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Swing Mob
Also known as
  • Da Bassment Cru
  • Superfriends
OriginVirginia, U.S.
GenresR&B, hip hop
Years active1991—1995 (Swing Mob)
1997—2004 (Superfriends)
Labels
MembersDeVante Swing
Past membersK-Ci & JoJo
Mr. Dalvin
Missy Elliott
Timbaland
Magoo
Ginuwine
Playa
Tweet
Jimmy Douglass
Stevie J
Larry Live
Leshawn Shellman
Radiah Covington
Chonita Coleman
Sugah
Accion
Reeboc
Mr Brendal
Baazar Royale

Swing Mob (sometimes known as Da Bassment Cru) was a loosely knit musical collective consisting of artists and record labels first discovered by Jodeci member DeVante Swing in 1991. The artists on Swing Mob included Missy Elliott with the group Sista, Timbaland, Magoo, Ginuwine, Static Major and the rest of Playa, Darryl Pearson, Mike "Funky Mike" Jackson, Tweet with the group Sugah, Majik, Jimmy Douglass, Stevie J, Maija Max, Renee Anderson, Bazaar Royale and Chad "Dr. Ceuss" Elliott among others, although the group's full membership has never been documented comprehensively. A list of some known artists in Swing Mob at the time of the group's activity can be found in the liner notes of Jodeci's third studio album, The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel (1995).[1][2]

Swing Mob and formation of Da Bassment Cru

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In the early 1990s, DeVante Swing decided to assemble a large crew of rappers, singers, instrumentalists and producer to sign to his Swing Mob label and collaborate with. He auditioned many local groups and acts. The performers met in Swing's basement studio in Rochester, a location that inspired the moniker "Da Bassment Cru" (also a pun on bass). The group brainstormed and recorded music together in Swing's studio, ultimately aiming to produce a VHS compilation project that could market the group members to record labels. Acts who were recruited into Da Bassment Cru included Jodeci, the R&B groups Fayze (later renamed to Sista) which was a group Missy Elliott was in, Playa, the rap duo Timbaland & Magoo, R&B group Sugah which members included famous singer Tweet, rock artist Baazar Royale, solo underground rappers Mr.Brendal & Accion, solo female rapper Reeboc and singer Ginuwine. Swing Mob also recruited record producers and audio engineers such as Jimmy Douglass and Stevie J. During this time, Swing also met Rochester School Of The Arts graduate Renee Anderson through Paul Boutte, a prominent figure in the Rochester gospel scene, producer Reginald Moore and Dave Schumaker. Anderson was a member of Colorz, a local R&B girl group at the time. Moore played Anderson's demo for Swing backstage during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Swing then flew back to Rochester to meet Anderson, agreeing to produce an album for her.[3]

From 1993 to 1995, the collective crew released multiple collaborative EPs, though many of these were commercially unsuccessful. In 1994, Sista released its sole album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World;[4] this album received positive reviews but was shelved due to a lack of commercial success. Swing Mob members also featured on film soundtracks during this period, with their music appearing in titles such as Above the Rim and Dangerous Minds.[5]

The Swing Mob label dissolved in 1995. Artists such as Missy Elliott (who had been a member of Sista) Timbaland & Magoo, and Ginuwine had begun to leave the group and pursue musical careers elsewhere, and other artists from the collective stated that they felt Swing was underpromoting or mismanaging them.[5] Smoke E. Digglera of Playa has stated that artists were forced to choose whether they wanted to sign directly to Def Jam or through Swing Mob instead, weakening some acts' loyalty to the Swing Mob brand.[6][7] Since the disbandment of the collective, Swing has also been accused of physically abusive behavior toward his artists. Stevie J has described an incident in which Swing purportedly entered the studio with his entourage and began slapping the artists, a situation which devolved into an all-out brawl.[8][9][10][11]

VA Playaz Supafriendz

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Missy Elliott was first part of the girl group SISTA under the Swing Mob collective before branching off to become a successful artist.

After the dissolution of Swing Mob, its former artists continued to collaborate. During the late 1990s, Playa, Missy, Timbaland, Magoo, Ginuwine, & Mad Skillz would form a Sequel collective called The VA Playaz Superfriends collective in 1997.[12][13] The founding members would add a few more members to the new roster which included Nicole Wray,[14][15] N.E.R.D., The Clipse, Shauna Montgomery, Sebastian, Danja Mowf, DJ Lonnie B, Tweet, and rising R&B artist Aaliyah.[16][17] The collective began working with each other and collaborating on each other's recordings, keeping the features within the group, and often appearing in each other music videos.

The first collaboration under the Suparfriendz name took place on Timbaland & Magoo's 1997 single "Up Jumps da Boogie", in which Elliott and Ginuwine provided background vocals and made appearances in the music video. Also providing background vocals was Aaliyah, who had become affiliated with the former Swing Mob roster after Timbaland produced her 1996 album One in a Million.[18] Missy Elliott, who had served as a writer and background vocalist on One in a Million, went on to release her debut solo album, Supa Dupa Fly, in 1997. A critical and commercial success that featured production from both Elliott and Timbaland, this album helped to raise the profile of the collective.[19][20][21] While affiliated with the Supafriendz collective, Playa released the 1998 album Cheers 2 U. Playa member Static Major also served as a songwriter for many other members of the collective, contributing writing to Ginuwine's "Pony" and many of Aaliyah's songs from this period.[22] Nicole Wray and Tweet also released music during the Supafriendz' period of peak activity.[23]

Aaliyah, who had become a core member of the Superfriends due to her commercial success, died in 2001. This loss shook the collective, and its members gradually began to drift apart in the aftermath.

R&B artist Aaliyah became a major part of the Supafriendz collective after the release of her album One in a Milion.

VA PLAYAZ Supafriendz members

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The ' VA Playaz Supafriendz' collective collaborations singles

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Song Artist(s) Featured artist
"4 Page Letter" Aaliyah Timbaland (as background vocals)
"We At It Again Timbaland & Magoo Static Major, Sebastian
"Luv to Luv Ya" Timbaland & Magoo Playa, Shauna Montgomery
"G Thang" Ginuwine Missy Elliott, Magoo
" Body Snatchers" The Clipse N.E.R.D.
"Grindin" The Clipse N.E.R.D.
"One Man Woman" Playa Aaliyah
Got Caught Dealing Pt.1&2 The Clipse N.E.R.D.
Big White Spaceship N.E.R.D Timbaland & Magoo
"JOY" Timbaland & Magoo Ginuwine Playa
"Make It Hot" Nicole Wray Missy Elliott
"All In My Grill Missy Elliott Nicole Wray
"Smoke In The Air" Timbaland & Magoo Playa
"Intro" Playa Magoo
Derby City Playa Magoo
"Ms.Parker" Playa Missy Elliott
"Ain't Nothin But A B Party " Swing Mob Timbaland & Magoo Playa Devante Swing
"All Y'all" Timbaland & Magoo Tweet, Sebastian Mosley
"Are You That Somebody" Aaliyah Timbaland Static Major Mad Skillz Dj Lonnie B

Danj Mowf

"Bounce" Timbaland Missy Elliott
"Beep Me 911" Missy Elliott Timbaland & Magoo, 702
"Call Me" Tweet Missy Elliott (as background vocals)
"Cheers 2 U" Playa Timbaland (as background vocals)
"Cop That Shit" Timbaland & Magoo Missy Elliott
"Hot Like Fire" Aaliyah Missy Elliott (as background vocals)
"I Care 4 U" Aaliyah Missy Elliott (as background vocals)
"If Your Girl Only Knew" Aaliyah Missy Elliott (as background vocals)
"Make It Hot" Nicole Wray Missy Elliott, Timbaland
"None of Ur Friends Business" Ginuwine Timbaland (as background vocals)
"One In A Million" Aaliyah Missy Elliott (as background vocals)
"Oops (Oh My)" Tweet Missy Elliott
"Pony" Ginuwine Timbaland & Magoo, Playa (as background vocals)
"Same Ol' G" Ginuwine Timbaland
"So Anxious" Ginuwine Timbaland Playa (as background vocals)
"Take Away" Missy Elliott Ginuwine, Tweet
"The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" Missy Elliott Timbaland (as background vocals)
"Try Again" Aaliyah Timbaland Static Major
Final Warning Ginuwine Aaliyah Static Major
"Up Jumps Da Boogie" Timbaland & Magoo Missy Elliot, Aaliyah
"We Need A Resolution" Aaliyah Timbaland, Static Major
"What's So Different" Ginuwine Timbaland (as background vocals)
Timbaland's collaboration through compilation with 'Swing Mob' partners 'Superfriends'
Artists Album Featured Artitsts Label/Distribution Year
Timbaland Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Magoo, Missy Elliott, Playa, Skillz Blackground Records/Empire Distribution 1998/2021

*Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and Static Major were actively been involved in majority of the collective works, with Timbaland serving as the predominant producer on majority of the songs on multiple albums. However the three do not serve as writer and producer on every song on each albums. The 8 artists of the collective also appear and feature on multiple tracks on various albums also sharing writers credit. Many of the tracks may not have been marketed as a single, which of the above is a select few.[24][25]

♦The Term Superfriends, coined by the collective crew themselves, was a reference to them being superheroes, changing music every chance they got in order to save the world, as claimed by both Missy and Timbaland.[26][27] It also comes from the track "Best Friends"(Featuring Aaliyah), with Missy explaining that they would come together as super friends.[21] It also derives from the term 'supergroup', the collaboration of the urban R&B/Pop team being composed of music producers, writers, rappers and singers all from the Da Bassment Camp as well as solo artists who were becoming successful in their own right.

After Swing Mob

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Some former Swing Mob members ultimately went on to establish their own record labels. Missy Elliott founded The Goldmind Inc., while Timbaland founded Mosley Music Group and the now-defunct Beat Club Records. After Playa broke up, member Static Major found mainstream success in writing songs for other artists including Aaliyah ("Try Again", "Are You That Somebody?"), Pretty Ricky ("Your Body"), and Lil Wayne ("Lollipop"). He eventually died in 2008 after complications from a medical procedure.

Ginuwine and Timbaland would eventually fall out with one another,[28] but relations remain close between the other former members of the Swing Mob and Superfriends collectives.

Swing Mob discography

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Da Bassment

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  • 1993: Da Bassment Cru (Swing Mob/EastWest)

Sista

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Sugah

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  • 1997: Untitled Album (unreleased) (Swing Mob)

Mad Skillz

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Missy Elliott

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Timbaland and Magoo

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Playa

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Ginuwine

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Tweet

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Mr. Dalvin

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Renee Anderson

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  • 1995: Untitled Album (unreleased) (Dajhelon/MCA/EMI/Swing Mob)

Bazaar Royale

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  • 1995: Untitled Album (As Da Boogieman)(unreleased) (Swing Mob)
  • 2003: What's It All For? (Def Jam/Ruff Ryders/Bloodline)

Soundtracks

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References

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  1. ^ "The Origin of a Sound". VirginiaLiving.com. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  2. ^ "The show, the afterparty, da bassment". (585) magazine. 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  3. ^ "The show, the afterparty, da bassment". (585) magazine. 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  4. ^ Abraham, Mya (2021-09-25). "Missy Elliott Celebrates Her Introduction As An Artist In '90s Girl Group, Sista". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  5. ^ a b YKIGS (2021-01-28). "The Story of DeVante Swing's Da Bassment As Told By the Artists Who Were There - YouKnowIGotSoul.com". YouKnowIGotSoul.com | New R&B Music, Songs, Podcast, Interviews. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  6. ^ "Smoke of Playa: An Insider's View of Swing Mob - R&B Haven". www.rnbhaven.com. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  7. ^ Bowser, Edward (2012-11-05). "What Ever Happened to: Playa". Soul In Stereo. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  8. ^ "Missy Bravely Tells Why She Never 'Felt Pretty' In Devante Swing's '90s Girl Group". I Love Old School Music. 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  9. ^ "Stevie J Recalls Brutal Brawl with K-Ci After Devante Smacked Missy Elliot [VIDEO]". EURweb. 2019-09-14. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  10. ^ "Missy Boldly Admits Why She Never 'Felt Pretty' In Devante Swing's 90s Girl Group". I Love Old School Music. 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  11. ^ Balogun, Oyin (2019-09-08). "Stevie J Revealed Details about K-Ci Altercation after Devante Swing Allegedly Hit Missy Elliott". news.amomama.com. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  12. ^ Williams, Stereo. "Before 'Supa Dupa Fly:' The Rise Of Missy Elliott". rockthebells.com. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  13. ^ Cochrane, Naima (2018-08-26). "THE SUPERFRIENDS". #MusicSermon. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  14. ^ YKIGS (2014-07-18). "Nicole Wray Talks Joining Lady the Band, New Solo Music, Static & Aaliyah Memories, Missy Elliott Advice (Exclusive Interview) - YouKnowIGotSoul.com". YouKnowIGotSoul.com | New R&B Music, Songs, Podcast, Interviews. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  15. ^ "Nicole Wray's Debut Album "Make It Hot" – An In Depth Look at the Creation of This R&B Gem". youknowigotsoul.com. You Know I Got Soul. Archived from the original on 2017-06-10. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  16. ^ "Tank Says Validation From Aaliyah Meant Everything To His Career: "Nothing Trumps That"". The Rickey Smiley Morning Show. 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  17. ^ "Aaliyah's Final Album Turns 20". Stereogum. 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  18. ^ Caldwell, Brandon (August 26, 2021). "Aaliyah stepped into her own on One in a Million — and created the blueprint for modern R&B". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  19. ^ "Supa Dupa Fly Turns 25: A Tribute to Missy Elliott's Genre-Defying Debut". BET. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  20. ^ "Missy Elliott's "Supa Dupa Fly" Came from the Future". The New Yorker. 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  21. ^ a b Tinsley, Justin (2017-07-13). "Timbaland on Missy Elliott's 'Supa Dupa Fly' and how hip-hop got its groove back". Andscape. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  22. ^ "Diddy Remembers Aaliyah And Biggie In Classic 1994 Throwback Photo". HotNewHipHop. 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  23. ^ "Q&A: R&B singer Tweet explains why it took her a decade to release a new album". Los Angeles Times. 2016-02-25. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  24. ^ Johnson, Daniel (2022-03-07). "The Truth About Missy Elliot And Timbaland's Relationship". Grunge.com. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  25. ^ Alex, Brenda; er (2021-01-07). "Missy Elliott Say's Tweet's 'Oops, (Oh My)' Isn't About Sex". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  26. ^ "Aaliyah, RIP". The FADER. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  27. ^ Thompson, Erica (2019-03-15). "Ginuwine & Timbaland Reflect on 20th Anniversary of '100% Ginuwine,' 'One of the Best Albums Ever Made'". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  28. ^ VIBE; VIBE (2010-04-12). "Ginuwine 'Doesn't Like' Timbaland, Still Calls Him One Of 'Best Producers Ever'". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
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