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.
Weight
Swollen Members Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey yo my cocaine's whiter than colgate,
And when Christ come imma go relocate.
Finish off the dimes,
Big slabs of crack, writin my gangstaz will.
Bury me at the plate in Bronze Bomber's Field.
Give my young guards the four horses,
Dookie Jims and theyre all gorgeous.
Came to'em had a mean fortress,
A french maid blowin me down like Farah Faucet.
My gun collection is big in the Adolph section,
My little mini-me he bump off the Mexicans.
Mostly known for ma earlobe,
4 million dolla disco ball,
Shit though ma wrist cut.
Bang glass on the crystal floor at club Shiznit,
Lil Romee-Rome just came home,
Violated parole sellin cell phones.
With his Snoop Dogg perm,
His brother Puff Sherm threw two in big worm?
Chorus(*2)
My my my money fold up!
My my my pockets swolled up!
Say what, say what
Just roll up!
What's the hold up unload and reload up.
Hellfire....Handle the hill? shellfire
Kill quiet like a knife on the front line.
Private live ride stage show,
First bird flamethrow,
Overthrow, takeover,
Name known around the globe.
King Cobra poison slow,
Fang jungle overgrown.
Wu Tang, Ghostface, Alchemist killin this song.
Feelin famous, chop heads, walk illa
Comic, fillin on pain killers, watchin good fellaz,
Dancin in the dungeon all by maself,
I say i think im goin crazy, thats a cry for help.
My phone dont ring but get sexy text messages,
Gunnin on ma cop, get to bitches mouth wrestlin.
Hey Im just chillin with killers at ma disposal,
I have a feelin youll accept ma proposal.
Put another dime in the jukebox, I love, rock n roll,
Bulletproof vest, glock, lock and load.
Chorus(*2)
Wait..........
Rap zombie, Im controlled by powers beyond me.
I go from the drum machine straight to the Digi-D,
To the Harddrive to the G5 to the computer screens.
To the lab thru the speakers to the Pens n the pads
To the science to the lab to the vocab.
Straight to the phone booth, to the mic,
Back to that O-rap
Thru the speakers,
To the place where your hear and your soul at.
Drop out the drums,
Rough mix straight to the work dat?
Bounce the track, disk format and then burn that.
To the CD,
We'll take it to the truck where the systems at,
Make sure the bass hit like a thunderclap.
Then i double back to the lab,
Fast like i was runnin laps.
I freeze! Back to the Digi-D's to an MP3,
Thru the internet freeway,
Straight to the DJ's to the radio, constant airplay.
I gotta keep food on my plate, so im moving that Weight!
Chorus(*2)
WEIGHT!
In the lyrics of Swollen Members's song Weight, the rapper talks about his drug-dealing lifestyle, his luxurious possessions, and his fame. He begins by boasting about his cocaine's quality and his ability to relocate when necessary. He then talks about "finish[ing] off the dimes" and having "big slabs of crack," indicating his involvement in drug-dealing. He mentions his will and requests to be buried in Bronze Bomber's Field while giving his young guards and baby girls his possessions.
Swollen Members's artist describes his lavish lifestyle by mentioning his "4 million dollar disco ball" and "gun collection." He also mentions an encounter with a French maid and his hanging out with "killers at [his] disposal." He then switches to a different topic, discussing his creative process and the efforts he puts into his music. He talks about being "controlled by powers beyond [him]," and his dedication to perfecting his craft. Lastly, he reiterates his involvement in drug-dealing to keep food on his plate.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey yo my cocaine's whiter than colgate,
I have high-quality cocaine that is purer than anything else you can find, even Colgate's toothpaste.
And when Christ come imma go relocate.
When Jesus arrives, I plan on moving to a new location.
Finish off the dimes,
I want to use up all my small bags of drugs.
Big slabs of crack, writin my gangstaz will.
I have a lot of crack cocaine and I will write my will, which will go to my fellow gangsters.
Bury me at the plate in Bronze Bomber's Field.
When I die, I want to be buried in a baseball field named after a boxer named The Bronze Bomber.
Give my young guards the four horses,
I want my young associates to have four fast and powerful cars.
My babi gurls get the pink Porsches.
My female companions will receive bright pink Porsches as gifts.
Dookie Jims and theyre all gorgeous.
My associates, who I refer to as 'Dookie Jims,' are all incredibly attractive.
Came to'em had a mean fortress,
When I first met my associates, I had a very intimidating and fortified presence.
A french maid blowin me down like Farah Faucet.
A French maid is performing oral sex on me, just like Farrah Fawcett did in a famous movie scene.
My gun collection is big in the Adolph section,
I have a large collection of guns, including some related to the historical figure Adolf Hitler.
My little mini-me he bump off the Mexicans.
My little associate will go and kill some Mexicans for me.
Mostly known for ma earlobe,
People tend to associate me with my unique earlobe.
4 million dolla disco ball,
I own a very expensive disco ball that cost four million dollars.
Shit though ma wrist cut.
I injured my wrist pretty badly.
Bang glass on the crystal floor at club Shiznit,
I am smashing a glass against the high-quality crystalline floor at an upscale club.
Lil Romee-Rome just came home,
My associate Lil Romee-Rome has just been released from jail.
Violated parole sellin cell phones.
Lil Romee-Rome broke his probation terms by selling stolen cell phones.
With his Snoop Dogg perm,
Lil Romee-Rome has a similar hairstyle to rapper Snoop Dogg.
His brother Puff Sherm threw two in big worm?
Lil Romee-Rome's brother, Puff Sherm, shot and killed someone named Big Worm?
My my my money fold up!
I have a lot of money that I can fold up and carry with me.
My my my pockets swolled up!
My pockets are filled to the brim with cash.
Just roll up!
I am asking my associates to prepare a joint or blunt for us to smoke together.
What's the hold up unload and reload up.
I am questioning why there is a delay in unloading and loading up drugs to sell.
Hellfire....Handle the hill? shellfire
I am prepared for intense and dangerous situations involving gunfights and warfare.
Kill quiet like a knife on the front line.
I know how to be silent and lethal in combat situations.
Private live ride stage show,
I lead a private life but when I perform on stage, it is quite a show.
First bird flamethrow,
I am the first to take a risk and use aggressive tactics in a situation.
Overthrow, takeover,
I am planning a revolution to overthrow and take control of something.
Name known around the globe.
My reputation is widely known and recognized worldwide.
King Cobra poison slow,
I am a deadly and patient threat, much like a king cobra's venom.
Fang jungle overgrown.
The environment I am in is dangerous and overgrown, like a jungle.
Wu Tang, Ghostface, Alchemist killin this song.
I am collaborating with Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah, and The Alchemist to create an amazing song together.
Feelin famous, chop heads, walk illa
I am enjoying my fame and success, while still being intimidating and powerful.
Comic, fillin on pain killers, watchin good fellaz,
I am feeling comedic and relaxed, thanks to the effects of painkillers, while watching the movie Goodfellas.
Dancin in the dungeon all by maself,
I am dancing and having a good time all by myself in a dark and enclosed space.
I say i think im goin crazy, thats a cry for help.
I am admitting that I may be losing my sanity and need help.
My phone dont ring but get sexy text messages,
I am not receiving phone calls but I am receiving flirtatious text messages.
Gunnin on ma cop, get to bitches mouth wrestlin.
I am targeting a police officer and watching two women engage in oral sex.
Hey Im just chillin with killers at ma disposal,
I am relaxed and hanging out with associates who are dangerous and can be called upon at any time.
I have a feelin youll accept ma proposal.
I believe you will accept my suggestion or offer.
Put another dime in the jukebox, I love, rock n roll,
I want to hear more classic rock songs and am willing to pay for it.
Bulletproof vest, glock, lock and load.
I am preparing for a dangerous situation and am wearing a bulletproof vest while loading my gun.
Rap zombie, Im controlled by powers beyond me.
I see myself as a 'rap zombie' or someone who is controlled by external and uncontrollable forces.
I go from the drum machine straight to the Digi-D,
I am able to create music by going directly from a drum machine to a digital audio workstation.
To the Harddrive to the G5 to the computer screens.
I am using various digital tools and programs to create music, from a hard drive to a G5 computer to my computer screen.
To the lab thru the speakers to the Pens n the pads
I am working in a music lab and creating songs that eventually come through my speakers and are then written down on paper.
To the science to the lab to the vocab.
I am using scientific methods in my music creation, experimenting in a lab and using a vocabulary specific to music production.
Straight to the phone booth, to the mic,
I am moving quickly from a phone booth to a microphone to record music.
Back to that O-rap
I am returning to rap music, or 'O-rap,' to continue creating music.
Thru the speakers,
The music eventually goes through the singers and can be heard by others.
To the place where your hear and your soul at.
Music can reach the emotional core of a person, touching their heart and soul.
Drop out the drums,
I am removing some of the drum sounds from the song to create a different mix.
Rough mix straight to the work dat?
I am asking if the rough mix of the song can be sent straight to the work data, or computer file.
Bounce the track, disk format and then burn that.
I am bouncing the musical track, formatting it for a disk, and then burning it to that disk.
To the CD,
The track is then recorded onto a CD disc.
We'll take it to the truck where the systems at,
The CD will then be taken to a truck where the sound system is located.
Make sure the bass hit like a thunderclap.
The sound system needs to produce a strong bass that hits with the force of thunder.
Then i double back to the lab,
Once the track has been reviewed in the truck, I will return to the lab to make further adjustments.
Fast like i was runnin laps.
I am moving quickly and efficiently, as if I were running laps around a track.
I freeze! Back to the Digi-D's to an MP3,
I suddenly stop what I am doing, and then return to my digital audio workstation to create an MP3 file.
Thru the internet freeway,
The MP3 file will be shared and uploaded onto the internet through a fast and efficient pathway similar to a freeway.
Straight to the DJ's to the radio, constant airplay.
The music will go from the internet straight to DJs and radio stations, receiving constant airplay.
I gotta keep food on my plate, so im moving that Weight!
I need to make money to support myself, so I am actively selling drugs or 'weight.'
WEIGHT!
The song ends and the weight or drugs that were discussed throughout the song are emphasized once again.
Contributed by Camilla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.