''Robots'' is the fourth EP by American

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

duo

EarthGang EarthGang (stylized EARTHGANG) is an American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, composed of Olu (aka Johnny Venus; born Olu Onyemachi Dakarai Fann) and WowGr8 (aka Doctur Dot; born Eian Parker). They are co-founders of the musical collective S ...

, released October 20, 2017 by Spillage Village and distributed by

Empire Distribution Empire Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (stylized as EMPIRE) is an independent American record label, distribution and publishing company founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami. Based in San Francisco, EMPIRE has offices in New York, London, ...

. Released as a sequel to their third EP ''

Rags Rag, rags, RAG or The Rag may refer to: Common uses * Rag, a piece of old cloth * Rags, tattered clothes * Wash rag, a small cloth used for bathing * Rag (newspaper), a publication engaging in tabloid journalism * Rag paper, or cotton paper Arts ...

'', it is the second instalment in a trilogy of EPs, leading up to their debut album, ''

Mirrorland ''Mirrorland'' is the major label debut studio album by American hip hop duo EarthGang, released on September 6, 2019 by Dreamville, Interscope, and Spillage Village. The album includes features from Young Thug, T-Pain, Kehlani, Arin Ray, an ...

''. The EP features production from Swish, Groove, Anonxmous, Insightful, and Johnny Venus. It features a guest appearance from

SiR ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

Background

EarthGang initially met J. Cole in 2014 while touring with

Ab-Soul Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where he eventually formed We ...

and was told by their manager that "Cole was feelin' them". Shortly after the release of their 2015 album ''Strays with Rabies'' and while touring with

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 ...

in 2016, Dot and Venus began recording a "deconstructed album" which would form the three EPs, leading up to their major-label debut album, ''

''.

Singles and promotion

On October 6, 2017,

released the first single "Robots" and announced the release date for the EP. On October 19, 2017 EarthGang released the music video for "Robots".

Critical reception

''Robots'' has received generally positive reviews. In a positive review for HotNewHipHop, Mitch Findlay wrote: "Dare I say reminiscent of a new-age OutKast. There's no denying that

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

is running the game, but EarthGang is quietly making a case that the lyricists having something to say. Writing for ''The Lunchtable Talks'', Williams Rivas said, "The EP is a strong show of what the future holds for EarthGang. Vulnerability, musical prowess, a respect for hip hop and R&B roots, and an unmatchable chemistry. Since the group’s inception, to their time with Spillage Village, to their present status under the wing of one of the current greatest rappers in the game, Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot are perfecting their craft with each and every venture".

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

wrote a positive review of the EP and praised "Flickted" as the project's standout track, calling it "an expansive, glistening wash of electric piano infuses their rhymes with warmth and optimism".

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 2017 EPs EarthGang albums Southern hip-hop EPs Sequel albums Empire Distribution EPs