The Alchemist

Raised in Beverly Hills, California, Maman began his career in music as a rapper in the early 1990s as part of the duo the Whooliganz. He transitioned to production in the late 1990s, gaining recognition for his work with Dilated Peoples and Mobb Deep. Maman relocated to New York City to further his career, during which he worked with East Coast artists including Nas, Jadakiss and Prodigy.
Maman gained wider recognition for producing the 1999 single "The Realest" for Mobb Deep, which helped establish his signature sound. He was credited on a string of critically acclaimed projects throughout the 2000s and 2010s, including work on Action Bronson's Mr. Wonderful.
As a solo artist, Maman has released several instrumental albums and collaborative projects. His debut solo album, 1st Infantry (2004), featured a mix of well-known and underground rappers. He has since released numerous acclaimed projects, including Russian Roulette (2012), the Rapper's Best Friend series, and The Food Villain (2020). Together with collaborators Oh No (with whom he forms the group Gangrene), Woody Jackson and Tangerine Dream he composed the official score to the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V and hosts the radio station "The Lab" in it.
Furthermore, he has released collaborative projects with various artists, including Covert Coup (2011) with Currensy, Albert Einstein (2013) with Prodigy, Fetti (2018) with Freddie Gibbs and Currensy, Haram (2021) and Mercy (2025) with Armand Hammer, The Great Escape (2023) with Larry June, Voir Dire (2023) with Earl Sweatshirt, Faith Is a Rock with Mike and Wiki (2023) and Alfredo (2020) with Freddie Gibbs, which was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. As a member of a duo with Boldy James, they have released four albums and one EP.