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.
Beyond Genesis
The Alchemist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but the future still hides.
Natural selection,
the strongest will survive.
Planatery process of
eveloutionary change.
Natures chosen aspects from
hereditary range.
Perspectives of truth,
Artificial selection,
Rather than supernatural intervention
Could life possibly be
as simple as your revelation
because we have evolved
there is no myth of creation.
We may have been created
But not from two single beings
Eternal genetic process of mutating genes.
Random shuffle
Random mutation
The lyrics to The Alchemist's song "Beyond Genesis" explore the concepts of evolution and creation. The opening lines suggest that while the past is known, the future remains uncertain. The lyrics then delve into the idea of natural selection, highlighting that only the strongest individuals will survive. This references the planetary process of evolutionary change, in which nature selects certain traits from a range of hereditary possibilities.
The song then moves into a discussion on perspectives of truth, and introduces the concept of artificial selection. The lyrics question whether life could be as simple as a revelation, rather than the result of supernatural intervention. The songwriter argues that because humans have evolved, there is no myth of creation in the traditional sense. However, they also acknowledge that while humans may not have been created from just two single beings, there is a continuous process of genetic mutation that contributes to the creation of new life forms.
Overall, the lyrics of "Beyond Genesis" invite reflection on the dichotomy between evolution and creation, questioning the nature of existence and our place in the universe.
Line by Line Meaning
The past is open,
The events and occurrences that have already happened are known and can be explored.
but the future still hides.
The events and occurrences that will happen are unknown and uncertain.
Natural selection,
The process by which organisms that are best adapted to their environment have a higher chance of survival and passing on their genes.
the strongest will survive.
Those individuals who possess advantageous traits and abilities will have a better chance of surviving and reproducing.
Planetary process of evolutionary change.
The gradual and continuous alteration and development of living organisms on a planetary scale.
Nature's chosen aspects from hereditary range.
Nature selects certain traits from the pool of inherited characteristics to be passed on to future generations.
Perspectives of truth,
Different viewpoints and interpretations of what is considered to be true.
Artificial selection,
The intentional breeding and selection of certain traits by humans for desired outcomes.
Rather than supernatural intervention
Instead of supernatural or divine interference or influence.
Could life possibly be as simple as your revelation
Is it plausible that life may be explained and understood with the same simplicity as your insight.
because we have evolved there is no myth of creation.
Due to our evolutionary progress, the idea of a mythical creation becomes unnecessary or invalid.
We may have been created
It is conceivable that we were brought into existence.
But not from two single beings
However, the origin of our existence is not solely from a pair of individuals.
Eternal genetic process of mutating genes.
An everlasting genetic mechanism involving the alteration of genes.
Random shuffle
A haphazard recombination or rearrangement.
Random mutation
An arbitrary and spontaneous change in genetic material.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ADAM AGIUS, JOHN BRAY, RODNEY HOLDER, ROY TORKINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LittleMissJmoo Moo
BEST BAND EVER!!!!!!
venusbeatnik
Nice music. This is the first time I've heard of this band. Very Interesting.
venusbeatnik
I wish though that the words to the song were printed so I could understand them.