The Genuine Articulate by The Alchemist | Album Review
Uncle Al drops a small project with some go-to collaborators.
2024 continues to be the year of The Alchemist. The Genuine Articulate is his third project this year and just like the others, you’ll find him rapping and producing on this one. Across the project you’ll find soulful loops, eerie menacing melodies and dialogue samples from movies and interviews. Fans have come to expect these things from Alc. This one counts as a solo release in his discography and he’s got features from his usual collaborators like ScHoolboy Q, Larry June, Action Bronson, Conway The Machine and his true day one — Havoc of Mobb Deep.
Over the past year or so, fans have heard Alc rap more and more. For some, this is a delightful treat and for others, they believe he should stay on the boards and out the booth. Personally, I enjoyed the surprise of hearing him rap for the first time on “89 Earthquake” with Larry June and liked most of the verses I heard after that for one reason or another. However, this track was not the first time he rapped — just the first time I heard him do it.
On The Genuine Articulate, my opinion on his rap abilities remains where they were before. However, I have to give Alc credit for using a faster flow on moments on this project. He sounds comfortable using it — well, sometimes more comfortable than others. He used one on “Something Light” whose synthy melody sets an atmosphere of relaxed eeriness. I liked how it provided a contrast for the calculated pace of the production however, I felt he really got into a great pocket on the song’s outro moments which considering the name of the song — maybe be a unique extended hook. Meanwhile, on the brooding “Diego Maradona” with Conway The Machine, Alc slides into a purposive flow that sets up Conway to carry the baton with a similar tempo in his delivery — and he has a flow switch of his own too. The murky track sounds like something you’d hear as the camera pans over a fog covered city at oh dark thirty.
Meanwhile on the soulful “Ferraris in the Rain” with ScHoolboy Q and “Details” with Larry June, Alc is in his usual calculated flow. Pausing after many of his lines, there’s room for his ad-libs which are as on the nose as his references and punchlines. I didn’t like Q’s feature as I thought the “verse” was too short and just unnecessary. I think “Details” would have been a stronger opener with its soulfully peaceful vocal loop. However, at the same time, I can understand if some people find the loop distracting from the verses. Larry’s verse is par for the course, offering a glimpse into his daily life and how he got what he has.
The tracks that stood out to me the most were “Scientology” with Havoc, “Everybody’s Favorite Uncle” and project closer “Seasons Change.” “Scientology” reminds me of “Speed Trap” which Alc produced for Boldy James. Alc uses a flow that mimics the constant propelling motion of the percussion of the track as a warping siren like noise echoes around them as they move forward. Havoc holds it down and closes his verse with a line that tells anyone who doesn’t know how far him and Alchemist go back. “Everybody’s Favorite Uncle” is one of my favorite verses from Alc on the project because of the visual imagery and just how direct it is. He isn’t the most lyrically inclined rapper in the world but what he says sticks because you can see it and he says it like he means it. I also love how the melody sounds like a sample from something that may have been used in an instructional video from the VHS days.
Closer “Seasons Change” has the most sentimental verse on the project as Alchemist recounts an outing with his son over a slinky and peaceful guitar. It’s a fitting ending to show that his son is the one he does all of this for.
The Genuine Articulate is a solid project from The Alchemist that continues to showcase his rap abilities to the current generation of fans. While some verses are stronger than others, Alchemist’s production abilities remain top tier. His versatility to be able to not only produce for but also rap with this range of artists is a testament to his skill in both departments. This project’s range of sounds is its biggest strength along with Alc’s limited but still varied flows across the project. If you’re looking to dive into both sides of his work in one quick project, this is a solid option.
Favorite Tracks: Everybody’s Favorite Uncle, Scientology, Something Light
