The drums and vocal sample on “No Yeast” are paper-thin, homing in on the intricacies of Spitta and Boldy James’s verses. There are reminders of the moody boom-bap of the past (“Obsession,” “Signature Move”), but the production builds on the slight expansion of 2016’s The Carrollton Heist and 2018’s Freddie Gibbs collab Fetti by further embracing the psychedelic and minimal sounds Alchemist has favored for a while. The beat selection across Continuance reflects how far Alchemist has stretched himself musically.
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“My son too young to know that he a prince,” he raps, sounding settled and thoughtful. The smooth jazz-lounge atmosphere Alchemist conjures on closing track “Kool & the Gang” complements Spitta’s verse about providing for his son. On “Obsession,” he pulls the occasional gut-busting one-liner out of thin air (“He tried to hide that bitch in him, it came out/Gender reveal” from “No Yeast”) and marvels at other’s come-ups through legal weed and cryptocurrency. This descriptive flair extends to his wordplay and the surprises he encounters in everyday life.
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Whether he’s describing an outfit or aspiring to be as fly as the gangsters in Scarface, Spitta knows how to hold your attention. When he opens “Whale Watching” with the line, “This shit sound like a Saab,” you hear the engine purring precisely. The chocolate Range Rover with tan seats he describes on “Reese’s Cup” and the coral-colored Air Maxes on “Corvette Rally Stripes” elevate the sense of personality and place in each scene. His Nawlins drawl is laidback, but his writing is often hyperfocused, turning the smallest details of any verse into marquee attractions. On paper, Spitta’s writing and delivery seem at odds. These minor tweaks to a reliable system define Continuance, the next chapter in one of rap’s most fruitful pairings.
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As their styles have mutated over the years, the partnership has remained strong, and Continuance doesn’t hide that excitement: “I pictured the listening session for it while I was still in here rhyming,” Spitta raps, barely a minute into opener “Half Moon Mornings.” The duo works because they coax themselves just far enough outside of their comfort zones to put outre spins on their laidback capo aspirations.