''No Dope on Sundays'' is the debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American rapper

Cyhi the Prynce Cydel Charles Young (born September 15, 1984), known professionally as CyHi the Prynce, is an American rapper and singer. In 2009, Young signed his first major-label contract with Konvict Muzik, with the backing of Def Jam Recordings. In 2010, h ...

released on November 17, 2017, by

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

. The album's release follows years of label disputes and series of mixtapes spanning his career. It features

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

s from GOOD Music labelmates

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

and

Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 20 ...

, alongside

Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. In 2009, Hanley signed to Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and in late ...

, Travis Scott,

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...

, Jagged Edge,

BJ the Chicago Kid Bryan James Sledge (born November 23, 1984), better known by his stage name BJ the Chicago Kid (or simply BJ), is an American singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Sledge is best known for frequently collaborating with Top Dawg Entertainm ...

, Estelle, and Ernestine Johnson. Meanwhile, production is handled by Mark Byrd, Edsclusive, S1, OZ, Syk Sense, among others.

Background

The album's cover art, tracklist and release date was revealed on November 10, 2017.

Singles

The lead single, "Movin' Around" featuring

was released on June 29, 2017. The second single, "Dat Side" featuring

, was released on October 27, 2017.

Critical reception

''No Dope on Sundays'' received positive reviews from music critics upon release. Scott Glaysher of '' XXL'' praised the album's cohesiveness and lyricism, stating: "No matter which way you slice it, CyHi The Prynce excels in his delivery on his official debut, making ''No Dope on Sundays'' a serious contender for one of the best albums of the year. He proves that jaw-dropping lyrical ability and vivid storytelling can be woven through catchy production to make the ultimate rap apex. With his goals of completely taking over the game in 2018, the album’s cohesive feel and stellar lyrical quality gets him closer to his final destination." Justin Ivey of ''

HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...

'' stated that CyHi The Prynce "expands his artistry to show he’s more than a lyrical dynamo. It’s not always crisp, particularly when he strains his vocals on occasion, but it shows a willingness to challenge himself in the studio beyond penning meticulous bars", adding that ''No Dope On Sundays'' "is the culmination of a long journey that’s defied the odds." Online publication ''HotNewHipHop'' concluded that CyHi The Prynce "finds a way to display his faith, paint stories of his hood, and rally for Black power without ever sounding preachy or overzealous; if Malcolm X had a rapping descendant, Cy would be him. Equally menacing and welcoming, raspy and smooth, CyHi the Prynce proves to the world that he will not be another rapper doomed to watch his debut sit on a dusty shelf, waiting in limbo for a release. He broke through his own struggles and crafted an album that deserves your attention. No Dope on Sundays may be one of the best rap albums of the year." Jay Balfour of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' praised the album's lyricism and production, stating: "For all the bases it covers, No Dope on Sundays benefits from swift pacing. But there are still moments where CyHi gets bogged down doing too much and too little at the same time, coddling a story you’ve heard before or quipping a one-liner you can predict a mile away. After his verse on the title track, Pusha T thanks CyHi for granting him the quiet of an inconspicuous feature. “I was tryna’ make it as conversational as possible, ‘cause it’s just conversation,” the elder emcee says after clocking a gracefully minimal performance. CyHi doesn't have that conversational approachability to his raps. He sounds like a showman that puffs out his words with a deliberate, almost suspicious confidence. No Dope on Sundays sounds like the routine he's been waiting years to finally deliver.

Track listing

Credits adapted from iTunes,

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

and

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

. Notes * signifies a co- producer * signifies an uncredited co-producer * "No Dope on Sundays" feature background vocals from Artia Lockett, Kevin Bateman,

Keisha Jackson Keisha Jackson (born August 17, 1965) is an R&B singer, and is the daughter of R&B & soul singer-songwriter Millie Jackson. Having grown up in a family rich with music history, Keisha’s childhood was immersed in music. People like The Isley ...

, Kourtney Williams, Paris Williams and Cortez Harris * "Get Yo Money" feature background vocals from V. Johnson, Ox and Novel * "Don't Know Why" feature background vocals from LaKiery Shaffer * "Looking For Love" feature background vocals from Kellye West, Artia Lockett, Kevin Bateman, Shonette McCalmon and Keisha Jackson * "I'm Fine" feature background vocals from Pastor Cortez Harris Sample Credits *"No Dope On Sundays" contains elements from "

Incense and Peppermints ''Incense and Peppermints'' is the debut album by psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. Released in October 1967, it reached No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album charts during a 24 week run

" as performed by

Strawberry Alarm Clock Strawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock band formed in 1967 with origins in Glendale, California, a city about ten miles north of downtown Los Angeles. They are best known for their 1967 hit single "Incense and Peppermints". Categorized as ...

, written by John S. Carter and Timothy P. Gilbert. *"Get Yo Money" contains elements from "Your Love Was Worth Waiting For" performed by The Ruffin Brothers. *"Trick Me" contains elements from "Algo Más Que Un Amigo" performed by

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

. *"Murda" contains elements from "World a Music" performed by

Ini Kamoze Ini Kamoze ( , born Cecil Campbell; 9 October 1957) is a Jamaican reggae artist who began his career in the early 1980s and rose to prominence in 1994 with the signature song "Here Comes the Hotstepper". The single topped the US ''Billboard'' ...

. *"Don't Know Why" contains elements from "

Living inside Your Love ''Living inside Your Love'' is the second studio album by Earl Klugh released in 1976, by Blue Note Records, BN-LA667-G. George Butler was the executive producer. Cover Versions *American jazz guitarist George Benson also covered his version of " ...

" performed by

Earl Klugh Earl Klugh ( ; born September 16, 1953) is an American acoustic guitarist and composer. He has won one Grammy award and thirteen nominations. Klugh was awarded the “1977” Best Recording Award For Performance and Sound” for his album “Fi ...

. *"Dat Side" contains elements from "In Love Again" performed by Georgi Stanchev. *"Looking For Love" contains elements from "Whatcha Lookin' 4" performed by

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) a ...

. *"Closer" contains elements from "Let's Get Closer", as performed by

Atlantic Starr Atlantic Starr is an American band based in White Plains, New York. They are best known for the hits "Always", "Secret Lovers", "Send for Me", "Circles", "Silver Shadow" and " Masterpiece". History Atlantic Starr began in Greenburgh, New York ...

and "22 Two's" as performed by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

. *"Free" contains elements from "Free", as written and performed by Flyt.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. Performers *

– primary artist *

– featured artist *

– featured artist * Estelle – featured artist * Jagged Edge – featured artist *

– featured artist * Ernestine Johnson – featured artist *

– featured artist * Travis Scott – featured artist Musicians * Anthony Majors, Jr. – drums * Lance Powlis – fluegelhorn * Jonathan Troy – bass * Trey Daniels – saxophone , alto saxophone * Eric Mobley – guitar Technical * Cydel Young – recording engineer * Brandon Black – recording engineer * Finis "KY" White – mixing engineer * Dave Kutch – mastering engineer * Anthony Kilhoffer – mixing engineer * John Horesco – mastering engineer * Anthony Majors, Jr. – recording engineer * Darius Jenkins – recording engineer * Glenn Schick – mastering engineer * Daniel Watson – recording engineer * Noah Goldstein – recording engineer * Brad Post – recording engineer Production *

– Executive Producer * The Olympicks – producer * Edsclusive – co-producer , producer * Mark Byrd – producer *

Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and football player. In 2011 he began working with WWE on its wellness policy. He is best known for ...

– producer *

Novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

– producer *

Shawty Redd Demetrius Lee Stewart (born June 21, 1981), better known by his stage name Shawty Redd, is an American record producer and rapper. He is cited as one of the pioneers of the production style which would become synonymous with the trap subgenre. ...

– producer * HighDefRazjah – uncredited co-producer * Young Love – uncredited co-producer * Brandon Black – producer * Syk Sense – producer * OZ – producer * David & Eli – producer *

Anthony Kilhoffer Anthony Kilhoffer is an American hip hop record producer, songwriter and engineer, best known for his collaborations with Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Keyshia Cole and John Legend. Select discography Albums 2020s *'' Free The Beast(album)'' - B-Free 201 ...

– producer * Nate & Charity – producer * ThankGod4Cody – producer * Free P – producer * Epikh Pro – producer * S1 – producer * Fr23sh – producer * Jaggerwerks – uncredited co-producer * Katherine Mills – producer * Josh Simons – producer *

Charlie Heat Ernest Brown (born November 10, 1989), professionally known as Charlie Heat, is an American record producer, songwriter and record executive. In 2015, he signed to Very Good Beats, a subsidiary of GOOD Music, which is run by Kanye West. Since mak ...

– uncredited co-producer Additional personnel * Isaac Carter – consultant

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2017 debut albums Sony Music albums Cyhi the Prynce albums Albums produced by Kanye West