June 03, 2003 @ 2:16 pm
Swizz Beatz - Swizz Beatz Presents GHETTO Stories (Dreamworks)
“Once upon a time in the projects….” It has been rapped about before, but with his solo debut, Bronx-born producer Swizz Beatz weighs in with his own ’hood memoir.
“Once upon a time in the projects….” It has been rapped about before, but with his solo debut, Bronx-born producer Swizz Beatz weighs in with his own ’hood memoir. He lays down his signature blend of thwacking snare shots and synth hooks, intertwined with his own capable but not profound rhymes and guest spots from A-list MCs. On the album’s first track, Swizz’s little brother TJ raps with confidence, if not panache, about getting through the week on $8. Lil’ Kim, on the other hand, has clearly left poverty behind; on “Gone Delirious,” her greedy rhymes are charming, but the track is marred by monotonous production. LL Cool J also sticks to familiar territory on “Ghetto Love,” on which Swizz deploys finger-picked guitar, sparse beats, and singer Mashonda’s sweet vocals to create an airy summer feel. The album-closing jolt, “We Did It Again,” is a less pleasant surprise: As Ja Rule rap-yells that he’s “a rock star, baby, born in the U.S.A.,” Metallica’s chugging guitar riffs hog all sonic space. It’s a not-so-fairy-tale ending for a hit-or-miss solo beginning.
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http://www.vibe.com/music/revolutions/2003/06/swizz_beatz_swizz_beatz_presents_ghetto_stories_dreamworks/
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