With Alfredo, the Alchemist's gritty rhythms and soulful snippets are abutted by Gibbs' criminally minded, top-tier lyricism over the course of 35 minutes. The product of a deceptively simple recipe, the musical and thematic ingredients they respectively bring to the table achieve near-perfection when combined. Jazz fusion noodles with anxious drug-dealer laments on "Skinny Suge," giving the decadent track umami depth. On the hazy "Look at Me," the twin vintages of hazy R&B and samples from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous feel as special as truffles shaved tableside. It's like tasting an old family dish in the restaurant's kitchen, right before service, after having raved to the chef for a half hour about the wonders of molecular gastronomy.
Here, Gibbs seems born to spit over Alchemist productions, more so than he did on Madlib's oft gonzo ones. For the dizzyingly downtuned "God is Perfect," he does double- and even triple-timed flows over the sludgy piano beat as he sees fit, slowing down to something between staccato and hiccup. He goes profoundly meta about his history on "Something to Rap About," a cleverly executed post-mafioso rap set to quiet-storm smoothness that leaves guest Tyler, The Creator at a disadvantage for his own verse. Similarly faced with The Alchemist's tickled ivories and a conversationally formidable dining companion, Rick Ross matches the tense mood on "Scottie Beam" with one of the best features this side of 2012's God Forgives, I Don't.
| A1 | 1985 |
| A2 | God is Perfect |
| A3 | Scottie Beam |
| A4 | Look at Me |
| A5 | Frank Lucas |
| B6 | Something to Rap About |
| B7 | Baby $hit |
| B8 | Babies & Fools |
| B9 | Skinny Suge |
| B10 | All Glass |
