Roc Marciano, The Alchemist - The Skeleton Key REVIEW

[@mobettaone7795]

ROC been rappin circles around the industry for a decade... SALUTE!

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@mobettaone7795 Insane wordplay

[@peterwoodaman5936]

I’ve listened to this 5 times in its entirety. 4.5 out of 5 for me. Close to a 5. No skips. It’s more cohesive than their previous effort. I can’t believe they dropped this right before years end, fucks up my list

[@jordanolafson80]

@@peterwoodaman5936 4.5 🎤's I ain't mad at that score at all I haven't listened to the project more than once so my scoring isn't as constructive as yours either all you can't go wrong with Roc Marciano over a Alchemist production

[@peterwoodaman5936]

@ i just love the varied production here bro. Some crazy ass sounds, some classic Marci. It’s beautiful

[@wc6081]

Fully agree!

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@peterwoodaman5936 This one grew on me bro, but I still prefer their 2022 effort. 🫡

[@AmariMarvelous]

I thought this was a very dope project. I might give the slight edge to their previous album, The Elephant Man's Bones, but this album is not too far behind and was easy to get into. Every time I hear Roc Marciano, he reminds me of MF Doom but a darker, street version in which they both have that cerebral,dark eccentric humor and wordplay. Overall i enjoy this album. Roc did his thing and Alchemist provided the production that fit Roc perfectly.

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@AmariMarvelous well said. Elephant man’s bones was really fire. Alchemist was definitely in his bag for that

[@seanyoung9014]

I like this album more every time I listen to it. I'm glad I copped the deluxe version.

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@seanyoung9014 Word. I need to hear those 2 bonus tracks

[@GOAT-HRDRZ]

🐐🐐💯

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@GOAT-HRDRZ 💯💯🙌🏼

[@JP-xh3gy]

Waiting to buy the vinyl!

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@JP-xh3gy 🔥🔥

[@iAmHigherFrequency]

Thank you , I love when u do reviews

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@iAmHigherFrequency 🫡appreciate you bro 💯means a lot

[@daboiwonder212]

Another creative masterpiece…. Marciano flow and lyrical bars is stupendous.

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@daboiwonder212 Stupendous indeed G 💯

[@daboiwonder212]

@ .. did you get a chance to review the Flee Lord and Richard Milli drop ?

[@Mon3yGrip]

The King and the Mad Scientist is bacc

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@Mon3yGrip 🔥Strong way to wrap up the year

[@Mon3yGrip]

@hip-hophistorybuff yes Sir Roc is my favorite Mc never let me down even though I'm from the West Coast it's Roc then Kendrick

[@wc6081]

Another group of men who doesn’t miss. Alchemist and Roc!… 4/4.5 mic album!!!

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@wc6081 💯The creativity and artistry always shines through when they link.

[@babygrill01]

I haven't been able to get into Marci in the past but I think it'll give it a shot. It's cool alternative rappers offer a lot of artistic variety and Marci has collaborated with many of the greats like Blu, Billy Woods, and Ka in the past.

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@babygrill01 Let me know what you think of it

[@babygrill01]

@hip-hophistorybuff I meant to spin it more but I only spinned it twice since you replied. I quite enjoyed alch's production, a lot of tracks here are not drumless and have interesting blends of jazz and rock/metal samples . From Marci's perspective, I think I've found what I dislike. In order to make rhyme schemes work, he often distorts the order in which a pun is presented. (I feel bad bc you hyped it up in the video lol) "I run NYC to burn calories" Reads in an awkward way to me because the first half is easy to understand but after the action is stated, burning calories lets you know it could also mean something else. Compare that to "I burn calories from running this shit" or "carrying NY on my shoulder", the first half "I burn calories" leaves the reader scratching their head but the ideas come together from the second half. Maybe that's part of his idea, he ruins the delivery of a joke but the song is still hard bc he's a good rapper. Or maybe he's saying he's so good at rapping that he loses weight from it like exercise. In any event, the pattern continues on Chateau Josué with the Chilly line and it's an older song but it also happens on Richard Gear. I don't think it's necessarily the only reason Marci hasn't clicked for me but either there's 4d chess going over my head or some of the witty lines aren't as clever to me as they might seem. Spinning it a third time, the delivery is still awkward to me but maybe the weight (the product of burning calories) he lost is a coke bar and not about running or rapping lmao. Like he's carrying less bricks on him so thus he burned calories.

[@jamesjuniordunford2653]

Great album. best since RR2

[@TYBO-xl1xz]

I didn’t comment when you first dropped this because I had to run it back and I agree it’s a 4 mic album to me (4.5 with the bonus tracks) though I still like Marciology more

[@TYBO-xl1xz]

*production wise

[@DB77777]

10 out of 10 for me

[@caesarus9]

Yeah Man You Can't Listen To This At The Gym 😂 It's Not That Type Of Album. But I Really Enjoyed This Album I Had To Listen To It Acouple Of Times Because Some Songs Went Over My Head But This Shit A Vibe. This One Is Not Better Than The Elephant Man Bones But This Is Better Than Marciology Not That Marciology Was Bad Because It's A Good Album. Roc & Alchemist Don't Miss. Roc Was Spittin Bars On Here. Honestly, I'm Ready For Another Boldy & Alchemist Project It's Been Too Long Since We Got One 2021 To Be Exact.

[@iAmHigherFrequency]

Did u hear the 2 extra bonus tracks? It's 12 songs not 10 , they are 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@iAmHigherFrequency Nah I gotta hear those.

[@jessesteele7269]

A solid 4. Roc's eccentricity makes me laugh, in a good way. His bars are always on point... dude's pushing 50 and still has good energy, imo. Alc's beats are idiosyncratic as usual

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@jessesteele7269 Idiosyncratic really sums it up best bro. 👍🏼🫡

[@gipht1]

This is dope but I think I like Marciology more, it’s like a quintessential roc Marci album. But that album is prob album of the year n this prob close behind it.

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@gipht1 I can dig it bro, I know exactly what you mean

[@ski6410]

This definitely NOT that 4:30 am hit the gym drop lol. I liked this a lot for what it was though. (That said, i value solid drums too much to ever put one of these kind of albums in my top 5 for the year) still i give it a strong 3.5- maybe a light 4 if im in the right mood

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@ski6410 Lol straight up. I think it was because so much came out that I had to listen to it then for the sake of time. But even at that I learned my lesson 😂

[@jessesteele7269]

Haha, getting sleepy during the workout...this is def not a workout project, bro lol

[@daminharris3879]

Hell nah btween Alc's no drum beats n Roc's xtra monotone voice dat will do it lol

[@JP-xh3gy]

😂😂😂This is blaze music

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@jessesteele7269 Lmao. I don’t know what I was thinking 😂

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@daminharris3879 😂😂😂

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@JP-xh3gy Lol I don’t smoke but I see how it would be ideal for that, no doubt.

[@jordanolafson80]

I think 3.9 🎤's is a reasonable score for this project

[@user-vl4iq7bj5e]

that why he rated it 4.0?

[@jordanolafson80]

@user-vl4iq7bj5e 4 🎤's is he's score I think he's on point with he's scoring it totally depends on how it resonates with each individual

[@hip-hophistorybuff]

@@jordanolafson80 that’s a fact bro. It has grown on me more, but when I first heard it, it didn’t hit me like their first one did. This one is good but for me not as great as E.M.B.

[@jordanolafson80]

@@hip-hophistorybuff Agreed

[@jordanolafson80]

​@@hip-hophistorybuff Will you review the new Paul Wall album or the B-Real x Psycho Les album in the next few days?