​Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.
Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.
Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist Speak the Truth at 'Voir Dire' Show in Brooklyn

Okayplayer photographed Earl Sweatshirt and a generous gathering of surprise guests at the Brooklyn stop of his Voir Dire tour with the record's producer, Alchemist.

Earl Sweatshirt spun the block at Brooklyn Steel Wednesday night, this time with his running mate, legendary producer Alan The Alchemist, marking yet another memorable night in BK. The pair linked to perform hits off their first full-length project together, Voir Dire.

The title of this tandem's latest collection of bangers translates from French as “speak the truth” laying the framework for an influx of sharp penmanship. MIKE opened up the show to a packed crowd, performing some of his classic tracks as well as tracks from his recent solo album, Burning Desire. ALC then took the stage and hopped on the mic with some bars of his own and a couple of timeless hits he produced including "Wet Wipes" and "Hold You Down." You had to be there.

Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


The bass was addictive and unrelenting throughout the night as Earl carved through tracks from the project we'd all been waiting to hear live. His steady, monotone flow was the guide to our evening for songs that included "Mac Deuce," "The Caliphate" and "Vin Skully" to name a few. "That's it, that shit get sent over the fence / I'm home, another run on the road, look how I slid."

"NOT TONIGHT," Earl repeated, referencing an absolute mosh pit of destruction our team experienced firsthand during his last visit to Brooklyn Steel for the Doris 10-year anniversary show in August. While the crowd did keep it cordial, the energy was intact and all the way turnt up as he skated over objectively some of the hardest beats that ALC has crafted to date. The melodic samples and instrumental elements provided a night to remember.

Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


After getting through a majority of the album and adding in a few tracks like "EAST," "2010" and "Making The Band (Danity Kane)" Earl brought out a handful of talent to perform before he closed up shop.

Navy Blue emerged to energize the crowd, joining Earl to perform their Alchemist-produced classic "Nobles." Then, to the crowd’s surprise, NYC's own Wiki came out to perform two songs with Earl, including "All I Need." Niontay and Armand Hammer followed suit, but it was the undeniable energy from El Cousteau and a stage full of friends dancing to his track "Nitro" that almost sent the audience into a frenzy.

Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


Earl Sweatshirt's rebrand and current place in the game speaks volumes to who we once knew him as. Young Thebe of OFWGKTA can now spit with the best of the best. As if securing a track or two, let alone a full project, with The Alchemist wasn't enough to let you know where he's at now. ALC prompted the crowd to show Earl the love he deserves and made sure to give him his flowers as "one of the best rappers." This isn't a surprise if you've been tapped into his progression as an artist. If you know, you know.

Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi.

Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist performed with guests at Brooklyn Steel on Nov. 22, 2023 for the 'Voir Dire' tour.


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