Swizz Beatz

Swizz Beatz Explains Why Lil Durk Is In His Top 10, Compares Him To DMX, Tupac & Biggie

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That “Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time” list has earned attention from Swizz Beatz. The megaproducer knows all about the greats in Hip Hop—his songs are staples in many of their catalogs. Swizz has been working on music and getting Verzuz back on the main stage, but he recently sat down with Billboard. Swizz was asked about his thoughts on the controversial GOAT list during their chat. He didn’t seem up in arms about the choices, but he admitted he would have changed one thing.

“It didn’t make me mad,” he said of the list overall. “But you know, the way I would have did it — which, you know, y’all can do how you want to do it — but I would’ve said, ‘in no particular order.’ I know those are hard lists to do. It’s never gonna be the perfect list, you know?” It did seem that audiences were more concerned with where the choices landed rather than the picks themselves.

Swizz Beatz’s Ever-Changing Top 10

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz perform onstage during the Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman on February 04, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

The interviewer suggested that no one would read the article if the artists weren’t ranked numerically. However, Swizz pushed back against that, stating that readers would engage in conversations about where they would place artists instead of being told where their favorites deserved to be. Elsewhere, he was further asked about his Top 10. “It changes a lot, because I don’t base my top 10 off of too much old things,” said Swizz. “It’s an all-time [list], and it’s a current [list]. That current one changes all the time, depending on the performance of what they do.”

The youngest artist on Swizz’s Top 10 is Lil Durk. “You know why? Because for me, it’s not just about bars,” Swizz explained. “It’s about believing those bars. When we first started coming up with Ruff Ryders and The LOX, what they was rapping about, they was really doing. It was really about that. It wasn’t for views, it wasn’t for an app, it was to express their surroundings. That’s what Durk does.”

Durk: The Voice Of The Heroes

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 22: Rapper Lil Durk performs during “One Big Party Tour” at Capital One Arena on January 22, 2023 in Washington, DC.(photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

“When you hear him rap, you know that he’s actually been through what he’s talking about,” Swizz continued. “Some fortunate situations, some unfortunate situations, but it’s almost like an autobiography in real-time. That’s what Pac did, that’s what X did, that’s what B.I.G. did. The people we call the best of all time — not comparing them to him, but they used their experiences. A lot of artists do it, but I particularly like the way Durk does it.”

Lil Wayne Drops New Swizz Beatz Produced Single “Kant Nobody”

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Lil Wayne Drops New Swizz Beatz Produced Single "Kant Nobody"

After teasing the release, Lil Wayne dropped his new single “Kant Nobody.” The single has a sample of DMX’s voice and is produced by Swizz Beatz. The single is the intro to Tha Carter 6.

Wayne spoke with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 and highlighted what Tha Carter 6 means to him.

I never even imagined,” Wayne said. “That didn’t even sound right years ago. I can’t believe we’re at Carter VI. My fans know I give my all. Go listen to my last feature and know it’s gonna be a thousand times better than that.”

You can tap into the new single below.

The post Lil Wayne Drops New Swizz Beatz Produced Single “Kant Nobody” appeared first on The Source.

Lil Wayne Talks “Kant Nobody” Collab With Swizz Beatz & DMX, Says He Deserves No. 1 On “Top 50 Rappers” List

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Are you ready for the next Weezy era? This week, fans were in a frenzy after Lil Wayne announced that he, Swizz Beatz, and the late DMX were featured on a new single, “Kant Nobody.” It’s an anticipated release that has Hip Hop buzzing, and Weezy sat down with Zane Lowe for Apple Music to discuss the new single. Wayne, Swizz, and DMX’s imprints in the culture are unmatched, and the Young Money icon suggests this collaboration was a no-brainer.

“That’s my brother, first of all…Swizz,” said Wayne. The pair have collided in the studio to create megahits in the past, and “Kant Nobody” is expected to match that success. “That’s the way we work. We got a billion bangers and just pick one to put out whenever we feel like it.” He then mentioned his social media presence or lack thereof. “Everyone around me knows that I don’t do social media.”

Lil Wayne Explains His Online Absence

“With that said, the world can end, and if it ends on social media, I would not know,” the Rap icon further stated. “I’d still be walking around. If it doesn’t happen through sports, I don’t know it happened.” Weezy quickly moved on to Billboard and Vibe‘s “Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time” list. It was a collection that caused a stir online. “With that said, my bro Mac said he was a little upset about something that came out about rap or something like that? I don’t even know about lists.”

It goes unsaid that Lil Wayne did, indeed, make the Top 10. However, some argued that he should have been higher than No. 7. He agreed. “Man, who the hell is before me? Was the list including all Hip Hop, like before and after as well? I can deal with that… I will tell you that I am a motherf*cking [No. 1]. Everybody whose names you named, they also know I’m No. 1. Go ask ’em. They know what it is.”

Lil Wayne Shares What To Expect From “Tha Carter VI”
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 4, 2023: The audience is on its feet as Lil Wayne performs during the Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton on February 4, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Additionally, Wayne teased his upcoming release, Tha Carter VI. “Everybody already know… you already know… come on… it’s Carter VI,” he said. “I never even imagined. That didn’t even sound right years ago. I can’t believe we’re at Carter VI. My fans know I give my all. Go listen to my last feature and know it’s gonna be a thousand times better than that.”

Lil Wayne Announces Swizz Beatz Produced ‘Tha Carter VI’ Track Featuring DMX

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Lil Wayne Says Today's Music 'Lacks Some Creativity'

Tha Carter VI might be coming sooner than we think. Lil Wayne took to IG to announce a new single he’s dropping from the upcoming album. The track is produced by “Uproar” collaborator Swizz Beatz and features a verse from the late DMX.

Both Wayne and Swizz posted a promo video for the upcoming track entitled “Kant Nobody.” The video features the intro of the song with various pictures of Wayne and Swizz before cutting off after DMX’s legendary “Aye yo!” ad-lib. While the video did not say when the song would be dropping, we can only imagine that it will be soon.

Wayne first announced Tha Carter VI during OVO fest last year and even added a pre-save link to the album on his website. However, there haven’t been any updates on the album until now.

This song marks the first feature verse from DMX to be released after his death in 2021. Following his untimely passing, Swizz released DMX’s last album Exodus which X had been working on prior to his passing.

The post Lil Wayne Announces Swizz Beatz Produced ‘Tha Carter VI’ Track Featuring DMX appeared first on The Source.

Lil Wayne Announces New Single “Kant Nobody” Ft. DMX & Swizz Beatz

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The Carter VI could be coming sooner than we thought. Lil Wayne announced the project during his appearance at OVO Fest last summer and then, unveiled the pre-save link. Unfortunately, there haven’t been many updates since, though fans anticipated that it would’ve arrived before the end of 2022. Weezy’s a legend in his own right, so it’s not like he needs to drop music on a regular basis, though we’d all appreciate it if he did.

There hasn’t been many hints regarding who we might expect. We previously saw Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana in the lab. Though fans anticipated the release of I Can’t Feel My Face, Juelz previously told HNHH that they aren’t actively working on the project. So, it seems that the record they were working on could possibly land on Tha Carter VI. Other than that, there isn’t much information regarding possible collaborators but it seems highly possible that Swizz Beatz lands a few placements on the project.

Lil Wayne Announces New Single With Posthumous DMX Verse

It looks like we might get the first single off of Tha Carter VI later this week. Wayne and Swizz Beatz recently hinted at a collaboration on their respective Instagram Stories, though they didn’t provide much information on what they were working on. Today, Weezy confirmed that he’ll be dropping a new single this Friday titled, “Kant Stop,” alongside the late DMX and Swizz Beatz. He shared a brief snippet of the record which includes a haunting instrumental cooked up by Swizz.

This will mark one of the first DMX posthumous guest verses to drop since his untimely passing in 2021. Shortly after his passing, X’s estate, with the help of Swizz Beatz, released his final studio album, Exodus, which the late rapper began working on prior to his death. The album boasted a number of features from new rappers and OGs, from The LOX, Jay-Z, and Nas, to Griselda and Moneybagg Yo. Lil Wayne also appeared on the project alongside Swizz Beatz for “Dogs Out.” Check out the snippet of Wayne’s upcoming single above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments. 

Swizz Beatz Gives Verzuz Update, Jermaine Dupri Confirms Diddy Match-Up

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There has been a lull on the Verzuz front for some time as Timbaland, Swizz Beaz, and their team map out their next steps. During the 2020 quarantine, the world was under lock and key due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. People found solace through connecting in new ways via social media, and Verzuz emerged as a thriving concept. Tens of millions of people tuned in to watch their favorite artists revisit classic tracks. Icons and legends received their flowers, and many also earned a massive increase in streaming numbers.

However, Verzuz was growing faster than anyone could imagine. Soon, the at-home virtual performances—or just artists in their home studios—became huge productions. Tickets were sold, crowds were gathered, and a new era of Verzuz was upon us. The Triller deal upped the ante, but there was a legal hiccup that caused Verzuz to take a pause. In a new interview with Revolt, Swizz offered an update about the series.

Read More: Sheek Louch Says He’s Glad Styles P & Cam’ron’s Heated “Verzuz” Moment Didn’t Escalate

“We’ve been changing the infrastructure because when we started, it happened in the garage and then moved to a significant platform,” he said. “Now, we changed the whole way we’re moving but not entirely, so people won’t feel like it’s not the same. We have a fantastic lineup with people they wanted to see and even battles they think wouldn’t happen. Announcements will be coming soon.”

Elsewhere, Jermaine Dupri was making some confirmations of his own. He recently visited the I Am Athlete podcast, where he mentioned rumors about him and Diddy facing off on Verzuz. The two hitmaking producers have teased the pairing in the past, even (playfully) going at it on Livestream about who would take the crown. Although Dupri has said this Verzuz would never come to fruition, he now claims we can expect to see the show this year.

ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 13: Sean Combs and Jermaine Dupri attend Revolt Weekend Kickoff at Allure on September 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Read More: Tony Yayo Says 50 Cent Will “Never Do A ‘Verzuz’”

It’s unclear if this is a Durpi vs. Diddy show or a So So Def vs. Bad Boy extravaganza. We’re sure there will be a little bit of both, considering Dupri and Diddy are both artists and producers, and their reaches go far beyond their own labels. It will be an interesting one for Hip Hop, and a celebration unlike any other Verzuz has produced. Who are you rooting for in a Jermaine Dupri vs. Diddy match?

Lil Wayne & Swizz Beatz Tease New Collaboration

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As we anticipate the release of Tha Carter VI, it seems as though Lil Wayne has new music coming soon. Tomorrow, NLE Choppa will drop his forthcoming collab with Weezy. The rapper announced the collab this week in a video of himself presenting Wayne with a bouquet of flowers. Hopefully, that will hold us over until Wayne decides to unload the first single off of his next album, which could happen soon rather than later.

The last real update we got surrounding the next installment in Tha Carter series came in September when Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana were spotted in the studio together. Though fans anticipate the I Can’t Feel My Face project, it seems as though Weezy needed a verse from the Dipset rapper for his upcoming project. The rapper announced the project at OVO Fest in Toronto alongside Drake and Nicki Minaj, just before the show ended. A few days later, he put the pre-save link in his Instagram bio. However, there hasn’t been any other real update surrounding the effort.

Lil Wayne & Swizz Beatz Lock In

Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz might be cooking up something soon. As they witnessed success with “P.O.M.S” and Funeral highlight, “Uproar,” it looks like they’ve linked up for another banger. Footage of the two filming a music video surfaced this week. Then, Lil Wayne shared a photo of himself and Swizz Beatz to his Instagram Story. “Here we go again,” Swizz captioned his repost of Wayne’s Story on his Instagram page. 

Perhaps, the success of “Uproar” led to their latest collab. Swizz recently revealed that Wayne recorded their Funeral collab as a freestyle, which the producer used to restructure into a song. However, Wayne wasn’t feeling Swizz’s edits at first and it took some convincing to get him on board. “When you put this piece throughout, it brings people back and it plays as a chorus,” Swizz explained, referring to what’s known now as the hook. “And then Wayne was like, ‘Alright, alright. Let’s do it.’” We’ll keep you posted on any updates surrounding the collab. Check the post above.

Swizz Beatz And More Pay Tribute To Slain South African Rapper AKA

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One of South Africa’s top rappers, known as AKA, was murdered outside a restaurant in the city of Durban.

Kiernan Forbes was killed along with his close friend, the chef and entrepreneur Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane.The pair are thought to have been on their way to a nightclub for a performance as part of Forbes’ birthday celebrations when they were shot.

Forbes began his musical career as part of the rap group Entity before he launched his solo career, winning several awards in South Africa for his music.

He was also celebrated internationally, with several nominations for a Black Entertainment Television (BET) Award in the US and an MTV Europe Music Award.

aka

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda has told the BBC that the rapper and his friend were walking to their car when they were approached by two armed men who shot them at close range.

The assailants then fled the scene on foot. Hours before his death, the 35-year-old posted about his upcoming album, Mass Country, which is set for release later this month.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world and recent shootings have been happening more often.

Celebrities Somizi, Nandi Madida, Tbo Touch, Thando Thabethe – as well as United States producer Swizz Beatz – have all taken to social media on Saturday to pay tribute to Fela in Versace rapper AKA. Swizz took to his Instagram story to remember his South African friend.

He wrote: “Damn King, rest easy. One of South Africa’s greats.”

American rapper Bas also paid tribute to AKA: “Damn this fu**in tragic as hell. South Africa, I’m so sorry for your loss. @akaworldwide always showed me love and hospitality every time we crossed paths. Always welcomed me with open arms. Rest easy king.”

The World Is Yours rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes’ death has sent shock waves through South Africa, who woke up to the news that he had been killed in cold blood in Durban on Friday evening.

The Megacy, as well as celebrities such as Nandi Madida, Donald, Da Les and Black Coffee, flooded Twitter with condolence messages.

Nandi Madida wrote: “Rest my brother … this hurts. Thinking about your beautiful daughter and loved ones in general. Thank you for the good times and laughs … I always enjoyed working with you.”

The post Swizz Beatz And More Pay Tribute To Slain South African Rapper AKA appeared first on The Source.