Swizz Beatz Clarifies Jay-Z & Lil Wayne Collab On "Hip Hop 50, Vol. 2"

BYGabriel Bras Nevares3.0K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Swizz Beatz Jay-Z Feature Lil Wayne
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images & Kevin Winter/Getty Images
In reality, the legendary producer was just referring to a freestyle that Hov did while on tour, but people thought it would be a full feature.

It's one thing for a hyped collab to never see the light of day, but it's a different kind of pain when it ends up happening without the bombast you expected. But to be fair, maybe that's just people's high expectations. Still, fans got very excited when Swizz Beatz teased a collab between Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. However, when the track "This S**t Right Here" dropped, Hov was nowhere to be found in the verses. Instead, a vocal sample of his was used for the song, which left many scratching their heads. During a recent Twitter Spaces conversation with TIDAL's Elliott Wilson, the legendary producer had to set the record straight on what he really meant.

Of course, "This S**t Right Here," appeared on Swizz Beatz's latest project, the Hip Hop 50, Vol. 2 EP. Moreover, he explained that he referred to a vocal sample he had from Jay during his tour in 2007 or 2008. "I had [that freestyle] in my files as Jay vocals," the 44-year-old revealed. "So you didn’t have a Jay verse on that joint, you just were playing with us?” Wilson responded. “‘Cause everybody got excited, you know how the Internet is."

Swizz Beatz Explains What He Meant When He Teased A Jay-Z & Lil Wayne Collab

"S**t, I got excited too!” Swizz Beatz exclaimed. Even if the New York legend wasn't on it, at least Lil Wayne still spazzed. In addition, the "Uproar" producer defended himself by stating that at least it was actually Jay-Z and not an A.I.-generated voice or verse. “That’s him him, so I’m like, ‘Why can’t we say it’s him?’ It is him on the song." Given all the buzz around artificial intelligence in music, perhaps we'll see that defense much more often in the coming months.

Despite the disappointment for many, Vol. 2 still came packed with excellent features. Whether it was Jadakiss, Benny The Butcher, Scar Lip, or Jay Electronica, everyone did their thing on the commemorative project. In fact, Jay Electron' even sparked up some discussion by revealing that SZA apparently blocked him on social media. For now, fans will have to wait and see what a Swizz beat with Hov and Weezy would result in. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for the latest on Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
...