Album Review: Gangrene & Roc Marciano- "Greneberg EP"

Last year, producer slash rappers Alchemist and Oh No put out an album under "Gangrene" called Gutter Water. Though I'm normally a big fan of Alchemist's production, this album wasn't for me, possibly due to Oh No's offbeat, Stones Throw influence, or maybe because of the lack of good rapping. Well they're back, this time with the help of one of my personal favorite MCs, Roc Marciano, whose U.N. material with Pete Rock I've raved about extensively on this site. So did Roc Marcy's addition make Gangrene worthwhile or was this EP just more of the same?

1. New Shit

This is the first of two tracks that don't feature Roc Marciano, which is sort of a bummer. The beat on here is precisely the "offbeat, Stones Throw" type of shit that I was talking about. I mean this is interesting musically and would be cool on an Oh No instrumental album, but it doesn't sound right with people rapping over it what with the loudness and people yelling in the background.

2. Papercuts

Here's something more to my liking, a smoothed out Alc beat with a tight baseline and guitar sample. Both Alchemist and Oh No kinda go in on this too, but the New York rap stan in me is begging for a Prodigy verse at the end there.

3. Sewer Gravy (Feat. Roc Marciano)

Roc Marcy makes his intro on the EP over a beat that sounds like something straight out of a blaxploitation movie, in a good way of course. I have to wonder why the fascination with pollution and waste and shit, but this is cool.

4. Hoard 90

This Alchemist track with an electric guitar, or something, is weaker than the last two. Roc Marciano kills it even though he delivers his rhymes so nonchalantly it sounds like he's freestyling this whole thing.

5. Jaws

Straight filth. This sounds like Oh No sampled the piano from a horror film which compliments Marciano's dark lyrics perfectly. As for Roc, he just about had me at "Eat a dick bitch, this is money/This ain't Kid Cudi/This is G shit gully."

6. Jet Luggage

Roc Marciano and Gangrene go in on what could be the best beat yet, and one of Alchemist's dirtier sounding productions in a while. Blaring horns and a piano make up the loop, which is pretty basic, but what makes it is the didgeridoo sound in the background. My only complaint would have to be Marciano's Brian Pumper reference, which comes just months after Naledge dropped one on "Moments". I think one per year is just fine.

7. Momma Told Me

Roc Marciano flows over his own, extra soulful beat full of horns and organs and such. Not that this isn't good, but I can't help but think that Alchemist could've done something a little more inventive with this.

Comments:

A very solid EP to say the least. Nothing on here blew me away, but other than the first track this shit was consistently good both musically and lyrically. Definitely worth a listen.

Best Songs: "Sewer Gravy", "Jet Luggage"