Post by Adam B on Jul 19, 2005 9:58:43 GMT -5
The Alchemist Interview
Adam Bernard
Everyone's heard his beats. The list of artists he's worked with reads like a who's who of Hip-Hop. But how many people actually know who The Alchemist is? "I think maybe they don't know my image," notes the producer extraordinaire, "I'm a white guy I'm from LA. I went to school in Beverly Hills. I came a long way. My lifestyle, my personality is on the low a lot. I think it's relevant the people know my story. People know the name and the music, but they should know who I am." In a time when 70% of the rap albums sold are sold to caucasians The Alchemist feels his story is "one of a kind but at the same time it represents a lot of kids."
Being white has never adversely affected The Alchemist when it comes to his work, though he does admit that sometimes an artist or two has been taken aback when they see him. As he noted, a lot of people know his name, but very few know his story. "All the time I get that," he laughs "they always respect me, though."
Respect, to him, is the most important thing for an artist to have in the studio and whenever something goes wrong, something to do with respect is usually at the center of the problem. "There are bad experiences now and then," he explains, "usually it's when the respect ain't there for eachother and I usually don't get into the studio with people like that. It's not just about the music, it's about the respect, too, you have to be worthy of respect as a human and as an individual not just as an artist." The Alchemist continued, saying "at the end of the day it doesn't work out if you can't see eye to eye with somebody or speak out and give an opinion about a song you're workin out, if you're nervous how they're gonna react. It's more than a beat to you and you have to collaborate to make the best product."
When it comes to making the best possible product The Alchemist has done plenty of work for artists on their albums, but he feels it's time for him to step out on his own. "It was time to come full circle and do my own project," he notes. So following the lead of artists such as Dr. Dre, Timbaland, The Neptunes and Kanye West, The Alchemist is readying his own album release. Seeing the aforementioned artists succeed had nothing to do with his decision to create his own album, though. "I've wanted to do this album for a long time," he explains "as a producer you only get your little credit on the inside, you never get the full props that you deserve."
Creating an album is always a good way of getting one's name out there, but in The Alchemist's case it might do wonders for his name only. This is because on his album, vocally, he only appears on two tracks. This may seem more than a little strange as most producers pack their albums with their own vocals, but The Alchemist would rather do things his way.
Will his album be dope? That's something The Alchemist himself may not even be able to answer. When it comes to what's dope he admits "I couldn't even put my finger on it, it always changes, the music changes everyday. I just try to listen with an open mind. What's dope is going to be dope."
One thing's for sure, The Alchemist is by no means viewing his upcoming album release as the pinnacle of his career, in fact, he's leaning towards viewing it the other way around. "I always feel like I'm just getting started," notes the producer. So how does one of the preeminent producers of the day keep that fresh feeling? It's simple, just keep getting better. The Alchemist feels this way about his own work, saying "I never feel like I'm leveling off."
Basic science tell us if you never level off you're going to have a hard time falling off, and though it may sound impossible, remember, alchemists are known for having the power to change any single thing into something better.
Adam Bernard
Everyone's heard his beats. The list of artists he's worked with reads like a who's who of Hip-Hop. But how many people actually know who The Alchemist is? "I think maybe they don't know my image," notes the producer extraordinaire, "I'm a white guy I'm from LA. I went to school in Beverly Hills. I came a long way. My lifestyle, my personality is on the low a lot. I think it's relevant the people know my story. People know the name and the music, but they should know who I am." In a time when 70% of the rap albums sold are sold to caucasians The Alchemist feels his story is "one of a kind but at the same time it represents a lot of kids."
Being white has never adversely affected The Alchemist when it comes to his work, though he does admit that sometimes an artist or two has been taken aback when they see him. As he noted, a lot of people know his name, but very few know his story. "All the time I get that," he laughs "they always respect me, though."
Respect, to him, is the most important thing for an artist to have in the studio and whenever something goes wrong, something to do with respect is usually at the center of the problem. "There are bad experiences now and then," he explains, "usually it's when the respect ain't there for eachother and I usually don't get into the studio with people like that. It's not just about the music, it's about the respect, too, you have to be worthy of respect as a human and as an individual not just as an artist." The Alchemist continued, saying "at the end of the day it doesn't work out if you can't see eye to eye with somebody or speak out and give an opinion about a song you're workin out, if you're nervous how they're gonna react. It's more than a beat to you and you have to collaborate to make the best product."
When it comes to making the best possible product The Alchemist has done plenty of work for artists on their albums, but he feels it's time for him to step out on his own. "It was time to come full circle and do my own project," he notes. So following the lead of artists such as Dr. Dre, Timbaland, The Neptunes and Kanye West, The Alchemist is readying his own album release. Seeing the aforementioned artists succeed had nothing to do with his decision to create his own album, though. "I've wanted to do this album for a long time," he explains "as a producer you only get your little credit on the inside, you never get the full props that you deserve."
Creating an album is always a good way of getting one's name out there, but in The Alchemist's case it might do wonders for his name only. This is because on his album, vocally, he only appears on two tracks. This may seem more than a little strange as most producers pack their albums with their own vocals, but The Alchemist would rather do things his way.
Will his album be dope? That's something The Alchemist himself may not even be able to answer. When it comes to what's dope he admits "I couldn't even put my finger on it, it always changes, the music changes everyday. I just try to listen with an open mind. What's dope is going to be dope."
One thing's for sure, The Alchemist is by no means viewing his upcoming album release as the pinnacle of his career, in fact, he's leaning towards viewing it the other way around. "I always feel like I'm just getting started," notes the producer. So how does one of the preeminent producers of the day keep that fresh feeling? It's simple, just keep getting better. The Alchemist feels this way about his own work, saying "I never feel like I'm leveling off."
Basic science tell us if you never level off you're going to have a hard time falling off, and though it may sound impossible, remember, alchemists are known for having the power to change any single thing into something better.