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.
Holy Hell
The Alchemist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What they said? You walking blind
I know my hands, I know yours, say you feel
It's all bread, can't tell, yeah
Shout out to 'Chemist, salute every nigga
I know that passed on, we here twisting
All of this venom passed on, word to the wise
Blow kisses, they Lord souls, remember taking too long
But all this fly take time, mindset for the niggas
Looked bad, she was right
Half on the line, blocking progress
Seeing shit on the screen, dead faces, ain't none of 'em green
Lord what I need, might draw me a C
Hustle, repeat
Dragging my feet, Hell on my back
Folks stare on my head
Stress stay on my back, need a few pretty 'Lacs
Niggas ride and switch, all these knives in my back
Look how he bleed
Look at him sideways, they got me like Day-Day
Crazy bitch Next Friday, baby Dee head-ass nigga
I ain't know they could act, truth told
Eye to eye, devil's staring me back
Time running laps
All contact, take care of that
Niggas tapped in, I'm with my partner dem
Was on the block with them, learned how to size in
Feeling that size ten, can't walk in heels
Tighten up
Tighten up
Tighten up
Uh
We all soldiers
We all know it my nigga, weight on our shoulders
We still prevail, it's all emotions my nigga
Just love the moment my nigga
Wake in the morning and picture this day different my nigga
The time will tell
Reflecting on memories since, still in my heart
That feeling still in my heart
I should've been there when you needed me, I still think about it
But now we grown, hand wipe away the hours on the clock
I stand alone, see the spite, separate that from myself
At times I've grown, 'least I claimed I did
Watching all my vices overthrow, she in my face still
Can't find the gist to tell her no so the poison seep
Weep in front of pain but never show, I'm tryna stay strong
Shawty tell me, "Learn to let it go", I'm tryna hang on
Scared of all the spaces, I don't know, to keep it honest
I still can't seem to let you know, it's like a bargain
Devil playing, tryna barter with my soul
I never know these day just let me know
Never know why
Never know why
My eyes was steady towards the ghetto
I know there's nothing in my mind but home
That's all, just nothing there but home
And when I feel myself coming back to the ghetto
Or when I feel like I'm, uh, I'm in the ghetto
Or I'm in the outskirts of the ghetto
I get a very warm feeling, I feel secure, I feel safe
I feel like I'm, I'm wanted again
I feel like I'm back where I belong
The lyrics of The Alchemist's song "Holy Hell" reflect on the struggles of life and how we all carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. The words "holy hell" and "holy grail" signify the complexities of life in that we often find ourselves walking blindly through it but still seeking the holy grail or ultimate fulfillment. The lines "It's all bread, can't tell" reflect on how we often mistake material possessions for fulfillment and true happiness.
The song pays tribute to those who have passed away, and the artist salutes every person who has left this world. He reminisces on the memories he shared with his departed friends and how he can feel their presence when he is twisting up a joint. The lines "All of this venom passed on, word to the wise slow written songs, Blow kisses, they Lord souls, remember taking too long" suggest that he has carried the pain with him but still continues to remember and honor those who have passed away.
The song also touches on the struggle of letting go and moving on from the past. The artist reflects on how he should have been there when his friends needed him, but now he stands alone. He tries to find the strength to let go of the pain and move on, but the devil keeps trying to barter with his soul.
Overall, "Holy Hell" is a powerful song that acknowledges the difficulties of life while also urging listeners to love the moment, let go of pain, and embrace the gift of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Holy hell, holy grail
These are expressions of shock and awe
What they said? You walking blind
You may not be aware of the path you walk
I know my hands, I know yours, say you feel
We are all connected and you can rely on me
It's all bread, can't tell, yeah
Things are going well and it's hard to tell
Shout out to 'Chemist, salute every nigga
Acknowledgment of the people and things that have influenced us
I know that passed on, we here twisting
We remember those who have passed away fondly
All of this venom passed on, word to the wise
We have inherited negative things from the past, but we can learn from them
Slow written songs
Patience and deliberation create beautiful things
Blow kisses, they Lord souls, remember taking too long
We honor and respect the memories of those who have passed before us
But all this fly take time, mindset for the niggas
Changing our mindset and way of thinking takes time, but it is worth it
Looked bad, she was right
Sometimes we don't see things clearly until they're pointed out to us
Half on the line, blocking progress
Doubts or fears can hold us back and keep us from reaching our goals
Seeing shit on the screen, dead faces, ain't none of 'em green
We are bombarded by negativity and it can be disheartening
Lord what I need, might draw me a C
We need to stop and ask ourselves what we really need in life
Hustle, repeat
Success requires hard work and persistence
Dragging my feet, Hell on my back
We may feel weighed down by our struggles
Folks stare on my head
We may feel judged or criticized by others
Stress stay on my back, need a few pretty 'Lacs
We try to escape our problems with glamour or material possessions
Niggas ride and switch, all these knives in my back
People can betray and hurt us
Look how he bleed
We can see the damage done to us and to others
Look at him sideways, they got me like Day-Day
We may feel misunderstood or wrongly judged
Crazy bitch Next Friday, baby Dee head-ass nigga
These are references to movie characters, possibly indicating that life can feel like a crazy movie at times
I ain't know they could act, truth told
People can surprise us and we may not know who they really are
Eye to eye, devil's staring me back
We may feel tempted or tormented by negative thoughts or behavior
Time running laps
Time moves quickly and we can't get it back
All contact, take care of that
We need to maintain our relationships and connections
Niggas tapped in, I'm with my partner dem
We need to stay connected with our friends and allies
Was on the block with them, learned how to size in
We learn important skills from our experiences and the people around us
Feeling that size ten, can't walk in heels
We need to recognize our own limitations and be true to ourselves
Tighten up
Get serious and focused
We all soldiers
We are all fighters in life
We all know it my nigga, weight on our shoulders
We carry our own burdens in life
We still prevail, it's all emotions my nigga
We can overcome our struggles with emotional strength and resilience
Just love the moment my nigga
We need to appreciate and enjoy the present moment
Wake in the morning and picture this day different my nigga
We have the power to choose our attitude each day and change our circumstances
The time will tell
We need to be patient and let time pass to see the true outcome
Reflecting on memories since, still in my heart
We remember and carry our memories with us
That feeling still in my heart
The emotions and memories still have an impact on us
I should've been there when you needed me, I still think about it
Regret and guilt for past mistakes or failures
But now we grown, hand wipe away the hours on the clock
We need to take responsibility for our actions and time
I stand alone, see the spite, separate that from myself
We need to recognize negative feelings and separate them from our true selves
At times I've grown, 'least I claimed I did
We may tell ourselves that we are growing, even if we're not sure we are
Watching all my vices overthrow, she in my face still
Our negative habits or behaviors can be hard to break
Can't find the gist to tell her no so the poison seep
We struggle to break free from our addictions or unhealthy behaviors
Weep in front of pain but never show, I'm tryna stay strong
We hide our pain and struggle to stay strong and resilient
Shawty tell me, "Learn to let it go", I'm tryna hang on
We need to let go of our negative emotions or attachments
Scared of all the spaces, I don't know, to keep it honest
We may fear the unknown or changes in our lives
I still can't seem to let you know, it's like a bargain
We may still struggle to express our true feelings or thoughts
Devil playing, tryna barter with my soul
Negative thoughts or attitudes can threaten our integrity or values
I never know these day just let me know
We may feel uncertain or lost and need guidance
My eyes was steady towards the ghetto
We may be drawn towards our past or roots
I know there's nothing in my mind but home
We may long for a sense of belonging or connection
And when I feel myself coming back to the ghetto
We may be drawn back to our past experiences or environment
Or when I feel like I'm, uh, I'm in the ghetto
We may feel stuck or trapped in a difficult situation
I get a very warm feeling, I feel secure, I feel safe
We can find comfort and safety in familiarity or nostalgia
I feel like I'm, I'm wanted again
We may feel valued or appreciated in certain environments or situations
I feel like I'm back where I belong
We may find a sense of purpose or belonging in certain places or circumstances
Lyrics © Royalty Network
Written by: Daniel Alan Maman, Maxamillian Allen, Livingston Matthews
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@foo2445
maxo verse on this one too real “shorty told me learn how to let it go, im tryna hang on!”
@javonestephens7856
Maxo that ninja
@movraptor
it don't sound as cool when you read it
@foo2445
@@movraptor you just sayin whatever lmao
@2newbeginnings
@@foo2445 needs any reason to be negative
@foo2445
@@2newbeginnings lil bro was pressed for
no reason 😂
@Jordanf777
I could listen to this beat all day
@SecondWizards
samples another Latin prog rock!
@presidentsalad2319
@@SecondWizards can you name the sample?
@SecondWizards
@@presidentsalad2319 El Alamos - I Cry