After having a successful 2007, Swizz Beatz is showing no signs of slowing down. Among the numerous projects the rapper/producer will be working on, he will be hooking up with longtime collaborator DMX for X’s upcoming double-LP, Walk With Me Now, Fly With Me Later. The LP, as previously reported, will be half gospel songs, half “traditional” DMX.
“I’m helping him out with it,” said Swizz to MTV News in New York. “I just hooked him up with Pharrell for the gospel joint.”
In addition to X,Swizzy has some big plans for the whole Ruff Ryders family. “I’m in my zone. I’m bringing the Ruff Ryders back real
major in ’08. It’s gonna be a lot of Ruff Ryders shit in ’08. Not
taking away from D-Block, not taking away from Bloodline. It’s stamping
the brand that started all this shit. They letting me do whatever I
wanna do as the president [of the company]. This is what I wanna do. Do
this album, 10 bangers. Trying to get a joint from [Dr.] Dre, Primo [DJ
Premier]. We got Dame Grease. All the original producers, everything to
make the Ruff Ryder album authentic head-banger hip-hop. I got
everybody right now. X just sent me five verses. Trust me. I don’t
accept just any X [verses]. You’ll see. This is the real deal. I’m not
gonna do it if it’s not the real deal.”
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Swizz will be working outside of the Ruff Ryders family as well, doing tracks for Lil’ Wayne’sTha Carter III,50 Cent’s Before I Self Destruct,G-Unit’s Lock and Load, as well as Fat Joe’s The Elephant in the Room. Swizz has also found an unconventional business partners in Macy Gray. “I just politicked with her. She wants me to set the tone for her album,” said Swizz of the singer.
The producer will also be working with Usher.“I’m still finding out what vibes they wanna mess with,” said Swizz of the R&B singer’s upcoming LP. “It’s very tricky and confusing. So many people come
in. The artist’s gotta be in that right frame of mind.”
Finally, Swizz took some time to speak on the follow up to his previous album, One Man Band Man, for which he just leaked a record called Hard Knocks with Drag-On.“Everybody is expecting It’s Me Bitches or Money in the Bank. I just want to use my opportunity to get a little more serious
in the artist department, as a performer and lyricist. Not giving a
fuck about radio and all that. I just want to give hip-hop something that’s not on the
radio. A lot of the songs I got can blend in on the radio, but School
of Hard Knocks don’t blend in with nothing on the radio. I’m already
in full mode. What they want me to do? Let’s get it. I’m busting shots
early — bong, bong!
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“The title is between Life After the Party and Remember Hip-Hop,” he elaborated. “I’m in between them. I don’t even have a date on my joint. I’m just feeling out the scene.”
