In the midst of all of the new music we’ve received this year thus far, last year saw The Alchemist deliver one of the best bodies of work with his This Thing Of Ours EP, an eight-track offering with four original cuts and matching instrumentals. This past weekend, the legendary producer liberated a new visual from said project for “Loose Change,” a collaboration with Earl Sweatshirt that sees the Odd Future alum floating in a stream of consciousness over an absolutely beautiful horn loop:
“You be with the boys and I’ma be with the dawgs, blood on the Travies, it serve as a challenge coin, I’m the voice, I had to speak for the org, pastor, preacher, smashed up weed on the organ, master teachings, actually couldn’t hold me, I was hungry, Mama made her son read, so I’m hunting glances ‘til the peak, that still didn’t feed me, I had to get a feel for the whole thing…”
Directed by Lonewolf, the video in question starts with Sweatshirt heading into a theater where he supposedly has a sold-out show. Following his performance of “Loose Change” on stage, a better view of the crowd reveals that the room is filled with nothing but mannequins — save for an appearance from an applauding Alchemist in the midst. Sweatshirt then departs from the venue as he arrived, on foot and with a blunt in his possession. Sometimes, less really is more.
It’s been three years since Sweatshirt released his last full-length release Some Rap Songs, which saw 15 tracks from Standing On The Corner, Navy Blue, and his parents Cheryl Harris and the late poet-activist Keorapetse Kgositsile. Since then, he liberated the quick-strike EP Feet of Clay, and contributed to songs by Stoney Willis and Drakeo The Ruler, among others.
Press play on The Alchemist and Earl Sweatshirt’s “Loose Change.”