X (Ken Carson album)
X is the second studio album by American rapper Ken Carson. It was released on July 8, 2022, by Opium and Interscope Records The album features guest appearances from his Opium labelmates Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang. Production was handled by Ken's frequent collaborators F1lthy and Lil 88, among others. It is a follow-up to his debut studio album Project X (2021). The deluxe version, titled Xtended, was released three months later, on October 31, 2022, containing 5 additional tracks. X received mixed reviews from music critics. The album entered at number 115 on the Billboard 200. Critical reception

X was met with mixed to negative reviews. Anthony Malone of HipHopDX stated that Carson was full of identity and creativity, saying, "Lacking variety from the beats and any real force from the artist himself, X is a repetitive listening experience. There are moments of fun: the short and succulent 'Money Hunt'; the energetic flexing in 'Get Rich or Die'; and Destroy Lonely's verse on 'MDMA'. But it's not enough to justify the 20-track output." Pitchfork reviewer Alphonse Pierre said that "Carson lacks the curiosity, imagination, and irreverence to do anything more than lay down the same glazed Auto-Tune raps, with only rare attempts to liven them up", and that "X is such a slog that the smallest signs of taste are cause for celebration. The pitch change at the end of 'Get Rich or Die' is something! When he's listing off his drugs on 'PDBMH', the Auto-Tune is turned up and in that instant the sped-up flow is slightly (emphasis on 'slightly') reminiscent of [Young] Thug!" but that overall the album was "forgettable". AllMusic said that, "This repetitive production taken in tandem with Carson's often listless and uninspired lyricism (and flows that sometimes struggle to even stay on beat) makes X a largely hollow and forgettable affair." Music reviewer Anthony Fantano, who assigns a rating out of 10, rated the album a rare 0, the seventh time Anthony had given one in his career. He states the album is "devoid of redeeming qualities" in the video's description. Commerical peformance 
In the United States, the album entered at number 115 on the Billboard 200. Track listing

Charts

References

2022 albums
Ken Carson albums
Interscope Records albums
Opium albums
Albums produced by F1lthy