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.
Found
The Alchemist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where all was so clear yet unseen.
And boundary less I could go,
My physical form did not show,
And looking down from below,
At the people who gathered and cried,
Came the realization that my body had died.
The lyrics of "Found" by The Alchemist convey a dream-like experience where the singer describes being in a state of clarity and perception that surpasses physical boundaries. In their dream, they are able to navigate freely, without the constraints of their physical body. From this elevated perspective, they observe a group of people who have gathered and are in a state of mourning and sorrow. It is at this moment that the realization dawns upon the singer that their own physical body has passed away.
This song explores the concept of detachment from the physical realm and the accompanying sense of liberation and introspection that can come with it. The lyrics symbolize the transcendence of the self and the fleeting nature of life. By experiencing this dream-like state, the singer gains a new perspective on mortality, prompting reflection on the impermanence of the physical body.
Line by Line Meaning
I once had a vivid dream
In the past, I experienced a dream that was filled with intense and vivid imagery.
Where all was so clear yet unseen
In this dream, everything appeared to be transparent and understandable, although it was not physically visible in reality.
And boundary less I could go
In this dream, there were no limitations or restrictions on where I could traverse.
My physical form did not show
During this dream, my bodily presence was not noticeable or visible to others.
And looking down from below
From a lower position, I observed the events unfolding in this dream.
At the people who gathered and cried
I witnessed a group of individuals coming together and expressing their sorrow and grief.
Came the realization that my body had died
It became apparent to me that my physical body had passed away.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: AGIUS, BRAY, HOLDER, TORKINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PSYCHE D3LIC
Finished the whole thing in one day. Loved it. All the simple things in life.
Vini47
LMaooo me too
𝕵𝖊𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖙𝖎𝖈
I just spent 5 hours and i was done with the book..... rest of the day i spent in thinking about the book's lesson.
Harry
Me too. I completed it today. In around 6-7 hours.
SHIBHILY
Legend
Alantis Green
It's 117 pages you can finish in 2 hours
Brittany Love
The piece of wisdom that stuck out for me at this point of my life was the alchemists answer to the fear of suffering while pursuing your legend - “the fear of suffering is far worse than the suffering itself”… for so long I’d been afraid to start the journey of going after what I wanted because of the fear of losing my job or possessions I’d worked so hard to obtain… I felt like I’d rather just remain living a mediocre life like the merchant… but I don’t want too. No we don’t know what’s ahead and the stumbling blocks we might hit. It’s different for us all but we always end up coming out on top.
Victor_Dakota
Literally, I just finished reading this book around 6am on September 5, 2020, and I WANTED MORE!!! This book just spoke to my heart, mind and soul........and I even got teary-eyed (happy tears) for certain words of wisdom that resonated with me so deeply. Absolutely FANTASTIC BOOK, and a GREAT VIDEO SUMMARY. I LOVE IT!!!!
Hot Chocolate
ikr ! i loved the part where Santiago "becomes the wind"
POKETBOOKS
Nice thought s throughout book.