The Alchemist

Released: December 21, 2015

Featuring: Earl Sweatshirt

Songwriter: The Alchemist Earl Sweatshirt

Producer: The Alchemist

[Intro]
You see the songs, they're-
It's what I do
Just write the songs and sing them
Therefore it's pure feeling
It's complete honesty
If you can place the origin of your fear, it will disappear

[Verse]
My thoughts, dreams, plots, and my schemes
That's what's on my mind when I toss in my sleep
My heart like my pen when I jot and it bleed
My cart full of sin, when I shop it's a spree
I got some new leaves
I'm like "What's the word with you, sir?"
You just moss on a tree, I'm not concerned with you
I leave the curb when I'm crossing the street
I'm watching out for the Mark of the Beast
The badge on the policeman, black carpenter pants
A half ounce in 'em, another half ounce in my fleece
And on account of this, go ‘head and count me out of this
I'm out with the breeze
I'm dodging county, it's a thousand degrees
It's back alley shit, my nigga, look
My eyes wide open, I'm sleepy, I'm on a highway
Paul Giamatti, a nigga was sittin' sideways
A bubble and a Skully when traveling through the Tri-state
And trouble play the gun, hear it clap and it make my mind race
Back and forth, I place fourth, keep your torch
Got your morsels on my plate, motherfucker
I wasn't born, mama snatched me off the motherfucking stork on a Friday
Say that shit to my face

[Outro]
If you listen sometimes, you can, you can get a whole conversation full of people talking
Two bars and a song sometimes
For me, knowledge is everything
Still learning?
Yeah-
I learned my whole life
I learned something last night

The Alchemist is a rapper and DJ on top of being one of the most prolific producers in hip-hop who is known for his eclectic beats. Al’s sample-heavy style has been associated with an East Coast sound even though he reps the West Coast, but he has worked with rappers from every region of America—including Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, and Eminem among others.

At 14 years old, Daniel Alan Maman from Beverly Hills, California entered the rap game as Mudfoot, one-half of The Whooliganz with actor Scott Caan in 1991. He also grew up with Evidence from Dilated Peoples and produced the crew’s debut single “Third Degree” in 1997. Al was mentored by Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs, who taught him production techniques and later introduced him to Mobb Deep. Al’s early productions on Mobb Deep’s Murda Muzik album in 1999 began to grow his profile, which took off after the popularity of his production on the 2001 Jadakiss hit “We Gonna Make It.”

The Alchemist has been involved in many projects over the years. He released two compilations—2004’s 1st Infantry and 2009’s Chemical Warfare—a number of instrumental albums, mixtapes, as well as collaborative albums with Prodigy and Havoc of Mobb Deep, Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs, Action Bronson, Oh No (as Gangrene), and Evidence (as Step Brothers) to name a few. Al has served as a DJ for Eminem and Action Bronson shows, and Al has also been a frequent guest on Action Bronson’s Viceland food show Fuck, That’s Delicious. Al used vocal samples from the show throughout his 2020 album The Food Villain.

more tracks from the album

Bread

From the album

Bread (2018)

The Alchemist popular songs

E. ColiThe Alchemist

The Alchemist

Bread