No Dope on Sundays

No Dope on Sundays is the debut studio album by American rapper Cyhi the Prynce released on November 17, 2017 through Sony Music. The album's release follows years of label disputes and series of mixtapes spanning his career. It features guest appearances from Kanye West, whom also executive produced the album, as well as Pusha T, Schoolboy Q, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Jagged Edge, BJ the Chicago Kid, Estelle, and Ernestine Johnson. Meanwhile, production was handled by Mark Byrd, Edsclusive, S1, OZ, Syk Sense, among others. Critical reception was generally positive, while commercial response was lukewarm.
The album's cover art, tracklist and release date was revealed on November 10, 2017.
The lead single, "Movin' Around" featuring Schoolboy Q was released on June 29, 2017.
The second single, "Dat Side" featuring Kanye West, was released on October 27, 2017.
No Dope on Sundays received positive reviews from music critics upon release. Scott Glaysher of XXL praised the album's cohesiveness and lyricism, stating: "No matter which way you slice it, CyHi The Prynce excels in his delivery on his official debut, making No Dope on Sundays a serious contender for one of the best albums of the year. He proves that jaw-dropping lyrical ability and vivid storytelling can be woven through catchy production to make the ultimate rap apex. With his goals of completely taking over the game in 2018, the album’s cohesive feel and stellar lyrical quality gets him closer to his final destination." Justin Ivey of HipHopDX stated that CyHi The Prynce "expands his artistry to show he’s more than a lyrical dynamo. It’s not always crisp, particularly when he strains his vocals on occasion, but it shows a willingness to challenge himself in the studio beyond penning meticulous bars", adding that No Dope On Sundays "is the culmination of a long journey that’s defied the odds."
Online publication HotNewHipHop concluded that CyHi The Prynce "finds a way to display his faith, paint stories of his hood, and rally for Black power without ever sounding preachy or overzealous; if Malcolm X had a rapping descendant, Cy would be him. Equally menacing and welcoming, raspy and smooth, CyHi the Prynce proves to the world that he will not be another rapper doomed to watch his debut sit on a dusty shelf, waiting in limbo for a release. He broke through his own struggles and crafted an album that deserves your attention. No Dope on Sundays may be one of the best rap albums of the year."
Jay Balfour of Pitchfork praised the album's lyricism and production, stating: "For all the bases it covers, No Dope on Sundays benefits from swift pacing. But there are still moments where CyHi gets bogged down doing too much and too little at the same time, coddling a story you’ve heard before or quipping a one-liner you can predict a mile away. After his verse on the title track, Pusha T thanks CyHi for granting him the quiet of an inconspicuous feature. “I was tryna’ make it as conversational as possible, ‘cause it’s just conversation,” the elder emcee says after clocking a gracefully minimal performance. CyHi doesn't have that conversational approachability to his raps. He sounds like a showman that puffs out his words with a deliberate, almost suspicious confidence. No Dope on Sundays sounds like the routine he's been waiting years to finally deliver.
Credits adapted from iTunes, Tidal and ASCAP.
Notes
Sample Credits
Credits adapted from Tidal.