June 04, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
Swizz Beatz - One Man Band Man
It's possible to make Ryders music without reinventing the wheel.
It would reek of hyperbole to claim that Swizz Beatz has evolved from hack to virtuoso, but his decade-long progression from greenhorn Ruff Ryders keyboardist to veteran superproducer is nonetheless impressive. On his debut solo album, Swizzy mutates again - this time into a rapper. It's an ambitious undertaking; in lieu of recruiting an army of collaborators for a compilation LP, like his scattershot Presents Ghetto Stories (Dreamworks, 2002), he places his own hoarse vocals front-and-center, while passing most of the production duties off to underlings like The Individuals and Neo Da Matrix.
More DJ Kool than Kool G Rap, Swizz is his own hype-man, segueing from hook to boastful hook while cribbing lines from Slick Rick, Rakim, and Jay-Z (the latter's 2001 "Girl, Girls, Girls" get interpolated). He certainly lacks the transcendent personality of Kanye West, but in comparison to other producers-turned-rappers, he comfortably holds his own. When the production is splattered with swollen kick-drums, air-raid sirens, and catchy refrains, One Man is a lot of disposable fun. On the chirpy "The Product Man," which features a mean bass line and more self-congratulations, Swizz preens, "100 million sold, that's the right statement."
If such masturbation is a guilty pleasure, Swizz's attempts at more meaningful content are surprisingly satisfying. On the emotional "Part of the Plan," featuring Coldplay's Chris Martin, he recalls childhood hardships with enough detail to make one suspect that he can actually, you know, rap: "Arguing with my brother about who would pick the mouse up / Opened up the oven to heat the house up." But the appearance of Martin - who previously assumed the role of rap-friendly alt-rock nabob on Jigga's recent Kingdom Come - is also indicative of Swizz's artistic direction: He aspires to go left, but his creative lane is only so wide. Still, as both his longevity (he's been making music since 1998) and likeability prove, it's possible to make Ryders music without reinventing the wheel.
Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/music/revolutions/2007/06/swizzy_beatz_onemanbandman/
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