''Elephant Eyes'' is the debut studio album by American rapper

Omen An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...

and was released on July 21, 2015 by

Dreamville Records Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas, Ari Lennox ...

. It includes features from Dreamville artists,

J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...

Ari Lennox Courtney Shanade Salter (born March 26, 1991), known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C. She is the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole's record label, Dreamville Records. She began gaining reco ...

and

Bas Bas may refer to: People * Bas (name), a given name and a surname * Bas (rapper) (born 1987) Chemistry * Boron arsenide (BAs), a chemical compound * Barium sulfide (BAs), a chemical compound Other uses * ''bas'' (French for "low"), as in bas- ...

, as well as CJ Hamilton. ''Elephant Eyes'' served as Ari Lennox's introduction to Dreamville, Omen introduced her to J. Cole which eventually led to her signing to the label.

Background and release

The album was removed from all

streaming services An over-the-top media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributors of s ...

due to sample issues, but remained available for free listen on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming s ...

. Physical copies of ''Elephant Eyes'' were available for purchase on Dreamville's official website for a limited time.

Critical reception

Evan Vogel from ''The Early Registration'' said "By the end of the album, you feel like you are hearing a much more confident Omen than the shy, closed-off artist we got in the beginning. It shows progression, not only in music but in his number one concern, personal growth. He is more accepting of the randomness of life and seems more comfortable about who he is. The ability to hear a definite growth and transition in thought process is what pushes the project past being a collection of songs about one’s life. The artists involved with Dreamville records seem to be writing an elaborate collaborative book and this is one of the best chapters yet."

Track listing

Sample Credits * "Motion Picture" contains samples from "Way Star" performed by Rubba and "

Impeach the President "Impeach the President" is a single by funk band the Honey Drippers, written and produced by Roy Charles Hammond, known as Roy C. It was first released on Alaga Records in 1973, and was re-released to iTunes by Tuff City Records in 2017, after b ...

" performed by The Honey Drippers. * "LoveDrug" contains a sample from "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)" performed by

Jill Scott Jill Scott may refer to: * Jill Scott (singer) (born 1972), American soul singer and songwriter. * Jill Scott (racing driver) (1902–1974), English racing driver * Jill Scott (media artist) (born 1952), Australian media artist * Jill Scott (footba ...

. * "Elephant Eyes" contains a sample from "Mirrors" performed by

Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American singer who embarked on her music career contributing vocals and appearing in several music videos for R&B group B2K. In an effort to promote Aiko and cultivate a following for h ...

. * "Big Shadows" contains a sample from "If Tomorrow Never Comes" performed by

The Controllers The Controllers are a fictional extraterrestrial race existing in the DC Universe. They first appear in ''Adventure Comics'' #357 (June 1967), and were created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger, and Curt Swan. Fictional character biography Pre-Cri ...

References

2015 debut albums Interscope Records albums Dreamville Records albums {{2010s-hiphop-album-stub