The Elephant Man's Bones was one of the dirtiest and most gratifying hip-hop albums of 2022, so it's only natural that the duo behind it would not only reunite eventually, but generate a whole lot of hype in the process. Moreover, Roc Marciano and The Alchemist announced The Skeleton Key, their next full-length team-up, on Wednesday (December 4) via the New York MC's Instagram page. He posted a flyer showcasing the LP's announcement and a listening experience for it on Saturday (December 7) at Art Basel in Miami, Florida. "Miami for art Basel on the 7th pull up and vibe with us, I will be in the building with my @artthatkills family. Music by myself and @alanthechemist and visual stimulation by @josuethomas," Marciano captioned.
Sadly, this announcement for The Skeleton Key did not come with an official release date announcement. However, The Alchemist and Roc Marciano did list "2024" next to the album's name in the flyer, so maybe it will come out before the year's out. Either way, we're incredibly excited for what's to come especially given both artists' incredible outputs this year. In Uncle Al's case, he dropped his solo album The Genuine Articulate and a collaborative record with Hit-Boy and his father Big Hit.
Roc Marciano & The Alchemist Unveil The Skeleton Key
As for Roc Marciano, he released the excellent Marciology earlier in 2024, which earned heavy praise from many folks – not least of which was Busta Rhymes. "THE FATHER OF THIS SOUND THAT GAVE BIRTH TO SO MANY OF YOU IS BACK!!!" Busta captioned an IG post celebrating the album's release. "JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER @rocmarci WAS GETTING PLATINUM PLAQUES WITH ME SINCE 1999 WHEN HE COLLABORATED WITH MYSELF, @raekwon @realghostfacekillah PROD. BY @xplargepro CALLED #THEHEIST ON THE #ANARCHY ALBUM 25YRS AGO!!!"
In any case, The Skeleton Key will hopefully be one of the best albums of the near future, and if it drops next year, it could very well be one of 2025's best. Actually, who knows? Maybe it'll slip into upcoming 2024 lists if it drops soon. The Alchemist and Roc Marciano only put out greatness, so their combined powers will be something to behold. We're glad Al's tease towards more music this year was seemingly correct!