CONTINUANCE BY CURREN$Y AND THE ALCHEMIST

By Leo Hewitt-Provost

02/18/2022 

In 2018, we were lucky enough to experience Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist all coming together to create a collaborative album named FETTI, and whilst the rapper from Indiana linked up with The Alchemist in 2020, Curren$y had already kept himself busy by releasing highly anticipated music alongside Harry Fraud, Fendi P, Fuse and many others. Curren$y and AL go way back, Continuance is their third collaborative project since Covert Coup and The Carrollton Heist came out respectively in 2011 and 2016. 

It is only right that fans were excited to hear Curren$y and The Alchemist work together again for their first respective project of 2022, as it was initially announced in 2021, the album release date was given shortly after the new year and had most of the industry talking. Featuring Boldy James, Havoc, Wiz Khalifa, Styles P, Babyface Ray and Larry June, people simply could not wait to hear it in its entirety.

Two singles were released beforehand, with Half Moon Mornings and The Tonight Show seeing the light before the 18th of February, ‘I could tell this project would be received well.’ Curren$y opens up on Half Moon Mornings and The Alchemist is already getting busy, over the calming instrumental, he lays his verse beautifully.

On the other hand, with the second single of the project, whilst the instrumental sounds a little bit over the place, it is very enjoyable and much more unorthodox than what was heard in Continuance, Curren$y sounds passionate to get his point across, ‘My car collection special, Jay Leno of the NO, kept every car I ever bought, each of them sentimental, represent the hard work, each one is a symbol’, as the song slowly fades away, he reminds us of his love towards cars as he slowly lets Alchemist express himself nearer the end of the track, before introducing the next track: Signature Move.

Continuance is a versatile project, whilst some songs like Signature Move and Whale Watching have similar cadences, this doesn’t take away the quality of both songs. On Whale Watching, Curren$y’s pace on the song is very diversified, from rapping a little faster on previous tracks as he does the same thing rapping deliberately unhurried on Obsession for example, he demonstrates clearly that he is comfortable doing both here, Styles P suits Alchemist’s instrumental very well and his bars are very strong.

One thing that feels a little bit awkward is on Endurance Runners featuring Larry June, the song is appreciable, but I can’t help to think that the instrumental sounded a little bit louder than it needed to be.

Reese’s cup has a very nice touch with the piano and the addictive cadence, the rapper from New Orleans raps for over a minute straight before the song ends and introduces what I believe to be the strongest song on the project, with Boldy James featuring on No Yeast; the sample in this track is simply stunning, Boldy James introduces the third collaboration with Curren$y over this beat from Al, who knows way too well how to work with both artists, the song is soothing and goes by way too quickly for my liking, but that’s what happens when you cannot get enough of greatness.

The multiplicity of the album’s construction is remarkable, from grimy and menacing production on Corvette Rally with Havoc and Wiz Khalifa, to more laid-back beats with Louis Baggage, Obsession and Kool & The Gang, to perfectly executed transitions told through an imaginative story, Continuance is a beautifully constructed piece of work from Curren$y and The Alchemist.