new 4th world war new 4th world war fourth studio album american neo soul singer hiatus recording music writer block communicated hip hop producers internet worked new music software program songs composed went record album new_york_city concept album titled pun reflection record political features social commentary themes related plight african american community including poverty urban violence cultural identity record densely produced music incorporates funk hip hop soul jazz electronica styles released february received widespread critical acclaim debuted number billboard albums chart end year named critics best records december sold copies united_states promoted album supporting tour vortex world tour july background dealing writer block conflicted mainstream success embarked frustrated artist tour increasing popularity brought backlash public image expectations queen neo soul nickname found limiting studio album released positive reviews certified gold sold previous albums satisfied album felt substantial express music time took time recording career deal creative block focus caring children continued tour period albums gave birth daughter boyfriend rapper later year received computer christmas gift drummer producer thompson began communicating receiving music producers tip beginning worked home dallas software application digital audio introduced son seven taught use mini recording studio construct backing tracks songs recorded demos vocals singing computer microphone composed songs year intended splitting planned series albums said productivity space kids cooking dinner making easy sing got idea boom idea boom contacts including hip hop producers instant studio sent tracks exchanges inspired creative spark explained interview dallas observer started accept maybe music doesn dynamic world changing accepting comes burst light energy creativity process guess life detachment release gives room grow creative album sought augment music production expose work underground hip hop producers exceed listeners expectations contemporary music discussed creative intentions interview billboard stating taking project like taking responsibility talk race planet interview new_york_post explained album war self inner said hiatus taken time albums performing artist recording secondary performances drive like therapy like write lot road think recording said relevant message express listeners longer struggling creative block recording new collaborated principally audio engineer mike members musical group production lyrical contributions tracks later explained choosing producers work saying people reputation knowing felt okay time project takes place dimension highlights sights mind project began recording sound recording dallas assisted recording vocals basic tracks tracks vocal harmonies recorded machine magnetic tape heavily involved musician producer previous work role album reduced accommodate minimalist beat driven approach production discussed direction album interview shook stating wanted organic underground hip hop sound dealt cats brought sound table additional recording sessions programming took place cosmic dust studio member keith remarked role studio come pick skeletal times beats right keith played instruments rhodes collaborators let write lyrics album said allowed personal things come point let somebody write manner spontaneous time structure right expression right writing personal big thing electric lady sessions subsequently held recording sessions new_york_city album completed interview remix elaborated recording process stating producers try duplicate electric lady vocals babies crying tracks effects like vocal reflection worked audio engineers spent numerous hours listening previous albums including debut follow mama gun older albums dark moon progressive rock band worked producers music embellished tracks incorporate live instrumentation bass guitar percussion keyboards contributing musicians included vocalist guitarist vocalist inspired creativity time listening music added special effects delays tracks manipulating variety plug ins guitar subsequently reworking effects frequency parameters said able expand producers tracks change record display world group producers outside mainstream making great music said approach work layers layer track second layer songs musicians add certain play play like sample piece played sample loop talking drum tuning recording evoke certain feeling frequency practice previous albums tuning fork certain energy feeling color smell related different body feel good sexy conscious saying album mastered february edited tracks originally intended double album songs discs vocal production electric lady applied approach recording vocals opted editing post production voice vocals characterized high scales varied frequencies wide intervals time stretched harmonies engineered vocals remarked singing voice frequencies thin wants hear dynamic microphone finding voice type cut vocal takes situated speakers studio control room monitor mix playing explained setting comfortable noting ability hear sing hold microphone moving preferred sing edit different takes vocals singing certain volume voice singing double triple harmonies different volumes don adjust mix time vocals tape know touch damn thing know adjust potential audio feedback obtain usable tried having sit chair feet mixing console use alternate ribbon microphone sony felt perceive voice frequencies discarded studio monitors considered triangle speakers placed phase order cancel according stationary likes hold like home live performer said working audio adapting methods worked vocals fit track phase wise work monitors fairly low turn microphone phase room found spot reasonable felt comfortable hear sit chair board room music lyrics album music dense stylistic primarily incorporates funk soul hip hop genres jazz electronica new_yorker called politically charged neo soul suite cutting edge production described record complicated soul electro sounds references simple obscure musically challenging album owes curtis expanding loose jam oriented style features groove based instrumentation tones hip hop musical eccentric beats digital samples sputnikmusic said album moved ideas conventions defined neo soul past decade greg_kot wrote like peers record efforts remarked vibe draws hypnotic funk early 1970s albums corner riot similar corner new emphasizes sound mood choruses verses album unified musical theme songs ominous musical elements minor key melodies atmospheric beats songs album incorporate experimental hip hop backing tracks hip hop elements manner majority beats dark noted music writers conveying urban feeling paranoia said songs feel produced written members known music characterized eccentric chord time beats believed record isn hip hop reorganization historical recycled turned hip hop lyrically new concept album themes subject matter features topics social commentary previous work subject matter deals social concerns struggles african american community exploring topics institutional racism religion poverty urban violence abuse power drug addiction said wrote poor families working class called minority according new_york critic record main theme struggle african americans determine cultural identity light era opinion album subject matter explored suggests little changed nearly years point popmatters believed like album new incorporated plus shots community spirit individual growth pleas social activism spiritual enlightenment realities death felt like clash musical styles songs committed having america honor promise african americans songs reject promise idea promise fulfilled considerable effort songwriting characterized stream consciousness scenic narrative lyrics alternately overtly political deeply personal notions references nation islam expresses perspective feelings dismay subjects songs commented sense history maternal compassion grounds oblique wrote similarly keen writing people gives songs shape views helps communicate album social concerns sound like laundry list black community struggles songs opening track promise samples song american promise american band ramp backing track original song written produced gave original master tape album inspired write song president speech american promise called justice equal rights united_states promise features explicit political satire themes tongue cheek subject matter portrays america land broken promises song opens trailer saying action excitement features funk ramp vocalists authoritative male voice performed keith authoritative character portrayed circus smoke mirrors presentation leads contentious dialogue female voice end song asks seen laws allusion divine laws ancient egyptian goddess produced ode hip hop culture proclamation scope opens brief snippet song featuring world famous supreme team jones notes bells knocks instrument guitar lots space musical backdrop adding music total beat lyrics delivered style reference names god including asserting hip hop bigger social institutions religion government explained lyrics religious references saying hip hop felt religions healing power recently palestine jerusalem africa bunch places listening hip hop kicking snare sound kinds people find meaning autobiographical song discusses thoughts feelings life including struggle growing public figure perception explained powers mysteries true lies true babies different thirty years old addicted variety spending song jazz conclusion singing mother life muted trumpet soldier written immediately receiving beat song said wanted sound similar detroit hip hop scene inspired lot producers detroit certain sound think comes city lyrics expressing sympathy solidarity facing oppression references police corruption black black crime hurricane katrina cell produced features lively choral style hard feel titled metaphor confinement song crime drugs desperation urban decay streamlined stark story character falls victim environment cited album effects heavy track features futuristic sound convoluted beat abstract elements white noise bursts high pitched voices instruments layers keyboard bass lyrics lament plight black community effects african americans failures american social institutions health care education prison systems raps song verse children matrix car switches seen virgin hanging venus followed singing don know language don know god keyboards closing minutes song feature speech ancient african language followed speaker inspired actor film network speaker angrily state world people likened version song inner city blues wanna master teacher conceived rhodes piano cosmic dust studio present originally intended albums music blends mellow soul hip hop featuring sample song dead song lyrics higher degree african american identity vocalists ask refrain master teachers answering stay responding search new search inside searching inside midway song keyboards lower music tempo fluid sound concerns topic drug closing track telephone tribute died complications blood disorder themes sorrow hope serves departure preceding songs musical direction featuring soft melodies acoustic feel similar live sound song opens sound ominous referencing album song lyrics based story told mother day death explained interview mom told day telling dream dirty telling different color bus giving directions home according song music inspired passing studio right funeral working stuff album focus emotional sonic feeling wasn thought naturally took place sitting started song happened instantly hidden track honey love song contains sample singer song love track opens reprise promise announcer saying hope enjoyed journey putting control countdown leading honey according song lover fictitious character named slim chasing allmusic andy_kellman commented song included track doesn fit album fabric drifting deeply synth string drift groove title packaging new release album tentatively called derived reference islam title album series pun explained meaning statement simply says beginning new world slaves slave masters words everybody wake new world moves faster don realize fast moving subtitle 4th world war reflects content objective political explained outside going outside left brain explained title interview remix year old came artist pregnant mother bring home listening studio cell phone couple people great big internet form communication library creating sand scrap quickly turned technological society send album millions fans antarctica mexico_city push button way children think things new happened quick middle platform microphone album cover interior artwork designed graphic artist cover features abstract portrayal vintage rings bearing album title decorated manner sought reflect perspective topics including music religion governments economics incorporate depict american culture modern society images featured include flowers spray cans dollar signs power plants musical notes toilets raised broken chains bar codes drugs guns album interior artwork features ominous psychedelic futuristic apocalyptic imagery artwork includes illustrations red eyed pointing gun robotic creatures bar code bearing message suited skeleton dollar sign skull audience podium bears pyramid image reverse great seal united_states illustration soft melting fork needle adaptation painting persistence memory release promotion album lead single honey released december reached number billboard hot spent weeks charted weeks peaked number music video song directed released january wanted pay homage classic records video set small business record store follows customer looks vintage hip hop rock album covers depicted moving images cast january previewed songs album headlining act barbados jazz festival april released soldier album second single announced supporting tour promote album tour concert dates included shows united_states canada spanned june featured hip hop band roots opening act later toured europe june july released united_states february 37th birthday day release party took place dallas performed songs album vh1 soul record released european countries february united_kingdom march japan march japanese editions feature bonus track real album digital release itunes store featured song remix bonus track released double vinyl march stick format interview discussed album accompanying stick stating digital world need want cut middle man extinct seven years right record labels reception united_states debuted number billboard chart selling copies week best opening week debut album entered number second week album sold copies week spent weeks billboard weeks december sold copies according nielsen_soundscan united_kingdom album charted number albums_chart spent week france debuted number spent weeks french albums_chart switzerland debuted number spent weeks swiss albums netherlands album entered number spent seven weeks mega album poland reached number spent weeks polish albums_chart album highest international charting number sweden charted seven weeks received widespread acclaim critics metacritic assigns normalized rating reviews mainstream publications album received average score based reviews slant_magazine said powerful listen stands musically ambitious work new_yorker described album brilliant resurgence black avant garde vocal pop work restless ignoring world opting feeling reflects chicago_tribune wrote art deeply personal rarely easy listen guardian deemed rewarding listen demands explored rolling_stone_magazine critical finding socially conscious lyrics ambiguous songs absent minded robert_christgau deemed enjoyable effort citing promise cell highlights said themes dated comparison music funk futuristic abstract sound old ignorant according pitchfork_media lot critical love rooted love music time popular black artists records filled visionary avant garde sounds social fire ambition important community album doesn personal social ambitions old records plenty soul records sonic ones big tracks aside static record gives kind high art difficulty critics known like end new ranked critics lists year best records including associated_press number number entertainment_weekly number new_york number new_york_times number number popmatters number slant_magazine number guardian number spin ranked album number year end list calling uses hip hop muse pitchfork_media later ranked number list albums 2000s decade named decade best record track listing add additional production producer sample credits contains sample people contains sample people hold soldier contains samples theme solution rock master teacher contains sample dead contains sample switch telephone contains sample king beats honey contains sample love personnel credits adapted album liner notes charts
New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)