and the three behind mine

"the funeral" | swizz beatz
"part of the plan" | swizz beatz f/ chris martin
"bust ya gunz" | swizz beatz f/ drag-on
"take a picture" | swizz beatz

earlier today, one man band man, the individual effort from swizz beatz arrived in my inbox. to be honest, i didn't expect much from the full surface frontman except for some dope, hype production. for the most part, one mand band man is the quintessential record for putting in the vehicle and riding windows down. everybody already knows that "it's me bitches", "money in the bank" and "top down" go hard, but i didn't expect for swizz to try his hand on introspective (sounding) joints. "the funeral" features production that finds a niche between soul searching keys and an up tempo backdrop. i don't think i need to tell you that swizz doesn't exactly have a solid handle on the mic. he's certainly closer to pharrell than kanye west as a producer/mc, but "the funeral" has a personal sentiment that i can appreciate despite his flaws on the mic.

second in line, "part of the plan" features an extended sample from coldplay and swizz beatz crafts this one to perfection. sonically, the keys and the haunting echoes take "part of the plan" to a different level. in addition, i would say this is his best lyrical performance on one man band man and ultimately, the best joint on the record. don't get me wrong, you shouldn't go into one man band man expecting much more than a club record, but swizz still has some tricks up his sleeves.

let's face it, i know the people want one of the more exciting records to preview and "bust ya gunz" is that hibachi. i gave you the mellow side of swizz beatz, but this is what it's all about. who cares if drag-on came back to the game, the swag on this joint is simply undeniable. driving synths coupled with banging drums provided by needlz creates the perfect backdrop for swizz to bounce around on.

lastly, "take a picture" is simply infectious. "take a picture" is a feel good record that makes you just want to move (just feel that bass line). it's a nonsensical song with swizz moving from topic to topic without much thought, but "take a picture" is the type of joint that can quell arguments.