If we had the technology to convert the sound waves of this album into a compressed gas, I’d inhale it through a tube like a scuba diver does oxygen. Call me old fashioned, but I keep a Last.fm account active, so I can stay up to date on my listening habits. On the night of July 28th, just three days after its release, Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist’s Alfredo 2 had already amassed 373 scrobbles (listens). In other words, my life has proceeded as follows: Drive? Alfredo 2. Eat? Alfredo 2. Walk? Alfredo 2. Run? Alfredo 2. Sleep? Alfredo 2. Sit? Alfredo 2. Stand? You guessed it—Alfredo 2.

Between the sharp disses, Gibbs’ hard-hitting yet laid-back flow, and the Alchemist doing what he does best, this album might just surpass the first. With 6.2 million Spotify streams on opening day, Alfredo 2 has already set the music world ablaze.

Five years after dropping Alfredo (2020), the duo has teamed up again to bring us a project as good as, if not better than, the first. My short list of 10/10 no-skip albums just got a new contender for the top spot. Gibbs’ smooth, controlled flow juxtaposed with the gruffness and strength of his voice pair both perfectly and unexpectedly with the Alchemist’s dusty, nostalgic loops. This masterfully crafted concoction of resonance and dissonance transports the listener to the world of capos and made men that the artists crafted for this project. But by pulling us into that world, they strip away the Hollywood gloss of gangster life that films like The Godfather and Goodfellas loved to romanticize.

For anyone who still didn’t catch the vibe, they even dropped a 14-minute film. A little silly? Sure, but it nails the aesthetic they envisioned. They continued with the old-school mafia imagery through their merch—T-shirts, hoodies, and posters with designs that look ripped straight from a dusty Casino VHS cover.

With tracks like “1995” and “Skinny Suge II” that pay homage to the original’s “1985” and “Skinny Suge,” the duo wants to make sure you know they didn’t forget why they got to make this project in the first place. It’s both a thank-you and a reminder that sometimes the sequel really does live up to the original. Even while looking back, it’s obvious they know exactly where they’re headed. With four more tracks than the original, Alfredo 2 leaves room both to reminisce on the past (think “Shangri-La”) and get excited about the future. Alan and Freddie might already be legends, but Alfredo 2 proves they’re legacy is still in the making.

Yet another way this album stands out is its features—few but formidable. Cameos from Anderson .Paak, Larry June, and J.I.D. take this collaborative project to new heights. On “Gold Feet,” Gibbs brings in J.I.D. for nearly four minutes of controlled intensity—with trance-inducing, ultra-fluid lyricism over a simple beat and sparkling piano loop that leaves you wondering when they’re going to come up for air. With “Feeling,” Gibbs and Larry June take a different approach. In navigating a much more relaxed and nostalgic loop—classic Alchemist—the two use the contrast of their natural rapping styles to their advantage. Gibbs delivers his verses with a cutting precision and cadence reminiscent of the tommy guns of the mobster culture they’re invoking with this project; whereas, June approaches the track with his usual laid-back life-is-good (some might even say beautiful) approach. Not only does it work, it feels effortless—two voices intertwining like a late-night vignette. Status, cigar smoke, and single-malt scotch.

But the star of the show, and the album’s second most popular song, is “Ensalada.” Honestly, I don’t even want to write about this track—I can’t do it justice. Just know that Freddie Gibbs and Anderson .Paak need to drop a joint album right away.

But truthfully, that goes for the whole album. So whether you’re walking, running, eating, sitting, or just breathing—do it to Alfredo 2.