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.
Ray Mysterio
The Alchemist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ayo, ayo, ayo, ayo (ayo, ayo)
Luxurious fly shit (brrt, brrt)
Ayo (ayo)
Turn Judas for them Yeezy Season 3s
The pump's in the sleeves, don't make a nigga reach
Coke look bleach, pots and forks by the sink
Same night off for a week
Off-white collab, the MAC hangin' out the Lambo Jeep (brrt)
If you slip, I better catch yo' ass
Gave you 32 real fast (real fast)
My nigga this Hall and Nash
The imperial
Everything we shoot got no serials
This fly shit through your stereos
Coke flip like Ray Mysterio (now listen)
You fuck niggas don't hear me though
This that Fashion Avenue flow
Get it like Tuna in Blow and then we blow
(They can't do nothin' but respect us) ow
(Man, listen, we got EmpresSil) yeah
Talk to them bloodclaat, zeen? (You was already fucking up)
(Betta watch yo' head)
Look, name a rapper that's half as ill
That can match the skill that's half as real
Niggas be sayin', "Con, you have to chill"
'Cause I be spazzin' still, I swear these sucka niggas weird
Rap is good, but I will clap 'em still and fuck up my career (facts)
I ain't worried 'bout a jail
Don't give a fuck about them years (uh-uh)
Wild until I get the needle or I fuckin' get the chair
You got a blicky, but you pussy niggas bust it out of fear
My shooter in fatigues
Shotty like he huntin' for a deer, yeah (boom, boom, boom)
Run down on you and fire twice
The bullet wound lookin' like a lion bite
Bullets lookin' like a half a stick of dynamite
I was buyin' guns when you other niggas was buyin' Nikes
Rhymin' like Esco in the '90s, flow raw as a line of white
I beat your favorite rapper with an iron pipe (okay)
In the winter, fly to LA, where the climate right
Fuckin' the kinda hoes you'll never fuck in your entire life
Uh, Versace belt just to tuck the ratchet (uh-huh)
Can smell the piss on them bricks before I bust the plastic (okay)
Shooters lurkin' for you, they in fuckin' traffic (they lurkin')
They won't rest until they put you in a fuckin' casket, uh (brrt)
Had to really, really do something to get killed
Let's take it right on on, everything will be alright, y'all
You said good for what?
The streets love ain't about love, you know
Bottom line (bottom line, word up)
It's a whole different code
That, that's where the gang's at
The fuck is that? What's that?
Fuck you talkin' 'bout?
I don't run from the bag
I know one thing for sure, you won't be seen on the album
Fuck that niceness, see, y'all be nice, you know I'm sayin'
I'm in my fucking bag
(You gon' get loud, ah) are you dumb?
Probably ain't got no record player nowhere
So there you are, you getting the 411
The Alchemist's song "Ray Mysterio" featuring Westside Gunn and Conway is a rap song filled with references to luxury items, money, and the street life. The track opens with the sound of gunshots before the rappers start their verses. The first verse is performed by Westside Gunn, who brags about turning "Judas" for Yeezy Season 3s, referring to his willingness to betray people for the right price. He also talks about his cocaine dealings and how he can flip it like Ray Mysterio, the Mexican-American professional wrestler known for his high-flying moves. Westside Gunn mentions the "off-white collab," referring to the Off-White streetwear brand, and how they collaborated on a product with MAC cosmetics hangin' out the Lamborghini Jeep. He mentions the seriousness of his criminal underworld connections by stating, "everything we shoot got no serials."
Conway delivers the second verse, which is more aggressive and straightforward than Westside Gunn's. He challenges other rappers by asking them to name one rapper that's half as ill as he is. He discusses his willingness to clap back at rivals and cause physical harm and how he isn't worried about getting caught. The verse also talks about his shooters in the gang, dressed in fatigues and hunting for prey. He refers to the violence that is common in his world, sounding prideful of buying guns before other people started buying Nikes. Conway raps about his luxurious lifestyle by mentioning flying to LA and Versace belts to tuck the ratchet. He ends his verse confidently by stating that he is "in [his] fucking bag."
Line by Line Meaning
Turn Judas for them Yeezy Season 3s
Betraying people for some expensive clothes
The pump's in the sleeves, don't make a nigga reach
I have a gun hidden in my clothes, don't make me reach for it
Coke look bleach, pots and forks by the sink
I'm cooking cocaine in the kitchen and have utensils laying around
Busted duct tape, that shit stink (shit stink, nigga)
There's some stinky, old duct tape laying around
Same night off for a week
I'm partying for an entire week straight
Off-white collab, the MAC hangin' out the Lambo Jeep (brrt)
I have a fancy Off-white collaboration bag and a gun hanging out of my car
If you slip, I better catch yo' ass
If you mess up, I'll be there to save you
Gave you 32 real fast (real fast)
I gave you some drugs quickly
My nigga this Hall and Nash
Me and my friend are like wrestling tag team Hall and Nash (AKA The Outsiders)
The imperial
We are powerful rulers
Everything we shoot got no serials
We use guns that can't be traced back to us
This fly shit through your stereos
We're spreading our cool lifestyles through music
Coke flip like Ray Mysterio (now listen)
We're clever with flipping cocaine like wrestler Rey Mysterio's acrobatics
You fuck niggas don't hear me though
Nobody's listening to me
This that Fashion Avenue flow
Our style is high-end and fashionable
Get it like Tuna in Blow and then we blow
We make money like the character Tuna from the movie 'Blow' and then we spend it
(They can't do nothin' but respect us) ow
We demand respect
(Man, listen, we got EmpresSil) yeah
We have Empressil (a drug?)
Talk to them bloodclaat, zeen? (You was already fucking up)
Can we talk to them? You're already starting to mess up
(Betta watch yo' head)
You better watch out for danger
Look, name a rapper that's half as ill
Challenge: find a rapper as good as me
That can match the skill that's half as real
Nobody is as talented and genuine as I am
Niggas be sayin', "Con, you have to chill"
People tell me to calm down
'Cause I be spazzin' still, I swear these sucka niggas weird
I can't help but be crazy, these other rappers are just strange
Rap is good, but I will clap 'em still and fuck up my career (facts)
I'll ruin my future by shooting these rappers to death, but it's worth it
I ain't worried 'bout a jail
I'm not afraid of going to jail
Don't give a fuck about them years (uh-uh)
I don't care about wasting years of my life in prison
Wild until I get the needle or I fuckin' get the chair
I'm going to live my life recklessly until I die from drugs or execution
You got a blicky, but you pussy niggas bust it out of fear
You have a gun, but you're too scared to use it
My shooter in fatigues
The person I hired to shoot people is wearing military-style clothing
Shotty like he huntin' for a deer, yeah (boom, boom, boom)
The shotgun he's carrying is powerful and sounds like an explosion
Run down on you and fire twice
They will chase you down and shoot at you twice
The bullet wound lookin' like a lion bite
The gunshot wound will look like a bite from a powerful animal
Bullets lookin' like a half a stick of dynamite
The bullets are so powerful, they resemble dynamite
I was buyin' guns when you other niggas was buyin' Nikes
I was investing in guns while other rappers were just buying shoes
Rhymin' like Esco in the '90s, flow raw as a line of white
My rap flows are like Nas (AKA Esco) from the 90s, and my words are as uncut as a line of cocaine
I beat your favorite rapper with an iron pipe (okay)
I can beat up your favorite rapper with a pipe
In the winter, fly to LA, where the climate right
I'll travel to Los Angeles during the winter when the weather is nice
Fuckin' the kinda hoes you'll never fuck in your entire life
I'm having sex with women that you'll never even have a chance with
Uh, Versace belt just to tuck the ratchet (uh-huh)
I'm wearing an expensive Versace belt to hide my gun
Can smell the piss on them bricks before I bust the plastic (okay)
I can tell that the drugs are bad before I even take them out of the packaging
Shooters lurkin' for you, they in fuckin' traffic (they lurkin')
People are out to kill you and they're waiting in traffic
They won't rest until they put you in a fuckin' casket, uh (brrt)
They will do everything in their power to kill you and won't stop until you're dead
Had to really, really do something to get killed
You must have seriously provoked someone to reach the point of being killed
Let's take it right on on, everything will be alright, y'all
Let's stay calm and everything will be okay
You said good for what?
What's the point of being good or playing fair in these streets?
The streets love ain't about love, you know
There's no genuine love or loyalty in the streets
Bottom line (bottom line, word up)
To get to the point, this is the truth
It's a whole different code
In the streets, there are different rules and codes to follow
That, that's where the gang's at
This is where the real gangsters are
The fuck is that? What's that?
What are you even talking about?
Fuck you talkin' 'bout?
What are you trying to say?
I don't run from the bag
I never shy away from a high-stakes situation
I know one thing for sure, you won't be seen on the album
You won't be featured on my successful music album
Fuck that niceness, see, y'all be nice, you know I'm sayin'
I don't care about being nice, stop acting fake
I'm in my fucking bag
I'm focused on my business and making money
(You gon' get loud, ah) are you dumb?
Don't get angry, are you stupid?
Probably ain't got no record player nowhere
You're not even relevant enough to own a record player
So there you are, you getting the 411
Here's the information you needed to know
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Daniel Alan Maman, Alvin Lamar Worthy, Demond Price
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind