by Death Grips
Released April 24, 2012 via Epic Records
Reviewed May 4, 2022
Top tracks (based on community voting)
Hacker (83%), I’ve Seen Footage (60%), Get Got (37%)
The Money Store is mish-mash of sonic influences thrown into a blender, sliced up, and cauterized with the nearest electrical wires. The internet was already a place for music to make the rounds well before Death Grips, but few artists found themselves so closely tied to the web in the manner the trio of MC Ride, Zach Hill, and Andy Morin (aka Flatlander) did. Committing digital assault on all those who listen, The Money Store is bombastic, noisy, and in-your-face with every aspect of the production. Heavily synthesized programming combines with the drumwork of one of the best to ever do it. Zach Hill’s drumming is a key component of Death Grips’ one-of-a-kind sound, making the beats sound somewhat primitive and raw while simultaneously incredibly calculated. Industrial and experimental hip-hop existed in previous forms, but DG’s instrumentals combine danceability and abrasiveness at an unprecedented level. If you’re expecting a voice of reason amidst the chaos, MC Ride is anything but. Volatile and manic, Ride’s delivery is often fast-paced and domineering as his paranoid and nihilistic thoughts spew out. Largely desensitized to his thoughts and the violence of the world, his lyrics take the form of cryptic and frightening ramblings. Ten years later, it’s more than evident we don’t see experimental hip-hop flourish the way it does now without the influence of The Money Store. – Dominick (10/10)
The decade defining experimental trio of Stefan Burnett (AKA MC Ride), Andy Morin (AKA Flatlander) and a drumkit's worst nightmare in Zach Hill, released their magnum opus 10 years ago this month. The 2010s owe a lot to the Sacramento trio, who opened doors that many weren’t aware existed; the flood gates began to ooze. You know how it goes, once opened it cannot be closed. An essence, once extracted, remains in the open until the end of time. The seismic shift beneath the feet of hip-hop after The Money Store was cataclysmic in its altering state. Anything before this album's release seemed distant in the past, and a fresh page was firmly presented for the future to be written upon. The Death Grips name will go down as a synonym for greatness. For things to be taken further, you have to take them further. Progress doesn't present itself. It has to be fought for. – Peter (9/10)
Dominick: 10/10 | Hadley: 10/10 | Jared: 10/10 | Cam: 9.8/10
Alan: 9/10 | Peter: 9/10 | DeVán: 6.5/10
