Larry June & The Alchemist - The Great Escape (Discussion Thread)

[JordanWearinThe45]

Dom Kennedy walked so Larry June could run Good job Kennedy

 

[mozichrome]

this was a great listen man. some cuts needing to be made
i didnt really care for the evidence verse or slum village. maybe i'll take those off

but Larry just dropped 1 hell of a project. i thought Spaceships on blade was probably his best thing to me. this has def overtook that by miles

 

[Awesome Wells]

When a non-lyrical rapper tries to be lyrical, it never comes off natural. I feel like he was conforming a little too much. In that Okayplayer interview, Alchemist said that he had Larry listening to Jadakiss, Mobb Deep, and different East Coast artists. It definitely shows. He's a game spitter/shyt talker and he's not afraid to experiment with his cadence and voice inflection (like most Bay Area rappers, ie Mac Dre or E-40). When he stays in that bag, it hits most times and is usually more memorable than whoever he is featured with. I feel like he was doing a bad impersonation of a generic MC from NY on here.

When he raps over slower tempo, drumless beats he starts getting overly descriptive and it's lowkey annoying lol. I listen to Boldy and Roc Marci for that. They mastered that style. I'm tapped in. I hear when June tries to get lyrical and overuses certain words and phrases (make another play, bigger goals, bigger plans, better days, plottin etc). It's lowkey cringe. Like damn bruh, open a thesaurus. You just gonna say the same bar the same exact way that you said it on the other track and act like we didn't hear it? OK lol. When he raps on beats from Cardo, Cookin Soul, K. Fisha, Sledgren, DJ Fresh, etc, it's literally a perfect match. It doesn't sound forced. I would've loved more introspective songs like "Margie's Candy House" and "Porsches In Spanish" over these Alch beats. He really shined on those. Even more joints like "60 Days" and "Breakfast In Monaco" where he gets heavy into his harmonizing bag and experiments with song structure would've been great too.

Truth.

Definitely agree with all of this. I love June's music, but he's definitely a one trick pony. Says the exact same sh*t every track! LOL!! So he needs mad good production, because that'll distract from the fact that we've all taken this same ride with Larry before. He's gonna need to find some new ways to elevate and switch it up a little, so it doesn't get too redundant.

 

[Mike Wins]

89 Earthquake still my favorite off one spin

Art Talk and Barragan Lightning though

Sorry for those that don't appreciate Larry approach here, definitely not for everyone. But where I'm at it's relaxing, good for the spirit and Alc done it again

 

[u mad son?]

I got a 12” JL in a custom made to manufacturer's specs box tuned at 30hz being run by a 1200w amp in my trunk. Got a separate alpine amp running my front mids and highs. I almost fell asleep at the wheel this morning playing this album.





I don't think it's a bad album, it just isn't for me, and I've been following him for a while now.

I used to ride around subbin and I think I get your point

Theres a lack of 808s / sub basslines in a lot of Alcs beats, he usually just filters the bassline from the original sample .. sounds dope on headphones or any other listening experience but when you're riding with subs it just doesnt have that feeling to it. You're essentially just listening to thumping kicks and muffled basslines with hardly any sub frequencies.

So a track like Palisades/Orange Village might sound ill but something like 89 Earthquake would just sound flat and empty

 

[Stir Fry]

I used to ride around subbin and I think I get your point

Theres a lack of 808s / sub basslines in a lot of Alcs beats, he usually just filters the bassline from the original sample .. sounds dope on headphones or any other listening experience but when you're riding with subs it just doesnt have that feeling to it. You're essentially just listening to thumping kicks and muffled basslines with hardly any sub frequencies.

So a track like Palisades/Orange Village might sound ill but something like 89 Earthquake would just sound flat and empty

That’s what it is for me. I do a majority of my music consumption while in my car, so i like big beats that knock. I’ve already stated that i think the production is dope and they have good chemistry, but this just ain’t the version of larry that I’m into.

 

[Black Ball]

When a non-lyrical rapper tries to be lyrical, it never comes off natural. I feel like he was conforming a little too much. In that Okayplayer interview, Alchemist said that he had Larry listening to Jadakiss, Mobb Deep, and different East Coast artists. It definitely shows. He's a game spitter/shyt talker and he's not afraid to experiment with his cadence and voice inflection (like most Bay Area rappers, ie Mac Dre or E-40). When he stays in that bag, it hits most times and is usually more memorable than whoever he is featured with. I feel like he was doing a bad impersonation of a generic MC from NY on here.

When he raps over slower tempo, drumless beats he starts getting overly descriptive and it's lowkey annoying lol. I listen to Boldy and Roc Marci for that. They mastered that style. I'm tapped in. I hear when June tries to get lyrical and overuses certain words and phrases (make another play, bigger goals, bigger plans, better days, plottin etc). It's lowkey cringe. Like damn bruh, open a thesaurus. You just gonna say the same bar the same exact way that you said it on the other track and act like we didn't hear it? OK lol. When he raps on beats from Cardo, Cookin Soul, K. Fisha, Sledgren, DJ Fresh, etc, it's literally a perfect match. It doesn't sound forced. I would've loved more introspective songs like "Margie's Candy House" and "Porsches In Spanish" over these Alch beats. He really shined on those. Even more joints like "60 Days" and "Breakfast In Monaco" where he gets heavy into his harmonizing bag and experiments with song structure would've been great too.

I agree with alot of what you said. But this is still an amazing project to me.

I feel like Larry probably felt pressure to step it and be more serious with Alc. And he didn't really experiment much or give us the fun LJ flows & inflections.

I don't want Larry to give us this same project everytime out, but it's dope to push yourself and change it up, while still staying in your bag.

I think he's still going to give us old school 80's flows, Trap Larry, etc... in future projects and continue to push the fun and experimental shyt he's on. But this project is still a crazy vibe.

 

[areohbee824]

Need this cover but without the OBI Strip

 

[Guvnor]

Dom Kennedy walked so Larry June could run Good job Kennedy

Interesting comparison, I agree but feel Larry is a better version. A little Dom Kennedy and old school Wiz and Curren$y imo.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

The Lavish Comforts of Larry June & The Alchemist

Here's how rap titans Larry June and The Alchemist melded their styles into an album-of-the-year contender with 'The Great Escape.'

www.okayplayer.com

 

[Nero Christ]

Been spinning this all day..."Grown man get up and go get it" music

Been saying Larry needs to run infomercial testimonials where folks talk about listening to his music and turning their life around

On some Jordan Belfort shyt

 

[Peak]

This is fantastic.

 

[BluntTrauma]

Alchemist is top 3

 

[CarltonJunior]

Orange Village

 

[areohbee824]

Art Talk on the headphones