Larry ne & e Alchemist “ e Great Escape” Album Review

Arapper’s career may be enhanced by e Alchemist, as seen in “ e Great Escape” with Larry June. e samples are intricate and expertly made. e artists have a great rapport with one another. ere is not a single terrible track on the whole tracklist, and every sound is deliberate.

e Alchemist stands out as a clear exception in this regard. His present production career is impressive. He has exclusively created some of the nest albums in the genre only in the previous several years, including “Bo Jackson” with Boldy James, “Alfredo” with Freddie Gibbs, and “Fetti” with Curren$y and Freddie Gibbs. is is in addition to a few other outstanding production credits, such as “We Cry Together” by Kendrick Lamar, “Broken Bottles” by Benny the Butcher, “Rubber Bands & Weight” and “Johnny P’s Caddy,” as well as “Make It Better” by Anderson Paak.

By Mikael Shimsh

Over the past few years, San Francisco’s own Larry June has been a rap scene xture and a favorite among the underground. Respect has been shown for his genuine west-coast sound in many local circles. Yet during the past year or two, June has come close to breaking through to the hip-hop mainstream as a household name. At this stage in June’s career, working with e Alchemist was a wise strategic choice. His music has developed a cultlike following, and his distinctive sound has become well recognized. In fact, it has grown so well-established that it occasionally su ers from repetition and redundancy. To put it another way, Larry needed to be creative and collaborate with a legendary producer like e Alchemist. e Alchemist’s audience will grow thanks to this fantastic collaboration, which provides Larry with the creativity and compelling production he needs.

e New album received a fantastic roll-out. e singles ultimately turned out to be some of the highlights, generating anticipation and creating the style with a precise and deliberate vision. Big Sean, who ventured a little out of his comfort zone and (perhaps shockingly to me) produced a superb feature verse, was the big name feature on the song “Palisades, CA,” which brought the single run to an end. Nobody is going to be impressed by Larry June’s technical prowess, but that is not what they are intended to do. His monotonous voice barely changes, he doesn’t rap with an eclectic ow, and his lyrical material doesn’t cover a wide range of subjects. He does, however, convey an easy uidity in each syllable he speaks. Each bar contains a distinct energy that is exclusive to it and well suited to the creation of e Alchemist. Although “ e Great Escape” is a good album, it is by no means awless. ere are undoubtedly instances when Larry June’s rapping leaves me wanting more. With more dynamic and adaptable delivery, this CD may be even great. Given his technical limitations, June is one of the most staid rappers, which may put o some listeners.

Moreover, June has always been a master of vision and style, establishing his reputation as an artist via visually appealing themes and cover art that have a long history of coherence. It goes without saying that a Larry June album cover will have a vehicle and/ or some oranges. His strategy does have advantages and disadvantages, though. By being consistent, he makes the album easy to listen to and ow smoothly, fostering a welcoming familiarity for listeners. is sound has become synonymous with Larry June, and many people have grown to respect him as a result. Having having a distinctive voice can sometimes be advantageous, but there are other moments when I think it’s holding him back as an artist.

e aforementioned “Palisades, CA” gives the album a welcome change and has an outstanding Big Sean cameo. A soul sample from “Porches in Spanish” was released and might enhance any record. Other tracks, including “Margie’s Candy Mansion” and “89 Earthquake,” built on June’s distinctive style and included strong solo work. e highlights of the record arise when fresh dynamic components are added. It was a wise choice to have a Slum Village guest on “Orange Village,” as T3 and Young RJ gave the tune a jolt of energy that helped it stand out. For another album highlight, “Barragán Lighting” featured Joey Bada$$ and Curren$y.

e greatest o ering Larry June has made thus far may be “ e Great Escape.” Not every rapper will want to collaborate with e Alchemist, but for those who do, it works fantastically. e Alchemist received yet another fantastic cooperation with Larry June thanks to “ e Great Escape,” which also advanced his artistic career.

Favorite Songs: “Porsches in Spanish,” “Palisades, CA,” “Margie’s Candy House,” “Orange Village” “Barragán Lighting,” “89 Earthquake”