What makes Sour Soul by BadBadNotGood notable?

Sour Soul received widespread acclaim upon release, solidifying BadBadNotGood's place in contemporary music by blending jazz with hip-hop elements. The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart and was praised for its innovative sound, influencing a new wave of jazz-inflected hip-hop artists. Released in early 2015, Sour Soul marked BadBadNotGood's first collaboration with rapper Ghostface Killah, elevating their profile beyond the jazz realm. This album followed their critically acclaimed 2014 project III, showcasing their evolution from instrumental jazz to genre-blending experimentation.

Who is Sour Soul for?

Sour Soul works well if you're into short, immersive listening sessions, layered, dense sonic textures and introspective, contemplative moods.

How many songs are on Sour Soul?

Sour Soul has 12 tracks, running approximately 32 minutes.

Sour Soul

BadBadNotGood · 2015

32 min · 12 tracks · jazz

A seamless blend of jazz instrumentation and hip-hop rhythms, creating a moody and immersive sonic landscape.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Sour Soul — The title track exemplifies the album's fusion of smooth jazz grooves and sharp lyrical delivery, setting the tone for the entire project.
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Mind Playing Tricks — This track captures a darker, introspective mood while showcasing Ghostface Killah's storytelling prowess against the backdrop of intricate instrumentation.
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Gunshowers — With its haunting melodies and vivid imagery, this track highlights the collaboration's unique approach to narrative and atmosphere within a jazz framework.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental

67 /100

Alpine

Higher than 91% of albums we've rated

The album blends jazz and hip-hop seamlessly, showcasing strong musicianship and thematic cohesion.

What we noticed

The album features a consistent use of live instrumentation, with saxophone, piano, and drums driving the melodic and rhythmic elements throughout.
Each track maintains a laid-back tempo, often layering intricate jazz harmonies over hip-hop beats without abrupt transitions.
Several tracks incorporate recurring motifs that create thematic continuity, particularly in how melodies are developed and revisited.

Composition 25% of the score: 7/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 7/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 8/10

Influence 6/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

short, immersive listening sessions
layered, dense sonic textures
introspective, contemplative moods
gradual builds and payoffs

Where this album fits

Career context: Released in early 2015, Sour Soul marked BadBadNotGood's first collaboration with rapper Ghostface Killah, elevating their profile beyond the jazz realm. This album followed their critically acclaimed 2014 project III, showcasing their evolution from instrumental jazz to genre-blending experimentation.
Stylistic neighbors: GoGo Penguin· Snarky Puppy· Hiatus Kaiyote