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.

Blackout
Swollen Members Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Blackout
[Prevail]
Prevail the merciless mercenaries of militants
No resemblance to any other assembly's heritage
Despair will be the downfall of arrogance
Repairs will be necessary too much heavy damage
Counter intelligence spy craft flies past P's the aviators
Recesuitation reincarnation I'm the reanimator

Greater mind power than einstein genius and insanity
We walkin that fine line talk about prime time exposure
Face remains poker overload the road to stardom like exploding supernovas
Maintain composure while there's ability violentory
You hear the voice of a surgeon and wake up in an ambulance
You're out of your element a graveyard of skeletons
Elephants in a caravan cross a mountain like hannibal
Light the fire in wicks make the air thick with cannonballs
Nothing that I can't resolve chemicals meant to dissolve

[Mad Child]
Greed pain and torture lock this in my room
I'm an insane sorceror (you're mad) what I'm sayin shane's forceful
You don't wanna fuck with a vain cain corsal
War mask on a chosen path you don't wanna laugh at this sociopath
Don't try to act hardcore you stay soft a unchained pitbull'll rip your face off
Backpack with an axe and a chainsaw mad child cracked imma grab what I came for
Masked bandit skimmed and branded (gunshots) smoke clears I'm the last man standin

God blessed me with a gift, I'm so grateful bent out of shape but I still stay faithful
Purified poison, strength of gorilla mentally killa meant to be illa

Overall Meaning

In the song "Blackout" by Swollen Members, the two members, Prevail and Mad Child, deliver two separate verses that express their own styles, while also maintaining a theme of mercilessness and brutality. Prevail's verse speaks to his own intelligence and power, putting himself on a level with Einstein. He speaks of the ability to maintain composure in violent situations, but also acknowledges the need for repairs after damage is done. He also references espionage and surgical precision, adding to the theme of calculated violence. Mad Child's verse, in contrast, speaks more to his own chaotic energy. He references pain and torture, and speaks of himself as a sorcerer with a chosen path of violence. He also speaks of himself as purified poison, meant to be ill. Both verses contain imagery of violence and destruction, and speak to the idea of being a force to be reckoned with.

One interpretation of the song could be that it's a commentary on the modern world and society. Prevail's verse speaks to the need for intelligence and composure in order to navigate the complexities of the world we live in, while Mad Child's verse acknowledges the darkness and chaos that exists within it. The repeated theme of violence and brutality could be seen as a reflection of the violence that exists within society, both physically and psychologically.

Line by Line Meaning

Prevail the merciless mercenaries of militants
I, Prevail, lead a group of ruthless soldiers who work for hire to protect our rulers and crush any opposition.

No resemblance to any other assembly's heritage
We are unique and independent, not influenced by other groups or traditions.

Despair will be the downfall of arrogance
Those who are too proud to acknowledge their problems will eventually suffer because of their ignorance.

Repairs will be necessary too much heavy damage
There will be consequences for actions that cause great harm, and it will take effort to fix the damage that has been done.

Counter intelligence spy craft flies past P's the aviators
We are skilled at espionage and surveillance, and can move undetected through the skies.

Recesuitation reincarnation I'm the reanimator
I have the power to bring things back to life, both literally and metaphorically.

Greater mind power than einstein genius and insanity
My intelligence is unmatched, but sometimes that brilliance comes with a level of madness that may be threatening.

We walkin that fine line talk about prime time exposure
We are taking calculated risks to achieve fame and recognition in the entertainment industry.

Face remains poker overload the road to stardom like exploding supernovas
We keep our emotions in check despite the intense pressure of trying to make it big, and strive to become a sensation that is hard to ignore.

Maintain composure while there's ability violentory
We remain calm and focused even if there is potential for conflict and aggression.

You hear the voice of a surgeon and wake up in an ambulance
I am skilled at delivering precision strikes, so you may not even feel the impact until it's too late and you wake up injured.

You're out of your element a graveyard of skeletons
If you are not prepared, our environment and actions can be deadly, with reminders of those who couldn't handle it before.

Elephants in a caravan cross a mountain like hannibal
We are strong and resilient, and can overcome any obstacle in our path.

Light the fire in wicks make the air thick with cannonballs
We are powerful and explosive, ready to ignite with great force and cause destruction with every move we make.

Nothing that I can't resolve chemicals meant to dissolve
There is no challenge too great for me to overcome, and I can use any means necessary to get the job done.

Greed pain and torture lock this in my room
I am haunted and imprisoned by my own desire for wealth, suffering, and inflicting cruelty on others.

I'm an insane sorceror (you're mad) what I'm sayin shane's forceful
I possess a chaotic and formidable power that others may not understand, but it is undeniable and cannot be ignored.

You don't wanna fuck with a vain cain corsal
Do not underestimate my vanity, my wrath, or my ability to strike back with lethal force.

War mask on a chosen path you don't wanna laugh at this sociopath
I am on a mission of destruction, donning a mask of war and prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals, regardless of the consequences.

Don't try to act hardcore you stay soft a unchained pitbull'll rip your face off
Do not pretend to be tough if you can't handle the consequences, or you may be ripped apart like a helpless prey by a ferocious unchained dog.

Backpack with an axe and a chainsaw mad child cracked imma grab what I came for
I am fully equipped with my tools of destruction, and I will not hesitate to use them to get what I want or need.

Masked bandit skimmed and branded (gunshots) smoke clears I'm the last man standin
I am a ruthless outlaw who has escaped punishment and left chaos and destruction in my wake, and I am willing to fight to the death to stay alive and free.

God blessed me with a gift, I'm so grateful bent out of shape but I still stay faithful
I have a talent or skill that I am thankful for, even though it may have taken a toll on my well-being or sanity, I still believe in a higher power and stay true to my beliefs.

Purified poison, strength of gorilla mentally killa meant to be illa
My poison is refined and deadly, my physical strength is unmatched, and my mental acuity is fierce, all together making me a killing machine meant to be feared above all else.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Cristian Marcelo Bahamonde, Kiley Hendriks, Robin Wilfred Hooper, Shane Bunting

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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