Black Encyclopedia of the Air is a studio album by American musician Camae Ayewa under the pseudonym Moor Mother. It was released on September 17, 2021, through Anti-. It received universal acclaim from critics.
Background Camae Ayewa, also known under the pseudonym Moor Mother, is an American musician based in Philadelphia. Black Encyclopedia of the Air is a follow-up to Brass (2020), her collaborative album with Billy Woods. She created the album in collaboration with Olof Melander. The album features guest appearances from Elucid, Antonia Gabriela, Brother May, Lojii, Saydah Ruz, Bfly, Orion Sun, Pink Siifu, Nappy Nina, Maassai, Yatta, Dudu Kouate, Black Quantum Futurism, and Elaine Mitchener. It was recorded at her home in March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It contains 13 tracks, clocking in at 32 minutes.
The album was released on September 17, 2021, through Anti-.
Critical reception
Chris Ingalls of PopMatters described the album as "Ayewa's relatively accessible take on hip-hop." He added, "Granted, this is a complex, dizzying, and challenging piece of work, but the arrangements are so expertly crafted and so tied into a retro-soul feel that the edges are somewhat easy to take." Paul Simpson of AllMusic stated, "Considerably less noisy than previous Moor Mother releases like her 2016 breakthrough Fetish Bones, the album flows through slippery jazz rhythms, mellow R&B vibes, and meditative ambient textures, with Ayewa's lyrics remaining forceful even as she's delivering them in a softer register." Daniel Sylvester of Exclaim! wrote, "Ayewa and Melander anchor many of the tracks with tempered, stretched, echoed, doubled and warped vocals and samples, increasing the claustrophobic, nervous energy across the album and giving it its distinctive sound and flow."
Accolades + Year-end lists for Black Encyclopedia of the Air Publication List Rank Beats Per Minute BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2021 BrooklynVegan BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2021 Crack The Top 50 Albums of 2021 Magnet MAGNET's Top 25 Albums of 2021 NPR Music NPR Music's 50 Best Albums of 2021 Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2021 PopMatters The 75 Best Albums of 2021 Uncut The Top 75 Albums of the Year The Wire Releases of the Year (2021 Rewind)
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes.
Moor Mother – executive production Olof Melander – production Dudu Kouate – co-production (10), production (13) Madam Data – production (12) Joe Baldacci – mixing Alex Nagle – mastering Curtis Talwst Santiago – artwork Todd M. Duym – photography
Charts + Chart performance for Black Encyclopedia of the Air Chart (2021) Peakposition
References
Further reading
External links