I hope you already know a majority of this next paragraph, but I'm going to type of Prodigys life story, but condense it into one paragraph. Coming out of Queensbridge, Prodigy formed legendary hip hop duo with rapper/producer Havoc. After releasing their debut to lukewarm success, they dropped The Infamous, often regarded as one of the greatest albums to ever come out New York. They followed that with Hell On Earth, and album I consider to be just as good as its predecessor. To follow up that one two punch, the group released a bunch of bullshit over the years and broke up. Man, that's some sad shit.
One the other side of the country, up and coming Los Angeles based producer Alchemist was already making quite the name for himself. By attracting the attention of legendary producer DJ Muggs, he took Alchemist under his wing and taught him all he knew about producing. Eventually, he became one of the hottest producer in the business and everyone wanted him on their next album. With relatively no controversy or slip up, Alchemist produced music for the upcoming years and eventually signed with Shady Records, where he is still currently signed.
After being introduced to each other, Alchemist and Prodigy hit it off instantly and decided to form a tandem. They released their first album in 2007 and have been largely absent since. In late 2012 Prodigy apparently announced the album and no one really cared. This week had a fairly low amount of high profile releases so this got to be the main album I've been listening to this week. *Inserts mildly comical sentence that leads into the first track*...
1. Intro
Its an intro that has every quality of an intro, which is fitting I guess. It does include the Albert Einstein theme that I'm sure will be flushed down the toilet soon enough.
2. LMDKV
Ok I see how this is going to be. If this song is any indicated of the rest of the album, its going to be incredible. I actually don't have a single complaint about this song. Alchemists instrumental is very simple when you concentrate on it but it sounds like he's been working in it for years. Prodigy of course sounds great for the most part, matching the standard of the beat. I also think this was released as the albums first single.
3. Give Em Hell
Well, another really good song. I'm personally happy for these guys that their project isn't terrible. Prodigy shines on here, not because of any groundbreaking lyrics but his flow and the relaxed manner he delivers his rapping in are what has made him such a legend. None of that gives him an excuse to use the grammar he does in the hook though.
4. Stay Dope
The streak of decency end on "Stay Dope" as his song is boring as shit. Prodigys delivery that I mentioned earlier doesn't always work. On tracks like these where the instrumental is slow and uneventful his voice can almost put me to sleep. If P and Madlib created a collaboration album it could legitimately be used to cure sleep disorders.
5. Curb Ya Dog
The beat transcends into a more upbeat tempo. Prodigy adjust accordingly and rips apart the instrumental. Before being viciously ripped by Prodigy, that instrumental was doing its job quite well. The voice samples used are placed perfectly and those drums are just fucking awesome. There's a skit that appears at the end of the song that again addresses the Albert Einstein thing.
6. Death Sentence (Feat. Roc Marciano)
Alchemist was caught slipping on this one and gave Prodigy one of his worst beats to work with. Thankfully no task is too big for P, as he delivers one of the best verses he's written in years. His flow is relentless and his lyrics are just as good. I really liked the Roc Marciano feature here. I didn't love him on Czarface but he sounds much better while in the presence of these two. This could've been special with a better beat.
7. Bear Meat
As far as I can tell, most people have been gravitating toward this song. I like this song but I'm not really seeing why people are picking this song out of the pack. I really don't understand why they use bear meat when describing someone who is sweet. Alchemists beat is very good though and is definitively an improvement over his somewhat lackluster effort on the album as a whole.
8. Y.N.T. (Feat. Domo Genesis)
Sorry to break it to you Prodigy but you're not young, although I assume you are definitely still thuggin. I'm guessing thats why Domo is appearing here, serving as the young refreshing rapper in this song. If actually not heard much from Domo, but he sounds good enough to pass my judgement for now. Prodigy and Alchemist both make their respected jobs seem incredibly effortless. I'm loving this song right now.
9. R.I.P. (Feat. Havoc & Raekwon)
I'm ecstatic that we got to see a Mobb Deep reunion in the midst of their reported tension. The group has always worked well with Raekwon so this collaboration is not completely at random. All the rappers sound really good for the most part but Raekwon's slang filled verse are enough to propel him over the other rappers. To make the song better, the beat continuously samples Big Daddy Kane's Raw, which is just fucking awesome. Best song of the album so far.
10. Dough Pildin
The second single of the album is almost as good as the first one. The ad lib is annoying as shit but the rest of the instrumental is vintage Alchemist. Since its a reoccurring theme of the album, Prodigy continues to be really good at rapping. With this helping the cause, this whole album feels really complete and cohesive.
11. Confessions
Prodigy tells one of his classic street tales in this perfectly delivered track. In detail, he describes two murders, one where his character pistol-whips a child after murdering her father at the school bus stop. That's pretty intense even for someone known for this type of song. The hook includes the witty line, “there’s six millions ways to die, I choose for you.” The beat is manic with rambling piano and ascending strings.
12. Bible Papers
ALCs instrumental is slightly boring but Prodigy's delivery carries enough charisma to make this song a somewhat fun listen. I'd assume that P is lying about most of his lyrics but my god he does a good job of being convincing. Midway through, we get a change of beat that is slightly better than the first half.
13. The One (Feat. Action Bronson)
Here's Action Bronson again, I swear I can't get away from the guy. In contrast to his own EP, Bronson actually sounds up to par with Prodigy. I feel like they could've worked out a deal where they traded this song with "Seven Series Triplets". As another plus, this instrumental is possibly my favorite of the album. Something about that horn sample makes for a very entertaining listen
14. Breeze
Here we have a jazzy beat that weaves Prodigy’s overstated ego with a plush vocal sample. Alchemist lets the sample run, instead of the normal hook, and Prodigy just keeps rhyming but I can't even hear him half the time. Maybe it’s a metaphor for Prodigy’s unflinching rawness in an exceedingly glamorous industry, maybe not. I just love reading into thing too much.
15. Raw Forever
Not a single memorable quality about this song. Doesn't always mean this song isn't good, but it is bad in this case. Prodigy's rhymes only sound good half the time and Alchemist's beat does nothing to separate itself from the album aside from the Redman sample. I did like how Prodigy worked in some of the Mobb Deep album titles into one of his verses, though.
16. Say My Name
If you say Prodigy's name in the dark three times in the middle of the night guess what will happen. You're parents will come in, slap you, and tell your ass to go to bed. I actually thought that whole theme was kind of cool. Prodigy's play off of the Jay Z line was also appreciated. Overall, a pretty good way to end the album.
Rating: 3.5/5
This is a very, very strong 3.5 and could easily become a four depending on how this sounds in a few months. I don't come back and re-rate album though, so Albert Einstein is just going to have to live with a 3.5. When this album clicks, some of these songs are absolutely fantastic, such as "LMDKV" and "R.I.P.". The thing that is holding this album back is the close relationship between Alchemist and Prodigy. When guest appear on the album, they are challenged by the different sounds and have to adjust some of their rapping. In most cases, the results sound excellent and open up a new style for the artist. In Prodigy's case, he's used to these instrumentals and doesn't get the chance to adjust his style and leaves no room for growth. Now that's been said, I'm comfortable recommending a purchase of this album. Albert Einstein contains some of the best hip hop songs I've heard all year and the high points certainly outweigh the low points. Didn't expect to say this, but this album thoroughly out performs Action Bronson's new release.