Swizz Beatz was once rumored to have been sued by Casio for the 1999 Ruff Ryders track “Down Bottom” featuring Drag-On and Juvenile. But according to the man himself, the rumor is just that. In an interview with Complex.com where he breaks down his classic records, Swizzy explained that he never used a Casio keyboard or faced a lawsuit by the electronics company.
“The sound module comes with sounds programmed in it already, so I was just looping the sound modules. Then, of course, people spun it out of control like I got sued by Casio. I was like, ‘What the fuck?’ I’ve never used a Casio in my life. That was a myth. I was using the Trinities, these silver keyboards. The Triton hadn’t come out yet,” he said. “Today—because of that story—people think I made all of that shit from a fucking Casio. I’m like, ‘How can you make those beats from a Casio?’ No disrespect, but the only Casio I’d ever seen was little. I’ve never seen a Casio that had those types of horns or that could make the type of shit I was making.”
Swizz also spoke on the equipment he used back in his Ruff Ryders days, cataloging his stock list of hardware to make beats. “My equipment list started from two BD10 Gemini turntables with a wood-grain Gemini mixer—the small one. Then I graduated to the Technic 1200’s and I got the other Gemini mixers. I always liked the Gemini mixers,” he continued. “On the production side I started out with a Dr. Rhythm drum machine, I had an old TR-808. Then my cousin’s boyfriend—who was Bobby Brown’s brother—gave me an MP60, which was my first MP. I remember hooking all that up to my turntables and that was that.”
Read the full feature over at Complex.com.
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Nigga kno he had a Casio lmao!
I had a triton for a little while and one of the horn presets was the Ruff Ryders anthem melody, note for note and exact same bpm. Don’t know how this guy got to the level hes at?
He prolly did what most these yung niggas are doing now, …casting couch.
I probably shouldnt have dropped that info on the triton…Thats gonna open the floodgates for a bunch of leach ass “producers” to find triton vst’s and rip off old swizz beatz beats so they can do their karaoke versions of drake or lil waynes new songs over the beats.
It wasn’t the fact that he had a “casio keyboard”, it was the fact that he obviously was looping the sounds that come from the keyboard. Not for nothing, but having keys should allow to to become as musically creative, it has plenty of sounds that you can freak and be creative, all swiss cheese did was get a preprogrammed melody on keyboard, and layered drums…LAME.
Swizz was always a lazy producer to me, I heard some mean keyboard instrumentals, but this guy had rinky dinky factory setting sounds throughout most of his catalog.
Swizz is maaaad overrated, Just focus on selling reeboks now you fucking sellout.
Atleast he sells? what do you do…
/\ Hitler was raking in dough too…Money means nothing. Ha ha.
ITS FUNNY HOW PEOPLE POST COMMENTS LIKE PEOPLE GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THEIR OPINIONS OR THEIR OPINIONS MATTER. YOU SIT ON A COMP THESE PEOPLE ARE OUT MAKING CASH. SMH.
No matter how much money Swizz has.
Or should I say his chick since he filed for bankruptcy.
He’s still corny.
I would rather be myself doing nicely than be the corniest man in hip hop.
HaHa – Nice to see your rage progressed from regular type to all caps.
I would have swore he always made his beats on a Casio.
lol
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swizz is legend
Legend?? Dame Grease had harder jawns…
He’s a legend. The corniest dude ever in hip hop.
He takes the top spot hands down.
Besides stealing songs from the Korg Triton, Swizz also stole songs from the Roland JV-1010.
I know cause I have this sound module. I’m going post the sound in a YouTube vid.
I remember one of the demo sounds that he used was the horn sample for Down Bottom. He also used the Salsa demo for Eve’s What Y’all Want!!
So yeah it was Roland and Korg who sued him!!