Album review: The best yet from Pusha T

King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude is the best album yet from Pusha T, offering a taut 10-song collection.

King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude by Pusha T is out now on Def Jam.

King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude

Pusha T

(Def Jam)

Four stars

Leave it to Pusha T to release one of last year's best hip-hop albums in December – but the American rapper has always been subversive. His second solo album, King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude, is his best yet and marks a further evolution in his career.

There is simply no fat to be found in the taut 10-song collection, from the carefully curated beats to Pusha’s precise wordplay.

Untouchable, produced by Timbaland, is dark and claustrophobic, while the sinister M.F.T.R gleams like stolen jewellery.

None of the sonics overshadow what Pusha fans crave: that hypnotic and surgical flow full of hard-edged barbs. The recent Drake versus Meek Mills feud is alluded to over Got Them Covered's slinky oriental production: "Not concerned with your rap beef/Poetic justice watching you sock puppets."

In the pensive Intro, Pusha gives it to the rap game: "They take samples of 'em, I make examples of 'em/It's the thrill of the hunt, I keep my mantle covered."

KPDBFTP is lean and mean. Serious rarely sounded so fun.