After producing hits for the likes of Mobb Deep, Nas, Jadakiss, Styles P, and Dilated Peoples among others, they all return the favor by appearing on The Alchemist’s 2004 debut album 1st Infantry. The album also features The Game, M.O.P., T.I., Devin the Dude, and B-Real. “Hold You Down” was the only single released from the album, which featured Alchemist rapping alongside Prodigy from Mobb Deep and Illa Ghee, while singers Nina Sky provided the chorus. The single peaked at #95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album peaked at #101 on the Billboard 200.
Al said the following about the album:
1st Infantry was hot. […] The reception to it was more than I could have ever expected. It sold almost 200,000 copies and that was like amazing. I never would have thought that. I always do something that I like and that’s as far as I go. I’m always amazed when I see a bunch of people singing along, I’m like, ‘Word? Dope!’ I know I like it, that’s as much as I can say.