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La Familia: The Art Gallery Massacre is the second compilation album released by La Familia Records, in association with Imperial Worldwide Records, on February 5, 2021. It features artists from the label such as Splash Godd, Blaxk Billy, King Keem, Krash, Gloxk G, and the late Blaxkface Killer. It has guest appearances from the late Q-Lo, 600Gz, and Kanye West. The album features production by in-house producers BreeZee and Brxly, Blaxkface Killer, Killer Karnage, Kanye West, J. Cole, and AXL Beats. The album's cover art features The Murder of Rizzio, painted in 1787 by John Opie.
Recorded prior to Blaxkface Killer's death, The Art Gallery Massacre was supported by four singles during a "Familia New Year" promotional event which released a new single from the compilation every Friday: "5AM" featuring Blaxkface Killer and Q-Lo on January 8, 2021; "Barismo" featuring Splash Godd, Blaxk Billy, Gloxk G, and Krash on January 15; "Money Trees" featuring Blaxkface Killer, Splash Godd, and Kanye West on January 22; and a label-roster remix of Blaxkface Killer's previous single, "No Sense", released on January 29. The compilation received widely positive reviews from critics and debuted at number seven on the Sunset 200. It also topped the Commonwealth Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming the label's first number-one compilation on both charts.
The Art Gallery Massacre was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards.
Background and development
King Keem stated in a 2019 interview that he had already begun writing new material for the next compilation following Omertà, though it's believed the initial concepts for this record would later be scrapped and the songs re-purposed for his own debut album, Allah Sent Me. King Keem later stated that the track "6K" was made during this time though it would be altered and changed over the following year. The original version of the song, leaked on March 1, 2021, featured an unreleased verse from King Keem as well as featuring guest appearances from Blaxkface Killer and 17 Cliipper the Red God.
Splash Godd stated that the compilation's title is derived from his and Blaxkface Killer's time spent in Amsterdam in late 2019 on psilocybin mushrooms, leading to them apparently wandering into a museum nearby and becoming drawn by the high art of the Renaissance and having strange experiences. Initially a concept for his debut album, he was ultimately swayed by Blaxkface Killer in March 2020 to instead use the concept for a second compilation record. The compilation would later be dedicated to Blaxkface Killer, who'd be slain in a drive-by shooting on November 3, 2020.
Much of the album was recorded in a string of sessions that took place in the Krimson Studio in Plainsfield and Splash Godd's house during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Given that most of the artists on the label still resided in Plainsfield, Splash Godd later stated that much of the material released on the compilation were from the same sessions of Blaxkface Killer's debut album Kamino and that they would all meet at the Krimson Studio, and later Splash Godd's house, for much of 2020. BreeZee stated in a 2021 interview with Hype Lords that they had recorded enough material for "three more compilations" during these sessions, which lasted from March to November and involved the entirety of the label's roster. The only track that was not created during these recording sessions was "5AM", featuring Blaxkface Killer and Q-Lo. Produced by Kanye though originally a track by Splash Godd featuring Q-Lo, Godd would explain that he had not been sure what to do with material he had recorded with the late Q-Lo in 2017, stating in an interview with The Porciúncula Times shortly after the project's release,
"Though I had recorded these songs three years ago, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them but you know, I have always had respect for Jermaine and his team... It was Hakim that approached me with a verse for one the songs I had been fortunante enough to record with him while he was still alive, and after hearing it, I felt like he could just have the song because he did something truly special with it..."
BreeZee later stated in an interview with Vice that Blaxkface Killer's verse on "Foreign Gourmet" was recorded on the night of his death, and said that the album was released in the exact tracklist it was in upon his untimely death. The tracklist originally made by Splash Godd and Blaxkface Killer for the the Deluxe Edition was also used upon it's release on February 26.
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Divergent Beats |  
|
| Ebonics Digest | A- |
| The Huntington Beach Post | 
|
| La Brea Times | B+ |
| Newstar |
|
| The Porciúncula Times | 7.5/10 |
| Sunset 40 | 8/10 |
| Sierra Media | 8.22/10 |
| The Unionist |
|
| Zeke Media | A- |
The Art Gallery Massacre received critical acclaim from critics and fans alike. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 83 based on twenty-two reviews.
Many critics applauded the late Blaxkface Killer's features on the album, with many hip-hop publications listing his verse from tracks "5AM" and "Money Trees" receiving significant popularity. Toby Waters of Newstar stated "The Art Gallery Massacre is a grand yet, grimey broadway production. From the cold-blooded and thought provoking lyricism to the album's enriched cover, it's whoozy and soulful production leads to a very memorable listen and one the label's most creative releases since 'Kamino'." Pierre Sherman of The Porciúncula Times said, "The Art Gallery Massacre is a solid showcase of what there is to like about La Familia with some of the best raps of Splash Godd's and the late Blaxkface Killer's careers, among others on the label." Writing for Sierra Media, Vernon Baker would give the compilation a rating of 8.22/10, stating, "Whether it comes to referencing gang violence or high art and fashion, Splash Godd and La Familia retain total creative control as they tred further into the mainstream spotlight with The Art Gallery Massacre after the death of the label's most popular artist."
Writing for Sierra Media, Vernon Baker would give the compilation a rating of 8.22/10, stating, "Whether it comes to referencing gang violence or high art and fashion, Splash Godd and La Familia retain total creative control as they tred further into the mainstream spotlight with The Art Gallery Massacre after the death of the label's most popular artist." Fidelity Magazine critic Jack Simonds said, "Splash Godd and crew skates over some very melodic and whoozy beats, effortlessly gliding in and out of the pocket with more than enough to say."
Accolades
| Publication | Accolade | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Media | Top 50 Albums of 2021 | 11
|
| Fidelity Magazine | Top 50 Albums of 2021 | 4
|
| The Spring | Top 50 Albums of 2021 | 9
|
| Newstar | Top 50 Albums of 2021 | 7
|
| Headlines | Top 44 Albums of 2021 | 10
|
| Hype Lords | Top 25 Albums of 2021 | 3
|
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Album | Nominated |
Commercial reception
The compilation debuted at number seven on the Sunset 200 with approximately 39,654 album-equivalent units being sold during the first week of release.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Art Gallery Massacre (Intro)" (featuring Blaxkface Killer, Blaxk Billy, Krash, and Splash Godd) | Hakim Wilson · Kendrick Porter · Daryl Marshall · Jeoffrey Bennett · Brytavious Chambers | BreeZee · Hit-Boi | 3:07 |
| 2. | "5AM" (featuring Blaxkface Killer and Q-Lo) | Wilson · Bennett · Jermaine Williams | Martin King Jr. | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Barismo" (featuring Splash Godd, Blaxk Billy, Gloxk G, and Krash) | Bennett · Porter · Chadwick Wade · Marshall | BreeZee · Brxly | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Kuban Link" (featuring Splash Godd and Gloxk G) | Bennett · Wade · Hudson | BreeZee · Wilson (co. ) | 3:11 |
| 5. | "baxkwoods*" (featuring Splash Godd, Blaxkface Killer, and 600Gz) | Bennett · Wilson · Hudson · Porter · Treyvon Lakesh | BreeZee · Brxly | 3:59 |
| 6. | "Dog Down" (featuring Krash and Blaxk Billy) | Marshall · Porter · Bennett · Wilson | BreeZee | 2:19 |
| 7. | "6K" (featuring Splash Godd, King Keem, and Blaxk Billy) | Bennett · Rakim Jones · Porter | Brxly | 2:48 |
| 8. | "Money Trees" (featuring Blaxkface Killer, Splash Godd, and Martin King Jr.) | Bennett · Wilson · Porter · King Jr. · Jermaine Cole | J. Cole | 3:51 |
| 9. | "No Sense (Familia Remix)" (with Blaxkface Killer featuring Splash Godd, Gloxk G, King Keem, and Blaxk Billy) | Wilson · Bennett · Jones · Porter | AXL Beats | 3:44 |
| 10. | "Foreign Gourmet" (featuring Blaxkface Killer and Splash Godd) | Wilson · Bennett · Hudson | Killer Karnage | 3:26 |
| 11. | "The Escape Freestyle" (featuring Splash Godd, Gloxk G, Krash, Blaxkface Killer, King Keem, and Blaxk Billy) | Bennett · Bennett · Marshall · Jones · Wilson | BreeZee · Brxly | 7:14 |
| Total length: | 40:48 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Next Step" (featuring Splash Godd, 600Gz, and King Keem) | Bennett · Lakesh · Jones · Chauncey Hollis | Hit-Boi | 2:59 |
| 13. | "Rapper Weed" (featuring Gloxk G and Blaxk Billy) | Wade · Porter · Hollis | Brxly | 3:02 |
| 14. | "Champion's Circle" (featuring Splash Godd, Krash, and Big Sean) | Bennett · Marshall · Sean Anderson | Hit-Boi · Brxly | 4:13 |
| 15. | "Bang!" (featuring King Keem and Blaxkface Killer) | Jones · Wilson | AXL Beats | 2:47 |
| Total length: | 54:03 | |||