Alan Daniel Maman (born October 25, 1977), better known as The Alchemist, i… Read Full Bio ↴Alan Daniel Maman (born October 25, 1977), better known as The Alchemist, is a hip-hop producer and MC. The Alchemist has been an active producer since 1991. He hails from affluent Beverly Hills, California. After rising to prominence in the late 1990s as a close associate of Dilated Peoples, he went on to produce for many of hip-hop's leading artists in the 2000s.

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.

The Grip
The Alchemist Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Check my levels
Levels is good? Uh
Uh-huh, Pump with the rubber hand grip, uh, what?
You don't know who you playin' with
Yeah, Pimpstead, nigga

If it's trouble then we shootin' it's troubleshooting
We shootin' up but we ain't struggling with drug use

Throwin' all these subs what that make you subhuman?
This is music for sub-machine gun users (Uh)
Speeding in the BMW, lookin' unassuming (Uh)
Just me and my Uzi, we lookin' like a couple spooning (mmm)
Enough with the canoodling, blow your noodles on your beautiful drip
This is Hoorsenbuhs, you should google it
My love language is another matrix
Screw your baby mother like some Cartier love bracelets
Hermes blankets, that's a blanket statement
Need more than handkerchief 'cause we covering all the bases
Might yank you out the whip, strip you naked (get over here)
Niggas comparing MJ to "Weird Al" Yankovic (huh?)
It's a bitch ain't it? (bitch, ain't it?)
When the love always outweigh the negative (it do)
I'm on the edge, I'm at the ledge of the clip
Break your neck like a breadstick
Forever devilish, don't you ever forget
How the AK-47 kick like an elephant
Knock a fella off the edge of the fence
Don't take offence if it's a brick of cocaine
We hid in the Mercedes-Benz
Baby, that's for my lady friends, who's taking it for a spin?
(Who do you know who would do some shit like that?) Uh, spin

Pump with the rubber hand grip, uh
You don't know who you playin' with (say it with-)
Pump with the rubber hand grip
Say, say it with me, you don't know who you playin' with
Break it down
Uh, uh-huh, yeah, uh
Pump with the rubber hand grip (yeah)

Look, soon as the drama came afoot you was shot in the foot
Throw a couple at your knot like you playing shot put
Three-hundred rounds pop your hood, look like you were shot by an octopus
Book your watch, you got everything inside your pocket took
The cops was shook
We even took what you hide in your lady pocketbook (get that)
Okay, it's time to cook
It look like we threw lava on your designer goods (tssss)
Ask the Doc' how it look, said, "it's not good"
Shoulda just left the body to rot in the woods
Tryna be Hollywood, forgot they even knocked out Suge
The Witch made the magic wand out of Hollywood
Gotta' keep a shotty' nearby where you potty or do karate good
If not, then you should not be in the hood (go)
Fuck an oppie, I will take you to blood (blood)
(What? No love, no motherfuckin' love, nigga)

Seems to have had a genuine scientific curiosity
He was eager to show this very unusual pace
But some of his colleagues were critical
That is was not appropriate to show someone

Who was essentially in their terms a "freak"
Rather than someone who was acutely ill

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Alchemist's song "The Grip" paint a vivid picture of a gritty and confrontational world. The opening lines "Check my levels, Levels is good? Uh, Uh-huh, Pump with the rubber hand grip, what? You don't know who you playin' with" set the tone for the rest of the song. It seems to be a declaration of power and warning to anyone who underestimates or challenges the artist.

The lyrics then delve into themes of violence, shooting, and drug use. Lines like "If it's trouble then we shootin' it's troubleshooting, We shootin' up but we ain't struggling with drug use" portray a fearless and dangerous attitude. The lyrics also touch on the idea of superiority and dehumanization, with references to submachine guns and subhuman behavior.

The song continues with a mix of aggressive imagery and references to luxury goods and high-end brands. These contrasting elements create a sense of unpredictability and complexity within the song. The lyrics also touch on themes of love, comparing it to a another matrix, and sexual conquests.

Line by Line Meaning

Check my levels
Evaluate my capabilities

Levels is good? Uh
Are my abilities satisfactory?

Uh-huh, Pump with the rubber hand grip, uh, what?
I possess a firearm with a rubber grip

You don't know who you playin' with
You underestimate my true identity

Yeah, Pimpstead, nigga
I come from the neighborhood known as Pimpstead

If it's trouble then we shootin' it's troubleshooting
When faced with problems, we resort to violence

We shootin' up but we ain't struggling with drug use
We engage in gunfire, not drug abuse

Throwin' all these subs what that make you subhuman?
Am I degrading you by throwing insults?

This is music for sub-machine gun users (Uh)
My music resonates with those who use sub-machine guns

Speeding in the BMW, lookin' unassuming (Uh)
Driving fast in a BMW, appearing innocent

Just me and my Uzi, we lookin' like a couple spooning (mmm)
Me and my Uzi gun are intimately close

Enough with the canoodling, blow your noodles on your beautiful drip
Stop the affection, let your brains splatter on your stylish attire

This is Hoorsenbuhs, you should google it
My jewelry is from Hoorsenbuhs, you should search for it

My love language is another matrix
My way of expressing affection is complex

Screw your baby mother like some Cartier love bracelets
I have a casual sexual relationship with your child's mother, similar to the casual nature of Cartier love bracelets

Hermes blankets, that's a blanket statement
I own luxury Hermes blankets, making a literal and figurative statement

Need more than handkerchief 'cause we covering all the bases
We require more than a handkerchief because we are involved in various illegal activities

Might yank you out the whip, strip you naked (get over here)
I might forcefully remove you from your car and expose you

Niggas comparing MJ to "Weird Al" Yankovic (huh?)
People are making absurd comparisons between Michael Jackson and "Weird Al" Yankovic

It's a bitch ain't it? (bitch, ain't it?)
Isn't it difficult and frustrating?

When the love always outweigh the negative (it do)
When there is more love than negativity

I'm on the edge, I'm at the ledge of the clip
I am in a dangerous situation, at the brink of using my gun

Break your neck like a breadstick
I will cause severe harm to you

Forever devilish, don't you ever forget
I will always remain wicked, never underestimate me

How the AK-47 kick like an elephant
The recoil of an AK-47 is powerful, like an elephant's kick

Knock a fella off the edge of the fence
I can physically push someone off a boundary

Don't take offence if it's a brick of cocaine
Do not be offended if I have a large amount of cocaine

We hid in the Mercedes-Benz
We concealed ourselves inside a Mercedes-Benz car

Baby, that's for my lady friends, who's taking it for a spin?
These actions were for the amusement of my female friends, who wants to try it out?

(Who do you know who would do some shit like that?) Uh, spin
(Do you know anyone else who would engage in such actions?) Let's rotate

Look, soon as the drama came afoot you was shot in the foot
When conflict arose, you were immediately injured

Throw a couple at your knot like you playing shot put
Shoot multiple bullets at your head, as if participating in a shot put event

Three-hundred rounds pop your hood, look like you were shot by an octopus
Firing three-hundred rounds will cause severe damage, resembling octopus tentacles

Book your watch, you got everything inside your pocket took
Steal your valuable possessions, including your watch, from your pockets

The cops were shook
The police were frightened and intimidated

We even took what you hide in your lady pocketbook (get that)
We even stole the items you kept in your female partner's handbag

Okay, it's time to cook
Alright, it's time to engage in illegal activities

It look like we threw lava on your designer goods (tssss)
The damage inflicted on your expensive items appears as if they were burned by lava

Ask the Doc' how it look, said, "it's not good"
Consult a doctor for an assessment, and they will confirm it's in bad condition

Shoulda just left the body to rot in the woods
It would have been better to abandon the dead body in the forest

Tryna be Hollywood, forgot they even knocked out Suge
Attempting to become famous, forgetting they harmed Suge Knight

The Witch made the magic wand out of Hollywood
A powerful individual created a magical tool using the influence of Hollywood

Gotta' keep a shotty' nearby where you potty or do karate good
It is necessary to have a shotgun nearby when you use the bathroom or practice martial arts

If not, then you should not be in the hood (go)
If you don't possess a shotgun, you shouldn't be present in this neighborhood

Fuck an oppie, I will take you to blood (blood)
Disregard the opposing gang members, I will cause severe harm to you

(What? No love, no motherfuckin' love, nigga)
(What? No affection, absolutely no affection, friend)

Pump with the rubber hand grip, uh
Firing a gun with a rubber grip

You don't know who you playin' with (say it with-)
You are unaware of the person you are dealing with

Pump with the rubber hand grip
Firing a gun with a rubber grip

Say, say it with me, you don't know who you playin' with
Repeat after me, you are unaware of the person you are dealing with

Break it down
Analyze the situation further

Uh, uh-huh, yeah, uh
Hmm, let me think, yes, hmm

Pump with the rubber hand grip (yeah)
Firing a gun with a rubber grip

Look, soon as the drama came afoot you was shot in the foot
As soon as conflict arose, you were wounded in the foot