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Although many Hollywood stars have children who pursue various creative outlets, few will have managed to find much success there. Being a professional creative is tough, and sometimes relationships just aren’t enough to help people achieve their dreams. Few people will succeed in their chosen career, let alone release music with legitimate hip-hop royalty.
As such, it really blew my mind when I learned that Scott CannHawaii Five-0 star and son of famous Hollywood tough guy James Cann, had been in a Hip Hop group with none other than Alchemist, one of the best producers to ever cut a sample. But how did this unlikely pairing happen in the first place?
Cann and Alchemist, real name Alan Maman, met in Beverly Hills in the early 90s. Both found themselves strongly drawn to hip-hop, finding it a valuable outlet from their boring suburban lives. They then formed The Whooliganz, with Cann going by the name Mad Skillz and Mom operating under the moniker Mudfoot. From there, an almost extraordinarily well-connected run through the scene would see them gain recognition and the chance to record an album.
Mom’s friend Evidence, who would later become a founding member of Dilated Peoples, introduced the duo to Quincy Jones III, and they began working on a demo. This would lead to The Whooliganz being invited to join the Soul Assassins, a loose collective of acts that included Cypress Hill and House of Pain, and the ties to both acts would prove extremely valuable to the pair.
The Whooliganz’ first single, Put Your Handz Up, was produced by none other than House of Pain’s DJ Lethal and hit the airwaves in 1993. Unfortunately, that’s when the wheels stopped. . A lack of interest in the track saw their second single being shelved and a planned album with Tommy Boy Records falling apart. Tommy Boy Records has always worked with incredible talent, and a record on the label at the time would have placed them alongside acts like De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Naughty by Nature and House of Pain.
The Whooliganz would break up soon after. Cann then enrolled in Playhouse West acting school and began appearing in independent films before working his way into bigger films like Enemy of the State, Varsity Blues and Gone in 60 Seconds. The early 2000s would see him appear on the Oceans series with Brad Pitt and George Clooney before finally landing on Hawaii Five-0 for a decade.
Mom stayed in the Hip Hop scene, learning to produce with DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill fame, the man behind some of the most iconic beats of the 90s. Mom would once again connect with Evidence to provide tracks to Dilated Peoples before continuing to work with Mobb Deep, Nas, Ghostface Killah and Snoop Dogg. As an alchemist, he would become known as one of the most talented producers on the Hip Hop scene and quickly establish himself as a talent that would bring his absolute A-game whether he was working for a household name or a talent. promising.
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