First Born (Eyedea & Abilities album)

First Born
Studio album by
Eyedea & Abilities
ReleasedOctober 1, 2001 (2001-10-01)[1]
GenreHip hop, alternative hip hop, underground hip hop, psychedelic hip hop
Length70:10
LabelRhymesayers Entertainment
ProducerDJ Abilities
Eyedea & Abilities chronology
The Whereabouts of Hidden Bridges
(1999) 		First Born
(2001) 		E&A
(2004)
Singles from First Born
  1. "Blindly Firing"
    Released: 2001

First Born is the first studio album by American hip hop duo Eyedea & Abilities. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment on October 1, 2001.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. Clubfavorable[2]
Exclaim!mixed[3]
Pitchfork7.9/10[4]

Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club said, "The album's high-minded excursions into the realm of being and nothingness periodically lurch into navel-gazing self-parody, but Eyedea's passionate delivery and lyrical skills keep the disc grounded."[2] Brad Haywood of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.9 out of 10, stating that "[Eyedea's] rhymes are dense, literate, focused, often surprising and always amusing."[4]

In 2015, HipHopDX included it on the "30 Best Underground Hip Hop Albums Since 2000" list.[5]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."One"2:35
2."Music Music"4:40
3."Birth of a Fish..."2:09
4."...Powdered Water Too (Part 1)"3:03
5."...Powdered Water Too (Part 2)"3:23
6."Color My World Mine"5:57
7."Liquid Sovereignty"5:30
8."A Murder of Memories"4:58
9."Blindly Firing"3:46
10."Big Shots"3:50
11."Void (Internal Theory)"2:14
12."The Dive (Part 1)"4:13
13."The Dive (Part 2)"5:13
14."Well Being"3:09
15."Read Wiped in Blue"5:08
16."Void (External Theory)"1:14
17."On This I Stand"5:28
18."Before and After" (bonus track; featuring Blueprint)3:40
Total length:70:10

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

  • Eyedea – vocals, lyrics
  • DJ Abilities – production
  • Chris Blood – recording, mixing, mastering
  • Emily Lazar – mastering
  • M. Ward – artwork, design
  • Stress – layout

References

  1. ^ a b "Eyedea & Abilities - First Born". Rhymesayers Entertainment. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Rabin, Nathan (March 29, 2002). "Eyedea And Abilities: First Born". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  3. ^ Quinlan, Thomas (August 1, 2001). "Eyedea & Abilities: First Born". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Haywood, Brad (February 10, 2002). "Eyedea & Abilities: First Born". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  5. ^ "The 30 Best Underground Hip Hop Albums Since 2000". HipHopDX. August 26, 2015. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.