The combination of Earl Sweatshirt, Billy Woods, and Alchemist is pretty tasty, and since it just came out of the oven, it is best enjoyed warm.
Al released Flying High on Friday (June 30), an eight-track EP with four songs featuring some of Hip Hop’s greatest avant-garde spitters and four instrumental versions of those same tunes. T.F., Boldy James, MIKE, Sideshow, Larry June, and Jay Worthy are among the guests, but one track stands out in particular.
Two-act poetry reading “RIP Tracy” is set to a dreamy and slumbering Alchemist beat. A compelling argument may be made that this song is the centerpiece of the tracklist because Earl and Woods both provide lyrics of the greatest caliber.
With the opening lyrics, “Uneasy Steps, Deep in It Like Needle in Flesh/ In the Center, Couldn’t See the End/ Indecision, Leave the Pieces Split,” Earl sets the mood for Woods’ verses, which continue in the same reflective vein. “Sometimes you run out of lies/Sometimes you tell the truth just to pull ’em offsides,” he spits.
The Alchemist has previously collaborated with both Earl and Woods. He is a collaborative machine. His most recent full-length album, The Great Escape, was released in collaboration with Larry June.
Billy Woods has been equally active. The 17-track Maps album by the New York MC and West Coast producer Kenny Segal was released last month. Aesop Rock, Quelle Chris, Danny Brown, and other artists have all contributed to the tracklist. The album had a score of 4.6 on HipHopDX.
