KingsOfKings
♟️ GRANDMASTERS ♟️
"Hemispheres away from each other, Roc Marciano and The Alchemist are in sync like they’re in the same room. Roc is back home in LA, decompressing from Art Basel, while The Alchemist, who DJs for Eminem, is just landing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the “Rap God.” It’s slightly past midnight for Alchemist, who shows us Zoom attendees a group of people taking pictures of him in front of his hotel. It’s unclear if they’re sneaking shots because, as he suspects, his purple-and-pink ensemble is in stark contrast to their cultural garb or because he’s one of the greatest producers ever to walk the earth.
During our conversation, someone walks up to show him love. The international appreciation is a testament to the body of work and production acumen displayed on The Skeleton Key, his new album with Roc Marciano, a follow-up to their 202 collaboration, Elephant Man’s Bones. When I ask when they started working on the 10-track album, which dropped Monday on RocMarci.com (with two bonus songs) and is available on streaming platforms today, Roc clarifies that they have an ongoing creative relationship. Alchemist is always sending beats, and Roc is always writing. Their chemistry is apparent throughout our conversation as they finish and build on each others’ thoughts.
That cohesion comes through on the album’s first single, “Chopstick,” which exemplifies The Skeleton Key’s overall vibe. Throughout the project, Alchemist delivers a canvas that varies from the sixties horror score of “Rauf” to the searing “Street Magic,” where Roc rhymes, “I’m a wolf, I’m aloof, I’m not cool / Despite what you may have assumed, I’m rude,” characteristically delivered with enough steeliness to radiate an entirely different context of “cool.”
Their sophomore collaboration comes at the end of banner years for both artists. Alchemist dropped three projects: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose (as Gangrene with Oh No), Black & Whites with Hit-Boy and Big Hit, and The Genuine Articulate — while garnering notable individual placements like Kendrick Lamar’s “Meet The Grahams.” In March, Roc Marciano released his well-regarded album Marciology. He also recently struck a partnership between his Pimpire International label and Roc Nation’s Equity Distribution, which he says puts “a staff” behind his movement in a manner he’s never had before. The two say 2025 is set to be just as prosperous as they’re more artistically focused and empowered on the business end than ever.
Roc Marciano and The Alchemist talked to Rolling Stone about The Skeleton Key, their craft as producers, and the late, great Ka.
How’s your 2024 been?
Alchemist: It’s been eventful. It’s been more than I could ask for. I can’t speak for Roc, but I feel like we’re both at the place where we’re in a real good hefty stride where it’s like… I won’t say comfort zone because we never try to get too comfortable. I think the turnout and after running for a long time, it feels like we don’t got to speed on the bike anymore; we could kick back and we’re in a flow now. For years, I felt like we were pedaling to create the landscape that we have now. I feel like that’s why it’s… I don’t want to say easy, but it’s like without much effort that we could pull off something like this, basically whenever we want.
At what point would you say you felt that flow state?
Alchemist: I don’t know if it was a moment, but once we pulled off Elephant Man’s Bones, it felt like we approached it. We got over a hump, and it was like once we both got that and achieved that, collectively, I feel like — and maybe it’s in my head — I could pitch 80 to 90% with Roc if I’m sending him beats or if I got something in mind for him. We’re pretty much in sync. Similar to the flow I had with Prodigy, two completely different artists, but it was like the [similar] rhythm that we were in. It’s rare when you get connections like that with other artists.
When would you say y’all started working on this project?
Roc Marciano: It’s kind of like we never stopped. We always making music. I’m always sitting on a batch of beats from Al.
How much of this one did y’all get a chance to record in person?
Roc: Damn, how many joints we did? I think some of the older joints we did from the last project we might’ve did together, I’m not sure.
Alchemist: I’m not sure. Some of them we did, but we live in the same city now, too. I feel like we’re damn near in the same studio every morning because of our respective work areas. I could pull up on Roc, or he’d come to my spot, but I think the flow is better when I’m sending him stuff and he’s in his bag over there, taking his time. And then we convene, and we come to my spot or his spot, we take notes, but I think we both have our [own] work environment. I know if Roc is in his element over there, I could just send him stuff, and at his leisure, if it might be three in the morning, it might be eight in the morning, whatever, he’s comfy, and he’s able to do what he does.
How intentional was it for this one to have no features?
Roc: I don’t know, I don’t care about features, to be honest. [Laughs] Features are always an afterthought. Whenever I put features on my album, they’re usually my friends. I never think of an album and be like, “Yo, I need rappers on my album.” I don’t give a fukk about features.
Alchemist: It felt like we needed to just do this one. I felt like people that love what we do, I don’t think that they’re like, “Man, that album was good, but we needed some other voices on there.” I feel like if anything, they might be annoyed. It wasn’t one of those events. It felt like a quick mission we needed to pull off, just us in our bag. It naturally became that. And I think it says something too. I was telling Roc yesterday that it’s kind of dope that we were able to get together and make something with this much motion. And get with Josué Thomas, who’s our brother, to do the artwork, and [have] Evidence, also our brother, to do the video. It’s a very self-contained creative product.
What is it that’s special and distinct about collaborating with each other?
Roc: Alchemist is one of the greats. I always wanted to work with him from back in the days since the Mobb Deep days. So to be able to work with him now, and call him one of my closest friends, I’m blessed to even have this friend circle. So it’s respect and admiration from my side.
