Reivew: Curren$y & The Alchemist – Covert Coup
Curren$y & The Alchemist – Covert Coup EP (2011) [Self-Released] // Grade:B
The first time I heard Curren$y was his Welcome to the Winner’s Circle mixtape in 2008. The first time I heard Alchemist was probably 1998 or 1999 when he was doin beats for Dilated Peoples and Defari. I feel like these guys make an interesting pair because they’re both getting love from the underground, as well as the mainstream. There are not many artists that can say that, especially ones that are reasonably successful. But, these guys both have a trusted formula: stick to what you know, and it’s carried them both from relative obscurity to international acclaim.
Covert Coup is all about sticking to what you know. This is unarguably hip hop, you aren’t gonna hear any Lex Luger styled 64th note hi hats, blasé crossover guest vocalists, or autotune. There isn’t any pandering to trends, it’s chilled out classic boom bap beats hip hop from the front to the back. Spitta is just talking about what he does in the time when he’s no in the studio, and he does it well. And Alchemist is just chopping the same kinds of breaks that have always worked. I think this music really speaks to the difference that perspective makes. Neither of these guys are looking to rise to unattainable heights, or maintain a tenuous hold on overwrought success. This is two dudes making music, and it sounds like two dudes making music.
In a time when music seems to be entering another golden age, and hip hop seems to be fracturing into those focused on music and those focused on success it’s clear where these guys stand. There is nothing outrageous on here, nothing that stands so starkly against the current backdrop of music that I’m shocked, but I’m certainly engage by the music. Nothing on here is going to be a massive success on the radio, but these songs will probably catch rotation for a few years at least. There’s no song with 20 incredible guests but, there are a few features (most notably Prodigy and Freddie Gibbs). This project was probably done in the interstices of several other project judging by how much both of these guys work. And that comes through in the execution/sound, but the record doesn’t suffer at all for it. To put it simply this record refrains from being overambitious, which is an emerging Achilles’ Heel in hip hop. They just made some music, that’s all. And it’s good.
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April 25th, 2011 at 4:40 pm
I think making some music and just having it be as solid as this is is good enough in my book. Solid B+ from me. Curren$y and Alchemist really suit one another.
April 25th, 2011 at 10:11 pm
C. i feel they dont blend very well together :/ unfortunately …when i heard they had somethin droppin together i told myself “oh shit that means alchemist coming with a new wave for us to trip to” which he followed thru with..in a sense..Prodigy killed it, deep voiced whoaday killed it. Curren$y gets it in when he whips out the “new flow” the aggression really reflects the internal conflict he’s going through when havin’ to listen to all this shit that sound like him :/ ive been bumpin the hot spittah since life at 30,000 and prolly three mixtapes after that..took a breather… and listened to the last two he dropped and was a bit ehh about em :/