As a teen, Al began to identify strongly with the rebellious lyrics and urban sounds of hip-hop, and he began writing his own lyrics as a creative outlet. He joined up with other like-minded artists who wrote lyrics and rebelled strongly against their "uptight" suburban surroundings, among whom were Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town, Evidence of Dilated Peoples and Scott Caan, son of James Caan. They would often hang out in urban areas of Los Angeles and participated in typical teenage rebellious activities like partying, smoking marijuana, and general mischief.
Al and Scott decided to become a duo named The Whooliganz. While rhyming at a party in L.A., they attracted the attention of B-Real of Cypress Hill. He invited the teens to join his crew, The Soul Assassins, which also included the groups House of Pain and Funkdoobiest. In 1993, the Whooliganz released their first single, "Put Your Handz Up." The song received little radio airplay and their record label, Tommy Boy Records, decided to shelve their album. Rejected, Scott focused his creative energy on acting while Al became interested in process of making hip-hop beats.
DJ Muggs took Al under his wing and taught him how to use a sampler and mixing board. After helping to produce a few tracks for Cypress Hill, Al became the main producer for his childhood friend, Evidence and his group Dilated Peoples. When Dilated debuted in 1998, they were an underground sensation creating a huge buzz about the man behind those incredible beats.
In 1999, Muggs introduced Al to his good friends, the popular hip-hop group Mobb Deep. Al produced two songs for their Murda Muzik album. Impressed by his production skills and street smarts, Mobb Deep took him under their wing, using his beats on all their subsequent albums. As Alchemist's profile increased, he went on to produce for many of hip hop's most successful and prominent artists, such as Nas, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Ghostface Killah and Snoop Dogg. He has also remixed songs for bands and artists in other genres such as Linkin Park and Morcheeba. Al stayed loyal to his old friends, continuing to produce for Dilated, Cypress Hill, Everlast (formerly of House of Pain) and Crazy Town. He also enjoys producing for lesser-known underground rappers, often giving them some of his best beats. In 2004, 11 years after his rapping career folded, The Alchemist returned with his long-awaited debut album, "1st Infantry." The album yielded the hit single "Hold You Down" (featuring Prodigy, Illa Ghee, and Nina Sky), which hit number ninety-five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005.
Alchemist was the official tour DJ for Eminem on his 2005 Anger Management 3 Tour, replacing the recently-ousted DJ Green Lantern. However on July 13, 2005, the tour bus carrying Eminem's entourage (including rapper Stat Quo as well as Alchemist) swerved off the road and turned over. Alchemist was treated for broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
The Alchemist is one of the music producers behind the video game Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars released by Rockstar Games. He was also on Tim Westwood TV, when Eminem, Royce Da 5'9" and Mr. Porter freestyled. During an interview with Worldwide Conspiracy Radio, The Alchemist revealed he would be dropping a 2-part project with fellow West Coast producer Oh No entitled Gangrene, the first to be released in July, the second in November, both on Decon. Alchemist was also the DJ for the Eminem set on the BBC1 chat-show Jonathan Ross on June 4, 2010.
Alchemist is Eminem's official DJ, since DJ Green Lantern departed from Shady Records in 2005 because of a dispute related to the feud of 50 Cent and Jadakiss. In 2006, Eminem released a collaboration album with Shady Records called Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. Since the Alchemist is his official DJ, he produced some of the tracks on the mixtape, as well as compiling the album in a mixtape fashion. On December 18, 2013, he was named the runner-up for Producer of the Year by HipHopDX.
E. Coli
The Alchemist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is write the songs and sing them
Therefore it's all pure feeling, what we're playing is complete honesty
Now see I'm just saying is if you can trace the origins of your fear, it'll disappear
My thoughts, dreams, plots, and my schemes
That's what's on my mind when I toss in my sleep
My heart like my pen when I jot and it bleed
My cart full of sin, when I shop it's a spree
I got some new leaves
I'm like "What's the word with you, sir?"
You just moss on a tree, I'm not concerned with you
I leave the curb when I'm crossing the street
I'm watching out for the mark of the beast
The badge on the policeman, black carpenter pants
A half ounce in 'em, another half ounce in my fleece
And on account of this, go 'head and count me out of this
I'm out with the breeze
I'm dodging county, it's a thousand degrees
It's back alley shit, my nigga, look
My eyes wide open, I'm sleepy, I'm on a highway
Paul Giamatti, a nigga was sitting sideways
I'm bubbling a Skully when travelling through the Tri-state
And trouble play the gun, hear it clap and it make my mind race
Back and forth, I place forth, keep your torch
Got your morsels on my plate, motherfucker
I wasn't born, mama snatched me off the motherfucking stork on a Friday
Say that shit to my face
If you listen sometimes you can get a whole conversation
Through maybe about two bars of a song sometimes
To me knowledge is heaven if I learn something that makes me
Still learning?
Yeah, I learned something the other night, I learned something last night
In the song "E. Coli" by The Alchemist, the artist expresses his passion for creating music that is a genuine expression of his experiences and emotions. He believes that his music is pure feeling, and that by tracing the origins of one's fears, they can overcome them. In the second verse, the Alchemist raps about the things that occupy his mind, including his thoughts, dreams, and schemes. He also mentions his sinful behavior when shopping and avoiding the police, indicating that he lives a life on the fringes of society.
The Alchemist speaks candidly about his struggles with law enforcement, but he also shows an awareness of the larger forces at work in society that may be hindering his growth. He speaks about watching out for the "mark of the beast" and references the black carpenter pants worn by the police as a symbol of their authority. Despite the fear and danger he faces, the Alchemist remains determined to pursue his artistic goals.
Line by Line Meaning
You see the songs though are, is what I do
Music is my craft
Is write the songs and sing them
I write my own lyrics and perform them
Therefore it's all pure feeling, what we're playing is complete honesty
My music is authentic and comes from the heart
Now see I'm just saying is if you can trace the origins of your fear, it'll disappear
Identifying the root of your fears can help overcome them
My thoughts, dreams, plots, and my schemes
I constantly think about my goals and aspirations
That's what's on my mind when I toss in my sleep
My ambitions keep me up at night
My heart like my pen when I jot and it bleed
I pour my heart and soul into my music
My cart full of sin, when I shop it's a spree
My past mistakes are like baggage that I carry around
I got some new leaves
I'm turning over a new leaf
You just moss on a tree, I'm not concerned with you
I'm not bothered by insignificant things
I leave the curb when I'm crossing the street
I'm cautious and aware of my surroundings
I'm watching out for the mark of the beast
I'm aware of the evil in the world
The badge on the policeman, black carpenter pants
The police represent authority and power
A half ounce in 'em, another half ounce in my fleece
I carry drugs on my person
And on account of this, go 'head and count me out of this
I'm not involved in anything illegal
I'm out with the breeze
I'm carefree and unburdened
I'm dodging county, it's a thousand degrees
I'm avoiding getting caught by the police
It's back alley shit, my nigga, look
I engage in risky behavior
My eyes wide open, I'm sleepy, I'm on a highway
I'm always alert and aware
Paul Giamatti, a nigga was sitting sideways
I'm sitting in an unconventional or relaxed way
I'm bubbling a Skully when travelling through the Tri-state
I'm smoking drugs while travelling
And trouble play the gun, hear it clap and it make my mind race
The sound of gunshots makes me anxious and paranoid
Back and forth, I place forth, keep your torch
I face many challenges but keep pushing forward
Got your morsels on my plate, motherfucker
I'm doing well despite others trying to bring me down
I wasn't born, mama snatched me off the motherfucking stork on a Friday
I've had a hard upbringing
Say that shit to my face
Confront me directly if you have a problem with me
If you listen sometimes you can get a whole conversation
Music can convey a lot of meaning
Through maybe about two bars of a song sometimes
Even a short segment of a song can contain a lot of information
To me knowledge is heaven if I learn something that makes me
Learning new things brings me joy
Still learning?
I'm always trying to learn and grow
Yeah, I learned something the other night, I learned something last night
I'm constantly learning and evolving as a person
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Daniel Alan Maman, Thebe Kgositsile
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind