"ALFREDO" A MOUTHFULL OF SUCCESS

When I was a kid, I used to look forward to watching the Grammys – seeing the celebrities, watching the performances, discovering new music, etc. However, ever since the magic faded and I began to see them for the fabricated popularity contest that they were, I’ve chosen to ignore them altogether, shielding myself from outrageous results to come. As a hip hop fan, I was most of all tired of seeing these bloated radio-friendly rap releases always be recognized over incredible ones the underground had to offer. The abundance of artists like D Smoke and 21 Savage was leading me to think the Grammy committee was made up of seventeen-year-old 2k streamers.
This year, however, the Grammy’s caught my attention as Alfredo was nominated for best rap album.

Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist’s “Alfredo”, unlike most big rap records, runs for under 40 minutes and contains few hooks, where its greatness boils down to the chemistry between Gibbs, Alchemist, and the featured guests. Although it was inevitably beat out by Nas’ “Kings Disease”, much to the dissatisfaction of hip hop Twitter, Alfredo’s Grammy acknowledgment and overall commercial success can serve as a template for how underground artists can generate buzz and branch out without the support of major labels.

Rather than spend this entire blog meticulously discrediting the Grammy awards, I will instead explore Alfredo’s success through a few different lenses.

1. The one-rapper one-producer format

Dating back to the 1970s, DJs would often pair up with emcees to perform hip hop. From there, the golden age of normalized duos to a great extent, notably with Eric B and Rakim and DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. However, as time went on, the music business began to favor the solo star as they are often easier to market commercially. This led to most commercial hip hop albums being assembled by dozens of producers and designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator of hip hop fans.
In my view, albums like Alfredo are helping re-popularize the one-rapper one-producer format, proving that collaborations when done right can be just as dynamic as solo records, if not more. Furthermore, the uptake in this format as led by producers such as The Alchemist, Madlib, and Kenny Segal, is giving producers hope that in fact, one day they can also be the star of the show and have their work appreciated by the masses. As a producer myself, I see this format as an incredible way to create music that appeals to a wider audience (has lyrics) while also showcasing my own style and sound. In fact, I just released a collab EP with New Jersey emcee GF Anon for this reason entirely. 
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2. A Masterclass in Marketing
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Alfredo was released through Gibbs’ and Alchemist’s own record labels, ESGN and ALC records, meaning they would not have a juggernaut label like Republic or Columbia spoon-feeding their music to kids in Israel. Instead, this project’s marketing rollout relied on thoughtful branding, along with the reputations both Gibbs and Alchemist have built up in the online hip hop sphere. That all starts with the name “Alfredo”, which both cleverly combines both of their monikers, and sets the table for the lavish vibes the project has to offer. To increase the hype, even more, the duo teamed up with Marvel comic illustrator Deadly Mike for an exclusive 20-page comic book and an extensive merch capsule collection inspired by 1990s Italian restaurant takeout gear. This added allure and prestige to the project helped market it as a multi-dimensional experience rather than simple a collection of rap songs. Another place Gibbs’ marketing excels is in his uniquely engrossing music videos, often which contain extended scenes that spotlight his comedic chops and overall colorful personality. These videos, while doing a fantastic job of promoting his music, also help further endear fans to his “lovable thug” persona.

3. No Need For Concerts
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Arguably the largest impact COVID has had on the music industry is the lack of concerts and by extension – concert revenue for artists. In turn, artists must find alternative ways to make up said revenue. In this case, Gibbs and Al went all in on online merch drops and exclusive vinyl. In fact, since the release, they have released over 50 merch items; most of which are sold out, with another drop right around the corner. What they have essentially done is turned a fun, short rap project into a lucrative brand that continuously lends itself to nice-looking clothing. “For the merch, I wanted to tap into the style of clothing an Italian restaurant delivery guy would wear in the late 90s, or that they’d sell behind the counter in a glass case.” said Deadly Mike, the designer. They’ve taken the vintage restaurant uniform aesthetic and effectively merged it with modern streetwear to create endless appealing designs and empty PayPal accounts, including mine.

Alfredo’s success not only displays the power of organic collaboration, great branding, and revenue strategy but also gives hope to millions of producers that they, one day, could be recognized the same way Alchemist is.