Ascension (Pep Love album)

Critical reception

Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club commented that "Pep Love is another Hieroglyphics original, even if his ambitious but flawed debut remains as notable for its unfulfilled promise as for its uneven execution." Matt Conway of AllMusic wrote, "While Ascension is a notch below the classic debuts delivered by Love's more established teammates, it is a critical building block, as it generates renewed faith in the Hiero collective." Del F. Cowie of Exclaim! praised his "commanding flow" and "rich vocabulary," stating that "he is nothing short of impressive, balancing an insistent philosophical edge with the urge to hand out verbal beat-downs."

In 2014, Paste placed it at number 6 on the "12 Classic Hip-Hop Albums That Deserve More Attention" list.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

• Pep Love – vocals, art direction
• Jay-Biz – production (1, 11), turntables (5, 10, 16)
• A-Plus – production (2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16)
• DJ Lex – turntables (3, 6, 8, 15, 16)
• Casual – background vocals (4), vocals (14), production (14), recording
• DJ Babu – turntables (4)
• Evidence – production (4), recording (4), mixing (4)
• Kurt Matlin – recording (4), mixing (4)
• Goapele – background vocals (5)
• Bicasso – production (5)
• Tajai – vocals (6), additional vocals (8), recording
• Eric McFadden – mandolin (6), guitar (6, 12)
• Mako – production (7, 9)
• Erika – additional vocals (8)
• Toure – production (8), recording
• Domino – production (10, 15)
• The Grouch – vocals (11)
• Major Terror – vocals (13)
• Moses Milliyons – djembe (16)
• Matt Kelley – additional recording, engineering, mixing
• Ken Lee – mastering
• Lady T – art direction
• Gannon Graphics – design
• B+ – photography

References

References

1. Conaway, Matt. "Pep Love - Ascension". [[AllMusic]].
2. Rabin, Nathan. (April 19, 2002). "Pep Love: Ascension". [[The A.V. Club]].
3. Cowie, Del F.. (October 31, 2001). "Pep Love - Ascension". [[Exclaim!]].
4. Juon, Steve. (July 17, 2001). "Pep Love :: Ascension :: Hiero Imperium". RapReviews.com.
5. Spinelli, Adrian. (November 6, 2014). "12 Classic Hip-Hop Albums That Deserve More Attention". [[Paste (magazine).