Swizz Beatz

DMX Contributes A Sinister Verse To ‘Been To War’ With Swizz Beatz And French Montana

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Just a week ago, the world was hit with the sad news that hip-hop legend DMX passed away at the age of 50. His death arrived a week after he was hospitalized by a reported overdose, which led to a heart attack that left him in a coma. The news came as the rapper prepared to return with his first album in more than eight years. While fans wait to see if and when they’ll receive that project, they can enjoy a new verse from the rapper through guest feature alongside Swizz Beatz and French Montana.

The three artists join forces for “Been To War,” a rambunctious effort that sees all parties expressing the lack of fear they each possess as they’ve each seen the worse that life has to offer. Swizz Beatz leads the way with a raucous hook that serves as the perfect opener for DMX to arrive and lay a sinister verse. Then, French Montana comes through to close things out on the track. The song was released as a part of the soundtrack to the new season of Epix’s Godfather Of Harlem series.

“Been To War” arrives after DMX’s music streams jumped by almost 1,000% since his death. The rapper’s passing also saw his autobiography return to the bestsellers list.

You can listen to the new song in the video above.

Swizz Beatz, Eve + The Ruff Ryders React To DMX’s Death

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Swizz-Beatz-Eve-Ruff-Ryders-DMX-Death

Hip-hop legend DMX put the Ruff Ryders on the map. The management company turned record label was one of the biggest brands in the music industry during the late-1990s and early-2000s, and DMX was the dog at the head of the pack. Upon the news of Earl Simmons’ death on Thursday, his former labelmates went […]

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Swizz Beatz Reveals What Stopped Dr. Dre VERZUZ From Happening

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Swizz Beatz Reveals Why Dr. Dre VERZUZ Didn't Happen

Legendary producer Swizz Beatz has some upsetting news for rap fans. The award-winning hitmaker reveals a Dr. Dre VERZUZ was “this” close to happening. Swizz Beatz Reveals Why Dr. Dre VERZUZ Didn’t Go Down In an interview with New York’s “The Breakfast Club” radio show, Swizz says the fellow hip-hop icon was going to announce […]

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Dr. Dre Opted Out Of ‘Verzuz’ After A Previous Guest’s Sound Issues

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Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s Verzuz was a breakout hit last year, featuring performances from a plethora of big-name stars that made it must-see entertainment for folks stuck at home during the ongoing pandemic. The duo was even able to sell the show to Triller and offer their prior guests equity in the sale. However, despite scooping up some of hip-hop and R&B’s most iconic entertainers for the show, Swizz and Tim unfortunately missed out on securing one of their peers due to one of their shows turning out differently than expected.

Dropping by The Breakfast Club on Hot 97, Swizz and Tim revealed that Dr. Dre, who was in negotiations to participate in a Verzuz battle of his own, canceled on them after seeing the sound issues during the battle between Babyface and Teddy Riley. Swizz explained, “When Dr. Dre wasn’t feeling the sound from Teddy Riley and Babyface, that hurt our heart. I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ If you go back, Dr. Dre was at the Teddy Riley one. He came at the end, but he was supposed to come at the end and announce he was doing Verzuz that night.”

Unfortunately, seeing the shambles that became of the episode when the sound on Teddy’s elaborate at-home display cut-out, Dre decided that a similar fiasco would hurt him more than it helped. “He got on the phone and was like, ‘Man, I can’t be a part of nothing that look like or sound like that,’” Swizz explained. “‘My legacy is quality. My legacy is this, that.’ I was like, ‘Ohhhh we just lost Dre over that. That one felt pretty crazy but since then, the energy has been really good.”

Most recently, Wu-Tang Clan members Ghostface Killah and Raekwon The Chef engaged in a friendly tet-a-tet while the Verzuz heads announced Earth, Wind & Fire and The Isley Brothers would participate on Easter Sunday.

Watch the Verzuz collaborators’ interview with The Breakfast Club above.

Swizz Beatz + Timbaland Capitalize On Verzuz Success

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Swizz Beatz + Timbaland Capitolize On 'Verzuz' Success

VERZUZ co-creators and veteran producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are making big moves and elevating their platform to another level. New reports state that the two hip-hop legends have made a partnership with Triller Network. Swizz Beatz + Timbaland Capitalize With New Deal Verzuz’ new deal will leave the two producers as members of the Triller Verzuz management […]

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Verzuz Has Been Acquired By The Company Behind Triller

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Billboard reports Triller Network, the company behind the popular Triller app, has acquired the popular “hits battle” streaming show Verzuz, giving its creators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland positions on the Triller management team. Swizz and Tim will also receive equity in Triller, which they say they will share with the 43 artists who have appeared on the show to date. Verzuz exploded in popularity last year after an impromptu hits battle on Instagram Live between the two veteran producers expanded into a full-blown concert series, complete with corporate sponsors like Ciroc.

Over its first year, Verzuz invited such guests as Alicia Keys, DMX, Gucci Mane, E-40 Patti LaBelle, and many, many more legends in the game to appear, celebrating their musical legacy in a nostalgic style similar to a sound clash in the West Indies/Caribbean. With little else to do during a partial shutdown of live entertainment nationwide, fans tuned in by the thousands to watch these celebrations of artists who may no longer be trendy, but who have all contributed greatly to the broad spectrum of Black music culture.

Meanwhile, Triller, a video-creation app similar in function to TikTok, has been a fixture on many young music fans’ phones for a while, although it hasn’t received as much attention in that time as its neophyte competitor. It’s likely Triller Network is hoping that the Verzuz acquisition can bring an influx of attention similar to TikTok’s so that it can likewise become one of America’s primary social media obsessions.

You can read more about the acquisition here.