On October 6 2023, Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist came together to make the collaboration album named Voir Dire. Voir Dire, when google translated from French to English, is to see or to say, but that is false info and the real translation is to speak the truth. The name also goes with the album cover, being a judge slamming his gavel. The genre of Voir Dire is hip hop. The features of Voir Dire are Mike and Vince Staples. This album has 11 songs which equates to 26 minutes and 45 seconds.
100 High Street as an intro shows us what we are gonna dive into, which is a very 2000’s vibe with the feelings of an Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist song. But overall, 100 High Street is a great song. 100 High Street primarily focuses on the artist’s personal experiences and mindset.
Vin Skully has that same 2000’s vibe but turned up by 10 notches. This song is just a solid mellow song. Vin Skully’s lyrics appear to touch on themes of friendship, perseverance, and personal growth in the face of adversity.
Sentry is such an amazing song off of Voir Dire. The production of Alchemist mixed in with Earl and Mike’s wordplay fits so well. Sentry delves into introspective themes of self-reflection, betrayal, resilience, and personal growth.
Heat Check is almost the epitome of a 1995 banger. The beat from Alchemist feels nostalgic like you’ve heard this beat before, but you probably haven’t because this beat is sampled from He’s My Friend by Mike Jemison. Heat Check explores themes of personal struggle, resilience, and self-discovery.
Mancala is another great song because of the nostalgia you feel since the sample is from 1976 and is from God Has Smiled on Me by Sister Ida Maxey and The Tampa Chapter Mass Choir. But then you include a Vince Staples feature and it makes this song even better. Mancala is a reflective and introspective song that delves into themes of personal growth, perseverance, and the struggles faced by the artists.
27 Braids is a nice and monotone song, just nothing too crazy. Although, I do like Earl’s wordplay on this track. 27 braids appears to be a reflective and introspective track that delves into the artist’s personal journey and the various challenges he faces.
Mac Deuce feels so 1970’s, and it is 1970’s like because Alchemist sampled Slow Burning Candle from Sally Townes. And overall, Earl does amazing on nostalgic beats. Earl in Mac Deuce delves into themes of perseverance, self-reflection, and the challenges that come with fame and success.
Sirius Blac is a very chill song and I really like it because of its beat style. Sirius Blac is a song that explores themes of self-reflection, personal growth, and navigating through life’s challenges.
Dead Zone is a crazy good track because of the mellow vibes but for some reason, Dead Zone stands out to me more than all the other mellow tracks. Dead Zone delves into themes of recklessness, self-destructive behavior, and resilience.
The Caliphate is a solid song because it’s Vince and Earl in a song again, but it’s just not my favorite song. I think the song is trying to be calm, but it just doesn’t work out for me. The Caliphate is a song that delves into the harsh realities of life, highlighting the struggles faced by individuals within a tumultuous society.
Free the Ruler is a great ending for Voir Dire, it’s just Earl and Alchemist doing what they do but better. And I really love the background vocals in this song especially. Free the Ruler seems to delve into themes of personal growth, resilience, and liberation.
All in all, Voir Dire is an incredibly underrated album in my opinion because it’s not as talked about as an amazing album released in 2023 should be. Most of the tracks in this album are either solid or perfect to me.
