The Alchemist

One of the most revered and prolific rap producers of his generation, the Alchemist crafts sample-heavy, tough, yet detailed beats suffused with soul. His extensive discography, dating back to the early 1990s, includes tracks by the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:56OMwqr8qaLIRH4ZrvvdXq">Dilated Peoples</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6O2zJ0tId7g07yzHtX0yap">Mobb Deep</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:20qISvAhX20dpIbOOzGK3q">Nas</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6FD0unjzGQhX3b6eMccMJe">Ghostface Killah</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:55Aa2cqylxrFIXC767Z865">Lil Wayne</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2YZyLoL8N0Wb9xBt1NhZWg">Kendrick Lamar</a>, and he's so valued as a collaborator that he has been behind joint albums co-billed with the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:1GwxXgEc6oxCKQ5wykWXFs">Prodigy</a> (Return of the Mac, 2007), <a href="spotify:artist:5PA6iCCOkq14PpMWWlhJ5T">Oh No</a> (including Gutter Water, the duo's first album as <a href="spotify:artist:56GO5ViKH7Sg7ihAmFfvwv">Gangrene</a>, 2010), <a href="spotify:artist:6X8WdFjrNhXATMDSs26aCc">Curren$y</a> (Covert Coup, 2011 and again in 2022 with critical favorite Continuance), <a href="spotify:artist:0Y4inQK6OespitzD6ijMwb">Freddie Gibbs</a> (Alfredo, 2020), and <a href="spotify:artist:5X0V59ipZnbvnubW0rQVri">Roc Marciano</a> (The Elephant Man's Bones, 2022). One of his highest-charting albums, the <a href="spotify:artist:1grN0519h2zYqpRtYbDZAl">Larry June</a> collaboration The Great Escape, appeared in 2023, as well as albums with <a href="spotify:artist:1wlzPS1hSNrkriIIwLFTmU">MIKE</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3A5tHz1SfngyOZM2gItYKu">Earl Sweatshirt</a>. Blacks & Whites with Big Hit and Hit-Boy was issued in 2024. The next year he teamed up with <a href="spotify:artist:1grN0519h2zYqpRtYbDZAl">Larry June</a> yet again, this time bringing <a href="spotify:artist:17lzZA2AlOHwCwFALHttmp">2 Chainz</a> into the collaboration with the Billboard-charting album Life Is Beautiful. In addition to his supporting work as a beatmaker, he has delivered numerous concurrent projects as a headliner and occasional rapper, such as the albums 1st Infantry, Chemical Warfare, and Russian Roulette, and a ceiling-scraping stack of EPs, mixtapes, and instrumental sets. He's also <a href="spotify:artist:7dGJo4pcD2V6oG8kP0tJRR">Eminem</a>'s long-tenured official DJ.

Born Alan Maman, the Alchemist grew up in Beverly Hills and began his career in nearby Los Angeles. As a teenager, when he was known as <a href="spotify:artist:41VWv8FnTerLTBx3RH4IfY">Mudfoot</a>, he was part of the Whooliganz (with Scott Caan, son of James) and <a href="spotify:artist:7pDkjftAxiFHomWsPNkapS">DJ Muggs</a>' Soul Assassins collective. The Whooliganz released the single "Put Your Handz Up" on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Tommy+Boy%22">Tommy Boy</a> in 1993, but their debut full-length, Make Way for the W, was shelved. Alchemist continued making beats, however, working with and learning from <a href="spotify:artist:7pDkjftAxiFHomWsPNkapS">Muggs</a> on 1995's Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom as well as with childhood friend <a href="spotify:artist:6VfeYClQyVUCPJdXb9jl3O">Evidence</a> of <a href="spotify:artist:56OMwqr8qaLIRH4ZrvvdXq">Dilated Peoples</a>. These connections led to a prolific career.

After moving to New York to attend college, Al hooked up with Queensbridge duo <a href="spotify:artist:6O2zJ0tId7g07yzHtX0yap">Mobb Deep</a>, producing the songs "The Realest" and "Thug Music" for their 1999 album Murda Muzik. The collaboration was followed by work with <a href="spotify:artist:5DKuVtlpDH0agZQUFDy8O7">Pharoahe Monch</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6DVipHzYsPlIoA0DW8Gmns">Royce da 5'9"</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3ScY9CQxNLQei8Umvpx5g6">Fat Joe</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3ipn9JLAPI5GUEo4y4jcoi">Ludacris</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6futYSDVulYR2PktBjTB5W">Big Daddy Kane</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6FD0unjzGQhX3b6eMccMJe">Ghostface Killah</a>, among many other rappers, and even rock and electronica acts like <a href="spotify:artist:6XyY86QOPPrYVGvF9ch6wz">Linkin Park</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6bWxFw65IEJzBYjx3SxUXd">Morcheeba</a>. Across 2003 and 2004, the Alchemist released his first tapes, as well as his first proper solo full-length, 1st Infantry, which, besides featuring his own beats, also had him rapping alongside <a href="spotify:artist:6Oesi698iJRUaBeT82zckf">Stat Quo</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0NbfKEOTQCcwd6o7wSDOHI">the Game</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3vDUJHQtqT3jFRZ2ECXDTi">Lloyd Banks</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6O2zJ0tId7g07yzHtX0yap">Mobb Deep</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:56OMwqr8qaLIRH4ZrvvdXq">Dilated Peoples</a>. In 2005, after <a href="spotify:artist:7dGJo4pcD2V6oG8kP0tJRR">Eminem</a>'s DJ Green Lantern left the Anger Management 3 tour, the Detroit rapper hired Al as his replacement.

In 2006, Alchemist continued to showcase his work with The Chemistry Files and No Days Off, a pair of mixtapes containing previously released and unreleased material. After supporting <a href="spotify:artist:1GwxXgEc6oxCKQ5wykWXFs">Prodigy</a> on the 2007 album Return of the Mac and producing "You Ain't Got Nuthin" for <a href="spotify:artist:55Aa2cqylxrFIXC767Z865">Lil Wayne</a>'s Grammy-nominated 2008 LP Tha Carter III, Alchemist tended to his solo discography with 2009's Chemical Warfare, featuring the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:7dGJo4pcD2V6oG8kP0tJRR">Eminem</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0rG0AZBscc8S8q1ahIsasI">Juvenile</a>. The next year, he and <a href="spotify:artist:5PA6iCCOkq14PpMWWlhJ5T">Oh No</a> launched their <a href="spotify:artist:56GO5ViKH7Sg7ihAmFfvwv">Gangrene</a> project with the Sawblade EP and the Gutter Water LP. The year 2012 found him releasing Vol. 2 of Rapper's Best Friend along with <a href="spotify:artist:56GO5ViKH7Sg7ihAmFfvwv">Gangrene</a>'s Vodka & Ayahuasca, and his own Russian Roulette, an album built by sampling Russian music. A year later, he worked again with <a href="spotify:artist:1GwxXgEc6oxCKQ5wykWXFs">Prodigy</a> on the album Albert Einstein and produced the entirety of <a href="spotify:artist:4fpwOzxFRMVGfd197dKIdY">Boldy James</a>' My 1st Chemistry Set. Affiliation with <a href="spotify:artist:5PA6iCCOkq14PpMWWlhJ5T">Oh No</a> continued with Welcome to Los Santos, a 2015 collection inspired by the virtual radio stations found in the video game Grand Theft Auto V. The same year, Alchemist assembled the Israeli Salad beat tape, featuring samples from radio broadcasts and thrift store albums the producer sourced in Israel.

During the next few years, the Alchemist was behind collaborative projects with the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:6X8WdFjrNhXATMDSs26aCc">Curren$y</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6UnvX7Zx85VNjOpLdaq49W">Havoc</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7jDblfQQLFAZCKXFfoGZ9Q">Jay Worthy</a>. He issued a fourth volume of Rapper's Best Friend and continued to produce for a select group of artists, most prominently <a href="spotify:artist:2YZyLoL8N0Wb9xBt1NhZWg">Kendrick Lamar</a> (namely "FEAR."), <a href="spotify:artist:0ABk515kENDyATUdpCKVfW">Westside Gunn</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3jK9MiCrA42lLAdMGUZpwa">Anderson .Paak</a>. He continued collaborating, joining <a href="spotify:artist:0Y4inQK6OespitzD6ijMwb">Freddie Gibbs</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6X8WdFjrNhXATMDSs26aCc">Curren$y</a> on 2018's Fetti and <a href="spotify:artist:1AWNf5CLnHH4oM1hcHiVeV">the Cool Kids</a> on 2019's Layups. In 2020 alone, he joined <a href="spotify:artist:4fpwOzxFRMVGfd197dKIdY">Boldy James</a> (The Price of Tea in China), <a href="spotify:artist:67gqUXxHedeUGDTxwBzdjS">Conway the Machine</a> (LULU), and <a href="spotify:artist:0Y4inQK6OespitzD6ijMwb">Gibbs</a> (Alfredo). Another highly collaborative EP, This Thing of Ours, followed in 2021, featuring guests like <a href="spotify:artist:3A5tHz1SfngyOZM2gItYKu">Earl Sweatshirt</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5qRbfEf4Ooo19aRXKQzvUV">Navy Blue</a>. February of 2022 saw the release of Continuance, another joint venture between the Alchemist and <a href="spotify:artist:6X8WdFjrNhXATMDSs26aCc">Curren$y</a>. The album saw both entities in top form and included guest appearances from <a href="spotify:artist:2x8KDZdSONA3872CnhaAlX">Styles P</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4fpwOzxFRMVGfd197dKIdY">Boldy James</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1grN0519h2zYqpRtYbDZAl">Larry June</a>, and others. The Elephant Man's Bones, the Alchemist's first full album with <a href="spotify:artist:5X0V59ipZnbvnubW0rQVri">Roc Marciano</a>, followed later in the year.

The Great Escape, a 2023 full-length with <a href="spotify:artist:1grN0519h2zYqpRtYbDZAl">Larry June</a>, reached the Top 40 of the Billboard 200. The same year brought full-lengths with two members of the <a href="spotify:artist:5xpkLC1MxiPRiIJUDEzuVm">Odd Future</a> family, <a href="spotify:artist:6vHBuUxrcpn1do5UaEJ7g6">Domo Genesis</a> (No Idols) and <a href="spotify:artist:3A5tHz1SfngyOZM2gItYKu">Earl Sweatshirt</a> (VOIR DIRE). His other major collaborative release during the year was Faith Is a Rock, with <a href="spotify:artist:1wlzPS1hSNrkriIIwLFTmU">MIKE</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:78X7quh8fqAGZ42OpLmUW0">Wiki</a>. Additionally, he released two Flying High EPs, featuring guests like <a href="spotify:artist:39vtb2iiz3079nqfL5nfFc">billy woods</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4fpwOzxFRMVGfd197dKIdY">Boldy James</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7BMccF0hQFBpP6417k1OtQ">Action Bronson</a>, as well as instrumental versions. The year concluded with Hall & Nash 2, a collaboration with <a href="spotify:artist:0ABk515kENDyATUdpCKVfW">Westside Gunn</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:67gqUXxHedeUGDTxwBzdjS">Conway the Machine</a>. In 2024, he released the EP Theodore & Andre with Hit-Boy and the <a href="spotify:artist:56GO5ViKH7Sg7ihAmFfvwv">Gangrene</a> album Heads I Win, Tails You Lose. He also teamed up with Big Hit and Hit-Boy for the project Blacks & Whites and issued the solo single "Seasons Change." In February of 2025, Alchemist reunited with <a href="spotify:artist:1grN0519h2zYqpRtYbDZAl">Larry June</a>, this time also working with <a href="spotify:artist:17lzZA2AlOHwCwFALHttmp">2 Chainz</a> on the joint LP Life Is Beautiful. The album hit the Billboard 200 charts at number 89. ~ Andy Kellman & Marisa Brown, Rovi