This Friday (March 31), Larry June and Alchemist are teaming up for The Great Escape. After four singles ahead of Friday’s Escape and a documentary video (embedded below), fans are anticipating the LP, which is slated to feature Joey Bada$$, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Curren$y, Action Bronson, Ty Dolla $ign, Slum Village, Boldy James, Evidence and Jay Worthy. This album follows chemistry from 2022 that was abundantly apparent on Spaceships On The Blade and a spot on Curren$y & Al’s Continuance.

Ahead of the drop, the San Francisco, California MC, and the Los Angeles producer appeared on Sway In The Morning to discuss their journeys and the collaborative chemistry. While there, Larry kicked a small freestyle, while ALC also asked to rhyme on the show known as a longtime destination for freestyles.

Alchemist Tells B-Real About Just How Much His Time With Cypress Hill Shaped Him

Although he is recognized among Hip-Hop’s greatest producers, Alchemist has been an MC side his day as a member of the Whooliganz. Far more recently, Al used other groups, including Gangrene with Oh No, and Stepbrothers with Evidence, to show that he’s nice with nouns and verbs just like he is with the kicks and snares.

Shortly after the 27:00 mark, Alchemist requests that Sway and his team keep the beat going so he can say a lil’ somethin’:

MF DOOM & Westside Gunn Sting With Bars On Alchemist Production (Audio)

“Electricity / For Ferrari Testarossa they floated in from Italy / All of my rings are sorted individually / All of them things like an ornament on a Christmas tree / I’m on the brink of extinction / Links sit on a chinchilla mink / I’m still tequila-drinkin’ in my Lincoln / You’ll be slippin’ into darkness, and sinkin’ / Push the feather across the parchment for inking / My blood type is royal / I’m working with dirty pollo and night oil / I cook until the pipe boil / Drinking fermented fruit with a slight spoil / I’d rather take away package with a nice foil / I’m gumshoe; my code name is espionage / At the Taj, at the table, getting a neck massage / I never step from out the room without a check involved / Put the needle into the groove and let the rec’ revolve / I’m frozen; my case is never solved / Never blown / My raps is hovercrafts, fidget spinners, and Reggaeton / I’m sprinkling meth’done on the cess bone / Disco ball shine a light on the Patek stone / Every card in the deck thrown,” he raps, before Larry and Sway react strongly. As a producer who has worked with the greats, Alchemist’s whole style has evolved and fine-tuned since Heads last heard him in this format.

Last year, Ambrosia For Heads named Alchemist & Roc Marciano’s The Elephant Man’s Bones among its best albums of 2022. That list also highlighted Al’s contributions to other LPs, including Cormega’s The Realness II and Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

Action Bronson & Gangrene Make A Rental Car An All-Terrain Vehicle (Video)

Several recent Alchemist songs, including singles with Larry June are presently featured on the AFH playlist:

Ahead of the release, Larry June also announced tour dates in promotion of Great Escape, that begin this spring:

Mon May 08 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater

Tue May 09 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre

Wed May 10 – Columbia, MO – Blue Note

Fri May 12 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom

Sun May 14 – St Louis, MO – Delmar Hall

Mon May 15 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s

Tue May 16 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues

Thu May 18 – Little Rock, AR – The Hall

Fri May 19 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom

Sat May 20 – San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater

Mon May 22 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

Tue May 23 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center

Fri May 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

Sun May 28 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren

Mon May 29 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace

Tue May 30 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre

Thu Jun 01 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot

Sat Jun 03 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theater

Sun Jun 04 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater

Mon Jun 05 – Seattle, WA – Neptune

Tue Jun 06 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

Sat Jun 10 – Denver, CO – Summit

Tue Jun 13 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues

Thu Jun 15 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s

Sat Jun 17 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation

Sun Jun 18 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit

Mon Jun 19 – Toronto, ON – Opera House

Wed Jun 21 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

Thu Jun 22 – New Haven, CT – Toads

Sat Jun 24 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom

Sun Jun 25 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA

Tue Jun 27 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring

Thu Jun 29 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz

Fri Jun 30 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte

Sat Jul 01 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works

Mon Jul 03 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm

Wed Jul 05 – Miami, FL – The Oasis

Thu Jul 06 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues Orlando

Sat Jul 08 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle

Mon Jul 10 – New Orleans, LA – The Fillmore New Orleans

Wed Jul 12 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion

Fri Jul 14 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues

Sat Jul 15 – San Diego, CA – SOMA

Sun Jul 16 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues

Wed Jul 19 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst

Fri Jul 21 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades

Sun Jul 23 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater

Havoc & Method Man Spray Lyrical Bullets Over A Cold Alchemist Beat (Audio)

#BonusBeat: Alchemist and Larry June’s The Great Escape documentary: