That realization led to The Alchemist’s collaboration with Aulart, which is set to release his 23-chapter production Masterclass October 6.

“I feel like a lot of this footage is stuff people always wanted to see,” says The Alchemist, whose Masterclass clocks in at nearly five hours and includes segments on his MPC techniques and stacking vocals.

“Anytime I would post a little video of me making the beat, it would be the most-viewed stuff on social media that I would post on my page. So this is that like times 10. If anybody likes shit like that, this is a way more comprehensive look into that type of thing.” 

The Alchemist’s Masterclass traverses a wide range of sampling topics, from digging for samples — and his favorite samples — to the evolution of sampling, itself. He also wanted to focus on the business of producing, which is why there are chapters on "Branding Yourself As A Producer," "Monetizing Your Brand," and Alternative Revenue Streams. As he breaks down each topic, The Alchemist wanted to be sure to deliver information that could help everyone from a novice beatmaker, to someone who is looking for new techniques, to elevate their craft.  

“There's enough ground floor fundamentals that I could show people,” The Alchemist explains. “There's so many levels that we've climbed and traveled when you do music. You keep climbing up to different levels and doing different things. Some of the stuff that I may feel is like mad simple or elementary, ’cause it was from my early stages, it is not always as simple to everyone else. So, I've realized that when I strip it down, there's a lot of things that are kind of assumed and just second nature to people who've been producing and making music for a long time. But a lot of that stuff is actually really informative and can help give people a starting point. Of course, there's things that I do that I can't even explain that are unique to what makes me and my style."

“Even if you know the technique, the way you do it is what makes it the style,” he continues. “There's a lot of tricks that I share. There's some stuff that I keep unique to me. On the ground floor, there's a lot of stuff that's really helpful and could kind of give you a starting point similar to what I had when I was just studying producers like [DJ] Premier and others, and just needed a starting point.”

Throughout his career, The Alchemist has worked with many of rap’s elite talent — rising from his work as a member of The Whooliganz and early beat work for Dilated Peoples and Defari in the 1990s — to his recent collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Roc Marciano, among others.

In between, he produced Nas’ “My Will,” and ScHoolboy Q’s “Kno Ya Wrong.” In his Masterclass, The Alchemist does a detailed track review of each of those two tracks, providing an unparalleled look into his creative process and his evolution as a producer.

“There's phases,” The Alchemist says. “When you're a student, you develop your style. You become your own thing. Later on, you become a teacher and then you're teaching. If you get past that teaching stage, you get to a stage where the student becomes a teacher. Now, if you're wise enough, you can learn from your students. That's the final stage. Those are all stages that I think are vital. I feel like if you could get to that stage where you're a teacher but you're learning from your students, that's the final [part of the] full process. I feel like I'm getting to that place now. I learn a lot from the young friends of mine who do things differently. I don't ever feel like my knowledge and what I've been through makes me more superior or able to veto somebody else and say, ‘Nah. Nah. I've done this.’ I'm at the stage now where I can teach, but I can also sit back and learn from students.”

One reason The Alchemist thinks his Aulart Masterclass is appealing is because it’s the type of thing he watches online, both as a consumer and as a student of the craft.

“I feel I'm still a student, like I'm always still learning, but I feel like I'm at a point where I could give some insight to people who are getting started, who wanna get some ideas. When I was young coming up, I didn't really have something like this. I wish I had. I had to figure things out on my own. At this point, I think it it's a good time for me to do it and try to give a little roadmap and inspiration for some guys that are coming up. It’s for people who are interested and also to help keep the style going, to pass the baton and see if anyone is interested in the way I do my shit and get some pointers. This is the type of shit that I deal with friends of mine and people I know. We always share tricks and things of that nature.” 

The Alchemist's Masterclass is available here.