It's Swizz Beatz...
Interview took place on March 16th, 20075:30pm, Platinum Sounds Studio, New York, New York... New York City is currently becoming blanketed by diamond shaped, slushy sky projectiles. The northeast is looking at quite possibly the nastiest storm of 2007. But I’m still a half hour early for my scheduled chop-up with mega-producer, Swizz Beatz. Swizz’s publicist is on the phone with her client every 5 minutes to check his current location. Swizz should already be in the building, but he's stuck in traffic on the George Washington Bridge. So while we wait on Swizz to arrive, we decided to knock out some addictive Buffalo wings while watching America’s Top Model, the first season.
6:25pm - Swizz walks into the studio with his beautiful wife, R&B artist Mashonda. Luck would have it that the owner of Platinum Sounds would stroll through the door right behind him.
6:27pm - Power producer Wyclef Jean walks into the studio to show Swizz some love. Everybody in attendance lit up as the Fugees general made his way through the packed studio area. As Swizz and Wyclef embraced, I saw that connection as more than just a show of mutual respect for one another; I saw the numbers – more than 200,000,000 records sold between them. Some of the most vital songs in Hip-Hop history over the past 12 years were orchestrated by this connection. Flash! History was immortalized in High Definition.
6:45pm - Swizz begins his Listening session for his soon to be released album, “One Man Band Man.” He was very animated during the session, lip-syncing to all of his lyrics, while dramatizing each action demonstrated by his penmanship. And when you speak of his tracks, there wasn’t a still head in the studio. Listening to a Swizz beat can be compared to having an extra heart in your chest; and your knee; and your brain. But I’ll leave the total description of a Swizz beat to a professional. “Swizz is Switzerland,” Wyclef says of his colleague. “Swizz is real money. Swizz is perhaps one of the illest producers, period. People often try to copy his beats, but his style is natural and all his own.”
7:00pm – I received a call from XPOZ newcomer, Rodney Duque live from Swizz Beatz NYC studio. I asked him about what he thought of the album, and this was his reply.
7:59pm - Swizz unleashes the remix for his first single, ‘It's Me Bitches’ featuring a French speaking Lil' Wayne, a shot calling R. Kelly and a C.R.E.A.M. spewing Jadakiss to bring the mix home. “I didn't want for my album to be a compilation,' says Swizz when asked why his album isn't flooded with his industry brethren. “I wanted for this album to focus on my story. I know what ya'll were expecting. You were waiting for DMX to pop out of nowhere. You expected to hear Jay-Z all over my shit. But I chose to save collaborations for the remixes.”
The remix for, ‘It's Me Bitches’ is highly sought after. Just the night before, Swizz joined Funk Master Flex on stage to play it for an unsuspecting crowd, and that crowd went ape bonkers over it. With a remix this exclusive, it's a well known fact that industry politics won't be too far behind. “It's getting very political right now,” Swizz says as he gets off of his phone talking about the same mix that was just played. “Everybody wants to get their hands on this song. Not too many people were backing it when it was completed. So I am telling people, ‘you can have it one week, and then you can have it the next week.’
8:30pm – A majority of the media in attendance were sent on their way since XPOZ had a scheduled photo shoot planned for Swizz. My friend, Stephen Knight sat down with the Monsta’ to extend his ideas for the shoot. Swizz wasn’t necessarily prepared for the shoot, but it was a good thing that he still was dressed up to par. “Man, if I would have remembered that ya’ll were giving me the cover,” Swizz continues, “I would have brought my cover story shit.”
8:45pm – Swizz and I decided to sit down for our conversation in the kitchen area… closer to the Atomic wings.
Talk about a few of the obstacles that you still feel was instrumental to shaping you into the business man that you are today?
Swizz Beatz: Just the obstacles of the industry structure as far as underestimating our culture, our people of being incapable of making decisive business decisions; making investments and not just chasing money. To them, you’re just another mu’fucking rapper or producer. You’re just another number on a piece of paper that they will tally up at the end of the year. I decided to separate myself from that bracket. When you’re young and you’re getting those checks, nothing else really matters. But once you begin to realize your worth and notice all of the hard work that you’re putting in, but your business wasn’t taken care of, it just makes the whole situation crazy. So right now I’m in the middle of a war. I see so many artists and producers going through the hardships knowing that they’ll never have a fair chance, because the industry isn’t built for you to have a fair chance. So if you don’t come into the game with your business plan in place, you’ll be lost; you’ll lose your title. Right now, I’m in the process of gaining my title back. I need 25% of my title back… I already have the rest.
Name a few of the artist that you have recently clocked in studio time with?
Swizz Beatz: I’ve worked with Chris Brown, Eve, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Weezy, Kanye’, just a lot of people. Oh, can’t forget Usher and Nelly.
You played an important part at the first ONE STOP SHOP conference in Arizona. Talk about what you hoped to get out of this event and what do you feel the overall was result looking back on it?
Swizz Beatz: I know that the whole event was beneficial. But what I felt was just as important was ending the speculation about any issues between G-Unit and myself. I don’t have any issues with anybody… that’s just not how I handle my business. Sha Money reached out to me to be a part of the event, so I accepted. Plus, that’s my place out there in Arizona as well. So it was all love making that happen.
If you only had a short moment to give advice to a producer who was looking for that push to success, what would you tell that person?
Swizz Beatz: Stay creative…
How has your favorite means of studio equipment changed since you entered the game over 10 years ago?
Swizz Beatz: Probably about 10% because I keep the same formula. I don’t depend on the equipment to be creative. I just need the basics and I can take it from there.
You’re known for your production skills, but is often overlooked lyrically. If you could control the perception that people have of you, in which direction would you take them?
Swizz Beatz: I want for people to look beneath the lyrics. So many people like to look down on a situation from the skyscrapers. But they don’t pay attention to the people inside of the building who are keeping the lights on. I would just want for people to take my messages seriously.
6:25pm - Swizz walks into the studio with his beautiful wife, R&B artist Mashonda. Luck would have it that the owner of Platinum Sounds would stroll through the door right behind him.
6:27pm - Power producer Wyclef Jean walks into the studio to show Swizz some love. Everybody in attendance lit up as the Fugees general made his way through the packed studio area. As Swizz and Wyclef embraced, I saw that connection as more than just a show of mutual respect for one another; I saw the numbers – more than 200,000,000 records sold between them. Some of the most vital songs in Hip-Hop history over the past 12 years were orchestrated by this connection. Flash! History was immortalized in High Definition.
6:45pm - Swizz begins his Listening session for his soon to be released album, “One Man Band Man.” He was very animated during the session, lip-syncing to all of his lyrics, while dramatizing each action demonstrated by his penmanship. And when you speak of his tracks, there wasn’t a still head in the studio. Listening to a Swizz beat can be compared to having an extra heart in your chest; and your knee; and your brain. But I’ll leave the total description of a Swizz beat to a professional. “Swizz is Switzerland,” Wyclef says of his colleague. “Swizz is real money. Swizz is perhaps one of the illest producers, period. People often try to copy his beats, but his style is natural and all his own.”
7:00pm – I received a call from XPOZ newcomer, Rodney Duque live from Swizz Beatz NYC studio. I asked him about what he thought of the album, and this was his reply.
7:59pm - Swizz unleashes the remix for his first single, ‘It's Me Bitches’ featuring a French speaking Lil' Wayne, a shot calling R. Kelly and a C.R.E.A.M. spewing Jadakiss to bring the mix home. “I didn't want for my album to be a compilation,' says Swizz when asked why his album isn't flooded with his industry brethren. “I wanted for this album to focus on my story. I know what ya'll were expecting. You were waiting for DMX to pop out of nowhere. You expected to hear Jay-Z all over my shit. But I chose to save collaborations for the remixes.”
The remix for, ‘It's Me Bitches’ is highly sought after. Just the night before, Swizz joined Funk Master Flex on stage to play it for an unsuspecting crowd, and that crowd went ape bonkers over it. With a remix this exclusive, it's a well known fact that industry politics won't be too far behind. “It's getting very political right now,” Swizz says as he gets off of his phone talking about the same mix that was just played. “Everybody wants to get their hands on this song. Not too many people were backing it when it was completed. So I am telling people, ‘you can have it one week, and then you can have it the next week.’
8:30pm – A majority of the media in attendance were sent on their way since XPOZ had a scheduled photo shoot planned for Swizz. My friend, Stephen Knight sat down with the Monsta’ to extend his ideas for the shoot. Swizz wasn’t necessarily prepared for the shoot, but it was a good thing that he still was dressed up to par. “Man, if I would have remembered that ya’ll were giving me the cover,” Swizz continues, “I would have brought my cover story shit.”
8:45pm – Swizz and I decided to sit down for our conversation in the kitchen area… closer to the Atomic wings.
Talk about a few of the obstacles that you still feel was instrumental to shaping you into the business man that you are today?
Swizz Beatz: Just the obstacles of the industry structure as far as underestimating our culture, our people of being incapable of making decisive business decisions; making investments and not just chasing money. To them, you’re just another mu’fucking rapper or producer. You’re just another number on a piece of paper that they will tally up at the end of the year. I decided to separate myself from that bracket. When you’re young and you’re getting those checks, nothing else really matters. But once you begin to realize your worth and notice all of the hard work that you’re putting in, but your business wasn’t taken care of, it just makes the whole situation crazy. So right now I’m in the middle of a war. I see so many artists and producers going through the hardships knowing that they’ll never have a fair chance, because the industry isn’t built for you to have a fair chance. So if you don’t come into the game with your business plan in place, you’ll be lost; you’ll lose your title. Right now, I’m in the process of gaining my title back. I need 25% of my title back… I already have the rest.
Name a few of the artist that you have recently clocked in studio time with?
Swizz Beatz: I’ve worked with Chris Brown, Eve, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Weezy, Kanye’, just a lot of people. Oh, can’t forget Usher and Nelly.
You played an important part at the first ONE STOP SHOP conference in Arizona. Talk about what you hoped to get out of this event and what do you feel the overall was result looking back on it?
Swizz Beatz: I know that the whole event was beneficial. But what I felt was just as important was ending the speculation about any issues between G-Unit and myself. I don’t have any issues with anybody… that’s just not how I handle my business. Sha Money reached out to me to be a part of the event, so I accepted. Plus, that’s my place out there in Arizona as well. So it was all love making that happen.
If you only had a short moment to give advice to a producer who was looking for that push to success, what would you tell that person?
Swizz Beatz: Stay creative…
How has your favorite means of studio equipment changed since you entered the game over 10 years ago?
Swizz Beatz: Probably about 10% because I keep the same formula. I don’t depend on the equipment to be creative. I just need the basics and I can take it from there.
You’re known for your production skills, but is often overlooked lyrically. If you could control the perception that people have of you, in which direction would you take them?
Swizz Beatz: I want for people to look beneath the lyrics. So many people like to look down on a situation from the skyscrapers. But they don’t pay attention to the people inside of the building who are keeping the lights on. I would just want for people to take my messages seriously.
Photo by: Stephen Knight
Labels: Swizz Beatz, Wyclef
posted by Deshair @ 7/05/2007 07:26:00 PM
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