Swizz Beatz Says Lil Wayne Didn't Like "Uproar" At First

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Bacardi The Dean Collection: No Commission - Day 3
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 09: (L-R) Swizz Beatz, Lil Wayne, and Jabar attend Bacardi The Dean Collection: No Commission - Day 3 on December 9, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Swizz Beatz explains how Lil Wayne didn't like his initial edits on "Uproar."

Though "Uproar" became Lil Wayne's biggest hit off of Tha Carter V, it appears that he wasn't down with the song at first.

Swizz Beatz recently sat down on Mike Tyson's podcast where he discussed the single. He explained that it began as a freestyle with Wayne basically breezing through the entire instrumental without pausing. Of course, Wayne's known for his freestyles but Swizz saw the potential behind the record. He explained that he began to tweak the record, including Wayne's vocals, but the Young Money founder wasn't entirely behind the move.

Lil' Wayne and Swizz Beatz (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

"This was the last record. I kind of messed with his vocals. He ain't like that," Swizz said. However, the producer said that he explained to Mack Maine that he needed to "mess with" the record to turn it into an actual song, rather than a freestyle.

"I talked to Mack, I said, 'This gotta be more than a freestyle because he rapped all the way through,'" Swizz said. From there, he took the portion of the record where Wayne raps, "What the f- though? Where the love go? Five, four, three, two, I let one go," and turned it into the hook.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 17: Lil Wayne performs at the Amazon Music Live Concert Series on November 17, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Amazon Music)

"When you put this piece throughout, it brings people back and it plays as a chorus," Swizz explained. "And then Wayne was like, 'Alright, alright. Let's do it.'"

"Uproar" became an instantaneous hit that propelled to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the song drew controversy due to the sample of "Special Delivery" by G. Dep. The song's producer, Ez Elpee, claimed that Swizz and Wayne didn't give him the proper credit for sampling the record.

Check out Swizz Beatz's full interview with Mike Tyson below.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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