Ravinia 2026 Issue 6

DE LA SOUL De La Soul was formed in in Amityville, NY, by high school friends Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer, David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, and Vincent “Maseo” Mason. From the outset, they stood apart from much of late- s rap, em- bracing eclectic sampling, word-play, jazz, funk, pop, and psychedelia rather than the harder edge of then-predominant gangsta-rap. eir debut album— ’s Feet High and Rising , produced with longtime collaborator Prince Paul—made an immediate splash with the top- , Gold-sell- ing, Grammy-nominated hit “Me, Myself and I,” which also topped each of Billboard ’s dance club, R&B, and rap charts. e Platinum album be- came a landmark of alternative hip-hop with its mischievous humor and daring sample choices (from the likes of e Turtles, Johnny Cash, and more). De La Soul continued to experiment and rede ne their genre and sound across the ’ s. De La Soul Is Dead ( ) saw the group trade some of their whimsy for darker and introspec- tive tones, while Buhloone Mindstate ( ) and Stakes Is High ( ) brought in jazz musicians like Maceo Parker as well as deeper themes of identity, change, and the challenges of growing older in hip-hop culture. is period established the group as key gures in the Native Tongues collective of conscious-rap artists alongside A Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers, and Queen Latifah. De La Soul started the new mil- lennium strong with Art O cial Intelligence: Mosaic ump ( ) and AOI: Bionix ( ), the former cracking Billboard ’s top and net- ting them a Grammy nomination for “Oooh.” with Redman, but the digital age also brought signi cant challenges with sample clearance— much of their early catalog was widely unavail- able for streaming for many years owing to the complex contracts and heavy use of samples. Undaunted, the group kept up creating, collab- orating, and advancing alternative approaches to hip-hop—winning a Grammy featuring on Gorillaz’ “Feel Good Inc.” in and tallying another hit record with the Grammy-nominat- ed And the Anonymous Nobody … ( ). A er Jolicoeur’s death in , De La Soul channeled their grief, memory, and artistic renewal into Cabin in the Sky , released last fall. is is De La Soul’s Ravinia debut. THE ALCHEMIST One of themost proli c rap producers of his gen- eration, e Alchemist—born Alan Maman—is acclaimed for a sample-heavy style infused with detailed, soulful beats. His extensive discogra- phy dates back to the early s and spans work with the likes of Dilated Peoples, Mobb Deep, Nas, Action Bronson, Currensy, Freddie Gibbs, Armand Hammer, Larry June, Earl Sweatshirt, and Eminem. Growing up in California, e Alchemist got his start as half of e Whooli- ganz and working with the Soul Assassins col- lective anchored by Cypress Hill’s Muggs, who mentored him through the production of ’s Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom . While in New York for college, Maman connected with Mobb Deep via Muggs and produced “ e Realest” and “ ug Music” for the duo’s album Mur- da Musik . at successful collaboration quickly opened doors to work with the likes of Fat Joe, Ludacris, Big Daddy Kae, and Ghostface Killah, among many others, as well as Linkin Park and Morcheeba. A decade a er his shelved record- ing as e Whooliganz, e Alchemist made his album debut with ’s st Infantry , featuring a combination of his own beats and raps along- side many of his earlier collaborators. A er joining Eminem as his long-standing concert DJ in , Maman ran production for Mobb Deep’s Prodigy on ’s Return of the Mac , which debuted in Billboard ’s top and made the top of both the R&B and rap charts. His own second solo album soon followed, ’s Chemical Warfare , which featured an early col- laboration with Oh No as the duo Gangrene— they would release the Sawblade EP and Gutter Water LP the following year, as well as team up with Tangerine Dream and Woody Jackson to compose the score for Rockstar Games’ Grand e Auto V . A er his solo album Russian Roulette , e Alchemist teamed up with Boldy James for My st Chemistry Set ( ), a partner- ship that would be renewed with three albums in quick succession: e Price of Tea in China ( ), Bo Jackson ( ), and Super Tecmo Bo ( ). In he began the Good Book project with fellow producer Budgie, which saw volume two released in and the third earlier this year. e Alchemist is making his Ravinia debut. RAVINIA’S WINTRUST CHAIR&TABLE RENTAL PICK UP AT THE GREEN TENT NORTH OF THE MARTIN THEATRE $15 PER CHAIR OR TABLE Rent a table and chairs & help support our Reach Teach Play education programs. Reserve in advance for a discount and guaranteed availability! Order as Add-On Items with your tickets or separately. RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 71