Roc Marciano & Alchemist - The Elephant Man’s Bones (Discussion Thread)
- Thread starter TheDarceKnight
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Rhyme 4 Rhyme
Pro
Bit disappointing. Better than Marcealgo & Mt. Marci, but a big let down from when this project was announced over a decade ago.
Assume this isn't the orginal album they recorded?
Mentioned this in another thread but this pattern of making songs without a hook and only one verse is tiring. Understand Al's approach in essentially trying to make one long song but produces nothing really memorable.
Not sure one song on the album would even make a top 10 Roc/Al song for me. Beats are good but Roc's gotten kind of complacent over the last few years.
Assume this isn't the orginal album they recorded?
Mentioned this in another thread but this pattern of making songs without a hook and only one verse is tiring. Understand Al's approach in essentially trying to make one long song but produces nothing really memorable.
Not sure one song on the album would even make a top 10 Roc/Al song for me. Beats are good but Roc's gotten kind of complacent over the last few years.
TheDarceKnight
Veteran
This album began its recording in early 2020 or so. Al said it started during the Alfredo recording sessions, and said they made 35 songs for this.
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spliz
SplizThaDon
I can’t see how ANY Roc and Alch fan can be disappoint in this. This shyt feeling damn near classic to me.
I give the first half of it like a strong 7.5 out of 10, maybe a 8…nothing really blew my mind but pretty much everything is dope, classic Roc shyt.
The 2nd half kinda slowed down or something, maybe at that point it just got too monotone and I felt like it was declining when it wasn’t, I don’t know…but 2nd half is cool, give it like 6.5 or 7.
Favorite joints are definitely “The Elephant Man’s Bones (Straight fire
)”, “Quantum Leap” and “Rubber Hand Grip.” Dope album…nothing too crazy tho. Only my first listen, gonna run it back again later. Madd fire/funny one-liners on this shyt, 
. “I should be stripping at Chip and Dales…with nothin on but a Richard Mill / I’m rich for real, you just pigeon shyt on the windshield”. Salute to Roc for being in his 40’s and still soundin boyish, lol, with his style/production he can rap forever.
The 2nd half kinda slowed down or something, maybe at that point it just got too monotone and I felt like it was declining when it wasn’t, I don’t know…but 2nd half is cool, give it like 6.5 or 7.
Favorite joints are definitely “The Elephant Man’s Bones (Straight fire
)”, “Quantum Leap” and “Rubber Hand Grip.” Dope album…nothing too crazy tho. Only my first listen, gonna run it back again later. Madd fire/funny one-liners on this shyt, . “I should be stripping at Chip and Dales…with nothin on but a Richard Mill / I’m rich for real, you just pigeon shyt on the windshield”. Salute to Roc for being in his 40’s and still soundin boyish, lol, with his style/production he can rap forever.
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Piff Perkins
Veteran
Saw an Alch interview a bit ago where he said when they first started recording, Roc was only picking beats that kinda sounded like his own production or styles. At some point they had a meeting and Alch convinced him to try different shyt, go left, and that's the album we got. Makes me wonder if the other tracks they did are moreso in line with what some fans would have preferred - soul loops, Reloaded type shyt, etc.
It worked. This is NOT the album I imagined 10 plus years ago, when we were dreaming of what the Roc/Alch album would be like. Yet it works and frankly I think I appreciate this more than if they had simply done something that could have been released a decade ago sonically. This sounds like the ball being moved up the field.
Ironically the Alfredo album is pretty much what I imagined an Alch/Freddie album would sound like a decade ago and it worked well. But my ideas for that album were more diverse sonically than my ideas for a Roc/Alch album at the time, so it makes sense. The rock stuff on Alfredo for instance...that just made sense to me after hearing Covert Coup. Plus it also has the Alch piano shyt we love, some soul shyt, etc.
Been playin this non stop since it dropped. I'm putting this right after reloaded so its knockin dark horse out of my top 3 roc albums > Reloaded, this album then Marcberg. Only songs I skip are daddy kane and horns of abraxas, I think it has something to do with the sequencing of those songs as to why skip them shyts. Wasn't really feelin Deja Vu when it dropped but now its one of my favs, also momma love is a better closer than think big. Might be too early to call this a classic but its def classic Alc/Roc. This is some of the best music in their catalogues.
Definitely adding this to my AOTY contender list Alc and Roc both did they thing on this. The beats just feel perfect for Roc
Fred
Fred
Rhyme 4 Rhyme
Pro
You don't consider Marcberg a classic?
