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.
Enhancing Enigma
The Alchemist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Limited to materialistic boundaries
Repeating the process of learning
As previous knowledge dissolved long ago
Bewildered by totems in nature
We quest universe reflection
But when mind potentialities exhaust
Homosapiens terrorize one another
Conforming like drones
Homosapiens, molesters of nature
Homosapiens, parasites of the earth
Concepts of existence astonish
Reality resides within myself
Significance is questionable
We're less to the universe than amoeba to the oceans
A mass of molecules and atoms, united to host my consciousness
Ending in physical erosion, repeating the cyclic process
Is this concept mirrored within my self?
The lyrics of The Alchemist's song "Enhancing Enigma" explore themes of human existence, the limitations of knowledge, and the relationship between humans and the natural world. The opening lines depict a soul that is held captive within the materialistic boundaries of the world, continuously going through the process of learning while previous knowledge has dissolved away. This suggests that the soul is continually seeking knowledge and understanding, but finds itself limited by the constraints of the material world.
The next lines mention being bewildered by totems in nature and the search for reflection of the universe. However, the lyrics suggest that despite our best efforts, there are limits to what the mind can comprehend. Our potentialities exhaust, and the answers to the mysteries of the universe remain untapped, leaving us in a state of wonder.
The lyrics then shift to a critical view of humanity, describing Homo sapiens as terrorizers, conformists, molesters of nature, and parasites of the earth. This portrays humans as destructive beings who harm each other and exploit the natural world for their own benefit.
The final lines raise existential questions about the significance of existence and the nature of reality. The lyrics propose that we are insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe, comparing humans to amoeba in relation to the vastness of the oceans. The concept of oneself as a collection of molecules and atoms, hosting consciousness but ultimately ending in physical erosion, provokes introspection on the cyclic nature of existence and whether this concept is mirrored within oneself.
Overall, "Enhancing Enigma" delves into philosophical questions about human existence, the limitations of knowledge, and our relationship with the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
A captive soul returns
The soul, bound by its own limitations, comes back to this world
Limited to materialistic boundaries
Restricted by the confines of the physical world
Repeating the process of learning
Continuously going through the cycle of acquiring knowledge
As previous knowledge dissolved long ago
As the knowledge gained in previous lives fades away with time
Bewildered by totems in nature
Perplexed by the symbols and signs found in the natural world
We quest universe reflection
We seek to find our own reflection in the vastness of the universe
But when mind potentialities exhaust
Yet, when the possibilities of the mind are exhausted
The answers remain untapped
The solutions and answers we seek still elude us
Homosapiens terrorize one another
Humans inflict fear and harm upon each other
Conforming like drones
Conforming blindly, like mindless followers
Homosapiens, molesters of nature
Humans, violators of the natural world
Homosapiens, parasites of the earth
Humans, exploiting and depleting the resources of the planet
Concepts of existence astonish
The ideas and concepts of existence both surprise and fascinate
Reality resides within myself
The true essence of reality can be found within oneself
Significance is questionable
The meaning and importance of things can be doubtful
We're less to the universe than amoeba to the oceans
We are insignificantly smaller in comparison to the vastness of the universe, like amoeba are to the oceans
A mass of molecules and atoms, united to host my consciousness
We are composed of countless particles, fused together to harbor our consciousness
Ending in physical erosion, repeating the cyclic process
Ultimately leading to physical decay, and then repeating the same pattern
Is this concept mirrored within myself?
Does this pattern and cycle exist within me as well?
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: AGIUS, BRAY, HOLDER, TORKINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind