Swollen Members was founded in the mid-1990s by Vancouverites Mad Child, Pr… Read Full Bio ↴Swollen Members was founded in the mid-1990s by Vancouverites Mad Child, Prevail and Moka Only. Having begun a solo career while living in San Francisco, California, Mad Child returned to Vancouver for some work. There he met Prevail and Moka Only, working as partners and making a name together on Canada's West coast hip hop community. The trio saw each other's abilities, thought they heard opportunity knocking, and joined together under the name Swollen Members. Soon after, however, Moka Only decided he wanted to pursue a solo career and left the group.
In 1996, Mad Child and Prevail went to the B-Boy Summit in San Diego, California, where Mad Child won several rap battles and was initiated into the Rock Steady Crew, legendary to the hip hop/b-boy scene. The Crew is held in great respect as hip hop's highest collective - to join one must win a contest of skill against one of the highest ranked members. Swollen Members is one of only three rap groups affiliated with Rock Steady.
That same year, the duo began recording their first tracks, with help from many of their friends from the scene - MCs, DJs, and producers, including Rob the Viking. Rob would continue to work with the group through the years, eventually joining them later. From the praise they were receiving, they decided it was time to release their material as a group. With the subsequent release of three 12" singles on Mad Child's record label Battleaxe Records, the group quickly established themselves in the scene and built a respectable following. The next logical step was to release an album, which was titled Balance and released in 1999.
Balance received wide critical acclaim and has been claimed by the band to have sold in excess of 50,000 copies. Featuring collaborations with artists such as Everlast, Divine Styler, and Dilated Peoples, the album also netted Swollen Members the 2001 Juno Award for Best Rap Recording.
Following Balance, Swollen Members recorded and released Bad Dreams, which successfully dodged the so-called "sophomore curse" many artists suffer upon their second release. Bad Dreams was released on November 13, 2001, featuring guests such as Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Son Doobie, Joey Chavez, and former member Moka Only. Like their debut, Bad Dreams was surprisingly successful for an independent rap album and brought Swollen Members global acclaim. Surprisingly, it appealed to both underground and mainstream audiences, with several singles reaching platinum status in Canada.
The album also earned Swollen Members their second Juno Award, and four MuchMusic Video Awards. The group continues to tour, visiting every major market possible and performing hundreds of shows a year; some with nearly 15,000 audience members. The media continues to give their music and live shows excellent coverage around the globe, and both new and old singles receive solid airplay on college and commercial radio. Their tracks have also been featured in a multitude of films, television programs, extreme sports videos, commercials, video games (especially games produced by Electronic Arts, which has a studio in their hometown of Vancouver), and compilation albums, the sales of which total in the millions when combined.
Swollen Members have appeared on numerous television shows, in addition to having several of their live shows televised. Like their singles, their music videos have been heavily played on both the Canadian MuchMusic and the American MTV, as well as on many independent video shows.
2002's Monsters in the Closet, their third release, brought them greater fame than ever before. Where Moka Only and Rob the Viking had only peripherally assisted the duo before, they now became official members of the group. Monsters included several unreleased tracks and remixes, as well as collaborations from fellow British Columbian Nelly Furtado and Saukrates of Def Jam. Production credits included Evidence from Dilated Peoples.
2003 brought Heavy, released yet again to critical acclaim and powerful sales, despite dismal video play time on MuchMusic. The band considers it the bridge between their underground origins and their potential for fame. Unfortunately the album was controversial among Swollen Members' fanbase. Many fans claim that Swollen Members have removed many elements of their style which had awarded them in the past. The lines were drawn between fans who began to listen to Swollen Members when Monsters in the Closet came out and fans attracted by the earlier two albums (especially Balance). They continue to tour, playing both local and international shows to the delight of their hometown fans.
In 2005 Moka Only decided to break off from the group for a second time and continue work on his solo career.
In 2006 Swollen Members released their fifth full album, Black Magic. It is understood that Mad Child and Prevail made an attempt to return to their previously critically acclaimed style and method. Their previous album Heavy was seen by the band as a disappointment, and isn't listed on their official site discography.
In August 2006, Swollen Members released their new single "Put Me On - Feat. Everlast" off of their new album, "Black Magic".
Their next CD is scheduled to be released at the end of the summer of 2008. According to the band's website, Mad Child will soon release a solo album.
In 1996, Mad Child and Prevail went to the B-Boy Summit in San Diego, California, where Mad Child won several rap battles and was initiated into the Rock Steady Crew, legendary to the hip hop/b-boy scene. The Crew is held in great respect as hip hop's highest collective - to join one must win a contest of skill against one of the highest ranked members. Swollen Members is one of only three rap groups affiliated with Rock Steady.
That same year, the duo began recording their first tracks, with help from many of their friends from the scene - MCs, DJs, and producers, including Rob the Viking. Rob would continue to work with the group through the years, eventually joining them later. From the praise they were receiving, they decided it was time to release their material as a group. With the subsequent release of three 12" singles on Mad Child's record label Battleaxe Records, the group quickly established themselves in the scene and built a respectable following. The next logical step was to release an album, which was titled Balance and released in 1999.
Balance received wide critical acclaim and has been claimed by the band to have sold in excess of 50,000 copies. Featuring collaborations with artists such as Everlast, Divine Styler, and Dilated Peoples, the album also netted Swollen Members the 2001 Juno Award for Best Rap Recording.
Following Balance, Swollen Members recorded and released Bad Dreams, which successfully dodged the so-called "sophomore curse" many artists suffer upon their second release. Bad Dreams was released on November 13, 2001, featuring guests such as Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Son Doobie, Joey Chavez, and former member Moka Only. Like their debut, Bad Dreams was surprisingly successful for an independent rap album and brought Swollen Members global acclaim. Surprisingly, it appealed to both underground and mainstream audiences, with several singles reaching platinum status in Canada.
The album also earned Swollen Members their second Juno Award, and four MuchMusic Video Awards. The group continues to tour, visiting every major market possible and performing hundreds of shows a year; some with nearly 15,000 audience members. The media continues to give their music and live shows excellent coverage around the globe, and both new and old singles receive solid airplay on college and commercial radio. Their tracks have also been featured in a multitude of films, television programs, extreme sports videos, commercials, video games (especially games produced by Electronic Arts, which has a studio in their hometown of Vancouver), and compilation albums, the sales of which total in the millions when combined.
Swollen Members have appeared on numerous television shows, in addition to having several of their live shows televised. Like their singles, their music videos have been heavily played on both the Canadian MuchMusic and the American MTV, as well as on many independent video shows.
2002's Monsters in the Closet, their third release, brought them greater fame than ever before. Where Moka Only and Rob the Viking had only peripherally assisted the duo before, they now became official members of the group. Monsters included several unreleased tracks and remixes, as well as collaborations from fellow British Columbian Nelly Furtado and Saukrates of Def Jam. Production credits included Evidence from Dilated Peoples.
2003 brought Heavy, released yet again to critical acclaim and powerful sales, despite dismal video play time on MuchMusic. The band considers it the bridge between their underground origins and their potential for fame. Unfortunately the album was controversial among Swollen Members' fanbase. Many fans claim that Swollen Members have removed many elements of their style which had awarded them in the past. The lines were drawn between fans who began to listen to Swollen Members when Monsters in the Closet came out and fans attracted by the earlier two albums (especially Balance). They continue to tour, playing both local and international shows to the delight of their hometown fans.
In 2005 Moka Only decided to break off from the group for a second time and continue work on his solo career.
In 2006 Swollen Members released their fifth full album, Black Magic. It is understood that Mad Child and Prevail made an attempt to return to their previously critically acclaimed style and method. Their previous album Heavy was seen by the band as a disappointment, and isn't listed on their official site discography.
In August 2006, Swollen Members released their new single "Put Me On - Feat. Everlast" off of their new album, "Black Magic".
Their next CD is scheduled to be released at the end of the summer of 2008. According to the band's website, Mad Child will soon release a solo album.
Against All Odds
Swollen Members Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Against all odds I worship galvanized gods
Saturn sends serpents hatch from underworld cause
Disguised as associates but I can recognise fraud
Head and nose(?) Brewing brutal hesitant to applaud
I been known to fall flat in my face covered in mud
As the sun turns to darkness the moon turns to blood
Love turns to hate (hate) revenge turns to guilt
I thrive on complements as my confidence is built
Feel the need to abort as assassins extort
My mind frame contort tryin to hold down the fort
Fort knocks despise clocks heart bleeds I plant seeds
Guaranteed my first son, a descendent of a legend
I'm edging towards falling off the face of this earth (why)
Chemical in valets of anger at planted at birth
Hereditary faults more mans complex assaults
And battery and flattery feeds the flame catapults
The odds are against me (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
There's no chance for this champ
Cold-blooded carnivore
Crush skulls like rancour
Thanks tarnish red
Northwest extraterrestrial
Endangered species
Stole the rams head from skellitore
Predator in a powerful assault stand and manse
A pain from conformity drink from the jugular
Emasculate brain cells bomb loads of regular
Equipped with the hatchet attachment I slay
Break bones and like snap necks like Chun Li with a krumatie
Full contact tracks cracks and amplified cramps
Furious fists flown by the welterweight champ
Vampire and hell fire fuck around and get burned
I'm a deputised regulator courts adjourned
Surrealism laced with enthusiasm
My molecular structure separates your cytoplasm
Muscle spasms increase into uncontrollable knots
Bandits ambushes you and rides my train of thought
Discipline disciples militant massacre
Molesting mediocrity
That's what were down for
Brainstorm then transformed into an abnormal down fall
Psychopathic psychlone an F-5 twister
Call me mr heat minor I charge the energiser
Run by solar power deviants I devour
The odds are against me (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
Definitely against me (against all odds)
No fuckin chance (against all odds)
Mad miraculous
Dominate potency
It's wonderful smashing impotent mutants
Shootin junk into your veins painful poisonous venom
In every drug body shrugs and laughs when I get in em
Special effects flashbacks are beneficial
Crystal mad deep breath is artificial
Fate intension it releases your species decreases
I lost my marbles, my brains a puzzle with missin pieces
The light is flickerin up stares die alone no one cares
A couple sandwiches short of a picnic
I'm just kickin it (just kickin it)
Sickening kinetically chaotic feel the poetic mastermind blastin by
Barbarian's barricades artillery ambushed
Awkward ammunition trembling trolls
Take the terrorist transition as I'm holding
Golden fish wish as they once surrounded by piranhas on a mission
Enter the vicious circle a mind-bending action
A magnificent tournament passing out obvious obstacles
That hangs like ornaments
Then brainwashing and reconstructing thoughts like psychology
Articulate aggression, technical terminology
Suffer the consequences of excruciating pain
Absorb ten thousand volts of madness to your brain
Combat the crusader annihilate violators
I'm a strategic and dangerous catapulting culprit
The odds are against me (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
His chances are slim (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
Hey what's the fuck wrong with him?
Saturn sends serpents hatch from underworld cause
Disguised as associates but I can recognise fraud
Head and nose(?) Brewing brutal hesitant to applaud
I been known to fall flat in my face covered in mud
As the sun turns to darkness the moon turns to blood
Love turns to hate (hate) revenge turns to guilt
I thrive on complements as my confidence is built
My mind frame contort tryin to hold down the fort
Fort knocks despise clocks heart bleeds I plant seeds
Guaranteed my first son, a descendent of a legend
I'm edging towards falling off the face of this earth (why)
Chemical in valets of anger at planted at birth
Hereditary faults more mans complex assaults
And battery and flattery feeds the flame catapults
The odds are against me (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
There's no chance for this champ
Cold-blooded carnivore
Crush skulls like rancour
Thanks tarnish red
Northwest extraterrestrial
Endangered species
Stole the rams head from skellitore
Predator in a powerful assault stand and manse
A pain from conformity drink from the jugular
Emasculate brain cells bomb loads of regular
Equipped with the hatchet attachment I slay
Break bones and like snap necks like Chun Li with a krumatie
Full contact tracks cracks and amplified cramps
Furious fists flown by the welterweight champ
Vampire and hell fire fuck around and get burned
I'm a deputised regulator courts adjourned
Surrealism laced with enthusiasm
My molecular structure separates your cytoplasm
Muscle spasms increase into uncontrollable knots
Bandits ambushes you and rides my train of thought
Discipline disciples militant massacre
Molesting mediocrity
That's what were down for
Brainstorm then transformed into an abnormal down fall
Psychopathic psychlone an F-5 twister
Call me mr heat minor I charge the energiser
Run by solar power deviants I devour
The odds are against me (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
Definitely against me (against all odds)
No fuckin chance (against all odds)
Mad miraculous
Dominate potency
It's wonderful smashing impotent mutants
Shootin junk into your veins painful poisonous venom
In every drug body shrugs and laughs when I get in em
Special effects flashbacks are beneficial
Crystal mad deep breath is artificial
Fate intension it releases your species decreases
I lost my marbles, my brains a puzzle with missin pieces
The light is flickerin up stares die alone no one cares
A couple sandwiches short of a picnic
I'm just kickin it (just kickin it)
Sickening kinetically chaotic feel the poetic mastermind blastin by
Barbarian's barricades artillery ambushed
Awkward ammunition trembling trolls
Take the terrorist transition as I'm holding
Golden fish wish as they once surrounded by piranhas on a mission
Enter the vicious circle a mind-bending action
A magnificent tournament passing out obvious obstacles
That hangs like ornaments
Then brainwashing and reconstructing thoughts like psychology
Articulate aggression, technical terminology
Suffer the consequences of excruciating pain
Absorb ten thousand volts of madness to your brain
Combat the crusader annihilate violators
I'm a strategic and dangerous catapulting culprit
The odds are against me (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
His chances are slim (against all odds)
The odds are against me (against all odds)
Hey what's the fuck wrong with him?
In the verse "Against all odds I worship galvanized gods, Saturn sends serpents hatch from underworld cause," the lyrics speak to a sense of defiance and resilience in the face of challenges. The mention of "galvanized gods" suggests a belief in higher powers that provide strength and protection. The imagery of serpents hatching from the underworld symbolizes deceit and betrayal, highlighting the theme of facing adversaries who may appear as allies. The artist expresses a keen awareness of recognizing fraud despite attempts at disguise.
The following lines delve deeper into personal struggles and internal conflicts, with references to falling flat on one's face and experiencing a range of emotions from love to hate. The artist acknowledges their vulnerabilities and the complexity of human relationships, showcasing a raw honesty and introspection in their lyrics. The mention of assassins extorting and the struggle to hold onto one's mental fortitude paint a vivid picture of inner turmoil and external pressures threatening to destabilize one's sense of self.
As the verse progresses, there is a shift towards introspection and contemplation of personal legacy and identity. The artist grapples with existential questions and the weight of inherited traits and societal expectations. The mention of chemical imbalances and ingrained anger speaks to a deeper exploration of inner demons and the struggle to reconcile one's past with the present. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency and impending doom, with a looming sense of falling off the face of the earth symbolizing a fear of losing oneself to external forces.
In the final verse, the artist channels aggression and power, embodying a relentless force in the face of adversity. References to dominance, potency, and demolishing opponents highlight a sense of empowerment and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds. The imagery of battling inner demons and societal norms, coupled with a sense of isolation and alienation, conveys a powerful message of defiance and resilience in the face of insurmountable challenges. The repeated refrain of "against all odds" underscores the artist's refusal to succumb to defeat, showcasing a defiant spirit and unwavering determination to persevere against all obstacles.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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