Since 2021, rappers Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist have teased the existence of a mysterious music album that has been hidden in plain sight for followers to uncover.
Sweatshirt, whose actual identify is Thebe Kgositsile, is most recognized for working alongside Tyler, The Creator starting in 2009.
The Alchemist, whose actual identify is Alan Maman, kicked off his rapping and DJ profession in 1991 (age 14) when he shaped The Whooliganz, a hip-hop duo with Scott Caan – ultimately making his approach beneath the wing of DJ Mugg and ultimately turning into mainstream and serving as Eminem’s official DJ and in-house producer for Shady Information.
2 Years of Thriller…Lastly Revealed
When the rumors first began to flow into, a video posted to YouTube teasing this album beneath an nameless account appeared to have traces of Sweatshirt, however by no means formally talked about him by identify. The video featured (a then) pretend album identify, tracklist, and canopy. Nevertheless, that album was by no means discovered, regardless of years value of efforts.
Till at the moment.
That mysterious album was revealed on August 24, entitled “VOIR DIRE,” by each Sweatshirt and The Alchemist.
Gala Music, a decentralized NFT-backed music streaming platform, tweeted that unique streaming entry to VOIR DIRE can be by way of its platform via an NFT.
The platform, a subsidiary of the hybrid Web3 leisure platform Gala, is finest recognized for its involvement within the launch of ‘Mount Westmore’s Dangerous MFs’ final 12 months, in addition to its utilization of NFTs that afford Gala Music customers/followers unique album entry with restricted possession rights.
The enduring rap artists, recognized for his or her boundary-pushing strategy, have lastly embraced this digital format, albeit a bit belatedly contemplating the NFT hype’s earlier crest.
However it wasn’t that straightforward both, as followers had been required to resolve various puzzles and riddles that had been embedded inside Gala Music’s web site so as to achieve entry to the hidden album. With every solved puzzle/riddle, one other clue would emerge.
VOIR DIRE, which comprises 11 tracks, additionally comes with 11,000 NFTs – 1,000 NFTs for every monitor. The tracks inside ‘Voir Dire’ preserve the artists’ signature model, characterised by concise and dreamy compositions. New York rapper MIKE even makes a visitor look on one of many album’s songs, including an additional layer of intrigue.
The album’s tracklist incorporates a sequence of evocative titles that trace on the inventive route of ‘Voir Dire’:
- “100 Excessive Road”
- “Vin Skully”
- “Sentry” (Feat. MIKE)
- “All The Small Issues”
- “My Brother, The Wind”
- “27 Braids”
- “Mac Deuce”
- “Sirius Blac”
- “Geb”
- “Deadzone”
- “Free The Ruler”
The camaraderie between MIKE, Sweatshirt, and The Alchemist is well-established, as MIKE has been featured on The Alchemist’s initiatives in recent times. Their bond can also be evident of their collaboration on the album’s lead single, “Sentry,” a monitor that exemplifies their synergy.
Clues Galore
All through Sweatshirt’s worldwide tour final week that celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his debut album “Doris,” clues as to the place this mysterious album had been unfold – from QR codes on tour merchandise that might additionally cause them to Gala Music’s web site and on posters all through downtown Los Angeles, to further cryptic messages from The Alchemist.
Clues even began surfacing in New York and Chicago as followers had been celebrating the 10-year anniversary of “Doris.”
A subreddit for Earl Sweatshirt was positively poppin’ with customers speculating on what was taking place from all completely different angles.
To many followers’ shock, the sense of warning and hesitation about this was comprehensible. One consumer even stated that “[they] didn’t wish to get [their] hopes up.”
At the same time as followers had been eagerly awaiting this collaborative mission’s launch, the revelation that ‘Voir Dire’ is accessible solely as an NFT could not align with everybody’s expectations, particularly given the wrestle the know-how has had with mass adoption.
With the album now accessible on this distinct format, it stays to be seen how followers and the broader music neighborhood will reply to this inventive and technological convergence.
