This is a new collaborative EP between New Orleans, Louisiana rapper, songwriter and record executive Curren$y and Vallejo, California rapper and songwriter Larry June. Both started their careers 20 years ago and have crossed paths on many tracks in recent years, such as “Sunday Morning Drive” or “Vintage Haze”. They’re also known for their own solo projects, produced by one of my top ten producers on The Alchemist, who brought them together to walk up a set of spiral stairs.
“Stars on the Roof” opens with a rap-rock instrumental about how real shit happens and the streets keep them moving at different speeds, while sole single “Everything Distributed” references the booming beats of WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware. “Drive Alone” brings a drumless jazz vibe to the table, discussing the highs and lows of emotion, and the title track discusses their state of play.
The song “Palo Santo” smoothly begins the last section of the spiral staircase, reviewing the process from chasing freedom to gaining money and fame, while “2.PIG” brings back the rhythm of prosperity last time, advising to focus on winning because no one will save you. However, Empty Pages, which features The Alchemist, is an EP where all three spit out hardcore verses without hooking on soul samples, playing the game as hard as they can.
It sucks that we’ll never get a sequel to “Fetti” because Freddy Gibbs got into a feud with Curren$y for some reason, but as much as I enjoyed “Life is Beautiful” with 2 Chainz over 12 months ago, of the 2 collaborations I have to prefer “Spiral Staircase”. Alchemist’s drumless jazz-rap production complements Spitta and Larry June’s calm rhythms, while both of them hit us with the most absolutely meaningful chemistry.
Rating: 9/10
