DJ Premier & Roc Marciano The Coldest Profession
DJ Premier's The Coldest Profession, a compact collaboration with Roc Marciano, arrives as a late-night conversation between two veterans rather than a triumphant return to form. Across professional reviews the record earns a mixed reception: critics note genuine moments of vintage craft but more often call the set uneven, with a 57.5/100 consensus score compiled from four reviews.
Critics consistently praise specific tracks as the record's saving graces. “RocMarkable” emerges repeatedly as the standout track, joined by “Execution Style” and “Good To Go” in several reviews; Dusted and Beats Per Minute highlight the smooth, funk-driven production and lyrical craftsmanship on these songs. Reviewers draw attention to the album's 1970s New York and neo-Blaxploitation aesthetics, Premo's dusty drums and scratches, and Roc's laidback pimp chronicles. At the same time many assessments call the collaboration lightly undercooked - several songs feel like casual studio sessions rather than fully realized statements, producing an uneven collection that flirts with nostalgia but rarely sustains its best moments.
Taken together the professional reviews suggest The Coldest Profession is worth sampling for its top tracks and for fans of classic production identity, yet it falls short of the artists' peak work. Critics agree the EP contains moments that recall earlier heights, but the consensus frames the release as an intriguing, imperfect reunion rather than an essential entry in either artist's catalog.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
RocMarkable
4 mentions
"Those bars are from “RocMarkable,” which feels like the most recognizable glimpse of the classic Premier beat"— Rolling Stone
Execution Style
4 mentions
"album closer “Execution Style” is the kind of warm, soulful soundscape"— Rolling Stone
Travel Fox
4 mentions
"Donald Goines on “Travel Fox""— Rolling Stone
Those bars are from “RocMarkable,” which feels like the most recognizable glimpse of the classic Premier beat
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Arrival
Armani Section
Prayer Hands
Good To Go
Glory Hole
RocMarkable
Travel Fox
Execution Style
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
In a characteristically cranky, conversational tone Grant Jones argues that DJ Premier and Roc Marciano deliver some moments of vintage craft on The Coldest Profession, but it rarely matches the hype. He spots clear highlights in “RocMarkable” and “Travel Fox”, praising tighter flows and grimy Primo beats, while noting songs like “Good To Go” and “Prayer Hands” feel undercooked. The reviewer remains wistful for the era when Premier's drums demanded neck-slams, and here that bounce is often missing, leaving only half the EP worth repeated plays. Overall the best tracks on The Coldest Profession are those where both men recapture their earlier fire, but the record as a whole is inconsistent and lightly underwhelming.
Key Points
-
RocMarkable is the best track due to sharper flows and a return to an older, effective cadence.
-
The album's core strength is moments of classic Premier production paired with Roc's eloquent boasts, but overall it is uneven and sometimes undercooked.
Themes
Critic's Take
DJ Premier and Roc Marciano’s The Coldest Profession is framed by the review as a disappointing reunion, with the critic bluntly calling it one of Roc Marciano’s most forgettable releases. The reviewer’s tone is terse and uncompromising, and they single out that even a legendary collaborator like DJ Premier cannot lift these tracks back to top form. For readers searching for the best songs on The Coldest Profession, the review implies there are no clear standouts, positioning the EP’s songs as underwhelming rather than essential.
Key Points
-
The review identifies no standout tracks, calling the EP one of Roc Marciano’s most forgettable releases.
-
The album’s core strength is the high-profile collaboration, but the reviewer finds it insufficient to restore peak form.
Themes
Critic's Take
There is a warm, easygoing charm to DJ Premier and Roc Marciano on The Coldest Profession, but the record lives more as a friendly late-night hang than a grand statement. The best songs - notably “RocMarkable” and “Execution Style” - glide in a way that suggests what could have been, and those two tracks feel like the album's clearest highlights. The reviewer keeps returning to Premo's tendency to tinker rather than fully flex, which makes the short set feel pleasing but slightly undercooked. Ultimately, for listeners asking "what are the best tracks on The Coldest Profession?" the smooth motion of “RocMarkable” and “Execution Style” answers that, even as the whole remains a charming, low-stakes jamboree.
Key Points
-
“RocMarkable” stands out for its smooth glide and feels like the album's clearest highlight.
-
The album's core strengths are its laidback camaraderie and nostalgic charm, though production sometimes feels underwhelming.
Themes
Critic's Take
DJ Premier and Roc Marciano find a sticky, soulful pocket on The Coldest Profession, and the review’s favorite moments are the tracks where that chemistry snaps the loudest. The best songs on The Coldest Profession are clearly “RocMarkable” and “Good To Go”, with “Glory Hole” and “Execution Style” following as essential listens; Gee writes like he can hear Premier’s scratches giving Roc a runway to spin pimp tales. The critic lingers on Premier’s funk-inflected beats and Roc’s assonant one-liners, insisting those elements make songs like “RocMarkable” stand out as the record’s most recognizable moments. Overall, the album is framed as a strong, revisitable pairing of two rap vets who successfully evoke neo-Blaxploitation atmosphere without overreaching.
Key Points
-
“RocMarkable” is best because it pairs Premier’s classic-sounding beat with Roc’s textured, headnodding delivery, making it the record’s most recognizable moment.
-
The album’s core strengths are Premier’s funk-driven, scratch-laden production and Roc Marciano’s assonant, scene-setting lyrics evoking neo-Blaxploitation style.