It’s not often that artists will commit to producing an entire full-length product with someone else’s vision taken into account. Music is a wholly personal affair that can reflect the deepest sentiments of mankind straight from the heart and into the ears of the masses, so it is understandable why many are hesitant about not only associating a significant chunk of their musical output with another performer, but also risking a diluted representation of their creative mindset. Who rappers collaborate with is more than just music, it is a declaration of support and the construction of a symbolic bond of creativity. While producers like Metro Boomin have started to put a more publicized face on the architects behind the sonic foundation for musical artists, no craftsman has been more prolifically respected in contemporary hip-hop as Alan Maman, otherwise known as The Alchemist.
The Alchemist is a fitting title for the hip-hop aficionado hailing from Beverly Hills, California, because that is exactly what he is for the genre. His geographical connection to the West Coast is trivial in regard to his reach; he certainly has experience with Californians like Earl Sweatshirt, but his presence has been felt much more prominently east of California. His highest-profile partnerships include the likes of Indiana’s Freddie Gibbs, Michigan’s Boldy James and the duo of Armand Hammer (Billy Woods and Elucid) from New York. That being said, The Alchemist’s still gained initial notoriety for his production because of his work with legendary California rap-group Cypress Hill. Through his work for Cypress Hill, The Alchemist met DJ Muggs, who linked the budding producer with Mobb Deep, one of the most influential rap duos of all time. This automatically bolstered The Alchemist’s profile, eventually becoming a staple within the East Coast by assisting other iconic acts, such as Nas, Fat Joe and Jadakiss.
Fast-forward to 2021 and
Complex
labeled The Alchemist as the best hip-hop producer alive, but what distinguishes him as a transcendent force in the genre? In contrast to most producers who take a back seat to the vision of the artist they are collaborating with, The Alchemist does not view his work as transactional. In an interview with
Complex
after receiving the aforementioned title of best in the business, The Alchemist explains that he has to befriend whoever he works with. “Human beings all have their different nuances and quirks,” he says in the same article, and this philosophy has granted the producer with an inviting attitude towards nonconformity. Whether a listener focuses on the sounds of The Alchemist’s diverse array of samples used in any given beat or they simply view who the veteran is working with next, it is clear that the musical maestro maintains an open mind at all times. This is reaffirmed later in the same interview with
Complex
. The Alchemist dispels the myth that he prefers working with rappers who are perceived as more lyrically substantive when asked if he would ever consider joining forces with someone like Gunna or YG.
The Alchemist will never stand idle in the assembling process, as his production always seems to work in tandem with the vocalist at hand. On
Super Tecmo Bo
, Boldy James is provided with instrumentation that ranges from cinematically appropriate for his tales of trials and tribulations to beautifully soulful backing melodies for more mellow moments. “E. Coli,” with Earl Sweatshirt, is one of The Alchemist’s most popular tracks with its musical merry-go-round of chopped up melodies providing the bedrock for an impassioned lyrical display. There is no mellifluous mountain too tall for The Alchemist to climb, but there are certainly hills that are too low for a mastermind that constantly attempts to push the limits of composing harmonious concoctions.
