Since 2021, rappers Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist have been teasing the existence of a mysterious music album hidden in plain sight for fans to discover.
Sweatshirt, whose real name is Thebe Kgositsile, is best known for his collaboration with Tyler, The Creator from 2009.
The Alchemist, whose real name is Alan Maman, began his rap and DJ career in 1991 (at the age of 14) when he formed The Whooliganz, a hip-hop duo with Scott Caan. He eventually found his way under DJ Mugg’s wing and eventually become mainstream, serving as Eminem’s official DJ and in-house producer for Shady Records.
2 Years of Mystery…Finally Revealed
When the rumors first circulated, a video on YouTube teasing this album under an anonymous account appeared to contain traces of Sweatshirt, but never officially mentioned him by name. The video contained a (then) false album name, track listing and cover. However, that album was never found, despite years of efforts.
Until today.
That mysterious album was unveiled on August 24, titled “VOIR DIRE”, by both Sweatshirt and The Alchemist.
Gala Music, a decentralized NFT-supported music streaming platform, tweeted that exclusive streaming access to VOIR DIRE through its platform would be through an NFT.
The platform, a subsidiary of the hybrid Web3 entertainment platform Gala, is best known for its involvement in the release of ‘Mount Westmore’s Bad MFs’ last year, as well as the use of NFTs that provide Gala Music users/fans with exclusive album access with limited ownership rights .
The iconic rap artists, known for their boundary-pushing approach, have finally embraced this digital format, albeit a little late given the previous peak of the NFT hype.
But it wasn’t that easy either, as fans had to solve a number of puzzles and riddles embedded on Gala Music’s website to access the hidden album. With every puzzle/riddle solved, a new clue emerged.
VOIR DIRE, which contains 11 songs, also comes with 11,000 NFTs – 1,000 NFTs for each song. The songs within ‘Voir Dire’ maintain the artists’ signature style, characterized by concise and dreamy compositions. New York rapper MIKE even makes a cameo appearance on one of the album’s tracks, adding an extra layer of intrigue.
The album’s track listing features a series of evocative titles hinting at the artistic direction of ‘Voir Dire’:
- “100 Main Street”
- “Vin Skullie”
- “Sentry” (feat. MIKE)
- “All the Little Things”
- “My brother, the wind”
- “27 braids”
- “Mac Deuce”
- “Sirius Black”
- “Geb”
- “Dead Zone”
- “Free the ruler”
The camaraderie between MIKE, Sweatshirt and The Alchemist is well established as MIKE has been featured in The Alchemist’s projects over the years. Their bond is also evident in their collaboration on the album’s lead single, “Sentry”, a song that illustrates their synergy.
Clues galore
During Sweatshirt’s international tour last week, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of its debut album ‘Doris’, clues were found as to where this mysterious album was being distributed – from QR codes on tour merchandise that also linked them to Gala Music’s website. and on posters all over downtown Los Angeles, would lead to additional cryptic messages from The Alchemist.
Clues even started popping up in New York and Chicago as fans celebrated “Doris’s” 10th anniversary.
A subreddit for Earl Sweatshirt was definitely popular, with users speculating about what was happening from different angles.
To the surprise of many fans, the sense of caution and hesitation about this was understandable. One user even said that “[they] didn’t want to get [their] hopes for.”
Even as fans eagerly awaited the release of this collaborative project, the revelation that ‘Voir Dire’ will only be accessible as an NFT doesn’t live up to everyone’s expectations, especially given the technology’s struggles with mass adoption.
With the album now available in this distinct format, it remains to be seen how fans and the wider music community will react to this artistic and technological convergence.
