I find more things to appreciate about Daytona, so in the end, maybe this, for right now, is what we needed.
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The Young Folks
Daytona serves as Pusha’s best solo project: a reminder of why he is one of the best rappers alive today and a handy introduction for new fans to see someone who can straddle the trap-rap trend while still being one of the sharpest rhymers/writers in music.
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The Weekly Spoon
Daytona is everything fans have been waiting for and more.
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Substream Magazine
While Daytona doesn’t offer as much material as King Push, its quality stands tall. It would have been nice to see more songs, but Daytona offers more than enough to have listeners come back for multiple spins.
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Music Connection
Daytona is dope, fresh and under the influence like its album cover, which pictures Whitney Houston’s bathroom the day she passed.
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Soul in Stereo
DAYTONA isn’t about stunts and gimmicks. It’s pure, uncut Push. And it’s his best solo album to date.
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The Musical Hype
Pusha T returns in a big way with his third studio album ‘Daytona’, despite the fact that the set is comprised of just seven tracks and runs only 21 minutes long.
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Hip Hop n' More
Daytona is everything a fan could want from a new Pusha T album. It has infinite lyrics to dissect, brooding beats, and Pusha’s signature flow.
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Verge Campus
Overall, it is almost impossible to deny that this new album is not one of the best of the year so far.
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Albumism
Pusha is known for his sinister approach to the rap game and vivid description of the drug game. With this in mind, he captures the essence of his musical identity on DAYTONA.
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Exepose
DAYTONA‘s frequent highs confirm that Pusha-T’s old-school rhymes not only deserve the best sonic punctuation, but remain potent- both musically and morally.
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Vulture
In training its focus only on Pusha-T’s sharpest assets — namely, a dopeboy’s sense of danger and a retiree’s exquisite taste and haunted peace — Daytona marks the rapper’s best work since Clipse’s landmark Hell Hath No Fury.
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The Stingray Blog
Seven songs, five solid tracks, two medium, and none that should be slept on. To my original question of Pusha T’s relevance in 2018, if the user kids are rapping and making money, how much money do you think the pusher is making?
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The Ringer
Daytona, wholly conceived with Kanye, is Pusha-T back in his prime form, distilling the essence of his coke-dream glory into a bracing 21-minute package that reaches highs that have eluded him since he left Clipse.
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Lemon Wire
Listen to “DAYTONA” for the hype, fire beats and classic rap swagger. Don’t expect anything else though.
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Tulane Magazine
In my opinion, the bar for hip-hop music has been brought to the lowest most primitive level. While DAYTONA is not the greatest album of all time, it stands out as a saving grace amongst of slew of mediocracy coming out of hip-hop. Until Kendrick drops something, this will have to do.
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MTSU Sidelines
The pairing of Pusha-T’s brilliant lyrics and Kanye West’s sample-based hip-hop production makes for the type of super-group result that one would expect from a collaboration between hip-hop minds at the highest of levels. This is, however, an album that may be appreciated more by the older hip-hop generation. In the words of radio personality Charlamagne Tha God, this album is “adult contemporary trap music.”
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UPROXX
Daytona is potent, no doubt. Does it make up for all the publicity stunts that have preceded its release? The answer falls to the individual listener to determine, but I’ll say this: Pusha T makes one hell of an argument for our continued patience with GOOD Music’s tomfoolery.
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Riffs and Rhymes
DAYTONA deserves immense praise. It bolsters Pusha T’s drug kingpin narrative, elevates his status as a successful godfather figure in hip-hop and gives him merit in the discussion for all-time great rappers. 8.5/10.
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Philly
Daytona is newsworthy in all kinds of ways. It’s Pusha-T’s finest work since Hell Hath No Fury, his 2006 classic with duo Clipse. Also, praises be, it’s only 7 songs and 21 minutes long! And like Jay-Z’s 2017 release 4:44, which teamed the rapper exclusively with No I.D., Daytona is a taut, cohesive work that is a full length collaboration with a single producer.
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Daily Emerald
“Daytona” is unlike any other project produced by West, though. Purposefully ominous and forward-thinking production accommodates the finest raps from one of the brashest, most authentic figures in the genre. In a strong catalog including one inarguable classic, “Daytona” may be the finest, most complete album put together by Pusha T.
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Blerds Online
I don't think it's a bad album, I just don't think it's great. It's way too experimental to be a Pusha T album and that's not a knock at Pusha T. You just don't have time to be experimental when your album is only twenty minutes. I wish I could be out in the middle of nowhere and see what was going on when all these albums were being created, but I wasn't there. I don't know the process but I guess if you know you know.
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Dead End Follies
While it's entertaining as hell, the album doesn't even need that extra bit of controversy in order to be memorable. Right now, if Pusha T would stop making music, it would be the project he's remembered by. This is straight out the best new rap album I've listened to since Vince Staples' Big Fish, last year. Dope beats, inspired lyrics, an absolute gangsta vibe, it doesn't get better than this in 2018.
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Slate
Daytona is outstanding. The feud it stoked could be even better.
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Medium
Pusha T’s third effort is a bold and triumphant antithesis to contemporary music.
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12 BY 6
In an era of Rap where it’s inundated with ninety-minute albums for the sake of boosting album sales, Pusha T and Kanye West decide to forsake that trend and take a hard left. It’s funny that the record that Pusha T crafted with the “luxury of time” happens to be his shortest, but also his most fit and compact. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul - DAYTONA manages to say a lot more with a glimpse than what other albums do with a stare.
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Immortal Reviews
Pusha T has been in the game for over three decades now, his music being an important foundation for modern hip-hop. That doesn't mean its his turn to sit down just yet. Pusha T gets aggressive in his new record DAYTONA, bringing his own touch to unique beats curated by Kanye West to offer up something dynamic.
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The Illixer
Daytona is the concrete that's ensured Pusha's stability in the rap game.
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Alt Wire
Pusha T approaches this album as a rapper who knows his worth—like a king. With 7 tracks, he shows a prowess that is stronger than some albums longer than 15 tracks. When he rhymes, he does it with skill.
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Earbuddy
Bereft of filler and perfectly paced, it is easily Pusha-T’s best album since Hell Hath No Fury. Who knew drug rap could be problematic?
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Tree Fingers
Not only does DAYTONA find Kanye at the top of his game as a producer, but tracks like the vibrant opener If You Know You Know throw things back to the glory days when Kanye made soul sampling cool again.
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Genius
Pusha T’s best solo work to date, with Darkest Before dawn being a CLOSE second. In comparison, this is more conscise/ same sound overall (like in DBD, the MPA track is a completely different sound from the rest-not saying there was filler on DBD-just that Daytona is more concise in it’s sound). 9.2/10.
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SourcePool Music
Through its immaculate production from West, and its gritty subject matter, the juxtaposition breeds a classic rap album. Its short track list offers much to desire and come back for. Years from now we will look to this project and see the underlying truth of Pusha T, why he said what he said, and if it holds up. These are the distinguishable elements of artists like Pusha and Drake, thus it solidifies Pusha as a top dog in the rap scene now.
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The Yorker
Though many of Pusha’s themes are played out the cadence and flair of his voice carry it through backed by typically superb production by Kanye.
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Chorus
Pusha T approaches this album like a rapper who knows his worth—like a king.
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Ratings Game
“Daytona” is probably leading the way when it comes to rap albums of the year. I personally think it’s flawless.
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The Source
Last night Pusha T let a lucky group of fans take a listen to his album, which has been renamed Daytona from King Push. The track is seven tracks deep and what will be one of the ones that will be most played is “Infrared.” Why? Because it holds a jab at Drake.
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According2HipHop
Although not a classic Daytona is a strong effort that has reaffirmed Ye’s status has legendary producer. You might need to be a certain age to truly appreciate some of the bars “I’m top 5 and they all Dy-lan.” Pusha-T’s place has the king of coke rap is secure with no apologies or fucks given along the way.
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The Top Tens
There are works that feel longer than they are because they fail to have entertainment value and seem to go on and on and on, which is a bad sign. But every once in a while, there’s a piece of work that feels longer because there is so much to discover, with something new popping up with every step you make. And again, Daytona is without a doubt the latter case. It doesn’t need to be any longer, when it already has so much to give in its seven songs.
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The Demo Tape
As Drake and Pusha T conversations continue, and Pusha T’s lyrical brilliance is seen for what it is, is a great time in rap for the cocaine doctor.
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THEFRESHCOMMITTEE
Let me be clear, this is a memorable rap effort. However, I don’t deem DAYTONA as anywhere near a modern classic. “If You Know You Know” and the aforementioned “Come Back Baby” are some of Push’s best tracks to date. “The Games We Play” is also noteworthy. Yet the other four leave at least a little something on the table.
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The Star
The concept behind Daytona is bolder and brilliant, the lyrics and delivery are more striking and well thought out - probably not so deep. But what actually does it for this project is the skill that goes into its production. For any Pusha fan, this is a record you will want to listen to the entire year. And maybe it might be competing for top spot with Kanye's seven-track album.
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KMM Reviews
This album is straight fire. Album of the year? Possibly.
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Panther Now
Despite the controversy around “DAYTONA,” the album serves as Pusha-T’s best work.
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Thrillist
The brevity works to Pusha's stylistic strengths: There's so little clutter here that the few flourishes, like a guest verse from Rick Ross on "Hard Piano," make an even greater impact, like a daring brushstroke across an empty canvas. Even the lame Kanye lines on "What Would Meek Do?" can't derail the record's singular purpose.
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Cassius Life
But maybe, just maybe, winning and losing is a false dichotomy. Maybe we don’t have to eat our young. If that’s what Pusha T has been ignoring this long while, then Daytona is his loneliest work. He has found a way to completely eliminate all trace of doubt from this one. Any semblance of his shadow has been destroyed. I guess, maybe, the commercial finally won out.
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The Plaid Line
DAYTONA is the type of rap album Pusha-T (and the world) needs. It is brief, (though maybe too brief), raw (though maybe too raw), and experimental. Even the album cover, supposedly changed at the last moment to a photograph of the late Whitney Houston’s bathroom, is bold. 8/10.
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Focus Hip Hop
This album is great. It didn’t blow me away like Darkest Before Dawn did, but it’s still a really solid project. It kinda feels more like a collection of good songs rather than a full album. I usually like short albums, and I appreciate this project’s quick length.
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Vinyl Me Please
I’ll crank this album when I feel snobbish and overheated, my inner backpacker leaking from my toothpickish frame, but I welcome all the smoke on this “instant classic” shit. It’s good, but this ain’t it.
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The Drive Online
This is a great album. Too short for me personally, but still great.
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Livewire1350
Pusha T is cocky and braggadocios on DAYTONA, in a way that is only justified by Kanye's equally grand and cinematic production. The beats are consistently bigger and more 'epic' than anything else in Hip-Hop and this is mostly down to Kanye's master of the craft.
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Mo Boombox
DAYTONA was the album we needed to shake things up, like how DMX did with 1998’s “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot.” It took an MC from Virginia to confront one of hip-hop’s biggest stars about things we’ve heard or seen take place over the years that many may see as questionable. Authenticity, quality beats, and rhymes are what Pusha T is addressing with the DAYTONA. The bar is raised and we can only hope to see better projects in the future.
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Melt Reviews
Pusha excels in lyrical simplicity, his blunt and cold delivery is what gives him his signature style, and with Kanye backing him up with perfectly crafted production, the two are a force to be reckoned with. .
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Hi-Top Table Athletics
The territory may be well worn but Pusha’s rhymes never are. With references to Ghost and Rae and The Purple Tape these tracks are aimed squarely at the aging 35-45 year old rap fan who longs for the good old Boom Bap days but the songs themselves never feel nostalgic for nostalgic sake. King Push on the mic is as fresh as he ever has been and has finally delivered the full throttle Push/Kanye team up that fans have been waiting on.
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Impromptu Review
DAYTONA is a great project from Pusha T. Its short track list keeps the project from getting stale. Each track feels like it’s in the perfect place. Pusha T gets back to his roots, sends some shots, and wows everybody. Pair this with Kanye’s master sampling, and we have our first album of the year candidate.
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Best In The Mix
Overall this is top shelf Push. And while I still believe this "new Kanye" is who he is now, I have to give him a tip of the hat for production. Just the production. You can tell when there is a truly collaborative effort on a project. And this is one of them. I've literally had the album on repeat three times in a row and you can't feel a break in the flow of the album. Push is who he is.
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Audiomack
After much anticipation from fans, Pusha T dropped “DAYTONA”. Produced entirely by Kanye West, the G.O.O.D Music President raps about his past, the drug trafficking game and more. Featuring tracks such as “Hard Piano”, “The Games We Play” and “Infrared”, “DAYTONA” is one of 2018’s finest releases in the hip hop genre.
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