Diaspora (GoldLink album)

Diaspora
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 12, 2019 (2019-06-12)
Length39:52
LabelRCA
Producer
GoldLink chronology
At What Cost
(2017)
Diaspora
(2019)
HARAM!
(2021)
Singles from Diaspora
  1. "Zulu Screams"
    Released: May 13, 2019
  2. "Joke Ting"
    Released: May 31, 2019
  3. "U Say"
    Released: June 6, 2019

Diaspora is the second studio album by American rapper GoldLink, released on June 12, 2019, by RCA Records. It follows the release of his previous album At What Cost (2017), and features guest appearances from Pusha T, Tyler, the Creator, Khalid, Wizkid, Jay Prince, Bibi Bourelly, WSTRN, Jackson Wang, Maleek Berry, Ari PenSmith, Lil Nei and WaveIQ.

Artwork

[edit]

The album cover features singer and model Justine Skye, his girlfriend at the time, in neon green light, wearing '90s-style sunglasses with her hair pulled back and few earrings. It was photographed by Hailey Bieber.[1]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[3]
Exclaim!8/10[4]
HipHopDX4.2/5[5]
Now3/5[6]
Pitchfork8.0/10[7]

Diaspora received a score of 82 out of 100 based on reviews from six critics on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[2] Briana Younger argued in The New Yorker that the album comments on Blackness as a global phenomenon, observing that each of its songs "can be seen to represent some facet of blackness".[8]

Track listing

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Diaspora track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."//error"
0:22
2."Joke Ting" (featuring Ari PenSmith)
  • Carlos
  • Irosogie
  • Isong
  • Tavon Thompson
  • Ari PenSmith
  • P2J
3:00
3."Maniac"
  • OBR
  • P2J
3:10
4."Days Like This" (featuring Khalid)
  • Uzowuru
  • Halm
2:49
5."Zulu Screams" (featuring Maleek Berry and Bibi Bourelly)
  • P2J
2:58
6."More" (featuring Lola Rae)
  • P2J
3:07
7."Cokewhite" (featuring Pusha T)
  • Fwdslxsh
  • McKenzie
  • MD$
  • P2J
  • Momberger
3:25
8."U Say" (featuring Tyler, the Creator and Jay Prince)
3:21
9."Yard" (featuring Haile of WSTRN)
  • Carlos
  • Irosogie
  • Ras Haile Aalexander
  • Isong
  • P2J
3:16
10."Spanish Song" (featuring WaveIQ)
  • Carlos
  • Irosogie
  • Isong
  • Thompson
  • Ari PenSmith
  • P2J
3:32
11."No Lie" (featuring WizKid)
  • Ari PenSmith
  • Deats
  • P2J
3:24
12."Tiff Freestyle"
  • Carlos
  • Sellanga Ochieng
  • Blinky Bill
1:43
13."Rumble" (featuring Jackson Wang and Lil Nei)
  • Rascal
3:12
14."Swoosh"
  • Carlos
  • Irosogie
  • Bourelly
  • Eyobed Getachew
  • Isong
  • EY
2:40
Total length:39:52

Charts

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Chart performance for Diaspora
Chart (2019) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[9] 70
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 148
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] 87
US Billboard 200[12] 77
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 40

References

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  1. ^ "Hailey Bieber Photographed Justine Skye for an Album Cover". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Diaspora by GoldLink". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  3. ^ "GoldLink – Diaspora". Clash. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  4. ^ "GoldLink Diaspora". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  5. ^ "Review: GoldLink's "Diaspora" Album Comes From The Soul". HipHopDX. July 11, 2019. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  6. ^ Ritchie, Kevin (June 28, 2019). "Review: GoldLink goes global on Diaspora". Now.
  7. ^ "GoldLink: Diaspora". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  8. ^ Younger, Briana (July 11, 2019). "GoldLink's Brilliant Tribute to the Sounds of the Diaspora". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #530". auspOp. June 22, 2019. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2022.