Alchemist - Chemical Warfare Review

Posted by Michael James on 07.10.2009

Alchemist's first album featured top notch collaborations, including the massive single "Hold Me Down (feat. Prodigy and Nina Skye)". It also did not feature him rapping much, if at all. Both of these are good things. Does he manage to repeat his prior success in both areas on his new album? Well, 1 out of 2 ain't bad...

During the other night’s Mets game, the announcers suggested that one of the team’s pitchers had gotten so used to watching some of his fellow starters routinely make difficult defensive plays routine, that he may have overestimated his own defensive skills. I thought the point was interesting, and that was that… until it came roaring back to me as I listened to Chemical Warfare, the second full length album by veteran producer (and Eminem tour DJ) Alchemist. Hip-hop is littered with examples of producers and DJs who have decided to step in front of the mic and try their hand at rhyming. While there are exceptions (Kanye West, Dr. Dre), more often than not producers rap game can’t come close to their track game (or in some cases, their business game)—(Jermaine Dupri, Diddy, Swizz Beatz, etc.). Maybe, just like a delusional Met, these behind the scene powerhouses spend so much time watching talented rappers effortlessly drop jewels, that they become convinced that anyone can do it.


Track Listing:
1. “Intro”
2. “ALC Theme (feat. Kool G Rap)”
3. “Lose Your Life (feat. Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss and Pusha T)”
4. “Chemical Warfare (feat. Eminem)”
5. “Grand Concourse Benches (feat. KRS-One)”
6. “Therapy (feat. Evidence, Blu, Talib Kweli and Kid Cudi)”
7. “That’ll Work (feat. Three 6 Mafia and Juvenile)”
8. “Smile (feat. Maxwell and Twista)”
9. “Keep the Heels On (feat. Prodigy)”
10. “Acts of Violence (feat. Gangrene)”
11. “Lights, Camera, Action (feat. Lil Fame)”
12. “Some Gangster Shit (feat. Fabolous)”
13. “On Sight (feat. Dogg Pound and Lady of Rage)”
14. “Take a Look Back”
15. “Under Siege (feat. Gangrene)”

Unfortunately, Alchemist’s misestimation of his own skills weighs down Chemical Warfare, as most of the tracks where he raps, including “ALC Theme,” “Acts of Violence,” “Take a Look Back” and “Under Siege” are the album’s worst. While his lyrical content isn’t completely horrible, he uses simple rhyme structures and his flow bares a strong resemblance to Linkin Park/Fort Minor’s Mike Shinoda (alright for a rock star, not so good for a rapper). While decent verses by West Coast rapper Oh No almost manage to salvage “Violence” and “Siege,” “ALC Theme,” with its irritating spelling motif is a mess that even the legendary Kool G Rap cannot save.

Alchemist’s rapping aside, Chemical Warfare is an enjoyable listen and features a strong roster of mcs, combining some artists currently in heavy rotation with missing-in-action stars who are heard from all too infrequently. “That’ll Work,” features forgotten Southern stars Three 6 Mafia and Juvenile, who sound surprisingly comfortable over a non-Dirty South beat. The West Coast also gets some love, as “On Sight” reunites Death Row survivors Dogg Pound and Lady of Rage over a hard-hitting track.

The production on Chemical Warfare is on point, as Alchemist proves a master of a variety of styles. The album moves effortlessly from synth-heavy bangers (see “Lights, Camera, Action”) and soul-sampling slow jams (“Smile”). The production highlight “Therapy” loops a woozy guitar lick to create a hazy soundscape perfectly suited to the Kid Cudi hook. The track features strong verses from Talib Kweli and Evidence of Dilated Peoples, but Blu steals the show as he raps “Busting hard earned bars to scar loops/ scarred youth/ my heart’s firm/ you all just saw truth/ golly crossbreed between Spike, God and Bruce/ when I’m kicking it/ they wonder if God’s talking to Blu.”

Unfortunately all of the lyricists don’t seem as inspired. As is all too often the case on DJ or producer compilation albums, the MCs with the highest wattage don’t necessarily bring their A-game and instead drop a throwaway verse. Chemical Warfare is no exception, as two of the game’s most popular mcs disappoint. An Eminem song called “Chemical Warfare,” brings high expectations for one of his trademark drug rants. Instead the one-verse cut is more Encore than Relapse version as Eminem wastes his sick flow on extended Sarah Palin sex fantasy topped with some other “outrageous” pop culture references. Fabolous also fails to impress on “Some Gangster Shit,” although that may be because of the oddly slow beat and vocal.

Chemical Warfare is not flawless, but it is much better than other recent compilations like theGangsta Grillz Volume 2 studio album. For every subpar performance, there is a standout like the highlight “Lose Your Life,” where Jadakiss, Snoop Dogg and Pusha T trade coldhearted rhymes. The list of featured MCs is also refreshing, eschewing the overexposed Rick Rosses , Lil Waynes and Akons in favor of underutilized talents like KRS-One, Maxwell and Twista. Even the skits are entertaining. Now if only Alchemist could have resisted the temptation to lay down some rhymes of his own...

If you’re like me, most of your music ends up in an endless .mp3 “shuffle.” In order to preserve your valuable disk space, here’s what’s Ipod-worthy off Chemical Warfare :

“Lose Your Life”, “Grand Concourse Benches”, “Therapy”, “That’ll Work”, “Smile”, “Lights, Camera, Action”, and “On Sight”

The 411:  Chemical Warfare is certainly worth your time, with great production and solid verses from a wide cross section of mcs. It is held back from being one of the better albums in a slow summer by some awkward Alchemist verses, a few lackluster guest vocals and the fact that the album's two best tracks, "Therapy" and "Lose Your Life" were released on an EP in November. Still, there's enough here to get excited about for me to recommend it.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]