Conway & The Alchemist - Lulu EP (Discussion Thread)

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Are they kidding dropping the vinyl only with the jacket at 300 euro? fukking dumb. I assume Al will release this via his bandcamp at some point.
 

TheDarceKnight

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Quick thoughts on the EP.

- I can see why Conway said it had a QB vibe. I could hear Prodigy and/or Nas on basically everything on here. I wish the cats saying Nas shouldn't work with Alc the other day would listen to this.

- The flow on Calvin is crazy, but I'm with whoever was recently saying the vibe of the beat didn't match the flow. The 5 to 50 beat that Benny did more of this type of flow on had a bouncier feel to it. Same with Slow Roll by Boldy James. The flow by Conway there was super impressive though.

- Alc not only had drums on here but some different drum sounds than usual.

- I don't love the "shooter doin bad again" WSG style hook at the end of The Contract. Might be the weakest joint on here, but I'll listen again.

- 14 Ki's, They Got Sonny, and Gold BBB's are my favorite tracks.

- Cormega bodied his verse.

- I like that Conway is doing hooks on here.

- If this were longer I'd have a better feel for ranking them, but this is probably gonna end up in my top 4 Conway projects along with Reject 2, Food 1, and Organized Grime.
 

BK The Great

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“I feel like the culture needed it, the streets needed it, people wanted to hear it,” Conway the Machine says about Lulu, his new project with the producer Alchemist. The duo cooked up seven songs of ominous beats, street tales, clever boasts, and gangster movie dialogue.

Conway the Machine is a key piece of the Griselda Records empire, alongside Westside Gunn and Benny the Butcher. The Buffalo natives have spent the past several years carving out an important corner of rap for themselves with a new spin on the traditional New York rap sound. So, a partnership with Alchemist, who, although a California native, has famously partnered with New York rap elite (like the late Prodigy), makes perfect sense.

Lulu is being released in partnership with Patta, the Dutch streetwear brand, and there is a capsule collection coming out alongside the record. One of the highlights of the project is the track “Calvin.” And today, we’re pleased to premiere that track’s Jason Goldwatch-directed video, which you can see below.

Complex caught up with Conway and Alchemist over the phone, from their respective homebases.

Tell me about making “Calvin.”
Alchemist: That was easy. There’s a lot of easy-going times with the Machine in the studio. He knows what he wants to do. When he finds a beat that he likes, that speaks to him, it happens quick.

Conway, what'd you like about that beat?
Conway: I challenged myself to tap into a different kind of pocket with my rhyme pattern. That's what I liked about it the most.

You use a triplet flow throughout the song, which is more associated with Atlanta or Memphis than the East coast. Why’d you make that choice?
Conway: I don’t know. I felt like it'd be a dope contrast—that kind of beat with that kind of flow. That ain’t really normal. I thought it would be dope to flip in on some other type of shyt.

conway-1

Image via Conway the Machine and Alchemist
How did you guys first meet?
Conway: I used to wash Alchemist's cars for a couple of months when I was homeless in LA.
Alchemist: [Laughs]

What made you decide to do this project together?
Alchemist: Any excuse to work with Conway is a good reason for me. He’s the type of rapper, when you give him a beat, you get back what you want. So this was just an excuse for us to do what we do. It's like layups really, because he's got plenty of plates on the way. We all got so much work, this was just a day off. Let's shyt on everyone real quick.

Conway: To add on to that: I feel like the culture needed it, the streets needed it, people wanted to hear it. We've done a lot of work together. After hearing songs like “94’ Ghost” and a lot of our other shyt, nikkas was dying to hear that actual full project.

“The streets are going to rejoice.” - Alchemist

Conway, you have a line on “Calvin” where you rap, “Watch what you say in my comments.” What's something really crazy that someone said to you and in the comments?
Conway: The craziest shyt people say in my comments is that other rappers is better than me.

Alchemist: Who said that? You got to check his head.

Conway: I don’t really mind the jokes about my skinny jeans or my face being twisted up. But when you say somebody is better than me, you’re out your fukking mind. Nothing else really bothers me on the internet. I’m not emotional like that. I really don’t care what nobody think or say in an internet world. That’s not a reality. That’s just nerds with fingertips and time on their hands.

Al, in the breakdown of “Calvin,” you filtered stuff. In your opinion, who’s the best at doing that?
Alchemist: Large Professor. Come on, cut it out. How old are you? Large Professor, he's the one that started that shyt—I think he is. But a lot of people did it good. I'ma tip my hat to him. That's where I first heard it.

I love the new Boldy James album you produced [The Price of Tea in China], and so did everyone else. Did you think the response was going to be that overwhelming?
Alchemist: It just makes me feel like I’m not crazy. Sometimes when I like shyt, I don’t know if the whole world does. But when everyone else likes something, it reassures me that I’m not completely out of my goddamn mind. I thought it was good when we were making it, but I feel like that way about Lulu too. I’d rather be overconfident than under.

Conway, any hints you can give us about your upcoming debut album?
Conway: I don’t really have a date. I actually have three projects coming out. After we finish tearing the streets up with the Lulu, I’m planning to release From King to a God sometime in April. Then I have God Don’t Make Mistakes being released on Shady Records sometime in the near future as well. I’ve got a lot of things on my plate that I’m just waiting to just dish out.

Al, what’s coming up for you?
Alchemist: I got a whole big bag that’s full of shyt and I’m sifting through with the flashlight. I’ll figure out what’s ready and what’s not. I got a lot of stuff, but I can’t reveal the sources. I can’t show you the manuscripts for the bomb. But yeah, we’re over here cooking. You can guarantee that.

alchemist-conway-2

Image via Conway the Machine and Alchemist
You’ve known Jason Goldwatch for a long time. What made you decide he was the guy for this video?
Alchemist: They’ve rocked already one time for the Premier joint. He did that one. [Goldwatch directed the video for DJ Premier’s “Headlines,” which featured Conway, Westside Gunn, and Benny the Butcher.] Conway thought it was a good idea, and [Jason] came with something that fit perfect.

Conway, what's your favorite Alchemist beat that someone other than you has rapped on?
Conway: That’s a good question, man. I'm just going to say the cliche answer right off the top of my head, probably “Keep it Thoro.” That and that shyt with Kool G Rap, for me. I’m really stoned right now, so I can’t really think straight. Those for sure.

Al, Griselda already has a house producer in Daringer, who gives them a particular sound. How do you deal with that when working with them?
Alchemist: I had to have a sit-down with Daringer. He sat me down and I had to get his blessing to work with the crew. Daringer’s the man. You know that, right? He’s Italian, you understand? I had to sit down and I got his blessing. You think he just make beats?

Tell me about that conversation.
Alchemist: You know, I can’t speak on those things. But I got his blessing. You know more than most.

Finally, what can we expect from Lulu when it comes out? We’ve heard two songs already. Is that a pretty good impression of what the project sounds like?
Conway: Hopefully that's a good enough impression. It's an incredible body of work. They can expect what you always get from the Machine and what you get from Alchemist—quality, consistent, dope shyt. Nothing short of that. I feel like I'm rapping a little better. I feel like my pen game is improving. That's always the goal with me on everything I touch. The beats was crazy and the actual concept of the project and everything is dope. I think the people will love it.

Alchemist: Rejoice. That’s the word I think of when I think of this project. The streets are going to rejoice.

Conway: I like that.

Alchemist: There’s going to be a lot of rejoice in the streets.

How did the whole Patta connection come about?
Alchemist: These are longtime friends of mine. They’re a brand that I’ve known forever and respect. They reached out. They loved Conway, they loved Griselda, and they connected a couple of years back, and we all been cool. So we just merged. Why don’t we bring them in and let them help do the design, do a little capsule, and make some real fly shyt that people can put on the jacket?

Conway, where are you riding out the quarantine?
Conway: I’m right here in the good city of Buffalo with my friends and family and loved ones. I’m here if anybody need me. Everybody’s safe and trying to do what they can to stay healthy in this madness. I came back to see how and if I can assist with people in the city that may be a little less fortunate, and to be here for my family as well.

And how are you dealing with everything?
Conway: I’m just recording and doing a lot of drugs.
 

TheDarceKnight

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“I feel like the culture needed it, the streets needed it, people wanted to hear it,” Conway the Machine says about Lulu, his new project with the producer Alchemist. The duo cooked up seven songs of ominous beats, street tales, clever boasts, and gangster movie dialogue.

Conway the Machine is a key piece of the Griselda Records empire, alongside Westside Gunn and Benny the Butcher. The Buffalo natives have spent the past several years carving out an important corner of rap for themselves with a new spin on the traditional New York rap sound. So, a partnership with Alchemist, who, although a California native, has famously partnered with New York rap elite (like the late Prodigy), makes perfect sense.

Lulu is being released in partnership with Patta, the Dutch streetwear brand, and there is a capsule collection coming out alongside the record. One of the highlights of the project is the track “Calvin.” And today, we’re pleased to premiere that track’s Jason Goldwatch-directed video, which you can see below.

Complex caught up with Conway and Alchemist over the phone, from their respective homebases.

Tell me about making “Calvin.”
Alchemist: That was easy. There’s a lot of easy-going times with the Machine in the studio. He knows what he wants to do. When he finds a beat that he likes, that speaks to him, it happens quick.

Conway, what'd you like about that beat?
Conway: I challenged myself to tap into a different kind of pocket with my rhyme pattern. That's what I liked about it the most.

You use a triplet flow throughout the song, which is more associated with Atlanta or Memphis than the East coast. Why’d you make that choice?
Conway: I don’t know. I felt like it'd be a dope contrast—that kind of beat with that kind of flow. That ain’t really normal. I thought it would be dope to flip in on some other type of shyt.

conway-1

Image via Conway the Machine and Alchemist
How did you guys first meet?
Conway: I used to wash Alchemist's cars for a couple of months when I was homeless in LA.
Alchemist: [Laughs]

What made you decide to do this project together?
Alchemist: Any excuse to work with Conway is a good reason for me. He’s the type of rapper, when you give him a beat, you get back what you want. So this was just an excuse for us to do what we do. It's like layups really, because he's got plenty of plates on the way. We all got so much work, this was just a day off. Let's shyt on everyone real quick.

Conway: To add on to that: I feel like the culture needed it, the streets needed it, people wanted to hear it. We've done a lot of work together. After hearing songs like “94’ Ghost” and a lot of our other shyt, nikkas was dying to hear that actual full project.

“The streets are going to rejoice.” - Alchemist

Conway, you have a line on “Calvin” where you rap, “Watch what you say in my comments.” What's something really crazy that someone said to you and in the comments?
Conway: The craziest shyt people say in my comments is that other rappers is better than me.

Alchemist: Who said that? You got to check his head.

Conway: I don’t really mind the jokes about my skinny jeans or my face being twisted up. But when you say somebody is better than me, you’re out your fukking mind. Nothing else really bothers me on the internet. I’m not emotional like that. I really don’t care what nobody think or say in an internet world. That’s not a reality. That’s just nerds with fingertips and time on their hands.

Al, in the breakdown of “Calvin,” you filtered stuff. In your opinion, who’s the best at doing that?
Alchemist: Large Professor. Come on, cut it out. How old are you? Large Professor, he's the one that started that shyt—I think he is. But a lot of people did it good. I'ma tip my hat to him. That's where I first heard it.

I love the new Boldy James album you produced [The Price of Tea in China], and so did everyone else. Did you think the response was going to be that overwhelming?
Alchemist: It just makes me feel like I’m not crazy. Sometimes when I like shyt, I don’t know if the whole world does. But when everyone else likes something, it reassures me that I’m not completely out of my goddamn mind. I thought it was good when we were making it, but I feel like that way about Lulu too. I’d rather be overconfident than under.

Conway, any hints you can give us about your upcoming debut album?
Conway: I don’t really have a date. I actually have three projects coming out. After we finish tearing the streets up with the Lulu, I’m planning to release From King to a God sometime in April. Then I have God Don’t Make Mistakes being released on Shady Records sometime in the near future as well. I’ve got a lot of things on my plate that I’m just waiting to just dish out.

Al, what’s coming up for you?
Alchemist: I got a whole big bag that’s full of shyt and I’m sifting through with the flashlight. I’ll figure out what’s ready and what’s not. I got a lot of stuff, but I can’t reveal the sources. I can’t show you the manuscripts for the bomb. But yeah, we’re over here cooking. You can guarantee that.

alchemist-conway-2

Image via Conway the Machine and Alchemist
You’ve known Jason Goldwatch for a long time. What made you decide he was the guy for this video?
Alchemist: They’ve rocked already one time for the Premier joint. He did that one. [Goldwatch directed the video for DJ Premier’s “Headlines,” which featured Conway, Westside Gunn, and Benny the Butcher.] Conway thought it was a good idea, and [Jason] came with something that fit perfect.

Conway, what's your favorite Alchemist beat that someone other than you has rapped on?
Conway: That’s a good question, man. I'm just going to say the cliche answer right off the top of my head, probably “Keep it Thoro.” That and that shyt with Kool G Rap, for me. I’m really stoned right now, so I can’t really think straight. Those for sure.

Al, Griselda already has a house producer in Daringer, who gives them a particular sound. How do you deal with that when working with them?
Alchemist: I had to have a sit-down with Daringer. He sat me down and I had to get his blessing to work with the crew. Daringer’s the man. You know that, right? He’s Italian, you understand? I had to sit down and I got his blessing. You think he just make beats?

Tell me about that conversation.
Alchemist: You know, I can’t speak on those things. But I got his blessing. You know more than most.

Finally, what can we expect from Lulu when it comes out? We’ve heard two songs already. Is that a pretty good impression of what the project sounds like?
Conway: Hopefully that's a good enough impression. It's an incredible body of work. They can expect what you always get from the Machine and what you get from Alchemist—quality, consistent, dope shyt. Nothing short of that. I feel like I'm rapping a little better. I feel like my pen game is improving. That's always the goal with me on everything I touch. The beats was crazy and the actual concept of the project and everything is dope. I think the people will love it.

Alchemist: Rejoice. That’s the word I think of when I think of this project. The streets are going to rejoice.

Conway: I like that.

Alchemist: There’s going to be a lot of rejoice in the streets.

How did the whole Patta connection come about?
Alchemist: These are longtime friends of mine. They’re a brand that I’ve known forever and respect. They reached out. They loved Conway, they loved Griselda, and they connected a couple of years back, and we all been cool. So we just merged. Why don’t we bring them in and let them help do the design, do a little capsule, and make some real fly shyt that people can put on the jacket?

Conway, where are you riding out the quarantine?
Conway: I’m right here in the good city of Buffalo with my friends and family and loved ones. I’m here if anybody need me. Everybody’s safe and trying to do what they can to stay healthy in this madness. I came back to see how and if I can assist with people in the city that may be a little less fortunate, and to be here for my family as well.

And how are you dealing with everything?
Conway: I’m just recording and doing a lot of drugs.

These kind of interviews are always low key funny to me. The interviewers ask good questions but dudes that just make music all the time are going to give the most thoughtful or insightful answers. Anytime someone asks either of these guys why they made a certain joint, etc, they go "That shyt sounded good at the time so we just did it." Or some answer like that. And it's not that they aren't being honest. But there are artists (think Kanye on the Dark Fantasy album) that go in and craft a project piece by piece. And then there are artists like Conway and Al that probably made like a dozen songs in a weekend and just picked 6 or 7 of them and dumped them onto this EP.

I'm pretty sure Al doesn't listen to anything he's made after he makes it. He was getting confused about what joints were on Boldface and what joints were on Tea in China. Once guys like Griselda or Al make some shyt, it's on to the next thing.

So I appreciate the interviewer asking some of these questions but I also feel bad when they get super generic answers. :mjlol:
 

BK The Great

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These kind of interviews are always low key funny to me. The interviewers ask good questions but dudes that just make music all the time are going to give the most thoughtful or insightful answers. Anytime someone asks either of these guys why they made a certain joint, etc, they go "That shyt sounded good at the time so we just did it." Or some answer like that. And it's not that they aren't being honest. But there are artists (think Kanye on the Dark Fantasy album) that go in and craft a project piece by piece. And then there are artists like Conway and Al that probably made like a dozen songs in a weekend and just picked 6 or 7 of them and dumped them onto this EP.

I'm pretty sure Al doesn't listen to anything he's made after he makes it. He was getting confused about what joints were on Boldface and what joints were on Tea in China. Once guys like Griselda or Al make some shyt, it's on to the next thing.

So I appreciate the interviewer asking some of these questions but I also feel bad when they get super generic answers. :mjlol:


I like these interviews, it's dope to see them talk about the process.
 

Morose Polymath

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@T.H.E. Goat you were right breh its Vintage Cory McKay.
Mega proved why he's one of my GOATs once again :wow:

"I carried the Heat aggressive as Mourning/
Sweat drippin down my chest in a sauna/
Majestic in aura/
Indeed, You cant impress me with talkin/
Unless you're a lawyer, finessing the court/
To take my people from detention to walkin/"


:whew:
 
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