The Alchemist may be from California, but his tough sound epitomises New York hip-hop. Few songs are as pugnacious as the terse, piano-stab-driven Prodigy banger "Keep It Thoro", punctuated with vocal moans and driving bass. His use of disembodied vocal samples was honed to sleek perfection on his own "Hold You Down", while the muscular soul sample on Nas' "No Idea's Original" makes for a cocky canvas.