Honor Killed the Samurai

Honor Killed the Samurai is the fourth solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Kaseem "Ka" Ryan. It was released on August 13, 2016 via Iron Works Records. It was recorded at The End, and produced entirely by Ka himself.

Honor Killed The Samurai
Studio album by
Ka
ReleasedAugust 13, 2016 (2016-08-13)
StudioThe End
GenreHip hop
Length36:07
LabelIron Works
ProducerKa
Ka chronology
Days With Dr. Yen Lo
(2015)		 Honor Killed The Samurai
(2016)		 Orpheus vs. the Sirens
(2018)

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
HipHopDX4.3/5[1]
Pitchfork8.0/10[2]
RapReviews8.5/10[3]
Spin8/10[4]
Tom HullA−[5]

Honor Killed the Samurai was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Album of the Year, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82 based on four reviews.[6]

Hugh Leask of HipHopDX said, "Such menacing musical backdrops, coupled with Ka's hushed, raspy tone, ultimately imbue Honor Killed The Samurai with a quietly fearsome vibe which never lets up over the course of the album’s 10 tracks".[1] RapReviews critic Patrick Taylor said that the album "has a cinematic feel to it. Like all of Ka's work, it is a quiet album that requires attention. He never raises his voice, there are no sung hooks, and there is nothing here that you could dance to" and also "some people might find Honor Killed the Samurai kind of boring. Those people are wrong, but it isn't an album that jumps out at you. It's an album that is all about skill and deliberation, and maintains Ka's rep as one of the more unique voices out there".[3] Writing for Spin, Sheldon Pearce said "Unlike last year's abstract masterpiece, Days With Dr. Yen Lo — which rarely peppered his chants with outside noise — the arrangements here are heavier and purposeful".[4] Paul A. Thompson of Pitchfork said, "With his latest, the Brownsville rapper cements himself as a preeminent stylist, his voice hushed but vicious, his production a grim rabbit hole of found sounds, minor keys, and few drums".[2] Tom Hull said that the album "weaves samurai lessons into a more domestic thread, offering a sense of hard-earned accomplishment and brutal fates".[5]

Accolades
Publication List Rank Ref.
Complex The 50 Best Albums of 2016
37
[7]
Crack Magazine Crack Magazine's 100 Greatest LPs of 2016
68
[8]
Passion of the Weiss The Best Albums of 2016
12
[9]
Red Bull 25 Best Albums of 2016
18
[10]
The Needle Drop Top 50 Albums of 2016
43
[11]
Tiny Mix Tapes 2016: Favorite 50 Music Releases
48
[12]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Conflicted"3:20
2."Just"3:40
3."That Cold and Lonely"2:49
4."Mourn at Night"3:34
5."$"3:19
6."Destined"3:50
7."Ours"3:41
8."Illicit Fields"3:25
9."Finer Things / Tamahagene"5:19
10."I Wish (Death Poem)"3:10
Total length:36:07

Personnel
  • Kaseem "Ka" Ryan – main artist, producer
  • Chris Pummill – recording
  • Charles Scott Harding – mixing
  • Tim Fodness – assistant mixing
  • Michael Fossenkemper – mastering
  • Mark Shaw – design

References
  1. Leask, Hugh (August 23, 2016). "Ka - Honor Killed The Samurai Review". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  2. Thompson, Paul A. (August 20, 2016). "Ka: Honor Killed the Samurai". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  3. Taylor, Patrick (September 13, 2016). "Ka :: Honor Killed the Samurai :: Iron Works". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  4. Pearce, Sheldon (August 17, 2016). "Review: Ka, 'Honor Killed the Samurai'". Spin. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  5. Hull, Tom (December 31, 2016). "Tom Hull: Streamnotes: 2016-12-31". tomhull.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  6. "KA - Honor Killed the Samurai". Album of the Year. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  7. Diaz, Angel (December 5, 2016). "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Complex. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  8. Brydon, Grant. "Albums Of The Year 2016". Crack Magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  9. Pedersen, Jordan (December 12, 2016). "The Best Albums of 2016". www.passionweiss.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  10. Sharp, Elliott (December 5, 2016). "25 Best Albums of 2016". Red Bull. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  11. Fantano, Anthony (December 23, 2016). "TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2016". The Needle Drop. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  12. "2016: Favorite 50 Music Releases". Tiny Mix Tapes. December 14, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
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