The Alchemist has been a busy man of late, having concocted entire albums for artists like Armand Hammer, Freddie Gibbs, Boldy James, Conway The Machine, and more. Not to mention his own solo work, which includes his recent Carry The Fire project, a conceptual journey that brought the story of the Olympic torch to life. Today, Alc has come through to deliver yet another new release, this time serving up an EP titled This Thing Of Ours, featuring Maxo, Boldy James, Earl Sweatshirt, Navy Blue, and Pink Siifu.
While eagle-eyed listeners have doubtless caught a few cuts already, as "Loose Change" and "Nobles" were previously released as singles, listening to them in the context of an album gives them a new meaning. Production-wise, Alchemist stays comfortable within his wheelhouse, masterfully flipping samples and seldom going overly rambunctious with the percussion. As such, there's an immersive and easy-going feel to a lot of his music, which in turn allows listeners to center their attention on the bars.
Though it might have been nice to see Alchemist return to his compilation album days -- it's certainly been a while since Chemical Warfare dropped in 2009 -- this latest drop is certainly a welcome addition to his already stacked repertoire. And receiving not one, but two new verses from the elusive Earl Sweatshirt never hurts. Be sure to check out This Thing Of Ours, which features four new tracks and their instrumental variants from The Alchemist.