hip hop dx.com intreviews alchemist. the producer for the likes of mobb deep, and nas.

First off Al what’s good with you?

Chillen.

Aiight tell us about the album. Guests?

Alright...the album September 21st, “1st Infantry.” It’s gonna be crazy. We got my Mobb peoples. We got Lloyd Banks and the Game. We got MOP on there. We got Dialated Peoples. My man TI. Just crazy people. The Lox, D-Block them my peoples. Just crazy joints man. Straight fire. We gonna get it poppin with this album.

How do you figure out who you are gonna work with and produce for? Do you just contact all of your favorite artists?

Basically it’s already set up. It’s pretty much all in the family. There really isn’t a need for me to reach out and contact other people. I’ve been working with the illest for years.

What are you looking to achieve with this album. Many people have heard your production over the years but haven’t been able to match the face with the name.

Exactly. I feel like with this album the people are going to be able to match the face with the music. I mean...there’s a lotta shit out there. But with this album people who don’t know are gonna know. Not only that, I’m going to get behind the mic on a few tracks and do my thing. Na mean? I want people to know who the Alchemist is and by the time this album hits they will.

Yeah, I heard you are gonna flex some more of your lyrical muscle on this album. You always been an emcee first or how does those two worlds coincide?

I write all the time yo. I’ve been rhyming for a long time. It just so happens that I got my name from making beats. But rhyming is something I always have wanted to do. So with this album I’m gonna do my thing. I mean producing, that ended up being my niche but rapping has been a passion.

Is there anybody that you haven’t worked with as of yet that you would like to?

Ummmm....Nah. So far I’ve been able to work with who I’ve wanted to work with. I’ve worked with Jadakiss, Nas...you know what? I’ve pretty much worked with everybody I ever wanted to work with. And I’m happy with what I’ve done

Favorite beat you have ever done?

Man...That’s like asking a parent “Who’s your favorite kid?” I mean....I don’t know. There’s never been a beat that I’ve done that’s made me say “Damn!” Ya know? That would be more like the beat is making me instead of me making the beat. Na mean? I’ve done so much over the years that there isn’t really a beat that I can say is my favorite.

Is there an album that you listened to and lyrically you thought it was ill but would just have LOVED to produce the whole album?

Um.... Nas!

Favorite Producer besides yourself that makes you go “Damn...he‘s got some hot shit?”

Premier...yeah Primo. More currently Just Blaze. Yeah Just Blaze he’s got precision. That’s my man too. He always does his thing. New cats, you know you got my man Scram Jones, Emile, Evidence, Nucleus and Joey Chavez out of the west coast. Um...it’s a lot of kids with beats. Crazy shit out there. Big Dog got crazy beats. EZ Elpee got crazy beats. The production is out there. Alot of crazy shit out there. My man 8-off, Agallah got fire! Alot of heads got fire you know that.

How do you feel about meteoric rise of a producer like Kanye. Do you feel like it opens doors for someone like yourself who utilizes soul samples or do you think “damn people I’ve been doing this shit for years” and give them a late pass.

Yeah you know that’s how it is when you go to the masses with something or you go pop with something, it’s gonna be like brand new to them whereas we might have been in the trenches doing that style for a minute. Kanye is mad talented and he has his own way of approaching shit you know what I mean? As far as that similar genre. Alot of cats, myself included, have been doing this for a minute. It’s good to see that somebody got out there and got it poppin on that level. I think even before Kanye it was that the fact that Jay-Z did the Blueprint album with JustBlaze and Kanye and they were able to do a lot of beats like that. Jay really put that soul sound out there through virtue of Just Blaze and Kanye. I think it definitely signified it by putting it out to the masses. But you can check the HNIC album with “Trials of Love” with Prodigy and his shorty and that was some soul shit. Letting the record ride out in the end. You know, we been doing it for a minute. Before that the RZA was doing it you know Pete Rock was touching on alot of soul back in the day. You know we are all on the same boat so big ups to everybody doing their thing. You might hear some new jacks out there that will say “he’s out there trying to do it like Kanye” but me and Kanye know what time it is. We all are in the same boat. Big ups to those who are doing it the right way including Kanye.

Do you consider yourself the people’s producer? Meaning that you keep shit real for your underground fans as well as give a little something for the commercial heads without compromising your style?

Hell Yeah! I mean I always am trying to find the median. Going to the masses and creating something creative and original. Making that Shit man! It’s hard to put a finger on it and describe it. But when you hear it you know it’s that Shit. It moves you it a certain way you get a certain feeling. It goes against the grain and it’s not typical and then it’s that shit. If it goes pop it means a lot of people appreciated it. It’s not geared to that type of audience but it’s just that Shit.


How do you feel about the state of hip-hop right at this very minute? Right before your album drops.

Alchemist: Umm...it lacks in a lot of categories but it has also grown in a lot of categories. I’m just happy to put out an album anytime in life ya know? We’re chosen to be in a different period of the rap game and I’m dropping right now and it was meant to be for me to come out at this time and put what I do out there in the world shoulder to shoulder with everyone else out there in the rap game. My album is going to get it’s respect and play its position. Instead of being all over the place like alot of these A&R’s and artists try to do these days and try to cater to everybody man. I just do what I do. You know what I mean? People just appreciate me for me and I’m going to change my style or sound because I’d just be chasing a trend. I want to be on the cutting edge of something than be on the backburners. So I’m just happy to put out this album now. September 21st is the date and the album is called “1st Infantry” and it’s just an exciting time for me to put my own album out there. Instead of telling cats “Yeah, go by so-and-so’s album because I did a joint on it.” No...go buy MY album right there under “A” and know what I did for cats for so many years and how they came through for me. It’s a good feeling.

What’s coming up for Alchemist?

Just laying the beats down for everybody right now. I did some shit for Styles P, Tony Yayo, Nelly. I just did a joint for Pharohe Monch’s new album that is just retarded. Can’t wait until that shit comes out. Its crazy man I’m telling you when that shit drops it’s gonna be poppin. Did an R&B joint for Mahonna, Swizz Beats wife. Some stuff is gonna be on the Nas Lost Tapes album. We already working on the new Mobb Album, Prodigy’s solo album. Man it never stops. I’ve been working with a couple of independent artists also my man Saigon got his major deal rightnow so we are working on his shit too. A couple of things ya know?

Any last words before we get outta here?

Good lookin out supporting me for the years and just checking for the kid. If anybody is unhappy with the current state of hip hop, go buy my album. You will be putting in your contribution of making it go where it needs to go. When they don’t support artists like me when they put out an album the industry decides to turn their back on artists likeme. They go where the money is being made. That is what’s contributing to why we don’t like this rap game no more. The first step is to support the artists that you feel. Don’t download it or bootleg it. If you download it because you are thirsty...that’s cool. If you bootleg it because you want to hear it first...that’s cool. Just don’t forget to go out there and cop the album. So we can show these industry people that we are relevant and we can make money too. Don’t ever forget that “Illmatic” didn’t even go gold. Ever since then it’s been on a downfall. We are here now and these rappers are getting bigger and bigger. I’m just glad I can make my contribution to the game. September 21st, that’s the day it drops. I ain’t even on that first week shit. Whatever happens, happens after that. Go out and support the kid, I’d appreciate it.


VIA HIPHOP DX