Hood Poet
2024 studio album by Polo G
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Hood Poet (a backronym for "He Overcame Obstacles During Pain or Emotional Trauma") is the fourth studio album by American rapper Polo G.[3] It was released on August 9, 2024, through Columbia Records.[4] The album features guest appearances from 42 Dugg, Fridayy, Future, GloRilla, G Herbo, Hunxho, Offset, Lil Durk, and The Kid Laroi. The production of the album was primarily handled by Southside, Allen Ritter, and Smatt Sertified, with assistance from ATL Jacob, Cubeatz, Dr. Luke, Dru DeCaro, Fridayy, Nick Papz, Noah Goldstein, Pink Slip, TM88, and Zack Bia, alongside several other producers. The album serves as a follow-up to Bartlett's deluxe album, Hall of Fame 2.0 (2021).
| Hood Poet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 9, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2021–2024 | |||
| Studio | Lion Share Studios | |||
| Length | 49:54 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer |
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| Polo G chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hood Poet | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| RapReviews | 7/10[1] |
| Slant Magazine |    [2] |
The album was supported by four official singles: "Distraction", "Barely Holdin' On", "Angels in the Sky", and "We Uh Shoot" (with Lil Durk). The album debuted and peaked at 28 on the Billboard 200 with 24k album equivalent units in its first week.
Release, promotion, and reception
Originally, Hood Poet was teased as a collaborative studio album by Polo G and American record producer Southside.[5] In August 2023, Polo G teased the album's release by setting up posters containing lyrics with the album's title Hood Poet under each one.[6] On August 15, 2023, he officially announced the album's release, as well as a single titled "Barely Holdin' On", with the album to release on September 15, 2023,[7][8] alongside a 24-hour livestream to promote the album.[9] Following the release of "Barely Holdin' On," he announced that he was contemplating retirement from music after he released the album.[10][11] However, later that month, on August 23, Polo G was arrested alongside his brother in connection to a robbery. During the search of his home, an illegal short-barreled rifle was found, resulting in an additional firearm charge.[12][13][14] The arrest resulted in a delay in the release of the album. A tour was also planned, but those dates were never affected by those charges.[15]
In January 2024, Polo G stated in an interview with TMZ that the album would be released in August.[16] On March 24, Polo performed his an unreleased track, "Heavy Heart" on From The Block.[17] On July 30, 2024, he announced that the album would release on August 9, 2024, while also revealing the cover art and guest appearances for the album.[18][19] On August 6, Polo G released the album's official tracklist.[20]
Following the release of the album, Polo G released the official music video for the album's fourteenth cut, "Darkside".[21]
The album peaked at #28 on Billboard 200 and sold 24,000 units during its first week. It was received negatively by fans and critics alike. As of October 15, 2024, the album has a user score of 51 on Album Of The Year and a 2.4 star rating on Rate Your Music. Slant Magazine gave the album a 2.5 star review, saying that "Polo G shows little interest in pushing himself out of his immediate comfort zone.
Singles
On May 27, 2022, Polo G announced the first single, "Distraction", with a trailer featuring YouTuber Kai Cenat.[22] "Distraction" was released on June 3, 2022.[23] It charted at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.[24] The album's second single, "Barely Holdin' On", was released on August 18, 2023.[25] It peaked at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.[24] On May 31, the album's third single, "Angels in the Sky", was released.[26][27] The album's fourth and final single, "We Uh Shoot" featuring Lil Durk, was released on August 2.[28]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "God's Favorite" |
| 2:12 | |
| 2. | "No Recruits" (featuring G Herbo) |
|
| 3:02 |
| 3. | "Barely Holdin' On" |
| 2:53 | |
| 4. | "Only Gang" (featuring 42 Dugg) |
|
| 3:12 |
| 5. | "Same Me" (featuring Fridayy) |
|
| 2:43 |
| 6. | "Detox" |
|
| 2:22 |
| 7. | "Thorns" |
|
| 3:05 |
| 8. | "G63" (featuring Offset) |
|
| 2:46 |
| 9. | "We Uh Shoot" (featuring Lil Durk) |
|
| 2:33 |
| 10. | "Rain Fallin" (featuring the Kid Laroi) |
|
| 3:01 |
| 11. | "Distraction" |
|
| 2:51 |
| 12. | "No Turning Back" (featuring Hunxho) |
|
| 3:08 |
| 13. | "Angels in the Sky" |
|
| 2:42 |
| 14. | "Darkside" |
|
| 2:53 |
| 15. | "Bad Kids" (featuring GloRilla) |
| Twysted Genius | 2:36 |
| 16. | "Survival of the Fittest" (featuring Future) |
|
| 2:55 |
| 17. | "Father's Day" |
|
| 2:42 |
| 18. | "From the Heart" |
|
| 2:18 |
| Total length: | 49:54 | |||
Notes
Personnel
Musicians
- Polo G – vocals (all tracks)
- G Herbo – vocals (2)
- 42 Dugg – vocals (4)
- Fridayy – vocals (5)
- Offset – vocals (8)
- Lil Durk – vocals (9)
- The Kid Laroi – vocals (10)
- Hunxho – vocals (12)
- GloRilla – vocals (15)
- Future – vocals (16)
Technical
- Dale Becker – mastering (3)
- Nicolas de Porcel – mastering (9, 13)
- Eric Lagg – mastering (11)
- Jaycen Joshua – mixing (1, 4–8, 10, 15, 16)
- MixedByAli – mixing (2, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18)
- Serban Ghenea – mixing (3)
- Patrizio "Teezio" Pigliapoco – mixing (11)
- Todd Hurtt – mixing (11, 13), recording
- Jordan Michael O'Brien – mixing (13), engineering assistance (3)
- Michael Hernandez – mixing (14)
- Josh Villegas – mixing (15)
- Anthony Vega – engineering assistance (1, 18)
- Jesse Navaro – engineering assistance (2, 6, 11)
- Peter Kuhlmann – engineering assistance (4)
- Donovan Fava – engineering assistance (5)
- Walker Riggs – engineering assistance (7, 11, 12)
- Faith Howard-Parra – engineering assistance (8)
- Demitrius Lewis II – engineering assistance (9)
- Graham Polk – engineering assistance (9, 16)
- Ignacio Portales – engineering assistance (11)
- J Shriver – engineering assistance (11)
- Kayla Holland – engineering assistance (13)
- William Frenchman – engineering assistance (17)
Charts
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] | 190 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[30] | 64 |
| US Billboard 200[31] | 28 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[32] | 6 |