The Alchemist

Hip-hop production vet the Alchemist has been busy lately tripping on Vodka & Ayahuasca, with Gangrene cohort Oh No, but the aftereffects haven't soured his creative juices, as he drops Rapper's Best Friend 2, the second instalment in his all-instrumental series, a follow up to the first version, which dropped in 2007. Alc creates a paranoid serial-killer vibe over frenetic keys and some digital bass on "Microphone Master," and on "Whole Lotta Thug," serves up a soulful street banger that's also being used as the subject material for an online contest for aspiring spitters in conjunction with the new record. And who couldn't nod their head to Cam'ron's classic "Wet Wipes"? There's no doubt that the Alchemist is one of the hardest-working men behind the boards in rap. From his early beginnings honing his craft with the Soul Assassins and his classic work with Mobb Deep to his current projects with Evidence, as the Stepbrothers, or OhNo on the Gangrene tip, Alc definitely keeps it moving.