36 Seasons | |||||
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Studio album by Ghostface Killah | |||||
Released | December 9, 2014 | ||||
Recorded | 2014 | ||||
Genre | Hip hop | ||||
Length | 40:15 | ||||
Label | Tommy Boy | ||||
Producer | The Revelations, Fizzy Womack, Abdul-Rahmaan, The 45 King | ||||
Ghostface Killah chronology | |||||
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Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology | |||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 72/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The A.V. Club | C+ |
Billboard | |
Consequence of Sound | B |
Entertainment Weekly | A- |
Exclaim! | 8/10 |
Los Angeles Times | |
The Observer | |
Pitchfork Media | 6.0/10 |
Spin | 7/10 |
36 Seasons is the eleventh studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member, Ghostface Killah. It was released on December 9, 2014, by Tommy Boy Records.
In a December 2014, interview with HipHopDX, Ghostface Killah said it took about 11 days to record the album. Like Ghostface Killah's previous album, Twelve Reasons to Die, 36 Seasons is a concept album. The album follows the story of Tony Starks as he returns to Staten Island after nine years away seeking a quiet life but he finds this will be difficult to accomplish.
Record store Get On Down was the only retailer to sell 36 Seasons in vinyl format. Get On Down also sold a CD bundle that featured the vinyl version, an instrumental CD, poster, graphic novel booklet, and a T-shirt.
36 Seasons received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 72, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 18 reviews. David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "Inspiration flows out of the man throughout the album, and this end-to-end concept is executed with little note-spinning or boring lyrics that just serve the story, and while Twelve Reasons took a big giallo risk and nailed it, this more expected, '70s-favored success still surprises with its vigorous sense of purpose." Homer Johnsen of HipHopDX stated, "36 Seasons may not be Ghostface’s greatest project, but it is another notable addition to his extensive body of work. Rapping alongside Kool G Rap and AZ for the bulk of the album is certainly a treat, and the two have their own moments of glory. Production, on the other hand, simply does not hold on to the lyrical dynamism present between Ghost, Pharoahe Monch, AZ and G." Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound said, "36 Seasons is the result of consummate artistic process and taste--a complete album both lyrically and musically."