What happens when two of the most decorated rap producers link? Well, if it’s anything like the way Alchemist and Hit-Boy join forces, the answer may surprise you. For decades, the acclaimed sound sculptors have let their respective productions do the talking. But in an unexpected twist, their debut collaborative single finds them trading beats and bars.

Released over the weekend, “Slipping into Darkness” is nearly five minutes of the producers offering rare writtens over one another’s suites. The song, which was teased late last week in a pair of posts from the producers, commences with Uncle Al running the math on his outfits over a ghostly soul chop from the King’s Disease producer. On the back half of the track, the duo switch roles and Hit-Boy takes an ivory-soaked loop from Alchemist for a stroll, reflecting on his come-up and how one-dimensional many of his contemporaries have become.

“Slipping into Darkness” arrives as an unforeseen pitstop for the acclaimed producers. For the last few months, Alchemist has been readying the release of an upcoming joint project with Bay Area rapper, Larry June. Their album, The Great Escape, is set to drop on March 31st via ALC Records and Empire. Meanwhile, Hit-Boy, who just dropped a collaborative project with Musiq Soulchild last week, has been on a wild run with Nas, producing all three volumes of the Queensbridge rapper’s King’s Disease, one of which took home a Grammy for “Best Rap Album” in 2021.

READ THE REST AT OKAYPLAYER