Unlocked (Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats album)

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Unlocked
EP by
Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats
ReleasedFebruary 7, 2020 (2020-02-07)
Recorded2019
GenreHip hop[1]
Length17:47
Label
ProducerKenny Beats
Denzel Curry chronology
Zuu
(2019) 		Unlocked
(2020) 		Unlocked 1.5
(2021)
Kenny Beats chronology
Anger Management
(2019) 		Unlocked
(2020) 		Unlocked 1.5
(2021)

Unlocked (stylized in all caps) is an EP by American rapper Denzel Curry in collaboration with American record producer Kenny Beats.[2] It was released on February 7, 2020, by PH Recordings and Loma Vista Recordings. The album was accompanied by a short film that was released on February 6, 2020.[3]

Unlocked was met with acclaim from music critics, who praised Kenny's production and Curry's songwriting and performance. It peaked at number 100 on the US Billboard 200.[4] It was placed on Spin's mid-year 30 Best Albums of 2020 list.[5]

Background and recording[edit]

While Denzel Curry was touring for his 2018 album, Ta13oo, his manager, Mark Maturah,[6] expressed interest in pairing Curry in a recording booth with Kenny Beats.[7] Over a few sessions, the two made 2 to 4 songs, but none of the material stood out to Curry or Beats.[7] Curry recalled that "We had a song called 'Spade' that was hard but it wasn’t breaking any boundaries or setting any trends."[8] The two had a feud over one of these beats being used by another artist as it was supposed to be used on Curry's 2019 album, Zuu , causing Curry to hate Kenny for "months".[7]

After some time, people reached out to Curry to have him watch Freddie Gibbs' appearance on The Cave, a bi-weekly freestyle series hosted by and uploaded onto YouTube by Beats.[8][9] Curry had a positive reaction to the episode's freestyle section and called Kenny Beats, prompting their first dialogue since their aforementioned feud.[8] In August 2019, Denzel Curry appeared on an episode of The Cave[10] and was immediately followed up by the pair recording Unlocked.[9][11]

The tracklist looking the way it does was both intentional and unintentional. According to Beats, on the last day of recording the album he opened the project on his iTunes and the tracklist had all sorts of unusual signs and symbols. Deciding that this would contribute to the energy and feeling of the project, he and Denzel chose to leave the titles the way they were.

Stereogum and Complex reported that the recording session lasted three days.[11][12] However, Pitchfork and Consequence of Sound reported that the album's recording took place over a 24-hour period.[13][14] In an interview with Pigeons & Planes, Kenny Beats mentioned the three day frame of the project's recording, stating "72 hours sounds crazy when you're working at a normal pace but that can happen when someone works as hard as Denzel."[8] Curry mentioned that "Kenny cancelled everybody else’s sessions to dedicate time to this. When you get to Kenny's studio, it's a real vibe. Ain't no fuckery gonna go down in there. He's on go on the keyboard and the pads, and I'm on go with my vocals."[8] In the Pigeons & Planes interview, the duo mentioned Madlib, Stones Throw Records, and the Wu-Tang Clan as influences on the project's sound.[8] Kenny's production on the project was noted by multiple outlets for its inclusion of samples.[15][16]

The album cover is a homage to the cover for Organized Konfusion's Stress: The Extinction Agenda.

Release and promotion[edit]

The album was released on February 7, 2020. While there were no singles released prior to the album, an accompanying short film was released on February 6, 2020.[17] Curry and Kenny Beats intentionally chose to have a lack of singles for the project.[7] Curry stated in a video interview, "there's no singles, like, the project is the single." Going along with this creative choice led the two to develop the concept of an accompanying short film for the project.[7] Deciding on no singles for the project, but still needing to "figure out a way to get people to tune into something long-form", the two engaged in a fake online beef on Instagram Live and Twitter in order to build up hype.[7]

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
Clash8/10[20]
Exclaim!9/10[21]
HipHopDX4/5[22]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[23]
Pitchfork7.2/10[15]

Unlocked was met with critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on 7 reviews.[18] Trey Alston of MTV wrote that "Unlocked (the soundtrack) has eight tracks that range from angry, futuristic screaming bars to mid-'90s, boom-bap, DMX-like snarling that Curry's clearly having a good time doing."[24] Salvatore Maicki of The Fader wrote that Unlocked is "a frenetic and saturated endeavor into two minds at the top of their game," singling out the track "DIET_" as the LP's "most savage peak."[25] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic stated that, "the set is a thrill to experience and begs for further collaboration."[19]

Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork commended Curry's contributions but wrote that Kenny Beats' production work on the album was "too neat."[15] Pierre added:

Unlocked feels like it was made out of convenience—like going to Chipotle instead of the corner Mexican spot because it'll save you 20 minutes. It's good, sure. Curry is rapping his ass off. But Kenny Beats' production isn't anything new. There are no imperfections, no colors outside of the lines, and with that, it misses some of the heart that makes regional rap special.[15]

Accolades[edit]

Accolades for Unlocked
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Spin Spin's 30 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year
N/A
[26]

Accompanying short film[edit]

The album was accompanied by a 24-minute short film, which follows the rapper/producer duo on their journey to retrieve the missing Unlocked audio files after they were leaked.[11][12][13] Each track from the album is represented by a different visually stylized world in the short film. The film featured both live-action and animated segments.[12] Portions of the animated visuals were done in claymation.[16] Curry stated that he was influenced by various media from his childhood; he expressed wanting to do something "Gorillaz style" for "DIET_".[7] Curry went on to state that Cowboy Bebop served as the base inspiration for the "'Cosmic'.m4a", and that the horror manga Uzumaki influenced the style for "Take_it_Back_v2".[7]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Denzel Curry

Unlocked track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Track 01"1:29
2."Take_it_Back_v2"2:49
3."Lay_Up.m4a"1:45
4."Pyro (leak 2019)"1:21
5."DIET_"2:23
6."So.Incredible.pkg"3:16
7."Track07"2:03
8."'Cosmic'.m4a"2:46
Total length:17:47

Personnel[edit]

Unlocked 1.5[edit]

Unlocked 1.5
Remix album by
Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats
ReleasedMarch 5, 2021 (2021-03-05)
GenreHip hop
Length21:43
Label
Producer
Denzel Curry chronology
Unlocked
(2020) 		Unlocked 1.5
(2021) 		Melt My Eyez See Your Future
(2022)
Kenny Beats chronology
Unlocked
(2020) 		Unlocked 1.5
(2021) 		Louie
(2022)

On March 5, 2021, the remix album Unlocked 1.5 was released, including guest appearances from Smino, Joey Badass, and Benny the Butcher, among others.[27]

Unlocked 1.5 track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."So.Incredible.pkg (Robert Glasper Version)" (featuring Smino and Robert Glasper)
  • Kenny Beats
  • DJ Jahi Sundance
  • Robert Glasper
1:29
2."Track07 (Georgia Anne Muldrow Version)" (featuring Arlo Parks)Georgia Anne Muldrow2:24
3."'Cosmic'.m4a (The Alchemist Version)" (featuring Joey Badass)
  • The Alchemist
  • Kenny Beats
2:54
4."Take_it_Back_v2 (Charlie Heat Version)"Charlie Heat2:51
5."Pyro (Sango Leak)" (featuring Kenny Mason)Sango2:44
6."Lay_Up.m4a (Jay Versace Version)"Jay Versace2:05
7."DIET_1.5" (featuring Benny the Butcher)Kenny Beats2:24
8."Take_it_Back_v2 (GODMODE 950 Version)"GAME6663:08
Total length:21:43

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Unlocked
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] 33
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 133
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[30] 82
Irish Albums (IRMA)[31] 87
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[32] 38
US Billboard 200[33] 100

References[edit]

  1. ^ Marie, Erika (February 7, 2020). "Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats Link Up On Surprise Album "Unlocked"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020. "The two artists complement each other effortlessly making Unlocked a collaboration that hip hop didn't know it needed in 2020."
  2. ^ "Denzel Curry - Unlocked Standard LP (Black)". Loma Vista Recordings. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  3. ^ "Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats Premiere New Songs via 'Unlocked' Animated Short Film". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  4. ^ "Denzel Curry". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  5. ^ "SPIN's 30 Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Album of The Year. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Madden, Sidney (November 15, 2016). "Meet Every Member of Denzel Curry's C9 Collective". XXL. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats Talk Making of ‘Unlocked’ and Quiz Each Other. Complex News. YouTube. March 3, 2020. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (March 3, 2020). "From Conflict to Creativity: The Road to Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats' 'Unlocked'". Pigeons & Planes. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Kelley, Caitlin (February 7, 2020). "Read All The Lyrics To Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats' New Album 'Unlocked'". Genius. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  10. ^ KENNY BEATS & DENZEL CURRY FREESTYLE | The Cave: Episode 12. The Cave. YouTube. August 2, 2019. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Rettig, James (February 7, 2020). "Stream Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats' Surprise New Album UNLOCKED". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c Mahadevan, Tara (February 7, 2020). "Listen to Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats' Collaborative Project 'Unlocked'". Complex. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (February 7, 2020). "Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats Drop New Album UNLOCKED: Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  14. ^ Young, Alex (February 7, 2020). "Denzel Curry teams with Kenny Beats for new album UNLOCKED: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d Pierre, Alphonse (February 12, 2020). "Denzel Curry / Kenny Beats: Unlocked Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  16. ^ a b R., Dominiq (February 9, 2020). "Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats Set The Booth On Fire With New Track "Pyro (Leak 2019)"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  17. ^ Darville, Jordan (February 7, 2020). "Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats share new album Unlocked". The Fader. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "UNLOCKED by Denzel Curry Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Yeung, Neil Z. (February 7, 2020). "UNLOCKED - Denzel Curry, Kenny Beats | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  20. ^ Abou-Setta, Ramy (February 17, 2020). "Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats - Unlocked". Clash. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  21. ^ Chini, Joey (February 7, 2020). "Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats UNLOCKED". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  22. ^ Kenny, Brody (February 17, 2020). "Review: Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats Match One Another's Wavelength On 'UNLOCKED'". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  23. ^ Gayler, Max (February 10, 2020). "Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats are a uniquely exciting hip-hop pairing". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  24. ^ Alston, Trey (February 7, 2020). "Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats Have Unlocked Our Minds with Film Soundtrack". MTV. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  25. ^ Maicki, Salvatore (February 13, 2020). "10 songs you need in your life this week". The Fader. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  26. ^ "The 30 Best Albums of 2020". Spin. May 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  27. ^ "Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats Deliver 'UNLOCKED 1.5' Remix Project". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  28. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. February 17, 2020. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats – Unlocked" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  30. ^ "Denzel Curry Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  31. ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 14 February 2020". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  32. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 17, 2020. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  33. ^ "Denzel Curry Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
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