The Alchemist

The best present you could give to a starving MC is a selection of slick instrumentals to let them go off on, and Alchemist’s track record gives a strong indication that he can get the job done. Instrumental beat tapes seem to be making the rounds rather heavily in the past several months, with beat-miners seemingly creating more work than they can give away to their verbal counterparts. Given the title of this release, it’s apparent that this record should be used as a tool for microphone fiends, but for someone who just intends to listen to this album, is it going to make the transition? The answer is no, because instrumental albums these days are in fact, made with an MC in mind and so you’re going to get a hot beat like Dilated’s "Back Again" but with four minutes of choruses and verses you’re going to realise you’re not really listening to an instrumental composition with multiple levels. Still, if you’re down with that Alchemist sound (and you should be — just listen to how he flips Barry White) and you’re in the market for handpicked beats to crush foes on the mic, this record really is your best friend.