ÑBA LEATHER - Earl Sweatshirt, Boldy James, & The Alchemist

First off, what a lineup for this event.

Sometimes Calgary can be a hit-or-miss city for artists, with many acts overlooking performing in the town due to geographical and logistical issues. ÑBA Leather was one of those shows we get a couple of times a year that, from all aspects, it was a banger. The show's lineup consisted of Earl Sweatshirt, Boldy James, and The Alchemist.

The only miss from the event was Action Bronson. He is now somewhat infamous for cancelling in Calgary and could not headline due to last-minute medical issues. We wish him a speedy recovery at ETHEREAL.PRESS. The legendary producer, the Alchemist and frequent collaborator, Boldy James, opened the event. The duo has released several joint projects and are significant figures in the gangsta / conscious rap scene.

The Alchemist has collaborated with many other artists in the genre, including Armand Hammer, Earl Sweatshirt, Navy Blue, and Curren$y, to name a few. Aside from his most recent collaborations, he has credits with Kendrick Lamar, MF DOOM, 50 Cent, and Dr. Dre, & is currently Eminem's official DJ.

We would put The Alchemist on the legendary producer level joining the ranks of Mike Dean or Rick Rubin with an extensive list of credits and contributions to rap.

Boldy James, on the other end, has an extensive list of quality projects with frequent collaborations with Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, and Billy Woods. Even the night of the event, James was pictured wearing the album art for Westside Gunn's 'Pray for Paris.'

Both artists performed on stage with a significant stage presence. Since the duo has released multiple studio collaborations, it is unsurprising they performed well together.

Headlining the event was non-other than Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future fame. Earl's evolution as an artist has been fascinating to view, and we believe his change in trajectory came with his 2018 release titled 'Some Rap Songs.' This project was more introspective, dealing honestly with depression and loss, and it seemed the logical evolution from his Odd Future days. The album was commercially and critically acclaimed and is one of the highest-rated releases in the abstract/experimental hip-hop genre on Rate Your Music.

Earl was on stage flowing, echoing tracks from his recent collaborations with The Alchemist, Boldy James, and Action Bronson. Even with his stage presence, you can tell how he has evolved as a human.

ÑBA Leather is definitely a line-up you don't want to miss.