REVIEWSAlchemist, ‘Rapper's Best Friend’

4

• SPIN Rating:4 of 10

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Label: ALC

Precise, brooding MCs like Dilated Peoples and Mobb Deep's Prodigy thrive on Alchemist's trademark production -- '70s funk samples and dark sweeping strings. But on this instrumental collection, the absence of words is a thorny issue. "Still Feel Me" and "What a Real Mobb Do" are plain unexciting; and with Prodigy's measured threats removed, "Stop Fronting," the Barry White-sampling track from the rapper's stellar Return of the Mac, simply sounds like a weak remix of Black Moon's "I Got Cha Opin" remix.

Now Hear This: Alchemist - "Carved in Stone" DOWNLOAD MP3

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