In years’ past, Black Milk didn’t mind bragging about himself. As he saw it, he made the best beats and had an all-around better life than you. At least that’s been the narrative for the Detroit producer/emcee. Though Milk’s previous solo recording, 2010’s Album Of The Year, touched on his tumultuous 2009, it was a mostly festive parade of heavy drums and celebratory rhymes that touted his affinity for lavish surroundings and fun-filled weekends. Black Milk has done well with that approach, but he’s often rapped just for rapping’s sake.
For his new album, No Poison No Paradise, Milk details his upbringing through semi-fictional character, “Sonny,” who endures the same hardships as any kid growing up in an urban setting. He’s a good-natured child who straddles the line between right and wrong. He faces daunting peer pressures that force him down a different path, away from the rigid Christian values instilled by his parents. At its core, No Poison No Paradise outlines the growing pains of adolescence and the daily struggles of adulthood. It examines the frustrations of limited means, and how those limitations dictate your survival. “Sonny” wants to play it straight, but what do you do when things don’t happen fast enough? With No Poison No Paradise, we get a sense of Black Milk’s personal life. We discover that he’s always been destined for great things, even if he faced certain obstacles along the way.
On “Perfected On Puritan Ave.,” for instance, Milk unfolds a vivid tale of innocence and bereavement. We see young Curtis Cross playing basketball in the street. We hear his neighborhood friend, “Man,” yelling encouragement from the side. “Y’all better win!” he implores. We feel the pain of Man’s passing and the distressing notion that the block is changed forever. Milk takes us to “Deion’s House” with perhaps his closest friend, who doesn’t mind taking the heat for “Sonny” when trouble arises. You see, his friend never had much guidance and he wants “Sonny” to make it: “You the only talent out our crew, the only one with potential to get on.” Elsewhere, Milk starts to enjoy the spoils of success, buying a Range Rover and blowing cash with his friends. “Dismal” is told from the perspective of a man who’s lost it all — the fame, the money and the women. It’s a dark tale of despair that I’m sure most celebrities endure when the 15 minutes have ended.
On a practical level, No Poison… is Black Milk’s most technically sound recording. In a recent interview for MTV Hive, Milk said he took some time off to become a better engineer. He was already a great producer, and he wanted to learn more about the specifics of sound before releasing another solo album. That might be the most noticeable aspect of No Poison No Paradise. From “Interpret Sabotage” to “Money Bags,” these instrumentals are crisp and mixed to perfection. The bass levels are just right and the drums smack with the same ferocity you’d expect from a Black Milk album.
Except with No Poison…, these aren’t beats per sé; instead, these feel like carefully crafted compositions that unfold under a cinematic veil of electronic vapor. Milk stays in full control by scaling back the rhymes. He isn’t so eager to rap; rather, he withdraws occasionally to let the music breathe. These visual arrangements set a scene for the words to follow. Take “Codes and Cab Fare,” featuring Black Thought, as an example: atop foggy synths and ventilated drums, Milk describes life from an outsider’s perspective: “You was on a star chase, I was in a dark place, looking for that glare / Looking for that light ahead, days got dimmer, staring down that dark tunnel hopin’ that you see a glimmer.” “Perfected on Puritan Ave.” was already expansive before a spastic Jazz breakdown pushes it into another stratosphere. Alt-jazz pianist Robert Glasper and singer Dwele make notable appearances on the instrumental “Sonny Jr.,” an improvised dream sequence preceding the album’s spiritual centerpiece, “Sunday’s Best/Monday’s Worst.”
As a result, No Poison No Paradise is Black Milk’s best album, and one of the year’s best in Hip Hop so far. While Album Of The Year was impressive, there’s an overwhelming maturity that carries this record to greatness, a nostalgic flexibility inspired by his younger days in Detroit. Coming-of-age stories aren’t unique, yet Black Milk does the trick with semi-imagined anecdotes from varied perspectives. In doing so, he gives a bigger picture of himself and his cohorts. With No Poison No Paradise, Milk has grown tremendously as a composer and lyricist. Now that’s something worth bragging about.
This album is amazing.
Great album, definitely up there for album of the year (Twelve Reasons to Die, Czarface and maybe 360 Waves which I loved)
great album, certainly my hip hop album of the year, not overall album of the year (james blake – overgrown) but i feel i wanted black to be innovative with this like he was with tronic and that didn’t happen, although it is still one of his best albums and a great listen.
smack, who are these niggas
Very good album, but will probably be slept on.
Well this is the first review on Dx I agree with. This is probably his best piece.
Damn I just listen to the album stream,it’s damn near perfect! This has to be his best project, Milk catalog is hell of good too. I hope people don’t sleep on this album, gonna buy this shit tomorrow. This year been great for underground hiphop!
this album deserves every bit of that 5 mic ruling and then some…introspection, intuitive messages, choices and dilemmas, beats and production, originality, proclivity….aww man. This is what Hip Hop needs not a bunch of selfish A-B-C pop-ish songs and thoughtless rhetoric.
Nah, the album is just alright, like a 5/10
1. Blackmilk doesn’t have any swag or charisma, like on the rich gang album, the rappers may not be good lyricists but at least they had swag
2. The beats all sound the same.
3. Lack of any thumping 808s on the album, I cannot see this album getting any play in da clubs.
You sound freaking retarded atl studiobag!
u made sense. i mean who the fuck will buy this album.
alt studio successfully helping to kill hip hop since 2004
DAFT and RETARDED.
Amazing
And I believe the idiot below me is trolling
yeah definitely. the one above too.
wack album 0.5/5
Yea, when it says Chief Keef’s fan that’s mean the album is gold tho.
chief keef has down syndrom lol. straight up.
Any artist who works with Robert Glasper and Black Thought is on a higher level
black milk is one of the few cats making that old school hip hop with a new school sound. this album is worthy of 4.5 no doubt.
Damn this album hot, Milk is always on point. I honestly think this is his best work, damn near perfect album. I also love the Album art work, gonna cop this tomorrow.
BMILK REPRESENT.
AMAZING SONGS OF HIS:
LONG STORY SHORT
LOSING OUT
DEADLY MEDLEY
DISTORTION
BLACK AND BROWN
DADA
SHUT IT DOWN
AND MUCH MUCH MORE
STRAIGHT FIREEEEEEEE BOIIII
Long story short! Had that tune on repeat for ages!!!!
very good
nigga this is garbage
until I saw the draft 4 $4540, I have faith that my neighbour could realey earning money in there spare time from there labtop.. there friends cousin had bean doing this 4 less than a year and by now cleared the mortgage on there house and got a great Subaru Impreza. try this out http://smarturl.it/7utn0c
Dope Album!
classic
It is amazing how this Black Milk just nailed this album…a strong 4.8/5 very very good, classic
5/5
Black stepped it up on all fronts with this album… I agree with the reviewer its his best album.
The only flaw with this album is at the end of the LP, it’s over. I have to hit the repeat button to hear more. Very annoying. Great LP from Black Milk, his best effort front to back and he’s got bangers already out there.
I love Black Milk. But in my opinion, Tronic is still his best work. Tronic is way underrated and one of my favorite albums of all time. I can hear that album day and night, It’s just not getting boring.
Despite the crap that always comes out, its albums like this that keep my faith in the genre. Black Milk really came correct. Dope production, dope MCing. Lyrical content is top notch… Not missing anything.
One of the best albums of the year. Won’t get the sales and that’s fine. That’s another audience. This is what hip hop is about.
Y’all are buggin’. Sunday’s Best / Monday’s Worst is one of my favorite songs this year, but this album is wild mediocre. Startin’ to think Black got lucky with Tronic.
Modern classic maybe… 5 fucken stars!
Pound for pound this is one of the best Hip-Hop albums in the past few years. Black Milk is at his best lyrically and sonically. Its good to see that growth. Listening to this album was an experience. I would encourage anyone to check this out. The production is next level and the overall project is inspired. Real spit.
Detroit needed this album! Salute!
COP it!
When’s Random Axe 2?
I like this guy…wish he had better hooks…tho…gotta knock in the club
This is not a club album dude!
5 stars, shit is amazing! Wish people would get off Em wack ass song and come over to this review.
Imma check this out, hard to find good hip hop these days.
always a fan of black milk splendid beats
This is why hiphop will never die, because guys like Black Milk exist.
Dope!
Best album so far this year. The production is awesome, and he stepped his game up on his lyrics. I expected a lot from this album and it didn’t disapoint. Everybody needs to listen to this, even cats who are not into hip hop.
This album was skillfully composed. This is a story, but if you close your eyes then it is a movie.. Mastered to near perfection.
Dope,
I still think Tronic is his best solo effort. this is dope though.
Black Milk’s instrumentals are always dope.
One of the best rapper and producer from Detroit, you can feel the soul in his music.
Mad props from Italy!
black milk
Black Milk- No pain, No paradise…dynamic,soulful,introspective,enjoyable and masterfully crafted. Favourite track: Deion’s House. 5 stars.
BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!
…Its ok
Alright album… Lyrically nice the best. Not better than his last album, Album of the Year.
Not* the best
Dope
Most underrated guy ever!!! Black is one of the finest from Detroit!!!!
I gave it a try. Didn’t dig.
Dope man!!
this is so damn good ….X chords is my favorite
This unbelievable album deserve more credit. Best Album of the Year for sure!
Just getting round to this project now… Damn! I’ve been sleeping on this album. I’ve always thought Black Milk was a dope producer and a decent emcee but he steps his game up seriously in both regards on No Poison No Paradise. One of the best albums of 2013, just really impressed with this, the production, the cohesiveness, the guest features all fit in well and of course the concept is great. I am copping that vinyl asap. Really looking forward to his next album “If There’s A Hell Below”, peace!
Dope