Released: 2019 • Features: Boldy James
Straight out the gate, “Ocean Prime” by The Alchemist featuring Boldy James is a deep-sea dive into the spirit of the hustler’s life, interlaced with maritime and nautical metaphors that hook you in. The overarching theme gives a nod to the life of luxury that is oftentimes the motivation behind the grind, but it’s juxtaposed with the darker, riskier side of this hustling lifestyle. Let’s dig deeper into this lyrical maze to better understand this masterpiece.
Verse 1 kicks off with James talking about his affluence, painting a picture of lavish feasts with lines like “We tuna melt all of the smelts and fillet the salmons / Ocean prime with the Caesar salad but the dressin’ Italian.” Here, he’s saying that he’s living a life of luxury, eating fine food, and enjoying the high life. The line “Plug out in St. Thomas, from the Virgin to the Cayman Islands” is a slick nod to his connections spreading from the Virgin to the Cayman Islands, adding another layer to the displayed opulence.
He then switches lanes, going from talk of luxury to the grind that gets him there. “Had to break out the real scales, took a day to count it” speaks of the lengths he’s had to go to accumulate his fortunes, hinting at his life in the dope game. He further plays on this with lines like “Pack got sent from overseas with a postcard / Drownin’ in sin, life’s a beach, need a coast guard.” He’s touching on the risks involved with the lifestyle he’s chosen, with the “coast guard” being a metaphor for external help or salvation from the dangers of his chosen path.
Lines like “We got the same guns the Navy got, why panic?” and “Why these loose lips sinkin’ ships like the Titanic?” allude not just to the high stakes of his chosen lifestyle, but also the need for secrecy in the game. James is punctuating the dangers of “loose lips” and the fatal outcomes they could lead to.
In the end, when he mentions “Burnin’ exotic coral reefer with all my blooders / The chain a treasure chest, but my piece hit like watercolors,” he’s indicating the length of his journey to the top, from burning the midnight oil to finally being able to enjoy the spoils of his hustle.
The chorus then repeats “They don’t wanna see you die” — a poignant reminder of the lurking dangers in the hustler’s life that Boldy James so eloquently describes, echoing the harsh realities beyond the glitz and glamour of the high life.
