Swizz Beatz Reveals How He Pushed DMX to Complete ‘Party Up (Up in Here)’
Swizz Beatz shared insights about the creation of DMX’s “Party Up (Up in Here)” and the effort it took to bring the late rapper to complete the song.
In an interview with Rolling Stone as part of the Musicians on Musicians series, the producer described how he prepped beats and choruses for artists and highlighted a story about DMX’s reluctance during the recording of the hit track.
Reflecting on his approach, Swizz Beatz mentioned, “What made me really popular when I first started was I would have the beat and the chorus already laid for the artist. They just had to plug and play.”
He further explained the context, stating, “I mean, it worked for DMX one time with ‘Party Up.’ But if you listen to ‘Party Up,’ he does everything against the track. Like, you could tell he didn’t want to do the song. But I forced him because we were on a deadline.”
Swizz Beatz emphasized, “It’s the most disrespectful verse I think he ever did, and it’s the biggest song we ever made.”
The track “Party Up (Up in Here)” appeared on DMX’s 1999 album, climbing to No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although the song was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, it lost to Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady.”
In a GQ interview in 2019, DMX shared insights on creating “Party Up (Up In Here)” and revealed his approach to the song, stating, “It took me 13 years to get a fuckin’ record deal. You know, it brought a couple albums outta me. For one, I didn’t make it for the club, the beat is for the club. I just spit some real shit to it. Like, ‘Aight, you give me a beat that people can dance to, I’ll spit some shit that a motherfucker can beat somebody up to.’ It’s a good combination!”
Reflecting on his approach to music, DMX expressed, “Again, it confirms another thing I’ve dared to believe that, you know, my music is not just for the moment. It’s forever.”
The shared anecdotes give insight into the dynamic between Swizz Beatz and DMX in the making of the iconic track “Party Up (Up in Here).”
