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All Music Guide:
Ignoring the coastal feuds that dominated hip-hop for most of the '90s, the Alchemist (born Alan Maman) began his career in L.A. (he grew up in affluent Beverly Hills) and ended up in New York City. As a teenager, as part of the duo the Whooliganz (with Scott Caan, son of James) and the greater rap collective the Soul Assassins (with Cypress Hill, House of Pain, etc.), he released the single "Put Your Handz Up" on Tommy Boy in 1993, though the Whooliganz' debut full-length, Make Way for the W, was eventually shelved. The Alchemist continued making beats, however, working with and learning from DJ Muggs on 1995's Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom as well as with childhood friend Evidence of Dilated Peoples.
After moving to New York to attend college, Al hooked up with Queensbridge duo Mobb Deep, producing the songs "The Realest" and "Thug Music" from their 1999 record Murda Muzik, a collaboration that led to work with Pharoahe Monch, Royce da 5'9", Fat Joe, Defari, Freddy Foxxx, Ludacris, Big Daddy Kane, and Ghostface Killah, and even rock acts like Linkin Park and Morcheeba. In 2004, the Alchemist released his first solo full-length, 1st Infantry, which, besides featuring his own beats, also had him rapping alongside Stat Quo, the Game, Lloyd Banks, Mobb Deep, and Dilated Peoples, among others, and in 2005, after Eminem's DJ Green Lantern left the Anger Management 3 tour, the Detroit rapper hired Al as his replacement. In 2006 the Alchemist showcased his work with a pair of mixtapes of previously released and unreleased material, The Chemistry Files and No Days Off. 2009's Chemical Warfare featured Eminem, Juvenile, Dilated Peoples, and the Lady of Rage.
Wikipedia:
Gangrene is a California-based hip hop/production duo which consists of rapper/producers The Alchemist and Oh No. The Alchemist and Oh No, respected and accomplished MCs and producers in their own right, weren’t acquainted until they met at a show headlined by Dilated Peoples member and mutual friend, Evidence. Inspired, The Alchemist contacted Oh No and proposed a collaborative project. From that point they "just clicked," says Oh No. "I sent him a verse and a beat, and he sent a beat and a verse." The creative sparring continued, and they began to refer to the work as Gangrene.
