''51'' is the second solo mixtape by

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

Kool A.D., formerly of the rap group Das Racist. The mixtape, released in April 2012, is a follow-up to Kool A.D.'s debut solo mixtape, '' The Palm Wine Drinkard,'' which was released in January 2012.

Recording

Unlike previous Das Racist efforts, Kool A.D. recorded ''51'' in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

, which resulted in a more confident sound according to many critics. A.D. recruited many Bay Area producers and rappers to assist him with the creation of the mixtape, though fellow New York-based Das Racist member Heems appears on one track.

Content

A variety of references are made throughout the lyrics of ''51.'' Kool A.D. disparagingly references the feud between Drake and

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

by commenting, "Who cares?" on the track "La Pinata." Other references in the mixtape include boxer Manny Pacquiao, artist Damien Hirst, musician Al Green, and

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

's song "Poker Face." The tracks "Oooh" and "No" sample

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

Reception

''51'' received mostly positive reviews from critics. Many compared the album positively to Kool A.D.'s less well-received previous effort, '' The Palm Wine Drinkard''. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' applauded the fact that "Kool A.D. is actually rapping for the most part on this one rather than further pursuing the robo-tripping path of ''Palm Wine Drinkard,''" noting that ''51'' is "the most consistently listenable thing out of the Greedhead camp since '' Sit Down, Man'' probably because it's the most effortlessly fun since '' Shut Up, Dude''." In a positive review, ''Prefix Magazine'' described the mixtape as "a damn fine mixtape—album, release, whatever. It’s a trip down into Kool A.D.’s psyche, a demonstrable showing that while Das Racist might be based in New York, one of their members is spiritually Bay." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

s Matthew Trammell, in a mixed review, wrote that "the project veers off course when A.D. taps Bay Area-beatmaker Young L, and derails entirely (and possibly intentionally) when the rapper steps behind the boards for songs like the grinding, non-sensical 'Power/Refinement Knowledge,'" though Trammell noted that the mixtape as a whole "suggest that Kool A.D should record in the Bay Area more often."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 2012 mixtape albums Kool A.D. albums