The Alchemist
The Alchemist & Prodigy of Mobb Deep & The Game
The Alchemist
The Alchemist & The LOX
The Alchemist & Prodigy of Mobb Deep & Nina Sky & Illa Ghee
The Alchemist & Stat Quo & M.O.P.
The Alchemist & Big Noyd & Styles P & J-Hood & Havoc
The Alchemist & Lloyd Banks
The Alchemist & Devin The Dude
The Alchemist & Mobb Deep
The Alchemist & Dilated Peoples
The Alchemist & Sheek Louch & J-Hood
The Alchemist & Chinky
The Alchemist
The Alchemist & B-Real
The Alchemist & Nas & Prodigy of Mobb Deep
The Alchemist & T.I. & PSC
The Alchemist & Big Twins
“Hold You Down” is the lead single from The Alchemist’s debut album, 1st Infantry.
The song peaked at No. 101 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart.
The intro depicts Illa Ghee having a minor altercation with the police – he narrates it before the song begins.
[Produced by The Alchemist]
[Intro: Prodigy]
Let's do this shit, ayo
It's like this man, ayo
[Verse 1: Prodigy]
When it comes to Tecs, I'm similar to a Menace
An O-Dog sniffing 'caine couldn't fuck with the damage
That I do to a bastard, keep fuckin' around
Won't be nobody strong enough to (hold you down)
Yeah, I leave 'em in shock
Niggas get sentenced to life, they stressed in the box
Most of my friends got murdered and damn I feel lost
Wish I was there when it popped off to (hold you down)
Nobody but me, I got a whole gang of niggas
But that's how you gotta think
If you wanna make it alive and all in one piece
It takes much more than them things to (hold you down)
Yo, sonny, I'm well connected in the streets
We loyal to each other, when it comes to that beef, we get (down)
Don't worry 'bout a thing my nigga, I foreverly (hold you down)
[Chorus: Nina Sky]
Even when shit gets hard I'm going to
Make sure that I'm around to hold you (down)
Will never leave your side
Until the day I die, I'm gonna (hold you down)
Recognize that this game could be hard
Long as you roll with me, we are (down)
Here by your side always to (hold me down, baby!)
[Verse 2: The Alchemist]
When the time is worst
Never leave my fam in a jam, I'm dying first
Never (down) to my last dollar, I'm grinding first
Never take the stand on my fam, I'm silent first
It's going down, feel me, the Alchemist in the flesh
And I love this profession, but I'll throw it all away in a second
'Cause I'm (down) for the cause when my life is threatened
Take this and that, maybe that'll (hold you down)
Now you know how we cooks the pot up
You could get caught up in some things you would not wanna
So slow (down) and watch how I mold the sound
So when I ain't around the music still (hold you down)
But I'mma keep my eyes open, yo, I don't even blink
Keep my pen moving down the line, I don't even think
Just write it (down) on the paper, get my vocals in sync
Check how it sound (hold... you... down)
[Chorus: Nina Sky]
Even when shit gets hard I'm going to
Make sure that I'm around to hold you (down)
Will never leave your side
Until the day I die, I'm gonna (hold you down)
Recognize that this game could be hard
Long as you roll with me, we are (down)
Here by your side always to (hold me down, baby!)
[Verse 3: Illa Ghee],
For all my niggas I war for
Blow the 4-4 for, you know I gets (down)
Even if we trapped standing back to back, I'll (hold you down)
No matter if you wrong or right, you still right
For you, I'll lay a nigga (down)
I don't care if it's the president. I cock my shit and (hold you down)
For all y'all bitches in the club
If you hop in my truck, first thing you're gonna go (down)
And when we get to the telly
I'mma bend you over and (hold you down)
[Verse 4: Prodigy]
Ayo, Mobb Thugs, drops and trucks
We got enough paper to front, you see our guns and duck (down)
Somebody finna get wigged
Homie, I hope your outfitter (hold you down)
I seriously doubt it, my chain cost a quarter mill
Imagine what I spend gun shopping
Got bullets by the thousands
The shots won't never stop, they say that we wilding
And I'm far from recluse
We right on front street with the fullies in the coupe
For the drama and the shooting
Then I take bullets and die to (hold you down)
[Chorus: Nina Sky]
Even when shit gets hard I'm going to
Make sure that I'm around to hold you (down)
Will never leave your side
Until the day I die, I'm gonna (hold you down)
Recognize that this game could be hard
Long as you roll with me, we are (down)
[Outro: Snoop Dogg]
"Alchemist been my nephew for a minute..."
"Soon, you'll, un-der-stand"
Hold You Down was written by The Alchemist & Prodigy of Mobb Deep & Illa Ghee & Nina Sky & Al Kooper.
Hold You Down was produced by The Alchemist.
The Alchemist released Hold You Down on Tue May 18 2004.
The Alchemist: “It was one good day in the studio in the crib in New York. I have footage of it. A couple of times we looked back at it, we ordered food that day and you can see the food on the table.
“I definitely went back to it to try to analyze where we ordered from like, ‘Oh we gotta order fro...