Alchemist 'Flying High' Rides The Same Tricks To Success

Being on an Alchemist beat is a litmus test of skill for emcees. It’s a measurement of ability, a moment of validation for your pen. While the rap mainstream has suffered—Lil Baby 3D printing the same song, Drake tickets costing a quarter of rent, and Lil Uzi dropping the Pink Tape—there’s a thriving collective of artists in the underground expanding their reach and accessibility with quality releases and accessible shows. In the mid to late 2010s, Alchemist, one of the greatest producers to ever chop a sample, works mainly with these artists. Rappers such as Earl Sweatshirt, Roc Marciano, Action Bronson, Freddie Gibbs, Boldy James, and more get his best stuff, a testament to Al’s desire to work with rappers who embody inventive and charismatic lyricists.

This specific desire has made Alc a cult hero, allowing him to work with who he wants, when he wants. The result, a sense of immortality granted when Alchemist chooses you to be on his next tape.

His new EP, Flying High, follows the same formula as past entries such as This Thing of Ours 1 & 2. It’s Alchemist chopping and looping cinematic samples, splicing together transitions so seamless that they sound linked, crafting vibrant new songs from the ashes featuring the best pure rappers in the game today.

The EP comes a couple of months after Larry June and Alchemist’s superb album The Great Escape, which was notable for allowing Alc to return to his rhyme book. On the EP, he continues his renaissance on the mic, spitting a decent verse on “Midnight Oil” alongside Larry June and Jay Worthy. There’s a mixture of pleasure and cringe that comes from hearing the producer rap while he laments his lifestyle as if he were Tony Soprano.

The clear highlight comes on the esoteric collaboration between Earl Sweatshirt and billy woods, “RIP Tracy.” Earl and billy both possess dense lyrical pens meant to be combed through and slowly digested. The former uses poetic language that shrouds his bars in a bit of mystery, while the latter grounds himself in real life and reality. Alchemist’s production sounds like a movie score where the story hits its climax, as the synths crescendo in the background. 

Boldy James pairs up with South LA rapper T.F. on “Trouble Man,”  with Alc providing a landscape that transports you to what feels like the middle of a bank heist. It’s filled with drama and rising tension as the beat progresses. “Bless” featuring MIKE and Sideshow is a breath of fresh air from the mafioso vibes. This is more jazz room aesthetic with lit cigars and cognac. MIKE’s verse is one of the most memorable on Flying High, as he looks back at the obstacles he faced “Where I slept is where callous grew/A rat, some Bombas for my breath I gotta travel trough, laughed so much, dread.”

Alchemist’s Flying High EP is an enjoyable listen, but there’s a shrouding feeling that the legendary producer has gotten comfortable creatively. There’s room for opening the space for other artists rather than the usual “Earl and friends.” Flying High leaves you wanting more, and that’s a good thing.