The Alchemist, MIKE and Wiki Conjure Effortless Chemistry on 'Faith Is a Rock'

Faith Is a Rock is one of the most flat-out beautiful rap albums I've heard in ages. With the Alchemist on production — continuing an extremely busy year that has already yielded the Flying High EP and the Earl Sweatshirt collab Voir Dire — NYC rappers MIKE and Wiki trade verses over instrumentals that sometimes barely even have beats, with the emphasis instead on swooning strings and chopped-up samples. With MIKE's rich, even-keeled flow going toe-to-toe with Wiki's gnarlier, nasal timbre, mellow cuts like "Bledsoe" and "One More" emphasize thoughtful introspection over swagger. Following last year's three-song EP, Faith Is a Rock is the full realization of the effortless chemistry between these three collaborators.