In the wake of the maddening Zimmerman verdict, it was a slight relief that some new tunes dropped to lift the mood. It feels silly writing about music in the aftermath of Trayvon’s tragedy, but then again, music has the power to help you unwind and decompress—especially when the beats are this dope.
Somewhere, I hope Chuck D has his pen and pad, possibly creating the follow up to “Fight the Power.”
But back to the new joints. Over the weekend, before the gavel fell, the Alchemist announced he’d be dropping an untitled “3 Song Mini Album.” It accompanied the release of an exclusive snapback from SSUR, and featured three posse cuts. No hooks or filler, just raw rhymes from a who’s who of your favorite rap bloggers’ favorite rappers: Roc Marciano, Action Bronson, Blu, Freddie Gibbs, Domo Genesis and more.
3 SONG MINI ALBUM TOMOROW TO GO WITH THIS http://t.co/MFt7mMqKUj
— RENT THIS SPACE (@Alchemist) July 12, 2013
Unlike Jay-Z, Alan the Chemist knows how to do a cross-promotional project properly.
The first track, “Camp Registration,” rounds up Step Brothers, Bronson, Blu and Domo Genesis. It’s the most soulful instrumental out of the bunch, but Al chops it up and keeps it irregular and weird.
It’s also crazy to hear Blu and Bronsolini go back and forth on the mic. There’s quotables for days, especially from Blu: “We should’ve went half on a boat/we toast mimosas/had the chauffeur pass me my coat/the date was over/I told her, “Play the grown-up. You supposed to.””
On “1010 Wins,” Alchemist makes the arcade sound gutter with a trippy video game loop. Domo Genesis starts things off, and drops gems like this: “I’m Glen Rice from the corner three, in there.” Action stops by again—the only dude making multiple appearances. Meyhem Lauren, Roc and Despot finish things off.
Finally, “Tesla” finds Al back in the soul groove. This time, the beat never really drops with pounding drums or low end, but alternates between horns and piano, creating space for the MCs to do their thing. Freddie Gibbs joins the OF cohorts of Domo and Hodgy, and it’s the Gary poet that steals the track. Freddie’s raspy growl stands out, “smoking the best in the Tesla electrical.”
While it isn’t solving Florida’s fuckery, this mini album from Alchemist is a welcomed, weeded distraction.