1st Infantry - Alchemist > Reviews > Alchemist

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Top Beats
Disadvantages:	Alchemist doenst hardly rap on the album

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

With a catalog of hits that includes both known classics and unknown gems, the Alchemist delivers his own full length album with 1st Infantry. Going the Pete Rock route, Al enlists MCs from East to West and everywhere in between, to bless his production, while spitting a few bars here and there. Loaded with 19 tracks, and serving as Al's "official" debut, 1st Infantry combines (sample-based production, with soul -- NOT relying on vocal samples) all of the elements that have got Alchemist the notoriety and longevity that he's enjoyed thus far.
While the "Intro" is an instrumental with a vocal asking "Remember?", all while various beats from Al's extensive catalogue echo in and out as though to remind the listener just how much he's put in with his trade. Setting things off on the mic is The Game with "Dead Bodies," as he and Prodigy kick cliché "I'm gangsta... yadda, yadda, yadda..." rhymes, between a lazy chorus. "Hold You Down", is a vocal-sample-assisted track, with a hand-clap snare (once the opposite of Al's style) is a collaboration that unites Prodigy, Nina Sky (whom do their thing quite lovely) and Illa Ghee, who kicks a verse that doesn't really fit the song's emotion. Here, Al goes into overtime as he leaves manning the boards for a minute and heads into the vocal booth to drop a verse of his own. "Industry Rule 4080" is a pretty hilarious interlude that plays out the scenario of a clueless record executive assuming he knows who Alchemist is, and in the process, keys listeners in to just how lame some of the people running this business are. Slightly after the half-way point, Alchemist laces the crew whom he first sold a beat to, and his long-time compadres, Dilated Peoples. Over some captivating horns, Evidence & Rakaa Iriscience exchange words on things they want to be known "For the Record." And never one to be left out of the Dilated loop, Mr. Dilated Junkie himself-DJ Babu, demolishes the instrumental with his amazing chops/record manipulation. "Tick Tock" is a classical/ballroom-sounding record that reunites Nas and Prodigy for a new Queensbridge anthem. The chemistry between Al's beat and Nas & Prodigy's rhymes serves as a prime example of just how ill hip-hop can sound if all the right elements are merged correctly. 1st Infantry is a good album, but there was definitely potential for it to be a great album. With a few filler joints and a few tracks that should've just straight-up been left on the cutting-room floor (i.e., "The Essence"; "Different Worlds"), it took just those few things to throw the album off enough to not make it cohesive. Alchemist has definitely more than proved himself as a producer, now he just needs to make a few minor adjustments and the next Infantry installment should be a much stronger militia.