Curren$y & the Alchemist — Continuance — Album Review
Hip-Hop | Rap
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
When I think about who my favourite Hip-Hop producers are, The Alchemist is most certainly amongst them. Ever since I discovered the musical project of Beverly Hills-born Daniel Alan Maman, he has managed to bring out one amazing project each year. In 2020, it was his collaboration with Freddie Gibbs, titled Alfredo. Last year, we had Haram, which saw The Alchemist collaborate with Armand Hammer. And this year, we have this brand new project, which seems to be the next to bear the torch of musical greatness.
Titled Continuance, this album sees The Alchemist work with his next collaborator; that being rapper and songwriter Shante Scott Franklin; better known by his stage name, which is Curren$y.
As the name of Curren$y suggested to me early on, despite this album being my introduction to him, his lyrical style reflects a lucrative lifestyle above all else. And with The Alchemist’s unmatched knack for sampling, they go hand in hand as a pretty amazing pair.
I was unaware of the very first track to tease this album, “Half moon Mornings”, until the full release of Continuance. However, I was fortunate enough to discover the second teaser track upon its release. Titled “The Tonight Show”, this track set up my expectations that this album would indeed be a smooth and indulgent ride. And as I later discovered with the full record, a smooth and indulgent ride was definitely the right analogy.
That being said, the tracks on Continuance are certainly a case of listens that grow on the listener more slowly and carefully. However, many of the tracks still wowed me upon my initial skim-through, thanks to The Alchemist’s masterful beats.
The rap style of Curren$y certainly complimented the album’s enjoyment factor as well. Coming together, both the rapping and the production strikes a near perfect balance of divine lucrative atmosphere, and grittier undertones.
If I was to compare this project to another, I would say that Continuance is like a more creative version of Westside Gunn’s 2021 mixtape, Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf. Not to say that project was mediocre in the slightest; quite the opposite actually, However, this project adds just a little something more to what would otherwise be a very similar formula shared between both of the projects I’ve mentioned.
In fact, I think the only minor thing I can pick out from Continuance, that stops it from being a near-perfect record, is that it is ever-so-slightly more lacking in being musically dynamic; or at least in comparison to projects like Alfredo and Haram. It may just be the nature of the album, and the focus these two artists have decided upon, but I feel that the previous two Alchemist project tend to have just a bit more character.
Other than that, however, I have little to nothing that I can really criticise, in regards to Continuance. It is undoubtedly an expertly made album, a great introduction to Curren$y, and a reminder as to why The Alchemist is one of my favourite hip-hop producers in recent memory.
Favourite Tracks: No Yeast | Louis Baggage | Endurance Runners
Least Favourite Track: Signature Move
Jet Life Recordings | ALC | EMPIRE
