Acclaimed for his skills as a producer, disk jockey, and rapper, this day in Hip-hop celebrates the birth of Daniel Alan Maman—simply known as, The Alchemist.
Beginning in 1991, Maman started gaining recognition as one-half of the Hip-hop duo, The Whooliganz, rapping under the name “Mudfoot” alongside Mad Skillz (Scott Caan). While rapping at a party in Los Angeles, the pair struck the attention of Cypress Hill's B-Real, who exposed both artists to notable figures in the scene, such as House of Pain, Funkdoobiest, and The Soul Assassins.
The Whooliganz released their much-awaited debut single, “Put Your Handz Up” in 1993, which, at the expense of receiving little recognition, their album never reached publicity, and while partner Caan took to a career in acting, Maman decided to shift his talents towards the art of beat-smithing.
Under the guidance of critically-acclaimed DJ Muggs, The Alchemist began producing tracks for numerous artists, including the rap supergroup Cypress Hill and long-time friend, Evidence, along with his group Dilated Peoples. Already a prominent figure in the scene, Alchemist showcased his work for another iconic rap group, Mobb Deep, who imminently took him under their wing, showcasing his beats on all their following albums.
As Alchemist continued progressing through the scene, his already-decorated resume would expand to more collaborations with numerous Hip-hop moguls, such as Nas, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Ghostface Killah of the formidable Wu-Tang Clan, all while staying faithful to old colleagues an friends, Dilated Peoples and Cypress Hill, as well as producing for a myriad of underground artists, only offering the best of his beat making in all endeavors.
By Jods Arboleda for RAPStation.com
