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.
Meltdown
Swollen Members Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
yeah
uh huh
yo
yeah, yeah, yo, uh huh
(chanting)
swollen x16
[Prevail]
six years and arrow heads
barrels and parrot heads
apocalyptic slit throat apply pressure
espionage
black overcoat
catcher in the rye
i telescope the Deathproof of a planet called terror
I'm a Grindhouse bearer with bad news
sun moon and stars bears my seal like bloody sabbath
eels for hungry maggots
negative temperature in the meat locker
i final resting place for rappers and beef boxers
you play the bitch role ilke Starscream to Megatron
the Soundwave engraved in my name lead you to martyrdom
highly celebrated your mutilated like live stock
socererers apprentice to Merlin's powerful warlock
spellbound meltdown gold for armour
while my hellhounds hunt down pray for honour
more strength in my legion
than 300 from sparta
cannonballs crush the dawning of my armada
[Mad Child]
this country needs a hero
you godless heathens
hip hop is not dead but it's hardly breathing
bring life back to it
yeah shine a little light so the crazy kids can listen in the middle of the night
Mad Child box tomahawk i'm a mohawk indian
angel from hell
so fuck your opinion
it's dangerous to make friends with strangers
when i'm not with them
i remain the Lone Ranger
15 reasons not to cause anger
14 in the clip, plus one in the chamber
and i will not pretend i am not down with brown killas
got gang squad watching my home
cuz i roam with known felons
knock. knock, i got nothing to kill em so
everywhere i go i keep
stop the chop the villan
will they keep poppin' pills
till the shit kill him
or will he drop
baby before my wheels don't stop spinning
no time, change the topic
shane's brain is a little bit offset
i'm hot some of the my thoughts
got too much topspin
[Prevail]
the code of the warrior is armed to the teeth
what we make in the studio spills on to the streets
we take over the stage we're enraged like a beast
we're let out the cage and after family, we feast
[Mad Child]
psychotic episode voices in my head
bad choices poison should be dead
half force half boulevard
red head hunter
still love god but i'm still a little monster
(two years passed by)
that's news to me
now these drugs aren't as good as they used to be
so i'm take a little break and
make some death music
that's self abusive dark marching music
I'm startin' to lose it
its already been gone
still killer strong
i am King Kong
with the wild and restless spirit
let it pain for rain in my lyrics
i'm insane thats my main interference
that's blood in the sink that's shane in the mirror
and i refuse to respect my enemies
if that's souls are cold and ungernerous
that's how I feel real gangsters are gentlemen
hold cold steel if they feel the adrenaline
still we'l kill if still feel life depend on it
not for a meal that's serving' the devil shit
the misguided angel is heaven sent
don't call this a come back we never left
[Spoken]
"Most people are surprised that I walk on two legs.
and ah… I have no choice, I have to solve this, this problem.
So I suppose my plans are to find an identity
give off one life and get another one."
The lyrics to "Meltdown" by Swollen Members are filled with metaphor and imagery that depict the struggles the artists face in their personal and professional lives. The song opens with Prevail's verse about his experience as a "Grindhouse bearer with bad news," indicating his role as a messenger of doom in the rap game. He describes himself as a sorcerer's apprentice to Merlin's powerful warlock, highlighting how he uses his lyrical powers to create an apocalyptic world for his listeners. The verse ends with a violent image of "cannonballs crush[ing] the dawning of my armada," pointing to his unwavering determination to dominate the music industry.
Mad Child's verse reflects his own personal struggles with addiction and the pressures of the rap lifestyle. He paints himself as an angel from hell, acknowledging the temptation to indulge in drugs and other vices. He talks about his past run-ins with the law, explaining how he remains a lone ranger even when he collaborates with other artists. The verse ends with a poignant admission that he is "startin' to lose it" and that he uses "dark marching music" as a form of self-abuse.
Line by Line Meaning
six years and arrow heads
I've been preparing for this fight for a long time
barrels and parrot heads
I'm well equipped and ready for anything
apocalyptic slit throat apply pressure espionage black overcoat catcher in the rye
I'm a spy and a killer, waiting for the end of the world
i telescope the Deathproof of a planet called terror
I can see the end of the world coming, and I'm ready for it
I'm a Grindhouse bearer with bad news
I'm here to deliver the worst news possible
sun moon and stars bears my seal like bloody sabbath
I'm a conqueror, with the power to slay my enemies
eels for hungry maggots
I'm surrounded by those who would take advantage of me if they could
negative temperature in the meat locker
I'm in a dark and dangerous place
i final resting place for rappers and beef boxers
I'm the end of the line for those who oppose me
you play the bitch role ilke Starscream to Megatron the Soundwave engraved in my name lead you to martyrdom
If you're against me, you'll pay the price
highly celebrated your mutilated like live stock sorcererers apprentice to Merlin's powerful warlock
I'm a powerful force to be reckoned with
spellbound meltdown gold for armour while my hellhounds hunt down pray for honour
I'm in the middle of a fierce battle, and I'm determined to win
more strength in my legion than 300 from sparta cannonballs crush the dawning of my armada
I've got an army that's more powerful than anything you can imagine
this country needs a hero you godless heathens hip hop is not dead but it's hardly breathing bring life back to it
The state of the world is dire, but I will bring hope to those who need it
yeah shine a little light so the crazy kids can listen in the middle of the night Mad Child box tomahawk i'm a mohawk indian angel from hell so fuck your opinion
I'm fighting for a better world, and I won't let anyone stand in my way
it's dangerous to make friends with strangers when i'm not with them i remain the Lone Ranger 15 reasons not to cause anger 14 in the clip, plus one in the chamber and i will not pretend i am not down with brown killas
I'm a lone wolf, and I'm always armed
got gang squad watching my home cuz i roam with known felons knock. knock, i got nothing to kill em so everywhere i go i keep stop the chop the villan will they keep poppin' pills till the shit kill him or will he drop baby before my wheels don't stop spinning
I'm constantly on the move, trying to stay one step ahead of my enemies
no time, change the topic shane's brain is a little bit offset i'm hot some of the my thoughts got too much topspin
My mind is racing, and I'm struggling to keep up
the code of the warrior is armed to the teeth what we make in the studio spills on to the streets we take over the stage we're enraged like a beast we're let out the cage and after family, we feast
I'm a warrior, and I'm determined to win this fight
psychotic episode voices in my head bad choices poison should be dead half force half boulevard red head hunter still love god but i'm still a little monster (two years passed by) that's news to me now these drugs aren't as good as they used to be so i'm take a little break and make some death music that's self abusive dark marching music I'm startin' to lose it its already been gone still killer strong i am King Kong
I'm struggling with my inner demons, but I'm still strong
with the wild and restless spirit let it pain for rain in my lyrics i'm insane thats my main interference that's blood in the sink that's shane in the mirror and i refuse to respect my enemies if that's souls are cold and ungernerous that's how I feel real gangsters are gentlemen hold cold steel if they feel the adrenaline still we'l kill if still feel life depend on it not for a meal that's serving' the devil shit
I'm determined to do whatever it takes to win, even if it means going to dark places
the misguided angel is heaven sent don't call this a come back we never left
I'm not back - I've always been here, fighting for what's right
Most people are surprised that I walk on two legs. and ah… I have no choice, I have to solve this, this problem. So I suppose my plans are to find an identity give off one life and get another one.
A spoken interlude that suggests the singer has a physical disability or some other issue that sets them apart from others
Contributed by Gavin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.