Swizz Beatz has opened up about one of his final collaborations with the late, great DMX.
Speaking with Rap-Up, the super-producer reflected on "Been to War," the French Montana-assisted track, which dropped a week after X's death and ended up on the soundtrack to the second season of Epic's Godfather of Harlem. "I actually made that record for X, and wanted that record for X, but then we was coming with the show. And so it was like, you know what, it's perfect," Swizz told the outlet. "Yeah, that might’ve been the last one."
"He sent it to me and he was just so excited to be included in Godfather of Harlem again, beyond the theme song,” he continued of the remote collaboration. “And he just was like, I'm going to get it. ‘Cause he was taking a little long to finish the verse because he was traveling. And then he called me and he was just like, 'I'm on it. I’m going to the studio and I’ll have it to you by tomorrow.'"
Just as he said, X kept his promised and submitted it the following day. "I thought it was super fresh and he just was super appreciative, ’cause he was a big fan of Forest [Whitaker]. Big fan of Godfather and it’s something he actually had fun doing," he added.
Besides working on the record, Swizz executive produced the fallen rapper's late album, Exodus, which is scheduled to drop May 28. If you follow him on Instagram, you know that he recently played the posthumous LP for a few of DMX's family members and friends, including Busta Rhymes and Jadakiss.
Photo: Getty Images