Without Warning (album)

This article is about the 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin album. For other albums, see Without Warning § Music.

Without Warning
Studio album by
21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin
ReleasedOctober 31, 2017 (2017-10-31)
Genre
Length33:22
Label
Producer
21 Savage chronology
Issa Album
(2017) 		Without Warning
(2017) 		I Am > I Was
(2018)
Offset chronology
Without Warning
(2017) 		Father of 4
(2019)
Metro Boomin chronology
Perfect Timing
(2017) 		Without Warning
(2017) 		Double or Nothing
(2017)
Singles from Without Warning
  1. "Ric Flair Drip"
    Released: March 1, 2018

Without Warning is a collaborative studio album by British-American rapper 21 Savage, American rapper Offset, and American record producer Metro Boomin. The album was released on October 31, 2017, by Slaughter Gang, Epic Records, Capitol Records, Motown, Quality Control Music, Boominati Worldwide, and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Travis Scott and Quavo. Meanwhile, the album's production was handled primarily by Metro Boomin, alongside Bijan Amir, Cubeatz, Dre Moon, and Southside. Without Warning peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200, and received generally positive reviews from critics.

Background

[edit]

On October 30, 2017, Epic Records announced Without Warning, along with the album's collaborators.[1][2]

Promotion

[edit]

"Ric Flair Drip" was serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio as the album's lead single on March 1, 2018.[3][4] The song peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[5]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[6]
Metacritic78/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
ConsequenceB+[8]
Exclaim!7/10[9]
HipHopDX2.8/5[10]
HotNewHipHop84%[11]
Pitchfork8.0/10[12]
Pretty Much AmazingB+[13]
RapReviews6/10[14]
Spectrum Culture[15]
XXL4/5[16]

Without Warning was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on nine reviews.[7] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[6]

Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork praised the chemistry between the rappers, its Halloween aesthetic and Metro Boomin's production, stating: "It's short and cohesive, an enjoyable and uncomplicated 33 minutes of sheer exhilaration, filled with stings, itches, and cold chills. In one form or another, the collaboration comes as a surprise to all of us, arriving suddenly and carrying within the electricity and satisfaction of a good scare."[12] Marshall Gu of Pretty Much Amazing said, "The best song comes early in "Ghostface Killers", with an excellent rapped chorus from Offset that's been running through my head since the tape dropped and Travis Scott sounding excellent as always even if he doesn't say much anything at all".[13] Gary Suarez of Consequence said, "Where the Super Slimey too often felt like a requisite Xanax-blasted victory lap, one notably soft on hooks [...], Without Warning exudes vitality and menace".[8] Online publication HotNewHipHop stated that Without Warning is "the rap equivalent of a slasher flick: gory, over-the-top, and a lot of fucking fun. Most of the horror vibe comes from Metro, who expertly throws in demented laughing, chainsaws, gunshots, wolf howls, creepy music boxes, and Rosemary's Baby-level haunting backing vocals as backing tracks to his instrumentals. And goddamn, those instrumentals. Big bells, eerie piano, reverby bass, and sci-fi synths set the tone, but the way he deploys them shows the most progress. There are no predictable build-ups, and the way he tailors the ins and outs of his beats to each rappers' flows and emphases is impeccable".[11] Chris Gibbons of XXL said, "Without Warning is more than a Halloween novelty. Offset and 21 Savage turn their differences in delivery into an undeniable chemistry, while Metro Boomin's production gives the project a proper Halloween-inspired sound so their comparisons to classic villains like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees aren't in vain".[16]

Andrew Matson of Mass Appeal gave the album a favourable review, commenting: "It's a bit weird to joyfully toast an album that's so dark, and contains a lot of murder/guns talk. But what's most apparent here is two artists in love with their art, rapping from gangster/villain points of view. Both are experiencing crazy levels of success they might never have imagined, both are carving their own unique lanes through rap while staying true to their styles. It seems to have worked out naturally that they make music that can be extremely Halloween-ish, and that's the day we get Without Warning. What else can you say about why this project works? Sometimes shit lines up, and that's a beautiful thing."[17] In a mixed review, HipHopDX's Trent Clark stated: "Like most projects that get recorded without the guise of a meticulous A&R, Without Warning's billing never exceeds the expectations of any artist—rapper or producer—let alone offer a glimpse of what allows these individuals to rank amongst 2017 Hip Hop's most popular figures."[10]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Select year-end rankings of Without Warning
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2017
49
[18]
Complex The Best Albums of 2017
40
[19]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Without Warning debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with 53,000 album-equivalent units, 11,000 of which were pure album sales.[20] It is 21 Savage's second top 10 album, and Offset (as a solo artist) and Metro Boomin's first top 10 album.[20] Six songs from the album managed to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, led by "Ric Flair Drip", which peaked at number 13, becoming both Metro Boomin and Offset's highest charting song as lead artists.[5][21]

Track listing

[edit]
Without Warning track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Ghostface Killers" (featuring Travis Scott)
Metro Boomin4:28
2."Rap Saved Me" (featuring Quavo)
Metro Boomin4:17
3."Ric Flair Drip" (performed by Offset and Metro Boomin)
  • Cephus
  • Wayne
  • Bijan Amirkhani
  • Metro Boomin
  • Bijan Amir
2:52
4."My Choppa Hate Niggas" (performed by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin)
2:28
5."Nightmare" (performed by Offset and Metro Boomin)
  • Cephus
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin2:27
6."Mad Stalkers"
3:22
7."Disrespectful"
  • Abraham-Joseph
  • Cephus
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin2:40
8."Run Up the Racks" (performed by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin)
3:09
9."Still Serving"
  • Abraham-Joseph
  • Cephus
  • Wayne
  • K. Gomringer
  • T. Gomringer
  • Metro Boomin
  • Cubeatz
3:51
10."Darth Vader"
  • Abraham-Joseph
  • Cephus
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin3:48
Total length:33:22

Personnel

[edit]

Credits were adapted from Tidal.[22]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Without Warning
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[46] Platinum 20,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[47] Gold 10,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (30 October 2017). "21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin Drop Surprise Album 'Without Warning'". Complex. Archived from the original on 31 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  2. ^ A., Aron (30 October 2017). "Offset, 21 Savage & Metro Boomin' Dropping "Without Warning" Album Tonight". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 31 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  3. ^ Findlay, Mitch (1 March 2018). "Offset Stunts With The Legend Himself In "Ric Flair Drip" Video". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  4. ^ Cantor, Brian (12 March 2018). "Offset & Metro Boomin's "Ric Flair Drip" Makes Big Jump On Hot 100". Headline Planet. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Metro Boomin Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Without Warning by 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Without Warning by 21 Savage Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  8. ^ a b Suarez, Gary (6 November 2017). "21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin – Without Warning". Consequence. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  9. ^ Glaysher, Scott (7 November 2017). "21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin Without Warning". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  10. ^ a b Clark, Trent (7 November 2017). "21 Savage, Offset, & Metro Boomin Without Warning Album Review". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  11. ^ a b Lyons, Patrick (3 November 2017). "21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin "Without Warning" Review". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 4 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  12. ^ a b Pearce, Sheldon (3 November 2017). "21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin: Without Warning Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  13. ^ a b Gu, Marshall (15 November 2017). "Reviews: Metro Boomin". Pretty Much Amazing. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  14. ^ Juon, Steve "Flash" (12 December 2017). "21 Savage x Offset x Metro Boomin :: Without Warning :: Slaughter Gang/Epic Records". RapReviews. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  15. ^ Bromfield, Daniel (6 November 2017). "Savage/Offset/Metro Boomin: Without Warning". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  16. ^ a b Gibbons, Chris (8 November 2017). "Offset and 21 Savage Find the Right Balance on 'Without Warning'". XXL. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  17. ^ Matson, Andrew (31 October 2017). "Everything Clicks on the Witchy 'Without Warning'". Mass Appeal. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  18. ^ "Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2017: Critics' Picks". Billboard. 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  19. ^ "The Best Albums of 2017". Complex. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  20. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (5 November 2017). "Kenny Chesney's 'Live in No Shoes Nation' Is No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  21. ^ "Offset Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  22. ^ "Credits / Without Warning / 21 Savage". Tidal. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Australiancharts.com – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  24. ^ "Ultratop.be – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  26. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  27. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  28. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  29. ^ "Offset, Metro Boomin, 21 Savage: Without Warning" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  30. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 45, 2017)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  31. ^ "Italiancharts.com – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  32. ^ "Charts.nz – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  33. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  34. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin – Without Warning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  35. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  36. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  37. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  38. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  39. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  40. ^ "Canadian Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  41. ^ "Album Top-100 2018" (in Danish). Hitlisten. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  42. ^ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2018" (in Icelandic). Plötutíóindi. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  43. ^ "Årslista Album – År 2018" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  44. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  45. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  46. ^ "Danish album certifications – 21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin – Without Warning". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  47. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 April 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Without Warning in the search box.
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