Not All Heroes Wear Capes (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released by Boominati Worldwide and Republic Records on November 2, 2018. The album features guest appearances from Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Swae Lee, Gunna, Young Thug, Wizkid, J. Balvin, Offset, Kodak Black, and Drake.[2] The deluxe edition of the album was released, consisting of the instrumental versions of all songs from the standard edition on November 6, 2018. The album is the first part of a trilogy, with the second part being its sequel, Metro's second studio album, Heroes & Villains, which was released on December 2, 2022.
Background
In April 2018, Metro appeared to announce his "retirement" from music production on his Instagram page, changing his bio to "Retired record producer/DJ."[3] However, he had garnered production credits on other albums that were released later that year.
Release and promotion
On June 23, 2017, Metro released the lead single of the album, "No Complaints", which features American rapper Offset and Canadian rapper Drake. On October 26, 2018, multiple billboards appeared in Atlanta and New York depicting Metro Boomin as a "missing person".[4] It was later revealed to be a teaser for the new full-length project Not All Heroes Wear Capes, cryptically teased as a solo album.[5] The cover and track list were unveiled by 21 Savage on his Instagram page. It was then announced on October 31, 2018.[6] On January 29, 2019, "Space Cadet", which features American rapper Gunna, was released to rhythmic contemporary radio on January 29, 2019, as the album's second single.[7]
Not All Heroes Wear Capes received positive reviews from music critics. Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork described Not All Heroes Wear Capes as "a high-profile guest-filled album that builds on and creates a bigger version of the dark, hard-hitting production that has turned Metro into rap’s definitive producer of the last five years." Pierre praised the production and performances of the featured artists, concluding that the album "doesn’t feel like the typical producer album, filled with mixtape leftovers and owed favors. This is Metro Boomin laying the groundwork for his next phase, which at times feels like it could be film scores. When you’ve done it all at 25 years old, some may lose the motivation, but Metro seems ready to keep going, continuing to define the new sound of hip-hop."[12] Marcus Blackwell of HipHopDX complimented the cohesiveness of the album, adding that there is "a cinematic feel throughout that places the artists in their appropriate pockets."[10] Online hip hop publication HotNewHipHop concluded: "With the power to transcend his post-trap aesthetic in full-display, Metro Boomin is gearing up for the most arduous creative phase of his career. NAHWC is a memorable showcase if you wade through the more tenable parts and create your own setlist. For Metro Boomin the distance between the 1st rung he currently occupies, and the rest of the ladder is so cavernous, he surely has all the time in the World to find his autonomy."[11] Thomas Hobbs from Highsnobiety describes Metro Boomin's work in Not All Heroes Wear Capes as a feeling "both minimalist and maximalist at the same time, with Metro creating vast compositions out of what feels like fairly traditional rap production techniques", with praises to the album as "consistently engaging".[9]
Commercial performance
Not All Heroes Wear Capes debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 99,000 album-equivalent units, making it Metro Boomin's first US number-one album.[13] The album dropped to the number eight in its second week, earning an additional 52,000 album-equivalent units.[14] The album debuted at 16 on the UK Album Charts.[15]
Following the release of Not All Heroes Wear Capes, seven songs from the album debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, including the 21 Savage-assisted track "Don't Come Out the House", which charted at number 38, becoming the highest-charting song from the album.[16]
