Swizz Beatz Albums (2)
'Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories'
Release Date 7/16/2002
Tracks 17
Label DreamWorks
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The full-length debut for Ruff Ryders trackmaster Swizz Beatz is that rare thing in the rap world: a record with a single production style. Considering most mainstream rappers hire out two producers for every three tracks they release, hearing an entire LP with a uniform sound is as welcome as it is surprising. Still, Swizz Beatz' Kasseem Dean does vary his sound a bit, and experiments more than any you'd hear on a randomly selected 17 of his productions from other artists' albums. G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories finds him moving from quasi-acoustic soul (with the LL Cool J feature "Ghetto Love") to a few in the usual Ruff Ryders style (for Jadakiss on "Big Business" and Eve on "Island Spice") to a ragga track with Bounty Killer, but also introduces Ja Rule to Metallica for a heavy metal extravaganza called "We Did It Again." The highlight "Endalay" features Busta Rhymes livening up what would've been a comparatively bland production on its own, and Styles hits on all cylinders for "Good Times." Dean is actually a great rapper too, able to command the mic and the mixing board for three tracks here -- he should've given himself more. As it is, despite the great sounds and great features, too much of G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories finds one of the hottest producers in hip-hop resting on his laurels. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Shortly after fellow rap producers Pharrell and Timbaland released solo albums of their own, Swizz Beatz served up One Man Band Man, and like those of his peers, it fails to fulfill its potential, held back by repetitive, inane raps and relentless, self-indulgent boasting. Prior to this misstep, Swizz had been on a hot streak. Most notably, he produced three of the best songs on Beyoncé's 2006 chart-topper B'day ("Get Me Bodied," "Upgrade U," "Ring the Alarm") as well as her number one soundtrack hit "Check on It" (from The Pink Panther). He'd also recently produced tracks for Jay-Z, T.I., the Game, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Gwen Stefani, R. Kelly, Eve, and UGK. Given such contacts, it's puzzling why Swizz didn't ask at least a few of these superstars to return the favor and contribute to his album. That's what Pharrell and Timbaland did on their respective solo albums, In My Mind (2006) and Shock Value (2007), and that's indeed what Swizz did on his previous album, G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories (2002). As expected, the productions are lively, no question about that (Eve's contemporaneous single, "Tambourine," is a good point of comparison). When the album's rare guest raps (Drag On on "Bust Ya Gunz"; Lil Wayne [whose gonzo verse is the album highlight], R. Kelly, and Jadakiss on "It's Me Bitches [Remix]") do turn up, they're a relief. Had Swizz included more guest features like these, and consequently put himself on the sidelines more frequently, One Man Band Man would be a much more enjoyable listening experience. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
