Exodus is the first posthumous album from DMX and his first since 2003. The album includes some major cameos like JAY-Z, Nas, Bono, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, The Lox, Usher, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher, and DMX’s son, Exodus Simmons. Swizz Beatz executive produced and produced the 13-track record, and he talked with Sway In The Morning about the album and how it came together.
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Swizz Beatz Talks New DMX Album 'Exodus' | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
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0:00
Come on, man. Come on, man. I've been
0:03
immortalized have to be. That was the
0:05
That was one of those things on my wish
0:07
list right there to get Swiss Beats.
0:09
Come on, man. Swiss saying your name on
0:11
the track, man. You already in the
0:13
history books, man. We got the Grammy
0:15
Grammy Award-winning recording artist,
0:18
DJ, producer, art collector, dad. He's
0:21
the first person to really teach me by
0:23
the about the art world. I tell this
0:25
story all the time. We rode on a plane
0:27
together and he sat and talked with me
0:29
for about 4 or 5 hours.
0:31
This was 15 years ago.
0:33
And then the world caught up.
0:36
I had a chance to hang out with him with
0:37
the one and only Rich Nice who's on the
0:39
line with us right now on the other day
0:41
and Rich, do me a favor. Explain what
0:43
that scene was like when we went to the
0:46
DMX listening session.
0:49
Man, listen to Grand Puba and everybody.
0:51
First
0:51
Man.
0:52
It was at a studio invite-only.
0:55
So, just from the name of the studio,
0:56
you already know what was going on. When
0:59
you walk in the door before you could
1:01
even get to the studio, it's like a it's
1:03
like a MC roll call. So, you just seeing
1:06
lyrics before you even walk into the
1:08
room. You just seeing lyrics hanging out
1:10
in the hallway. So, as you walk in, you
1:13
like, "Man, this is crazy."
1:15
Now, you know
1:16
not many people got a chance to go to
1:17
Quad Studios. I've been to Quad Studios.
1:19
I was up there with the God Greece.
1:20
That's That's Greece.
1:23
You know what I'm saying? And then he
1:24
took me downstairs and I I met I met I
1:26
met Swizzy for the first time and it's
1:29
so crazy cuz the energy that he had that
1:31
night when I met him in Quad Studios
1:33
was the same exact energy that he had
1:36
that night when I went to go here we
1:37
went to go here this project. And I'm
1:39
saying to myself, "It can't be. THIS WAS
1:41
A MILLION YEARS AGO that I met this
1:42
dude. How is his energy equal in that
1:44
same night?" And it was crazy. So, when
1:47
we got in there
1:50
the one thing I commend him on is that
1:52
it was the special moment. So, he said,
1:54
"Listen, y'all got to put your phones
1:55
down. You You know, we're not having
1:57
meetings and none of that stuff. And and
1:59
and if someone started to talk, he would
2:01
wait and say, "I'm going to let you have
2:03
your meeting before I play because
2:04
that's how important the music is."
2:07
So, me, I wasn't talking to nobody. I
2:08
didn't pull You know, I like to take
2:10
photos. I ain't take one photo when the
2:12
when the music was playing. I wasn't
2:14
talking. I didn't want to shake your
2:15
hand when the music was playing cuz I
2:17
wasn't there to shake no hands. I was
2:18
there to hear that X project. So, the
2:20
energy was so phenomenal. Man,
2:23
I mean
2:24
it Honestly, it made me feel like I I
2:27
didn't mind missing being outside 4
2:28
years just to be there 1 day.
2:30
Yes, it is. That's it. True indeed, man.
2:32
So many left people came and paid their
2:34
respects and was honored to be there.
2:36
And I want to say, Swizz, you were the
2:38
perfect host, man. You You found a way
2:40
to make everybody feel like they
2:42
belonged there. You shook hands. You
2:44
looked people in their eyes. Yo, Swizz
2:46
even cracked a joke on my hat. Heather,
2:48
I was like, "Damn, do I CRACK BACK AT
2:52
WHAT WAS THAT JOKE?
2:53
LET THAT ROCK.
2:54
I LET IT ROCK, MAN. WE GOT SWIZZ BEATZ
2:56
ON HERE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. SWIZZ
2:58
BEATZ.
2:59
What up, brother?
3:04
Hey, Day Sway. Hey, Day Sway.
3:07
Come on, Swizz. We're We're We're here
3:09
to celebrate um the eighth and final
3:12
album, Exodus, which is dropping um
3:14
Friday, May 28th, um
3:16
produced executive produced by you.
3:19
I I want to say thank you because, you
3:21
know, I I don't know if we ever find
3:23
closure and when we lose someone like
3:25
that in the physical, but you really
3:28
manifested the energy and the spirit it
3:31
better than anyone else possibly could
3:33
have that night and I felt like I was
3:35
right there next to X. You know, and
3:37
I've had my share of experiences with
3:39
him throughout the years. I mean, I I've
3:41
I've had interviews with that man where
3:42
we cried and hugged together afterwards,
3:45
you know, and and I always knew he was a
3:47
special spirit, special human being. But
3:49
I say the the about you, Swizz, because
3:52
I know it ain't easy. And you said this
3:55
in that session
3:56
that people might think you you're
3:58
making it through it, but it's hard. But
4:00
you were able to pull through, and you
4:02
were able to share these backstories.
4:04
Angie Martinez was like, "Swiss, tell us
4:06
the stories, man."
4:08
And I don't know if you knew what you
4:09
were doing.
4:10
I know you were just doing it, but you
4:13
provided a lot of healing in that room
4:16
that night,
4:17
Monday. And I know for me personally, I
4:20
haven't been out, you know what I mean?
4:22
So, I haven't been outside. That was my
4:24
first time really coming outside.
4:26
Afterwards, I said, "It's time to get
4:28
outside." Swiss is telling me it's time
4:30
I was so crazy. I was at home trying to
4:32
get on the Zoom. Where are you at? You
4:34
know what
4:36
So silly.
4:39
He said Zoom Zoom, Swizz, not Zoom Zoom.
4:41
Oh, he said Zoom Zoom. Okay. Yeah,
4:43
it's up, but I
4:45
I RUSHED DOWN. YOU KNOW, I rushed down
4:47
to hear the album, but I think what's
4:49
going to happen now, though, Swiss, I
4:51
say that because I think that moment was
4:52
a microcosm to what we're going to see
4:54
the world feel
4:56
when they hear this album. It's going to
4:58
be healing. So, I want to say thank you
5:00
and salute to you
5:01
um for being for being that that pillar
5:04
through all of this.
5:06
And let's talk about this album, man,
5:08
because
5:10
uh one of the things you said is that X
5:12
was in the best spirit you had ever seen
5:14
him in in all the years of recording.
5:16
Like, would you put that up to all the
5:18
years of recording?
5:20
Um
5:22
he was the best He His spirit was the
5:24
best
5:25
since
5:26
the first first first two three albums.
5:29
I haven't seen him like that since the
5:31
first two one two and three albums.
5:34
You know, he was in a very
5:37
cuz after Versuz
5:39
he
5:40
he was feeling excited cuz he got his
5:41
flowers.
5:43
And then he seen that the people
5:45
still loved his music, and that was the
5:48
motivation to stay in LA at Snoop's
5:50
studio to finish the album.
5:52
And so he was he was motivated and even
5:55
before that you know, the reason why he
5:57
gained a lot of weight was because he
5:58
was doing the right thing.
6:00
And so even after we
6:02
when we finished recording we were
6:04
supposed to do a two-month workout camp.
6:07
So he was we was getting ready to go for
6:09
the workout camp
6:10
um before the unfortunate situation
6:13
happened.
6:14
You know, I I couldn't predict
6:16
this happening because he he was in a
6:18
whole different space. So what happened
6:20
like shocked me and caught me caught me
6:22
off guard because that wasn't even his
6:24
vibration at the time.
6:26
Hm. How how did you
6:29
I I couldn't even imagine what it must
6:31
have felt like. What did Did you have a
6:33
coping mechanism or you just live day by
6:35
day, moment by moment?
6:39
Um
6:41
you know, I I I it goes in and out.
6:44
Yeah.
6:44
You know, I kind of I kind of hide in
6:46
the creativity.
6:47
I kind of hide in this project.
6:51
But you know, when I'm when I'm when I'm
6:53
by myself
6:55
it just it just comes and go. I can't
6:57
control it. You can't control it like
6:59
you know, but at least I get I I can
7:01
listen to his music now. Before like I
7:04
couldn't even listen to his music. It
7:05
was it would just taking me out. You
7:06
know what I'm saying? Like now
7:08
I can at least listen to his music
7:11
cuz I just came into the terms where he
7:13
he's he's finally resting.
7:16
You know, he's finally at peace. You
7:17
know, my brother's been going through a
7:18
lot since since we've known him.
7:21
And um
7:22
he came here
7:24
you know, almost as a prophet. You know,
7:26
he would help people before he helped
7:27
himself.
7:29
He would he would he would humanitarian.
7:32
You know, he was a different guy. I'll
7:34
watch him take his clothes off and give
7:37
it to people in need like in broad
7:38
daylight. You know what I'm saying? Like
7:39
he would he would came like he he was
7:42
different different. Like it's not
7:44
you know, he didn't care about no
7:46
jewelry, no cars, no nothing, but he
7:48
definitely cared how your day was going.
7:50
He definitely cared
7:51
if you needed something, if you needed a
7:53
word or two.
7:55
You know, and um
7:57
I haven't really seen that in my
7:58
industry like that, you know, on this
8:00
this type of level. X was for the
8:02
people, for sure.
8:04
Absolutely. Uh Swizz Beatz is here
8:06
888-742-3345.
8:09
Uh we're talking about the final album
8:10
Exodus,
8:11
which is dropping Friday and it is named
8:16
after his son his name Exodus, right?
8:18
Yep.
8:19
And and so
8:21
was it already named before he passed?
8:24
Yeah, it wasn't Exodus. It was It's Dark
8:27
and Hell is Hot again.
8:29
Okay. Okay.
8:31
going for that zone.
8:33
And um but he always loved the name
8:35
Exodus, you know, he got it tatted on
8:37
his neck.
8:38
His son's name is Exodus. He He always
8:40
loved that Exodus title.
8:42
So he was he was going to get to a
8:43
Exodus album
8:45
even if we had the old title.
8:47
But um when he passed, Exodus just felt
8:50
more appropriate.
8:52
Okay. HP, you want to jump in?
8:54
Swizz, what's up? It's Heather. How you
8:56
doing? Thank you so much. I just
8:59
What's up? I just want to say thank you
9:01
because
9:02
not too many men
9:05
are able to express themselves the way
9:07
you have been able to express yourself
9:09
and speak so truthfully, yet humbly
9:12
about losing
9:15
a brother.
9:16
And I thought that your words resonated
9:19
um to so many of our other brothers out
9:22
here and it helped us as women, too, to
9:24
understand what our men go through
9:28
emotionally, mentally, and even
9:30
physically sometimes when they lose
9:32
someone so close. And to hear you speak
9:34
and speak so eloquently and manage to
9:37
find a way even to bring in, you know,
9:41
the legal part of it and the legalities
9:43
and and just have us as people and
9:46
families of color, you know, just start
9:48
to look at life and walk in it so
9:50
differently. I thank you, brother, from
9:52
the bottom of my heart for for opening
9:54
up like that and speaking to us as
9:56
people in your hip-hop community um as
9:59
your family culturally. Thank you so
10:01
much because it shed so much necessary
10:03
light that we needed. That That's just
10:05
what I wanted to say to you. Um thank
10:08
you.
10:09
Thank you. Thank you.
10:11
Thank you.
10:13
Swizz Beatz, man, you got the nice radio
10:16
Swizz Beatz voice on this morning.
10:18
Oh, you hear me today, right? Swizz, I'm
10:19
like, wow.
10:21
That's That's the I'm finished. They're
10:23
working me so hard, but, you know, it's
10:25
not about me. I got to do it for the
10:27
dog.
10:28
Amen.
10:29
I got to do it, fam. So, whether I'm
10:31
tired, whether whatever, we got we got
10:33
to do it, you know.
10:34
Mhm.
10:35
Absolutely.
10:36
Absolutely.
10:36
Tracy, you want to jump in?
10:38
Absolu- Yeah, come on. Swizz is so happy
10:41
to hear your voice and to have your
10:42
energy on the air with us. Um every
10:45
single thing that HB said, I completely
10:47
mirror those sentiments. Two things that
10:50
are coming to to mind and to heart right
10:53
now are because we're having so many
10:55
conversations about grieving now, um I
10:59
think in the forefront in recent years
11:00
more than ever, a lot of times grieving
11:02
has been a very um quiet, private,
11:07
concealed, um and often times um
11:11
avoided process. You know what I mean?
11:14
Mhm. Mhm.
11:14
And
11:16
to see you on stage, like when it came
11:18
to the beautiful memorial that we have
11:22
for X at Barclays, for those who may be
11:27
in a position where they have to speak
11:29
at the memorial for their loved one that
11:31
has passed. What can you share in
11:34
preparing that type of speech that
11:36
someone doesn't is not looking forward
11:39
to giving, you know?
11:42
Is that something you come off the top,
11:44
from the heart, or is that something you
11:45
like write in advance, share with
11:48
others?
11:49
You know, I definitely didn't write my
11:51
speech. I felt like my speech
11:53
I felt like X spoke through me, to be
11:55
honest. Um
11:57
when I went up there I had a whole
11:58
different mindset of what I was going to
12:00
say.
12:01
And then when I spoke other words came
12:04
out. You know, other other words came
12:07
out.
12:08
And uh they were serious words.
12:10
But um
12:12
I said what I said.
12:14
And I wouldn't even take it back because
12:17
it was the truth. You know, we can't run
12:19
from our truth.
12:21
And um it just felt like X just like
12:23
pushed me. He was like, "Man, go ahead.
12:25
Stop playing."
12:26
You know?
12:27
Because it was just
12:29
I would I would I would have framed it
12:30
up a little bit nicer, you know?
12:33
But
12:34
for some reason my filter was gone.
12:37
You know, and I just
12:38
wanted to say what I wanted to I want I
12:40
I said what I said. And um
12:43
But
12:44
usually you would write something, you
12:45
know? But how do you prepare for
12:47
tragedy, right?
12:49
Like I I definitely wasn't prepared for
12:51
X's
12:52
um
12:53
for this loss, you know? Like I said, I
12:55
was caught off guard.
12:57
I didn't It wasn't no indications I'd be
12:59
talking different times before.
13:02
I probably would have been a little bit
13:03
more prepared because it was just, you
13:05
know, there was super super
13:07
um
13:09
worse times, you know? He was in a good
13:11
space this time.
13:12
And so for him to just
13:14
go like that, you know, he he called me
13:17
he called me and he was like um
13:19
told me he wanted to be next to me when
13:21
he wanted to come and check me.
13:23
And I was on my way out the country and
13:25
I was like, "Man,
13:27
you should come with me on this trip.
13:29
We should just, you know, it'll be good
13:30
for you. Let it get away for like a
13:32
week.
13:33
Reset, come back,
13:35
get into your to the workout zone.
13:38
And once he heard the flight was 17
13:39
hours, he was like, man, I ain't trying
13:41
to be next to you that long.
13:44
Hey, uh laugh.
13:47
I said, man, I said, no, I'm telling you
13:49
we got the studio on the plane, this,
13:50
that. He didn't want to hear none of it.
13:52
He was like, you know, uh I'm going to
13:54
check back in with you later. I said,
13:55
cool.
13:57
Went on the trip.
13:58
Two days later,
14:00
he text me and he was he just out of
14:02
nowhere he text me and said, man,
14:04
he was like, yo, I just want you to know
14:05
I'm grateful for everything you ever
14:07
done for me.
14:08
And I love you. And I wrote him back. I
14:10
was like, brothers for life, love you,
14:12
too.
14:13
That was like the last text. And then
14:15
two days later, he transitioned.
14:18
Mhm.
14:18
Uh-huh.
14:19
Wow.
14:20
It was it was it was crazy.
14:22
Yeah, man.
14:23
Uh jeez, thanks for sharing that, too.
14:25
Wow, it's just good hearing that he was
14:27
in such good spirits cuz you you wonder
14:30
about that. Last time we had saw Xzibit
14:32
was the uh when was that? Heather, about
14:34
a year prior he was headlining the
14:36
Memorial Day weekend.
14:38
Memorial Day weekend. We usually host
14:40
this big festival in Minneapolis. You
14:41
know, it's on Soundset and we were
14:43
hosting and and Horace Big Horace and X
14:45
got to see each other. They hadn't seen
14:47
each other since the Belly days, right,
14:49
H? H B and
14:50
No, Belly's. No, actually, since X's
14:52
wedding.
14:53
Since his wedding.
14:54
Yes.
14:54
Wow.
14:56
His first wedding, yep.
14:57
And and it we were looking at him cuz he
14:59
was looking strong and healthy, jumping
15:01
on speakers, man. I got a chance to
15:03
introduce him. So, I was like, yeah,
15:05
man, I got to dial some on my bucket
15:07
list, you know.
15:09
Uh but I I will say this, man.
15:11
I think it was Fabolous who said this,
15:14
who was at the studio that night in
15:15
terms of the music, the album you guys
15:17
put together. This is an anointment
15:19
right here, you know, you, DJ Premier,
15:22
uh Dame Grease, you know, Kanye did
15:25
something, too, right? Um you know, uh
15:28
this album is
15:30
excellent.
15:32
Not because of the circumstances,
15:34
necessarily. That makes it even more
15:36
special.
15:37
But because it's just a great album.
15:39
Rich Rich, you and I were talking about
15:41
that when we left the studio. We went
15:43
walking up Midtown by ourselves, talking
15:45
about it, right?
15:47
Yeah. Yeah, it's a masterpiece. It It is
15:49
a complete masterpiece. Salute to you,
15:51
my Virgo brother. It's a masterpiece. I
15:53
mean, you know, I I I I don't want to
15:55
sound insulting to any other producer,
15:57
but I don't think nobody else could have
15:58
put it together like this. I mean, they
16:00
would have got the album done, but it
16:01
wouldn't have sound this way. And and
16:03
and I want to ask you I mean, I want to
16:05
dig into the creative part of it. You
16:06
know, when you started putting it
16:08
together, particularly this song with
16:10
with X, Jay, and Nas, were you
16:13
channeling vacant lot at this time?
16:15
Because it just I I was closing my eyes
16:17
so much as I was listening and I just
16:19
felt like I was in the vacant lot.
16:22
Bath salts.
16:23
Um
16:24
I I wasn't really thinking I wasn't
16:26
thinking vacant lot. I was just thinking
16:29
authentic dog, you know what I'm saying?
16:31
Like I didn't
16:33
I was I just had X in mind the whole
16:34
time and I had the best parts of X in
16:37
mind the whole time and I stepped back
16:40
from from
16:42
from being his brother. I I I I I went
16:44
into like fan mode, like how do I want
16:47
to hear DMX in 2021? And and the key to
16:51
that was him embracing his age at 50,
16:54
you know, cuz a lot of iconic artists,
16:57
they make a mistake of trying to be
16:58
young and today and and it just don't
17:02
fit well with them, like if you got gray
17:04
hair, let your gray hair show, you know
17:06
what I'm saying?
17:07
And
17:09
cuz music is timeless. They people try
17:11
to put a a age limit on music when not.
17:14
Greatness is greatness and once X
17:16
understood that
17:18
he could be 50 and do what he do, it was
17:20
over.
17:21
You know what I'm saying? Um
17:23
and I I wish, you know,
17:25
I wish Premo was on the project. I wish
17:27
Greece was on the project.
17:29
Um you know what I'm saying? Like they
17:30
they they're not on the project.
17:32
Oh, they're not on the project. Okay.
17:33
No. No. I just had I just had Premo come
17:36
to the studio just out of respect. You
17:38
know, we um
17:40
as a producer architect to hear the
17:42
record and things like that. I mean, he
17:44
wanted to do Premo wanted to get on the
17:46
record.
17:47
Um it was we we finished the album
17:49
already at that time.
17:51
You know what I'm saying? And Greece I
17:53
haven't spoken to Greece in years.
17:55
I haven't speak I haven't spoken to to
17:57
Greece in years.
17:58
But um
17:59
you know,
18:00
I definitely see what you mean about the
18:02
vacant lot sound because like
18:04
you know, it was that raw
18:07
hardcore
18:09
like the Griselda joint, you know what
18:11
I'm saying? Like
18:13
you know.
18:15
How did you choose the who the guest on
18:16
it? Because I mean, you could have
18:18
gotten anybody you wanted, but you hand
18:20
selected certain people. How How did
18:22
that thought process come about?
18:24
It was just
18:26
people that I knew X respected, you know
18:28
what I'm saying? Because
18:29
this is the most features he ever had on
18:31
the album.
18:32
X never really had features because
18:35
X don't even X X don't know how to ask
18:37
for things for himself.
18:39
And I realized that, you know, so I'm
18:41
like
18:42
the reason why he don't have features is
18:45
is X don't know how to ask somebody for
18:46
a feature. Like he's not going to be
18:47
like, "Yo, can you be on my album?" Like
18:49
he's never going to do that.
18:50
And so as a producer, I had to do that.
18:53
So I was bringing different things to
18:54
the table
18:55
when I was when you know, when the beats
18:57
were being done. I was like, "Man, you
18:58
know what sound crazy than this?" Such
19:00
and such. And he'd be like, "Man, you
19:01
think they'd do it?" And I'm like, "Let
19:03
me check."
19:04
100 Everybody said yes. He We didn't get
19:07
one no.
19:08
You know, we we
19:10
Everybody was saying yes to damn near
19:12
every song got a feature on it.
19:14
You know what I'm saying? And it's so
19:16
good because
19:18
he he felt good. He felt the love, you
19:20
know. He he was in a very collaborative
19:23
space. He
19:24
you know, um
19:26
so when he seen Usher pull up to him at
19:29
the studio,
19:30
you know, he felt important, you know.
19:32
When my wife pulled up and
19:34
she was telling the selections of his
19:36
favorite songs, she was just playing it
19:37
for him.
19:39
Like he was feeling love and
19:41
the Griselda track, like he actually
19:43
went to their studio where they was at
19:46
and did the track, which I thought was
19:47
like, "Wow, I never seen him do nothing
19:49
like that."
19:50
And he just he was just in a good space,
19:53
you know, um very collaborative space.
19:56
And um even with the record with Bono,
19:58
you know, Bono wasn't there, but Bono
20:01
drew um
20:04
some artwork for him for the record,
20:06
wrote him a poem, everything, and
20:08
actually just like, "Man, like you know,
20:10
Bono like wrote me the Look at this, he
20:12
wrote me this poem and
20:14
sent me this artwork and
20:16
saying, you know, how how amazing it is
20:19
for his voice to be next to another
20:20
great
20:21
DMX the BMX.
20:24
Called him DMX the BMX, so DMX the
20:26
rider, right?
20:27
And actually just floored over that, you
20:30
know. He felt like
20:32
he was at the space where he belonged
20:33
and that's where I wanted to see him at.
20:37
And and that's that's where he belonged
20:38
anyway.
20:39
So, it was a great it was a great
20:41
moment.
20:43
Excellent moment. MoneyBagg Yo sounds
20:45
great with him. That's that's that's a
20:47
tandem I
20:49
that just doesn't happen. How did he
20:51
feel about MoneyBagg Yo?
20:54
Well, we didn't get to go over MoneyBagg
20:56
Yo because
20:57
that's the only record on the album and
21:00
the only verse that that he didn't hear.
21:02
Everything else he approved.
21:04
So so that song had Pop Smoke on it, you
21:06
know what I'm saying? So,
21:07
a lot of Pop Smoke fans like, "Yo,
21:09
where's the Pop Smoke record? Blah,
21:11
blah, blah."
21:12
But, you know, Pop Smoke they they used
21:14
that verse that we had. The We had two
21:16
We had two verses. They used both of
21:18
those verses.
21:20
And um
21:21
just didn't want to put no used verses
21:22
on the album. So, we just went and did
21:25
something different. But, X wanted to
21:26
embrace the youth
21:28
on this album and the and the new
21:29
artists on this album as well. So,
21:32
you know, as a producer of the album, I
21:34
picked Money Bag Yo for it.
21:36
Okay. Great combination.
21:38
is called Money, Money, Money anyway.
21:40
Yeah. Yo, every song
21:43
I was sitting next to Sinqua the actor
21:45
and every song every time a song came on
21:47
cuz see, I was really in there focused
21:49
listening to the music. Like, Swizz, if
21:51
you ask La Tina, I had a whole page of
21:53
notes. You know, where everybody
21:56
You saw me, Swizz. I was serious. So,
21:58
and then after about 30 minutes of that
22:00
Khalifa Kush just floating in the air,
22:03
man, I forgot where I was, man.
22:08
I'm still recovering, cousin.
22:10
I'm still recovering. You don't hear my
22:11
voice. I'm still recovering.
22:13
Oh, wow.
22:13
Yo.
22:14
Swizz.
22:15
I heard him say what's sitting at, man?
22:17
My voice is My throat is burning.
22:20
Yeah, you know, I was making an
22:21
announcement. I I couldn't take it no
22:23
more. I'm like, man, I can't even
22:24
breathe. That thing is like
22:26
burning my throat. Like, jeez.
22:28
It was great though.
22:30
Except for a great vibe. Um speak to you
22:34
know, you talked about Snoop. Snoop is
22:36
such a
22:37
amazing human being. We all know know
22:39
Snoop. I've known him since the early
22:40
90s.
22:42
Him hosting you guys to make to be in
22:44
the studio
22:45
and start recording this album. What was
22:47
that experience like having just being
22:49
in Snoop's studio?
22:52
Well, first of all, Snoop is
22:54
an amazing amazing host.
22:57
An amazing brother, an amazing artist.
23:00
You know, it's one thing to have your
23:01
music iconic,
23:03
but for you to actually be a great
23:06
person on top of that, it's it's like,
23:07
"Wow."
23:08
Mhm.
23:09
Snoop Snoop, you know what I'm saying?
23:10
Like
23:11
Snoop hospitality was on 2008. Snoop was
23:15
personally cooking for us every night in
23:17
that studio with his own hands. You
23:20
know, Snoop made sure that everything
23:23
was proper for dog and made sure that
23:26
his house was our house.
23:29
And
23:30
that was the that that helped us because
23:33
it made X feel very comfortable in there
23:35
to where we didn't have to leave LA or
23:37
change to another studio.
23:40
And Snoop was just on Snoop got a lot a
23:43
lot of points. More points than he
23:45
already got. Points to me, he got way
23:47
more points
23:49
for the way that he treated dog in that
23:50
studio, man. Like that was
23:53
un- like to see that in our culture and
23:55
our business is the first time I seen
23:57
that.
23:58
Yeah.
23:58
People are nice and cool, but that man
24:01
Snoop was making sure we had dinner
24:02
every night with with him cooking it. I
24:05
ain't never seen that one.
24:07
God bless.
24:08
Mhm. What what What was his chef skills
24:10
like on a scale 1 through 10, Swizz?
24:14
He learned from Martha, Swizz.
24:16
He learned from Martha, baby. He was a
24:18
10 to me.
24:20
Okay, there you go.
24:23
He was a 10 He was a 10 to me.
24:26
All right, Swizz Beatz is here. Exodus
24:29
is dropping Friday. Any and every
24:31
Everybody within the sound of our voice,
24:32
make sure you support this project.
24:35
Where would you
24:36
One more question,
24:36
How would you character-
24:38
Wait. Is this going to be
24:40
Wait, hold up, Rich.
24:41
a physical copy?
24:44
Yeah, because the requests are coming in
24:45
heavy for it. They got vinyl coming.
24:48
I think we got CDs coming. People are
24:50
People are treating it like a
24:51
collectible.
24:53
Um so, we added that. It's not going to
24:54
drop the same It's not going to drop
24:56
this Friday. It's to come a little
24:57
after.
24:58
Cuz that that was a late placement, you
25:00
know what I'm saying? But the request
25:02
for it has been overwhelming.
25:06
So, you're going to do that CD.
25:08
How would you, having worked with him
25:11
his entire career, how would you
25:12
characterize this album for DMX?
25:16
A masterpiece.
25:18
You know, I think it's a masterpiece
25:21
because it's a curated body of work.
25:24
He was super present for it, you know, a
25:25
lot of people
25:27
kind of
25:28
you know, this this is not an album that
25:30
we put together once he passed away.
25:32
It's an album that he did while he was
25:35
here.
25:36
He vibed with all the artists except for
25:38
one.
25:39
He was in the studio for everything.
25:42
You know, this is a DMX album. This is
25:44
not a pieced-together album
25:46
to celebrate his death or anything like
25:48
that. This is an album that was coming
25:50
out either way. This is what he was
25:52
excited about. And um I just think it's
25:54
important for people to know that cuz I
25:56
see the titles and
25:58
how they're writing up everything. Nah,
25:59
man. X did this album while he was here.
26:04
Okay. So, we're going to make it a
26:06
celebration then. That's how I'm going
26:07
to take it, brother. Uh you don't mind.
26:09
I'm going to celebrate that man's
26:11
presence in our lives, his legacy. It
26:14
lives on. Those amazing, beautiful kids
26:16
he has. And these songs, bro,
26:19
these songs are different. When you hear
26:20
the Bono song, it's like, "What is
26:23
this?" I've never really heard anything
26:25
uh you know, that that kind of tandem
26:27
come together. When you hear
26:30
What's the song AK is on Hold Me Down?
26:34
Yeah.
26:35
But when you hear Walking in the Rain uh
26:39
Letter to My Son.
26:40
All of these songs.
26:41
L-
26:42
Letter to My Son is so
26:45
What's the line he says in that sweats
26:47
about, "I don't I don't know what you
26:49
thought about my
26:51
I don't know what you thought about my
26:53
use of drugs, but it taught you enough
26:55
to not use the drugs. Jeez.
26:58
Mhm.
26:58
Woof. Come on, man. That's a letter to
27:01
his son. His oldest son. And so, the
27:03
entire project, man, you you you've um
27:07
you've you was sent it to a whole new
27:09
level, brother. I mean, you've been
27:11
helping us get through this quarantine,
27:13
the coronavirus, you know, coronavirus,
27:16
the pandemic with Versus, which has been
27:18
legendary.
27:20
And now this, and all the other
27:21
different things you do. And I listen to
27:23
you. I I watch you in your IG. Thank
27:26
you, Swizz. I appreciate you. I have one
27:29
request, if I may. One request.
27:32
Mhm.
27:34
Can we get Stevie Wonder and Lionel
27:36
Richie to do a Versus?
27:40
That's the one you want?
27:42
Yes, sir.
27:43
I want, brother.
27:44
You don't want Stevie and Quincy?
27:48
Okay, I'll take that.
27:49
Can I get that, too?
27:53
Can I get FRIES WITH THAT?
27:56
I DIDN'T KNOW WE could get Quincy on.
27:57
Okay, WE COULD GET QUINCY?
28:01
YEAH.
28:01
YOU KNOW WHAT? AND ALSO
28:04
Go ahead, Swizz.
28:05
No, you go ahead. You go ahead.
28:08
I was going to say, while we on the
28:09
subject of Versus,
28:12
if we can if we can clear up I'm not
28:13
sure if it's official or not, cuz a lot
28:15
of people will put these matchups
28:18
together, but I be waiting for the Swizz
28:20
and Tim like go ahead. Is Bow Wow and um
28:24
Soulja Boy
28:26
really happening?
28:28
Yeah. That's That's That's happening.
28:31
You know, they you know, a lot of people
28:33
cuz we was waiting like me and Tim got
28:35
our anniversary coming up
28:37
this Sunday at Live in Miami, rematch.
28:40
Right? So, we was we was kind of wait
28:42
wanted to wait for that to go past, and
28:44
then announce it, but they went ahead
28:46
and announced it pretty early so
28:48
to all the versus fans that think that
28:51
we put this in place that know if you
28:53
look at our calendar we had a memorial
28:55
day weekend special and that's the
28:57
rematch it says rematch on there
28:59
right
29:01
but we going to do the Bow Wow and
29:02
Soulja Boy roll out proper
29:05
um like how we do everything but you
29:06
know it's I like that they they out
29:08
there having fun and
29:09
putting it out there and it's so organic
29:11
you know everything don't have to go
29:12
through the machine
29:14
and um
29:15
Mhm.
29:15
you know I just I just like that
29:18
they want to celebrate
29:19
you know they brought a lot of things to
29:21
the music industry at a young age
29:23
and um that should be celebrated too.
29:27
Absolutely man. Appreciate you Swizz. So
29:30
uh
29:30
Mhm.
29:31
Will do do we agree on Stevie and and
29:33
and Quincy? Do is that Ashton Stone? Do
29:35
we agree on that everybody? We all
29:37
agree?
29:38
I don't know if it's Ashton but we
29:40
definitely agree.
29:42
I I I love
29:43
Okay there you go.
29:44
My man Swizz Beatz man. Swizz love you
29:47
brother. Hey listen man.
29:49
Love you man. That's you know that's in
29:51
two words love you. Keep going.
29:53
Love love love brother. All of you guys.
29:56
Absolutely man. Send our love to the
29:58
family. Thank you for being on the show
30:00
today
30:01
and y'all look for the Exodus project.
30:03
We'll be talking about it all the time
30:04
and playing a lot of those bangers.
30:06
Swizz Beatz give it up for Swizz Beatz.
30:07
HE'S A CITIZEN.
30:13
OKAY SWIZZ HAVE a beautiful day brother
30:15
but thanks for calling in.
30:16
All right thanks king.
30:18
Peace.
#Arts & Entertainment


