Project X is the debut studio album by American rapper Ken Carson, released through Opium and Foundation Media on July 23, 2021. The album serves as a sequel to Carson’s Teen X EP and its Relapsed deluxe edition. In addition, the album and its artwork are named after and pay tribute to the 2012 film Project X. The album was executively produced by producers Star Boy and Outtatown, who produced a majority of the album.
Upon release, the album received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the production but found fault with the songwriting and negatively compared Ken to other rappers. Pitchfork reviewer Mano Sundaresan compared the album to label boss Playboi Carti’s album Whole Lotta Red, noting that while Carti “[yelped] and [screamed] all over WLR, [Ken] is comparatively chill,” and ultimately concluded that “Project X aims for an entirely different tone than Whole Lotta Red; [Ken] and his producers are going for something sweeter, less scorched and serrated, and they achieve it in fits and starts.” However, he criticized Ken’s writing, saying that “as the album progresses, it becomes obvious when [Ken]’s cartoonish cool shrouds lazy songwriting,” and accused him of “trying to emulate Carti’s chaos or Lil Uzi Vert’s velocity,” specifically noting the songs “Shake” and “Hella” for being repetitive.
Despite the mixed reviews, Project X has been a commercial success, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has also been praised by some fans and critics for its dreamy, atmospheric production and Ken Carson’s laid-back, introspective rapping style. Ultimately, Project X is an album that is sure to divide listeners, but it is an important and experimental project that showcases Ken Carson’s unique talent.
