The producer/DJ compilation album has almost become a clich’ in hip-hop. Many times the goal is to cram in as many marquee names as possible onto the CD and hope that it sells. This usually makes for a jumbled and disorganized album that ends up sounding like a glorified mixtape. Alchemist does not simply do the job of an A&R and get treated like an artist. He actually IS an artist, and a multi-talented one at that. Although his mic skills are solid, they are nothing compared to his imagination and deft hand behind the boards. His production credits over the years have proven time and time again that he is without a doubt one of the top producers in the game.
Unfortunately, his albums have been subpar in my opinion. This might sound like blasphemy to some, but 1st Infantry was a disappointment to say the least. With Chemical Warfare, Alc manages to sneak under the radar and deliver an absolute banger. The beats knock hard, scary hard – a huge step up from the material on 1st Infantry. There’s something about the quality of his production that seems to bring out the best in every MC that blesses his tracks. This even applies to those you wouldn’t normally expect much from (yes, Juvenile does make an appearance and trust me it’s fire).
The guest selections for each track show extreme care and thoughtfulness. I wouldn’t at all be surprised or upset if the lineup for ‘Therapy’ (Evidence, Blu, Talib Kweli and Kid Cudi) actually spawned a new supergroup. They go that well together. And the same can be said for every other multi-artist collabo on the album.
I mentioned that Alc has mic skills, however he is not really an MC. He knows this, and one of his strengths is his ability to show restraint as far as his own vocal appearances go. He’s not trying to be Kanye West, and his willingness to let other artists shine over his production shows that. And damn do they shine. Every track fits the MCs featured on it like a glove, with few exceptions. After all that hype and nonsense over Eminem’s extremely overrated comeback album, the only truly impressive record he’s put out this year happens to appear on this disc. Nuff said. Alchemist knows his shit. His dark, gritty boom bap is back. Better than ever.
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