Artist: Kasseem Dean A/K/A Swizz Beatz
Reppin`: NYC
Breakthrough Single: Guilty
Guest Artists: Jadakiss, Busta, Ron Isley, Shyne, Nas, Lil` Kim, Ja Rule
Album: G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories

He`s produced for the biggest names in hip-hop today. Nas, Jadakiss, DMX, Jay-Z, Big Pun, Eve, Foxy Brown, Little Kim, Snoop and the Eastsidaz, Limp Bizkit....Whether they are beefing with each other, friend or foe, they can all agree on at least one thing: There`s nothing hotter than Swizz Beatz. But after working with hip-hop`s finest and laying down classic tracks, does he stil have anything else to prove?

“Maybe it’s because I’m young, but I still feel I have something to prove,” confides Swizz Beatz. “I’ve done over 250 songs – I like to joke around and say, ‘Ya had to dance to one of ‘em.’ But really, after this album, I want there to be no doubts and no questions about my abilities. I tend to be humble; I don’t really put myself out there a lot. But I want people to recognize.”

With Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories, the celebrated producer-songwriter-remixer-DJ establishes himself as an emcee while at the same time definitively asserting his status as a force to be reckoned with.
A key associate of the Ruff Ryders crew, Swizz made his name co-writing and producing tracks for the likes of DMX, Eve and The L.O.X., as well as Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, Me tallica and Limp Bizkit, among many others.

His first album under his own name boasts similar wattage. Swizz Beatz Presents showcases tracks from Jadakiss featuring Ron Isley; Swizz Beatz featuring Busta Rhymes; Shyne featuring Mashonda; Mashonda featuring LL Cool J; Swizz Beatz featuring Styles; Swizz Beatz featuring Lil’ Kim; Noreaga; Baby (Cash Money) featuring Yung Wun; Eve; Swizz Beatz featuring Bounty Killer; Nas, Fat Joe and Cassidy; and Swizz Beatz featuring Metallica and Ja Rule.

Says Swizz of his new public persona: “With this album, people are going to say, ‘Damn, I thought he was just a producer,’ but I actually started rhyming first. People are going to be surprised.”

People may also be surprised to learn that Swizz is not only a producer and emcee, but a record company executive as well – Yung Wun and Cassidy are signed to his Full Surface label, an imprint of J Records. To be sure, Swizz has come a long way since he produced his first tracks – at the age of 16.

Born Kasseem Dean, Swizz Beatz was raised in the birthplace of hip-hop: The Bronx. Music figured into his life from an early age: He started rhyming at 12 and by high school had taken up the DJ trade. “Everybody was rhyming in my neighborhood, and all that writing felt like schoolwork to me,” he quips. “Besides that, there just wasn’t enough money out there for rappers. Even as a young teenager, I knew I wanted to make money.”

A gift from his uncles provided a catalyst for Swizz’s creative evolution. Joaquin and Darrin Dean purchased some studio equipment for young Kasseem and encouraged him to develop his talent for turntablism. Within a year, Swizz was resident DJ for all the high school parties. He quickly moved up to selling mix tapes. “I made a lot more money selling tapes – with no risk – than the people who were selling drugs,” he points out. “I learned something from that; I realized I could make money doing what I loved to do. From then on, I knew music was going to be my life.”

And though he did manage to steer clear of the drug business, Kasseem – who by then had taken to calling himself K-Swiss, after his favorite trainers – was no stranger to drama. After one too many fights at Truman High School, his parents decided to relocate to Atlanta, where they felt they could provide their son with a more stable environment.

Swizz immediately earned a reputation on the local hip-hop scene, becoming the designated DJ for proms and other social events and eventually working his way into the club milieu. Meanwhile, his uncles were establishing their own hip-hop concern, the Ruff Ryders label, home to a promising collective of rap artists. They would frequently visit their nephew in Atlanta.

“They’d come down and see me getting the clubs crunk,” says Swizz. “And they realized I was a trouper when it came to the music game.” Acknowledging his dedication, the two gave him a bit of advice. “They told me to start making my own beats,” Swizz recalls. “They knew if I could rock a party like that, I’d know how to make my own music as well.”

After adopting the moniker Swizz Beatz, the youngster did indeed begin producing his own music and in due course started providing tracks to the newly signed Ruff Ryders. But despite what some may assume, Joaquin and Darrin would cut him no slack. Swizz confirms: “Even though it was my family, it was hard. Everybody thought I was handed a silver spoon, but I wasn’t. My uncles were crazy hard on me. I would play beats for them and they would say, ‘That ain’t it. That ain’t it.’ Of course, it was frustrating, but it just made me work harder.”

Truly, Swizz buckled down, honing his signature sound. Because sampling had become de rigueur in hip-hop, he opted instead to craft his own party-ready tracks, replete with electronica-tinged keyboards and snappy snares. “I’m a universal producer, not just a hip-hop producer,” he says of his expansive sonic palette. “Even the music I give hip-hop artists is not always hip-hop. I use anything and everything to make a song unique. Good music isn’t about a specific sound – it’s about making good music, period.”

His innovations ensured that Swizz’s first stabs at production were far from the norm of the day. In fact, when Swizz was commissioned to do a beat for Ruff Ryders debut artist DMX, the rapper was not impressed, initially rejecting what Swizz supplied for “Ruff Ryders Anthem.” But for Swizz, the furiously energetic track laden with electric guitar riffs was ushering in a new style of hip-hop.

“I had a gut feeling the song would work, but my uncles had to convince DMX to do it,” Swizz relates. “They knew it was a hit record.” “Ruff Ryders Anthem” proved them right when it vaulted to the Top 20 and propelled DMX’s debut album to sales of more than four million units. The disc, 1998’s It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It boasted a bevy of beats from Swizz.

Thereafter, the Swizz Beatz sound became a towering signpost on the hip-hop highway. Swizz produced numerous tracks for DMX’s subsequent albums, Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood (1998) and The Great Depression (2001), both of which debuted at #1. (DMX’s hat trick of three #1 debuts is unmatched among hip-hop artists. Combined sales of his albums have topped 12 million.) Swizz also contributed to Eve’s #1 debut, Let There Be Eve … Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, which was certified double platinum, and its follow-up, Scorpion (2001), certified platinum.

He helmed the popular Ruff Ryders compilation series Ryde Or Die and lent his production prowess to an array of top-notch R&B, hip-hop and rock acts. Big Pun, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Limp Bizkit, The L.O.X., Foxy Brown, Marilyn Manson, Cam’ron, Ludacris and Memphis Bleek are just a few of the artists who’ve benefited from Swizz’s expertise.

Moreover, he has made his presence felt throughout the entertainment industry. He was hand-picked by director Oliver Stone to provide sections of the score and several soundtrack songs to the football-themed “Any Given Sunday” (1999), just one of the film projects he’s put his stamp on (others include “Belly” and “Rush Hour 2”). He scored the kung-fu-inspired “Five Deadly Women” Sprite television and radio commercials featuring Eve, which created a sensation when they aired in 1999 and 2000. And he produced music for TV spots promoting designer Karl Kani’s Fall 2000 line.

Yet Swizz’s offerings are not limited to the studio. In 1999 he traveled the U.S. with the Ruff Ryders/Cash Money Tour, spending almost all night every night onstage DJing for DMX and the Ryders. Still, his tour bus on that outing housed a recording studio so Swizz could continue his production work while on the road. His incredible output over the last several years is evidence of this indefatigable work ethic.

As he continued to refine his sonic identity, it became clear to Swizz that he had all the ingredients necessary to make his own album: He had the tracks; he had access to the biggest acts in hip-hop (and some of the biggest names in rock); and he had an undeniable hunger to prove himself once and for all.
First concentrating on the business side of his career, Swizz flexed his A&R muscles, searching for new artists and producers to bring into the spotlight with him. Continuing to spend long days and nights in the studio, he began amassing a wish list for his debut album. The response to his invitations was overwhelming, and assembling G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories became like planning a family reunion.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with people I’ve always respected, like Ron Isley,” says Swizz. “And I was also able to reconnect with people I worked with in the very early days, like Noreaga, who hired me to produce tracks for him even before my uncles let me start working with them. I didn’t put anyone on the album I didn’t have a relationship with.”

Comments Swizz on the nature of his collaborations: “I never just give an artist a beat. All the artists I work with know what I bring to the table are ideas, and I always try to meet everybody halfway with their ideas.”

Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories is the state-of-the-art result of this creative communion. In many ways a traditional hip-hop compilation disc, it’s easily identified as a Swizz Beatz production, though it also demonstrates how much Swizz has grown since his entry into the music industry.

Thematically, the album explores making music that moves people, falling in love, getting high (on life or whatever might be handy), talking back to haters and setting the record straight.

“Ghetto Stories” bears an operatic feel, with dramatic strings and layered horns. It distinguishes Swizz as a deft lyricist and nimble vocalist. “When I rhyme on ‘Ghetto Stories,’ there’s no catching the breath; it’s just me going straight through, giving you my story,” he says. “This is my ghetto story, and no one can tell it better than me. You can hear the seriousness in my voice. It’s free-flowing and freewheeling.”

“Big Business,” from Jadakiss featuring the legendary Ron Isley, falls somewhere between a relaxed ballad and a bouncy crowd-pleaser – Jadakiss’ gruff vocals bring the edge, while Isley’s even, soulful vibe smoothes everything out.

“Endalay” fires up the heat you expect from Busta Rhymes, who’s featured on the track with Swizz. It begins with beat-boxing, then segues into a head-banging rhythm that’s all bass, no snare. Infused with the ringing of a church bell, Busta’s trademark growl is destined to command the dance floor.

Another standout track, “Shyne,” comes courtesy of Shyne, featuring up-and-coming R&B singer Mashonda. This was the last cut Shyne recorded before he was incarcerated for his role in the infamous 1999 Manhattan nightclub shooting that also involved Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Jennifer Lopez.

Mashonda, featuring LL Cool J, takes the album from a full roiling boil to a simmer with “Ghetto Love” and its smoky, sensuous chorus. “It has that soulful, laid-back vibe,” says Swizz. “Even when I’m listening to hip-hop, I want to hear something laid-back, so putting LL and Mashonda together on a ghetto love song just made sense.”

But it’s quickly back to a hard-core party with the return of the Queen Bee: Lil’ Kim joins Swizz for “Gone Delirious,” bringing her punchy delivery to the aptly titled song’s hammering production. Eve keeps the mood festive on “Island Spice,” a high-energy, no-holds-barred treatise on how to make the revelry last all night long. “Come in by the street lights/ Leave by the sun,” she instructs.

First radio track “Guilty” pairs Swizz with reggae superstar Bounty Killer. The cut is vintage Swizz: pensive but hard-hitting. “The concept of the song is that Bounty and I are guilty of making hits,” he explains.
Another G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories track likely to get some attention is “We Did It Again,” from Swizz featuring none other than Metallica and Ja Rule. A roaring hard-rock extravaganza, with live instrumentation layered under Ja Rule’s familiar bark, “We Did It Again” recalls Aerosmith’s partnership with Run-D.M.C. on “Walk This Way.”

Asked about the personal accomplishment G.H.E.T.T.O Stories represents, Swizz is of two minds. “I’m never satisfied – I always think I can do better,” he admits. “In the end, I’m happy if I just make music I’d want to listen to myself.” Nonetheless, it’s hard not to be proud of a job well done. “This record was definitely a gift from God,” Swizz adds. “It’s the best hip-hop album from the East Coast since Biggie. It’s classic.”