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.
Road To Ubar
The Alchemist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
whispers through the sandstorm wind of time.
Calling across the centuries
A lost ghost city of the mind.
Far beyond the valley of the kings,
lies buried deep within the sand.
A city of decadence (?) and greed,
that's why the gods condemned the land,
recorded time, lay
Ubar city of lust and greed
reading the chiselled inscriptions.
A funerery temple.
Osrisis tributes to the gods
The sultan of (?)
Denied the (?) of this land
Decipher the hieroglyphics
City overcome by lust
Ancient (?)
Angered by the king of sin
Let the holocaust begin
This was the city of Ubar
Watch our modern life return
to ancient ways.
We're on the road to Ubar
The lyrics of The Alchemist's song "Road To Ubar" paint a vivid picture of a lost and condemned city of the past. The commands of an ancient sultan echo through the winds of time, reaching out to the present to bring attention to a forgotten ghost city of the mind. This lost city, buried deep within the sands beyond the valley of the kings, was once a place of decadence and greed, leading the gods to condemn its existence.
The lyrics speak of the furthest reaches of recorded time, where Ubar, a city consumed by lust and greed, once stood. As the singer of the song delves deeper into the history of the city, they encounter chiseled inscriptions and a funerary temple dedicated to Osiris, paying tribute to the gods. The sultan of this ancient land denied the demise that awaited Ubar and attempted to decipher the hieroglyphics, only to realize the city's fate was sealed.
The anger of the ancient gods is palpable in the lyrics, as they witness the king of sin leading Ubar into a state of destruction. The holocaust referred to symbolizes the ultimate downfall and annihilation of the city. The song ends with a warning, as the lyrics suggest that our modern life may eventually regress into the ancient ways, mirroring the cycles of humanity's past.
Line by Line Meaning
The commands of an ancient sultan
The instructions of a ruler from a distant era
whispers through the sandstorm wind of time.
Quietly carried by the gusts of time
Calling across the centuries
Summoning across long periods of history
A lost ghost city of the mind.
A forgotten, haunting city existing only in thoughts
Far beyond the valley of the kings,
Distant from the domain of ruling pharaohs
lies buried deep within the sand.
Resting hidden beneath the vast desert
A city of decadence (?) and greed,
A place characterized by excessive indulgence and insatiable desire for wealth
that's why the gods condemned the land,
For this reason, the deities declared the land guilty
Furthest reaches
The most distant points
recorded time, lay
Existence throughout the ages
Ubar city of lust and greed
Ubar, a city known for its uncontrollable desire and insatiable craving for wealth
reading the chiselled inscriptions.
Deciphering the engraved writings
A funerery temple.
A temple dedicated to the dead
Osrisis tributes to the gods
Offerings made to deities in honor of Osiris
The sultan of (?)
The ruler or leader of Ubar
Denied the (?) of this land
Rejected the rightful ownership of this territory
Decipher the hieroglyphics
Interpret the ancient symbolic writings
City overcome by lust
A place overpowered by uncontrolled desires
Ancient (?)
An age-old civilization or culture
Angered by the king of sin
Enraged by the ruler who embodies wickedness
Let the holocaust begin
Allow the destruction and devastation to commence
This was the city of Ubar
This refers to the illustrious city of Ubar
Watch our modern life return
Observe how our contemporary existence reverts
to ancient ways.
to the customs and practices of old times
We're on the road to Ubar
We are embarking on a journey towards Ubar
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