Back in 2012, The Alchemist teamed up with a sunglasses company called 9FIVE for a signature Alchemist edition of spectacles. Those shades came with an exclusive album titled Yacht Rock on limited-edition vinyl. That continuous cassette-style two-sided mix features Action Bronson, Roc Marciano, Oh No, Big Twins, Chuck Inglish, and Blu. The project was limited to 400 records, but it was also released as a free download to the masses. Seven years later, ALC has finally followed up the decidedly laid-back affair with an even smoother collection of tracks featuring all of his regular co-conspirators.

For Yacht Rock 2, Alan The Chemist starts with solo songs from each of his F*ck That’s Delicious co-stars: Big Body Bes, Action Bronson, and Meyhem Lauren—in that exact order. For those not familiar with Bronson-righthand Bes’ music, he does a style of Spoken Word that sounds almost like rapping, but it doesn’t tend to rhyme. His track here is a humorous, marine-themed joint titled “Uptown Aquarium.” Bronson’s “Tropical Storm Lenny” and Meyhem’s “Sex In The Fountain-Bleu” are highlights as well. The 1980s synth flavor of the latter track genuinely sounds like the actual Yacht Rock creators including Doobie Brothers, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, and others.

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This ’19 offering also boasts tunes by Willie The Kid, Gangrene, Boldy James, Roc Marciano, Benny The Butcher, and Elcamino, Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and one of Al’s longest collaborators, Big Twins. While the release maintains a high level of quality throughout, “Ocean Prime” by Boldy James and “East Side” by Westside Gunn & Conway are a couple more standouts. It is worth noting that a track by Gangrene means a rare, new verse from ALC. On “Boat Shoes,” he states: “So many sons, I put a couple up for adoption.” It may be a tongue-in-cheek joke, but he really has influenced a whole generation of producers.

Taking this whole “boating life” vibe a step further, Uncle Al edited together 23 minutes of stock footage of speed boats, POV sailing, and exotic locales. Think Lifestyle Of The Rich And Famous mixed with Baraka. Seagull calls and ocean/boating-related vocal snippets between the songs help cement the concept.