PRODUCTION BLOCK
featuring the hottest Hip Hop Production!
This
is the spot where you'll see upcoming producers as well as established veterans
in the game.
Alot of people don't know what goes into production. This will be the section
where we feature the
hottest producers on the scene. Each month we'll bring to you a new producer
along with their background.
THIS MONTH'S FEATURE IS: SWISS
BEATZ
Bronx. 26-year-old
producer and Bronx native, Kaseem Dean, AKA Swizz Beats -
has an all-star roster of talent, and an impressive line-up of hit records since
he made his debut at the age of 16, producing smash hit after hit for mega-stars
such as DMX and Eve.It's hard to believe, but after only 10-years in the industry,
this super producer has sold over 88 million records to date.
Bronx. 26-year-old producer and Bronx native, Kaseem Dean, AKA Swizz
Beats -
has an all-star roster of talent, and an impressive line-up of hit records
since he made his debut at the age of 16, producing smash hit after
hit for mega-stars such as DMX and Eve.It's hard to believe, but after
only 10-years in the industry, this super producer has sold over 88
million records to date.
As a child on the
streets who grew up in the Bronx in a very close nit African American
family with four brothers, he quickly adopted the nickname "K-Swiss"
from always being seen wearing a signature pair of K-Swiss sneakers.
The music prodigy developed his talents at a young age by spinning at
local clubs, parties and creating his own mix-tapes. Not being able
to shake the nickname as a teenager, he later dropped the letter "K"
and added the name "Beatz" after a friend's suggestion from
the fact that the background music he created on his mix-tapes had become
very popular.
At the young age
of 16, Swizz was given the chance to work with his uncles, Joaquin "Waah"
and Darrin "Dee" Dean, who founded the independent record
label Ruff Ryders. Seizing the opportunity to make a name for himself
with their unknown, but talented roster of artists, Swizz produced the
label's first major chart breaking hit, DMX's "Stop, Drop".
From there on, Swizz's career snowballed, and he started producing hit
after hit for other influential talents like the First Lady of Ruff
Ryders Eve and Jay-Z on his historic "Hard Knock Life" album.Having sold multi-platinum numbers before graduating high school,
Swizz passed up the traditional role of attending college to shift focus
on his explosive career as a producer.
After a decade later
Swizz has proved he's definately here to stay. From Mary J. Blige to
Nas, Swizz Beatz is the ingenuity and mastermind behind the magnanimous
impact of an endless roster of household name talent, which include
such artists as Beyonce, R. Kelly, Busta Rhymes, Limp Bizkit, Metallica,
Korn, Whitney Houston, Fat Joe, Nas, Ice Cube, Foxy Brown, Christina
Milian, Lil' Kim and Redman to name a few. He has also produced scores
for various Oliver Stone films including Biker Boys and XXX (Triple
X).
Swizz says of his collaborations:
I never just give an artist a beat. All the artists I work with
know what I bring to the table are ideas, and I always try to meet everybody
halfway with their ideas.
He's been Nicknamed by close
friends as "The Monster by the fact that he only sleeps less than
3 hours a day. The
natural desire to succeed has led him to become a business entrepreneur.
He was named President/CEO of his own record label, Full Surface Records,
a joint venture with industry icon Clive Davis'
J Records. Yung Wun and Cassidy are signed to this label. In 2002, Swizz
opened the hottest nightspot in Arizona, the Coyote Bay Night Club.
He also recently opened Exotic, the largest luxury car dealership in
Las Vegas, inside the world famous Caesar's Palace. As owner and partner
for both businesses, Swizz plans on expanding his new operations to
other markets internationally. As well, Swizz is featured in Sprite's
new hot celebrity campaign as a spokesman in their current commercials.
When asked what is
his driving force, Swizz answers, "I want to be remembered as the
producer who changed the dynamic of music while inspiring artists to
be creative and innovative." Through his motto, "I won't stop
until history is made," Swizz Beatz continues to transform the
landscape of entertainment.
You can hear his
latest track "Breakout" with Mashanda featuring Snoop on this
page ..