The Alchemist has been enjoying an incredible run, having laced impressive projects alongside Armand Hammer, Conway The Machine, Freddie Gibbs, and Boldy James -- not to mention his own immersive musical narrative Carry The Fire. Now, with his upcoming EP This Thing Of Ours (which features Earl Sweatshirt, Navy Blue and more), Alchemist took a moment to catch up with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 radio.
Off the bat, he opens up about Earl's unique artistry, deeming the poetic young lyricist to be his unofficial "A&R." "Earl is like my brother, basically," says Alc, crediting Earl for helping This Thing Of Ours come together. "We do so much music together. He's also kind of like an A&R for me. His ear is immaculate. Armand Hammer record I did earlier this year came through Earl just sitting here playing stuff. So I felt like most of the characters on [This Thing Of Ours]were people that were coming over regularly to the studio and just kind of we were just making records in the off time. I felt like, "Wow, this just kind of feels like something new, but it's familiar, and Earl's kind of the copilot."
"He reads books and he's putting me on to stuff all the time," explains Al. "I'm however many years older than him, but he's always showing me things, and he'll go from an MOP record to a RX Poppy record, which is a new guy he put me up on. His span is incredible. And I feel like, I don't know if that's what sets him apart, but it definitely makes him unique."
Action Bronson's Pen Game">Josh Brasted/FilmMagic/Getty Images
He also reflects on another of his longtime collaborators, Action Bronson, who is currently in the midst of undergoing one of the most impressive body transformations hip-hop has ever seen -- among other key developments. "Shout out to my brother Action Bronson," praises Alc. "That transformation is unbelievable, man. I'm so proud of him. This is his third book already. Talk about an overachiever man. He does it all and then some and just seeing him get healthy and fit, I didn't see that coming. You know, I actually haven't seen him in person. We talk all the time on FaceTime, but it's been a while. So I'm just so proud of him, and his music lately too. I don't want to spill the beans, but the pen is back in order. So stay tuned."
As for what else he has in store, Alc teases an upcoming album with Boldy James, as well as a few mysterious collaborations that shall remain shrouded in secret. "I have one that's bucket list that I always wanted to do basically my whole career," he reveals. "That's going down this year, too. So I can't wait."
For more from Alchemist, check out his recent single "Loose Change," featuring Earl Sweatshirt, right here.
LISTEN: Alchemist & Earl Sweatshirt - Loose Change