Dopestylevsky is the second studio album by Jewish rapper Eprhyme, released on April 26, 2011 by K Records. It is the label's first hip-hop album in a decade, as K Records is typically known for punk and indie rock. A video for the album's lead single, "Life Sentence", was funded by Kickstarter and released on November 7, 2011.[1]

Dopestylevsky
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 26, 2011 (2011-04-26)
RecordedBrooklyn, New York
Olympia, Washington
Phoenix, Arizona
GenreAlternative hip hop
Length41:36
LabelK
ProducerSmoke M2D6
Eprhyme albums chronology
Waywordwonderwill
(2009)
Dopestylevsky
(2011)
Lost Tapes and Found Sounds: 2006-2012
(2013)
Singles from Dopestylevsky
  1. "Life Sentence"
    Released: November 7, 2011

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
PopMatters          [2]
Tiny Mix Tapes     [3]
Skyscraperpositive[4]
The Forwardpositive[5]

Dopestylevsky received largely positive reviews. Jessica Monk of Tiny Mix Tapes called it "a solid album of consciousness-raising Jewish hip-hop, [although] not an exercise in genre-bending...we can believe the hype, and take it that this well-heeled genre has finally arrived chez K."[3] John Book of Skyscraper magazine said, "Eprhyme is a nice breath of clarity that isn’t the exception to any specific rule, just hip-hop music at its best."[4] Jay Michaelson of The Forward described it as "a more polished and more professional record" than his debut album, containing "less novelty, less preaching, but perhaps more potential to reach a wider audience with a Jewish flavor of hip-hop and rap."[5]

In a negative review, Mike Schiller of PopMatters wrote, "Eprhyme demonstrates an impressive grasp of rhythm and rhyme, but his words are mere sounds that give us something to hold onto; they’re not meaningful, they’re not really about anything, they’re just there...Dopestylevsky is a perfectly pleasant hip-hop album that won’t get on anyone’s nerves [but not] the transcendental experience its author promises, nor does it even begin to live up to the literary figure referenced by its title."[2]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Grind Thoroughly"3:25
2."Life Sentence"4:03
3."Poppasong" (featuring Brad B and Foundation)4:00
4."Blow Up the Block" (featuring DeScribe and Y-Love; prod. Electro Morocco)4:04
5."Elements of Style" (featuring Labtekwon)2:56
6."Smoke Break"2:31
7."Let's Build" (featuring Compost)3:32
8."Notes from the Underground"4:22
9."Lose Your Cool" (featuring AKA)4:21
10."Divine by Design" (featuring Saints of Everyday Failures)3:33
11."Better in the Dark" (featuring Darshan)4:24
Total length:41:36
  • "Blow Up the Block" was previously released in single form by Shemspeed as "Boom Selecta", with an extra verse by Kosha Dillz.

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Chernikoff, Helen (August 23, 2011). "Kickstarting Jewish Culture?". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b Schiller, Mike (August 10, 2011). "Eprhyme: Dopestylevsky". PopMatters. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  3. ^ a b Monk, Jessica. "Eprhyme - Dopestylevsky". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  4. ^ a b Book, John (June 27, 2011). "Eprhyme - Dopestylevsky". Skyscraper. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  5. ^ a b Michaelson, Jay (May 2, 2011). "Monday Music: Prime Time for Eprhyme". The Forward. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
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