Sam Scarfo f. Kurupt, Prodigy, 40 Glocc - Concrete Jungle 2006

King Tee f. E-Swift - E Get Swift 1990

Even if fellow CanIBringMyGat contributor noixe “just realized him and J-Swift are different people last week,” when I mentioned I was planning a post on E-Swift, that’s no excuse for you to not know who we’re talking about. Because you know E-Swift. You heard his beats, you heard him rhyme. Or tell me you haven’t heard “Make Room,” “Hip Hop Drunkies” and “Daaam!” Production-wise, Eric Brooks has kept it in the family for the most part of his career. There are, of course, the four Alkaholiks albums, and Tash’s “Rap Life,” which remains the sole Liks solo joint so far. Additionally, he did tracks on Xzibit’s first two albums, Defari’s debut and Dilated’s “The Platform.” In the mid-90s he was able to convince Boot Campers Heltah Skeltah and OGC and Shaolin representative King Just to rock over his beats.

Originally hailing from Toledo, OH, E arrived in Los Angeles in 1988 just after high school. He DJed local events and befriended J-Ro, through which he hooked up with King Tee, who was looking for someone to succeed his DJ Keith Cooley. Through Tee E met DJ Pooh, a crucial hip-hop producer we already had the pleasure to profile. It’s easy to assume that Pooh showed E-Swift the production ropes, and soon enough they were working on St. Ides commercials. Notorious for his drinking habits, King Tee took J-Ro, E-Swift and another Ohio transplant, Tash, who by then had formed the trio ESP (Everyday Street Poets), under his tutelage and introduced them to the world as Tha Alkaholiks on his third full-length. Even with Tash missing in action, their two guest spots on “Tha Triflin’ Album,” “Got it Bad Y’all” and “Bus Dat Ass” remain quintessential Liks joints and made for one of the strongest first impressions anybody ever made with their first feature. That was in 1993 and E-Swift already exactly knew where he was going with this rapping and producing thing: “Yes I’m the man with the skills to talk shit / and I’m backed by the crew that none of y’all can get with / So back to the lab to fix your demo / or get played like Sega or Nintendo / Simple as that, gimme a beat that’s fat / and watch a nigga jump on the muthafucka like cheese and a rat / It’s strictly underground dirty-ass funk / that’s bustin’ out the weak 15’s in your trunk / So don’t be scared, be prepared when it hits / cause the average muthafucka can’t hang with the Liks.”

Over a decade later, with the Alkaholiks project officially laid to rest, E-Swift is back with a track for newcomer Sam Scarfo (signed to Def Jam by Jay-Z), which we are able to present to you thanks to the promo department at The Island Def Jam Music Group. Like many other talented producers, E-Swift unfortunately did little work outside of his immediate realm. Here’s hoping that’s about to change. Rather than picking some random obscure joint (like Sweet N Lo’s “Excuse Me As I Rip It”) or something that should be in your collection anyway (anything by Tha Liks), we include E-Swift’s first documented credit, “E Get Swift,” the DJ track off King Tee’s “At Your Own Risk” from 1990. It’s understood that neither selection showcases E-Swift’s typical refreshing, bass- and sample-heavy style, but we certainly won’t begin to typecast a producer just when everything’s set up for him to explore his newfound creative freedom.

E-Swift’s MySpace page

E-Swift Discogs entry

E-Swift promoting Tapco S.8 Active Studio Monitors

2005 interview with www.nobodysmiling.com

2002 interview with www.altrap.com