From KCRW Dj Anthony Valadez:
The Alchemist is one of the most respected producers and beatmakers today.
He is a real music lover known for taking old records and chopping up samples and rearranging them into new pieces. His trademark soul samples have always caught my ear due to his unique ability to flip old records that evoke emotion, which is why I’m especially excited that he chose to debut an exclusive mix for KCRW on my show last night.
It features all original samples from records that he has used to produce for the likes of Nas, Mobb Deep, Morcheeba, Dilated Peoples and much more. Check it out:
Alchemist Exclusive Mix for KCRW: Cigarette Glow by KCRW
Alchemist was part of the golden era of West Coast Hip Hop, having been taking under the arm of Cypress Hill and later producing for LA heavyweights Dilated Peoples. Later he shifted to the east coast and went on to produce for Nas, Mobb Deep, Ghostface Killah, Jadakiss and more.
When I hear an Alchemist beat, I can always expect it to hold its own weight as an instrumental with out the vocalist. Sometimes I scratch my head and think “How did he do that?”.
His latest release, “Russian Roulette” drops July 17 on Decon and features 30 plus tracks of obscure samples and sounds with features from Danny Brown, vidence, Schoolboy Q and many others.
— Anthony Valadez