Behold a Dark Horse

Behold a Dark Horse
The album cover of Behold a Dark Horse by Roc Marciano, depicting an illustration of Marciano on horseback.
Studio album by
Roc Marciano
ReleasedSeptember 18, 2018
Genre
Length37:41
LabelMarci Enterprises
Producer
Roc Marciano chronology
Warm Hennessy
(2018) 		Behold a Dark Horse
(2018) 		Kaos
(2018)
Singles from Behold a Dark Horse
  1. "The Horse's Mouth"
    Released: September 18, 2018

Behold a Dark Horse is the sixth studio album by American hip-hop artist Roc Marciano, released on September 18, 2018, by Marci Enterprises. The album is primarily produced by Marciano, with additional production from the Alchemist, Animoss, Doncee, Preservation, and Q-Tip. The album features guest appearances from rappers Black Thought, Knowledge the Pirate and Busta Rhymes.

Background and release

Marciano surprise released Behold a Dark Horse exclusively on his website as a $30 digital download on September 18, 2018—a strategy he had employed for his previous two studio releases—with only a music video for the single "The Horse's Mouth" being made available for streaming.

The album's title is a reference to the book Behold a Pale Horse by American conspiracy theorist Milton William Cooper.[3] The album cover was illustrated by Dom Dirtee.[4][5]

To celebrate the streaming release of Behold a Dark Horse, Marciano appeared on an episode of music streaming service Tidal's web series Car Test.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
HipHopDX3.9/5[2]
Pitchfork7.1/10[1]
RapReviews6.5/10[7]
Tiny Mix Tapes[8]
Underground Hip Hop Blog8/10[9]

Behold a Dark Horse received mostly positive reviews from music critics. In a five-star review, Samuel Diamond of Tiny Mix Tapes stated: "Seasoned to perfection, the album documents Roc Marciano cementing his legacy as an MC, producer, and influence in control of his ends—that is, not only of his money, but of his destiny."[8] Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork wrote: "Nearly 20 years into his career, with his lane more crowded than ever, Marci has made his raps sharper, let his flows whisk through richer samples, and deepened his commitment to the character he plays."[1] In a lukewarm review, Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews claimed that the album "won’t disappoint long time Roc Marci fans, nor will it offer them anything new that they’ve never heard from Marci before".[7]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of Behold a Dark Horse
Publication List Rank Ref.
Hip Hop Golden Age The Best Hip Hop Albums of 2018
23
[10]
Pitchfork The Best Rap Albums of 2018 —
[11]
Rolling Stone 30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2018
29
[12]

Track listing

Behold a Dark Horse track listing
No.TitleProducerLength
1."The Horse's Mouth"Preservation1:55
2."Congo"Roc Marciano2:44
3."1000 Deaths"Marciano2:27
4."Diamond Cutters" (featuring Black Thought)Marciano3:51
5."Amethyst"Animoss2:50
6."Sampson & Delilah"Don Cee3:37
7."No Love" (featuring Knowledge the Pirate)Marciano2:59
8."Trojan Horse" (featuring Busta Rhymes)Marciano4:00
9."Fabio"The Alchemist4:44
10."Secrets"Marciano3:37
11."Whoolers"Animoss2:21
12."Consigliere"Q-Tip2:36
Total length:37:41

References

  1. ^ a b c Pearce, Sheldon (September 28, 2018). "Roc Marciano: Behold a Dark Horse". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Scott, Dana (October 1, 2018). "Review: Roc Marciano's "Behold A Dark Horse's" Lighter Tone Is Its Calling Card". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  3. ^ Diamond, Samuel (September 19, 2018). "Roc Marciano rides out with new album Behold a Dark Horse, straight from "The Horse's Mouth"". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  4. ^ Ivey, Justin (September 17, 2018). "Roc Marciano Enlists Q-Tip, Black Thought & More For "Behold A Dark Horse" Album". Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  5. ^ "Dom Creates Cover Artwork For Roc Marciano's "Behold a Dark Horse"". www.domdirtee.com. September 17, 2018. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Duong, Paul (October 12, 2018). "Car Test: Roc Marciano". RapRadar.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Juon, Steve (January 15, 2019). "Roc Marciano :: Behold a Dark Horse". RapReviews.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Diamond, Samuel (October 8, 2018). "Roc Marciano: Behold a Dark Horse". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  9. ^ Legends Will Never Die (September 18, 2018). "Roc Marciano – "Behold a Dark Horse" (Album Review)". Underground Hip Hop Blog. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  10. ^ King, Brandon (January 24, 2019). "The Best Hip Hop Albums Of 2018". Hip Hop Golden Age. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Pitchfork (December 18, 2018). "The Best Hip Hop Albums Of 2018". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Weingarten, Christopher R.; Klinkenberg, Brendan; Holmes, Charles; Reeves, Mosi (December 26, 2018). "30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2018". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2024.