Rhymefest

You know what’s funny?  About 2 or 3 months ago I wrote an article that I never published.  The article was about Kanye’s just released single “Power”.  At the time, I didn’t know it was called “Power” and I had no idea what it sounded like.  However, I did know that the song was produced by S1 of the Strange Fruit Project, and that was whole point of the piece.  While various big name producers like Rza, Pete Rock, Q-Tip were being mentioned as collaborators for Kanye’s forthcoming album, nobody was talking about this S1 dude who was brought into the fold by Rhymefest.  I didn’t publish the article at all because I thought it may damage whatever deal they were working on, and was advised to keep things quiet.  I was forced to choose between relationships and website hits, and I always choose the relationship.  Everytime.  Even earlier today I was on the phone with someone about what to reveal and what not to reveal regarding my info on how S1 got involved in Kanye’s new album and how things went down.  With the song leaked, and the producer now known, I was ready to put out the whole story of how the two met and what it’s been like working with each other, but again, decided to wait as it didn’t seem like the timing was right.  Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag as S1 has opened up to MTV, letting everyone know that it was Rhymefest that brought S1 to Kanye’s attention and has pretty much changed his life forever.  Check out the story he told MTV after the jump.

via MTV

 

Kanye West has aligned a murderer’s row of producers for his forthcoming album, including Pete Rock, the RZA and Q-Tip.

But “Power,” the first track to emerge from the Chicago MC’s highly anticipated LP, wasn’t produced by one of the aforementioned acclaimed beatsmiths. Instead, underground producer Symbolyc One manned the boards for the number.

The Dallas-based producer (a.k.a. S1) has previously worked with Ghostface, Slim Thug and Chamillionaire, but he’s hardly a household name.

“The way it came together, I work with Rhymefest,” S1 told MTV News about the song, referring to another Chicago MC. “I did like four joints on his album. And one day, out the blue, I got a text from Rhymefest that said, ‘Kanye is loving your stuff. He said he’s about to change your life.’ Two days later, I got an e-mail that said my flight to Hawaii [where West recorded much of the album] leaves in three hours! So I was on a flight, and it just happened like that. I went down and stayed for like two weeks, banged out some joints.

“The ‘Power’ joint that we did, it was actually a track that I already made and gave to Rhymefest, and he just so happened to play it for Kanye in the studio and he loved it. So when I got out to Hawaii, Kanye had already recorded to it.”

A month later, S1 returned to Hawaii and heard “Power” again, this time with more “polish” added by ‘Ye, who co-produced the song. However, S1 picked the sample that drives the record: a snippet of British progressive rock band King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man.”

Initially, he didn’t think West would be interested in the beat, because a drum break resembles a sound the rapper already visited on “Crack Music,” a song from one of his previous albums.

But West showed a heavy interest in the song, and used it to fire back at his detractors: “I’m living in the 21st century, doing something mean to it,” ‘Ye raps on the first verse. “Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it/ Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it/ I guess every superhero need his theme music.”

“It was incredible,” the producer said. “We would just listen to the joint in the studio over and over, with the lights turned down and these layers of lights on in the studio. And we would bang it loud, over and over.”

In addition to producing, S1 is a part of a trio billed as the Strange Fruit Project, who have been releasing material since 2004.

Their next project A Dreamer’s Journey — which S1 described as “alternative hip-hop” — is set for fall release; he and his production parter Caleb oversaw all the material.

In the meantime, S1 said he’s fielding phone calls and learning as much as he can from West.

“They kind of welcomed me into the family,” S1 said. “I’ve been doing a lot of work with him. He’s just a good dude. He has a super-good heart. He really took care of me and made me feel like a part of the family. And I’m so grateful for the position he’s put me in right now.”