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It’s a solid but typical Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song to be honest. The dark, eery beat and the rapid fire yet melodic flow are present, with the subject matter pertaining to the theme of “Workin’” and thuggery. It’s definitely worth a listen but you can see why it was left unreleased, both Swizz Beatz and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are capable of better. Handing in my late pass here, sorry. In recent months, I’ve started to appreciate Swizzy a little more. He may not be the most consistent producer (but when he gets it right he gets it very right) and is by no means a great rapper, but there’s something about his energy that’s incredibly infectious, and his appreciation for almost all forms of art and fashion definitely makes me respect him. As I said in my initial review, this is a production that can really go either way in terms of being liked or hated, though I did correctly predict that it would grow on me with a few listens: it has indeed, and whilst its certainly no lyrical masterpiece, it’s pretty catchy and wouldn’t be the worst thing to catch in a club. Hell, at least it’s something a little different, and that should be commended. The monochrome video is a nice touch too, and a simple style that befits this relatively unfussy song. Eve takes the win on this one though, not only for her verse, but for that swagger and confidence she seems to exude from every pore. Nice to see her back on the scene, and hopefully we’ll get more of her soon.
Sacrificing most of the percussion for claps and clicks feels a bit 2007 (and even then I didn’t particularly like it), and the lack of thicker drum loops highlights the shrill nature of the synth, which eventually become a bit painful on the ear. However, as with most Swizzy productions, it may be one that grows on you with more listens. The raps aren’t classic by any means, but Swizzy takes on the relatively unusual beat fairly well, whilst Eve definitely takes the award for best verse on the track with a decent performance. Very solid video for the mega-star collaboration from Travis Barker’s debut album (which is out now by the way folks!). One of those songs that’s very easy to listen to in a playlist, it’s also one of the few genuinely likeable all-star tracks amidst a sea of them. The video has a sketchy, alternative cinematography that keeps things dynamic and interesting, whilst the artists come together in an old-school ‘band’ style that gives this a very organic feel. Being interspersed with shots from various street/outdoor scenes is OK and whilst the scenes themselves fit with the audio nicely, the constant switching does get a little distracting at times in taking the focus away from the more enjoyable ‘band’ scenes. Solid video content-wise though, and definitely embellishes the audio. Be sure to grab that album! Huge fan of this uplifting, positive track, and Musiq comes through with a solid video that entertains and keeps that vibe going. The ‘story’ style of the track is captured perfectly as Musiq tries to prove his commitment to his lady of choice, despite the obvious and numerous distractions. It’s a good reflection of the lyrics, and the sort of simple videomaking that’s increasingly rare. Lots of lights and energy in the last third too, which plays off this jazzy, upbeat production nicely. I’ve actually developed quite an appreciation for Swizzy’s verse on this track too, as his mellow style offers a likeable contrast to Musiq’s more passionate vocals. Very enjoyable track and backed by a solid video. Audio can be grabbed from here.
The track is pretty much everything you mainstream heads could want: catchy Akon hook, very energetic, club friendly production and simple verse work. I’m not really enjoying it as the beat seems stuck in that awkward spot between old school and modern, and hence comes off as a 1999-2001 era reject. It’s just too formulaic for my liking, but I expect the mainstream fans will enjoy it.
A bit of reggae influence + Snoop was always going to envoke a song about a certain illegal substance. Despite the predictable subject matter, this isn’t bad. The use of auto-tune really wasn’t necessary for JR Reid but I can get over it; decent chilled track to vibe to. Get your hands on this illicit track below.
“The record was originally for Nas,” he explained. “I got Nas’ vocals already. But I can’t do Nas, and his energy is not right on there. It would be dead weight. No disrespect, but it can’t be dead weight if I can’t make it feel like reality. I need the sh*t crazy. I need to shoot a video! It’s gotta be another ‘It’s Me B*tches,’ but bigger. I could easily pull a Nas card and have people be like, ‘Nas is spazzing on the verse.’ But it has to be a movie. I got it. It just gotta make sense.” This week’s #MonsterMondays sees Swizz unleash the Nas version in all its glory! I’m certainly enjoying the high-octane, energetic single from Travis’ upcoming Give The Drummer Some album, and here he grabs two of the track’s co-stars for a performance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show. It’s one of those tracks that’s really made for a loud, live environment and it’s performed pretty well by all involved, keeping the energy levels up (despite seemingly getting the wrong demographics in the audience…!) and doing justice to the original. Give The Drummer Some coming soon.
This really does feel like the old DMX, he spits with the same energy that made him such a favourite with the fans back when he was on top. Bringing back that relatable sound with some emotion, in particular he closes out the song as he sings: “all my life, I’ve been struggling, problems I’ve been juggling….but I’ma be all right.” The Biggie sample Swizz Beatz uses for the hook also goes down very well with me.
This time round, Swizz and DMX take on the legendary Sam Cooke classic A Change Is Gonna Come, and in my eyes you really can’t go wrong with this track, it’s such a classy single to remix. Any B.o.B stans (like me…) might actually remember his cover version on his B.o.B vs Bobby Ray Mixtape way back in ’09. Swizz really doesn’t have to do much with the track, but gives it a slightly more uplifting beat, and interestingly X seems to have toned down his aggression somewhat, even giving us a sample of his singing voice on the intro. Maybe ‘change is gonna come’ and X is going to stay out of jail…
Meshing some of Swizzy’s most popular tracks with vintage efforts from Fela’s bac catalogue, it’s a valiant effort at blending old with new. It doesn’t quite work every time, and understandably so given the vast distances and time periods between the two styles, with Swing Your Rag/Who No Know Go Know in particular sounding very clashed and cluttered. Equally however, it does come off quite spectacularly in parts: the Money In The Bank/Yellow Fever crossover works brilliantly, and utilises the upbeat jazz style of Yellow Fever brilliantly to add a fun, jovial feel to Swizzy’s track. Worth grabbing overall, and respect is due to Swizz for what is a considerably original and brave idea. Another win for #MonsterMondays.
Enlisting Swizzy to assist on the production, Musiq serves up a fantastically jazzy, upbeat and lively number that crosses those R&B, funk and soul boundaries effortlessly. The production has a very retro-disco feel, with heavy synths alongside the odd guitar pluck making for busy and exciting melodies, whilst the solid percussion line will certainly keep your head nodding. Great vocals as ever from Musiq, switching his style up brilliantly to infuse positivity and passion into his lyrical message of commitment and monogamy to his significant other. A very celebratory, uptempo track that will sit well with almost anyone, I highly recommended giving this one a listen.
The first thing that’ll catch your eye with this, as it did mine, is the line up. Swizz and Travis together absolute nail the production, as heavy electric guitars, deep bass and big drums combine to give these three fine rappers a majestic platform to lay down their bars. Game, Weezy and Ross all suit this big production style and each of them gives us an aggressive verse, in-keeping with the vibe of track. A perfect track to get you in the mood to kick some ass.
Originally I was pretty sceptical about Swizz’s jacking of the weekly trend, but in fairness to him the material he’s put out every week has been extremely strong, including this very song. The production on this I’d go as far to say is exceptional, I wouldn’t have even known it was a Swizz Beatz production if I’d just heard it randomly (this is a good thing). Chris Brown slays the track as you’d expect which is supplemented by some good rhymes by the two rappers involved. You can go listen to this yourself, as well as download it, by clicking here.
He’s used the same formula for his entire career, and sadly shows no sign of changing that, which is more an indictment on the crowd that eat this up than Ross himself: He’s getting money, I’m sure he couldn’t care less what the reviewers and critics think. Probably the weakest of the #MonsterMondays series for me, probably not for the mainstream heads. The latest edition of #MonsterMondays is delivered in video format, and we’re treated to one of the better behind-the-scenes visuals of recent times. The track itself was superb, and being able to really flesh out the messages, as well as seeing the work put into what seemed to just be another remix, is certainly an easy and enjoyable watch when you’re a fan of the audio. The aforementioned audio can be walked out of here.
Haunting, eerie melodies always make for a great hip-hop beat, and Swizzy utilises one that sounds like it’s straight out of a murder movie. The work on the keys is incredibly simple but is amplified with an echoed effect to great effect, and placed alongside an effective, driving percussion line. Ace Hood comes through with some decent enough raps, though this sort of production could make any rapper sound above average. It is a bit of a shame that they didn’t play off the dark production with appropriate lyrics, but there we are.
The production is built around a California Love sample, with touches of claps, horns and a thudding percussion coming together in an upbeat and positive manner. Arguably, the sample could have been used a little better, but it does make for easy listening and each rapper approaches the track with good flows, with Joell unsurprisingly coming through with the most memorable verse. Maino-We Keep It Rockin’ ft. Swizz Beatz, Jadakiss, Jim Jones and Joell Ortiz The SIXTH video from the Dirty Money album (and it’s not even out until tomorrow!), and once again they’ve got it just right. Say what you want about Diddy, but when it comes to R&B and mainstream hip-hop, he’s absolutely nailed it down with incredible consistency this year. I’m a huge fan of this track, and fully believe this is Swizzy’s best production of the year. The airy synths are contrasted superbly by a speedy percussion that you wouldn’t normally associate with the synth/melody style, and its held together by fantastic vocals. That blend of variation is visualised perfectly with dark, winter landscapes mirroring the atmospheric synths, and the energy of the production represented by the movement and passion of all involved artists. Yet another fantastic audio-visual combination from these guys, and I’m genuinely surprised at just how right they’ve got this project. Audio is available here.
I really enjoyed last week’s instalment (even if Liam didn’t!), and this is another decent effort. Swizzy serves up one of his better productions in recent times, with a superbly layered beat that boasts a whole host of melodies, creating an intense and driven production. Eve most certainly comes on the right tip for this one too, bringing some decent raps that suggest she’s focused on getting back to the hip-hop game. As far as female MCs go, Eve is one of the few that I’ve not really had reason to criticise, and hopefully this is the start of her releasing regular material again.
Given that Banks’ verse is the same as that on the original, Sway definitely (and unsurprisingly) has the best verse of the two, coming through with some likeable lines and good diversity in his flow. Giggs’ contribution isn’t bad either, though if you’re not a fan of his slow style, you’re unlikely to change that opinion here as he comes through with the same deliberate delivery. Kanye’s verse is also left in for good measure, and this is definitely one to check out for fans of the original, and of course supporters of our UK scene. Lloyd Banks-Start It Up (UK Remix) ft. Sway, Giggs, Swizz Beatz and Kanye West
Download the track for free from here
The futuristic synths grab your attention throughout the track and almost solely create the mood and feel, add a drifty aspect to the track that allows you to enjoy the production independently from the vocals/lyrics.
Not only does it contain two of the original Ruff Ryders crew, but the production really oozes the classic RR vibe, with a pounding, driving Swizzy beat having a real throwback quality. X brings his typically aggressive style to his raps, and although his hook feels a bit dated, it does fit with the old school vibe of the track. Worth a listen. Swizz Beatz-Y’all Don’t Really Know ft. Busta Rhymes and DMX
Rakim comes along for a rare feature, naturally taking the ‘accolade’ of best verse on the track. Swizzy’s not the strongest rapper in the world by any means, but he keeps things pretty simple and understandable for the mainstream audience and unlike some rappers, doesn’t pretend to be lyricist of the year. Production-wise though, you can’t argue with this track and the King Tut title does add an interesting inflection on the sound of the beat.
Click on for this week’s R&B fix.
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