Video Breakdown: The Alchemist’s “Smile” (Review & Video)

Throughout the years Beverly Hills transplant The Alchemist aka Alan Daniel Maman has quietly built a name for himself by producing some of the hardest tracks in hip-hop for names like Eminem, Cypress Hill, Mobb Deep and Nas. His work has earned him critical acclaim and recognition in the hip-hop community and the freedom to work on his personal projects. What many don’t know is that he also has been pursuing his solo rap career. In 2009 he released "Chemical Warfare", a quality LP with production from him, and features from many artists such as Maxwell and Twista. For the video to the first single off the album, "Smile", he teamed up with director Jason Goldwatch and the rest of the guys at Decon Media.



Using crisp clean visual effects and greenscreen footage and creative background plates, the "Smile" video is a great piece. In it, Alchemist is placed in front of different scenarios relating to his lyrics and each vignette is moved forward with the creative transition of tumbling blocks. Add in a dash of humor, well executed graphics and you have a high quality video, one showing attention to detail and craftsmanship. Alchemist delivers good rhymes as well, and holds his own against Twista, self proclaimed faster rapper alive.

What really makes this video great, however, is the humanity of the smiling bystanders. These are not the typical people that would appear in a hip-hop video, but instead a cross section of the people you might see walking down the streets of New York or any other urban epicenter. Old ladies, a construction worker, and a middle eastern man wearing a turban. Goldwatch truly captures their genuine warmth and diversity and most importantly helps us realize that there is hope in this world, regardless of how bleak things may seem at times.

With Smile’s soul infused beat, infectious hook and unique visuals, we’re given the opportunity to step aside from the traditional conventions of materialistic or gangster rap and exposed to something a little more hopeful and positive.