Magnificent City
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Magnificent City
| type = studio
| artist = Aceyalone with RJD2
| cover = Magnificentcity.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2006|02|07}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = {{Duration|m=51|s=48}}
| label = {{hlist|Decon|Project Blowed}}
| producer = RJD2
| chronology = Aceyalone
| prev_title = Love & Hate
| prev_year = 2003
| next_title = Grand Imperial
| next_year = 2006
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = RJD2
| type = studio
| prev_title = Since We Last Spoke
| prev_year = 2004
| title = Magnificent City
| year = 2006
| next_title = The Third Hand
| next_year = 2007
}}
{{Singles
| name = Magnificent City
| type = studio
| single1 = Fire
| single1date = {{Start date|2005}}
| single2 = Supahero
| single2date = {{Start date|2006}}
}}
}}
Magnificent City is a full American studio album by American rapper Aceyalone, accompanied by American hip hop producer RJD2. It was released on Decon and Project Blowed in 2006. It peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 43 on the Independent Albums chart.
RJD2 released a compilation of instrumental versions of songs from the album in 2006, entitled Magnificent City Instrumentals.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/magnificent-city-instrumentals-mw0000724653|title=Magnificent City Instrumentals - RJD2|work=AllMusic|accessdate=August 1, 2014}} The track "A Beautiful Mine" was adapted as the opening theme of the AMC television series Mad Men.{{Cite news|url = http://www.fastcompany.com/3046379/my-creative-life/mad-men-theme-composer-rjd2-plans-his-next-tv-takeover|title = "Mad Men" Theme Composer RJD2 Plans his Next TV Takeover|last = Nagy|first = Evie|date = May 20, 2015|work =Fast Company|access-date =July 26, 2015 }}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 81/100{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/magnificent-city/aceyalone|title=Magnificent City by Aceyalone|work=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|accessdate=April 16, 2016}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/magnificent-city-mw0000524233|title=Aceyalone / RJD2 - Magnificent City|work=AllMusic|first=John|last=Bush|accessdate=August 1, 2014}}
| rev2 = Alternative Press
| rev2score = {{rating|4|5}}If Magnificent City is occasionally over-friendly-sounding... well, so what? [Mar 2006, p.138]
| rev3 = The A.V. Club
| rev3score = A−{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/review/aceyalone-and-rjd2-emmagnificent-cityem-9381|title=Aceyalone and RJD2: Magnificent City|work=The A.V. Club|first=Nathan|last=Rabin|date=February 8, 2006|accessdate=August 1, 2014}}
| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev4score = BAceyalone's deft merging of bookishness and braggadocio is a rare find. [17 Feb 2006, p.79]
| rev5 = HipHopDX
| rev5score = 3.0/5{{cite web|url=http://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.607/title.aceyalone-rjd2-magnificent-city|title=Aceyalone & Rjd2 - Magnificent City|work=HipHopDX|author=J-23|date=February 14, 2006|accessdate=April 16, 2016}}
| rev6 = Paste
| rev6score = {{rating|4|5}}A unified effort from these two proven hip-hop vets. [Feb/Mar 2006, p.96]
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev7score = 3.2/10{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/18-magnificent-city/|title=Aceyalone: Magnificent City|work=Pitchfork|first=Tom|last=Breihan|date=February 12, 2006|accessdate=August 1, 2014}}
| rev8 = RapReviews
| rev9 = Slant Magazine
| rev9score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/aceyalone-magnifcent-city|title=Aceyalone: Magnifcent City|work=Slant Magazine|first=Jonathan|last=Keefe|date=February 11, 2006|accessdate=August 1, 2014}}
| rev10 = Stylus
| rev10score= B−{{cite web|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/aceyalone/magnificent-city.htm|title=Aceyalone - Magnificent City|work=Stylus Magazine|first=Dan|last=Nishimoto|date=February 6, 2006|accessdate=August 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330111945/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/aceyalone/magnificent-city.htm|archive-date=March 30, 2014}}
}}
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
John Bush of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, saying: "Ten years after West Coast rap began to slow down, Rjd2 shows he can interpret it for the 21st century, with huge hooks that draw listeners in, but clever productions that allow for all of Aceyalone's talents to shine through." Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club gave the album a grade of A−, saying: "Aceyalone hasn't felt this vital in ages, and RJD2's creative winning streak continues unabated."
Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine named it the 9th best album of 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/2006-year-in-music/P4|title=The Best Albums & Singles of 2006 (Page 4 of 5)|work=Slant Magazine|first1=Sal|last1=Cinquemani|first2=Jonathan|last2=Keefe|date=December 15, 2006|accessdate=June 6, 2018}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = All for U
| length1 = 3:28
| title2 = Fire
| length2 = 4:11
| title3 = Cornbread, Eddie & Me
| length3 = 2:46
| title4 = Mooore
| length4 = 4:49
| title5 = Supahero
| length5 = 4:11
| title6 = High Lights
| length6 = 3:22
| title7 = Disconnected
| length7 = 3:21
| title8 = Caged Bird
| length8 = 3:12
| title9 = Solomon Jones
| length9 = 3:46
| title10 = A Sunday Mystery
| length10 = 1:33
| title11 = Junior
| length11 = 3:41
| title12 = Heaven
| length12 = 3:38
| title13 = Here & Now
| length13 = 4:21
| title14 = A Beautiful Mine
| length14 = 5:29
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
!scope="col"| Chart !scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard){{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/aceyalone/chart-history/tln/|title=Aceyalone: Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)|work=Billboard|access-date=June 5, 2018}}
| 39 |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Independent Albums (Billboard){{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/aceyalone/chart-history/ind/|title=Aceyalone: Chart History (Independent Albums)|work=Billboard|access-date=June 5, 2018}}
| 43 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|19176|Magnificent City}}
{{Aceyalone}}
{{RJD2}}
{{Authority control}}