Disclaimer by Big Therm: Remember back in EMA Show 31, we said we’d do the Top 5 Scott Storch beats for the first installment of Top 5 Fridays? Well that didn’t happen. Instead, I hit you with the Top 5 Things I Learned from Meek Mill’s interview with Angie Martinez on Power 105.1. Check it out when you get a chance. This week though, we’ll make good on our promise. Rozay has put together the Top 5 Scott Stroch beats. Storch is washed, so Rozay had to hit you with his history as well…just in case you forgot or never knew. Shmell me?
So, without further ado…Rozay presents the Top 5 Scott Storch Beats
1 – The Roots – You Got Me
Known as the only hip hop band ever, the legendary Roots band will go down in history for keeping traditional live instruments married to the sounds of the genre. To most people surprise, Scott Storch career started as a member of the acoustic jazz/rap group. Together they were able to create different unique productions that has yet to be matched. In the popular “You Got Me”, Storch is credited wit producing and co-writing the hit. The song featured Black Thought who is known to be the rapper of the prolific group. It also at the time featured barely known Philly rap artist EVE who would go on to have a big career of her own as the female pitbull in a skirt with the Ruff Ryder crew . Another up and coming artist (Eryka Badu)was also featured on the smash hit. Most do not know that the original writer and songstress was of the hook was none other than Jill Scott but was taken off due to bring unknown… Jill would also go on to have a stellar career in the neo soul realm. All in all… As one of Scott Storch’s first major productions, he showed his diversity in also being able to produce slow tempo joints. The song would go on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2000.
2 – Terror Squad Lean Back
During the summer of 2004 it would be hard to believe that a hip hop anthem could have been put out by someone other than 50 cent who owned the radio air waves at the time or from the Rocafella camp who, although it’s breadwinner Jay Hova had recently announced his retirement in 03 , still had heat coming from counterparts of the label. Here steps in Fat Joe: the BX veteran who had been bubbling from the 90s but was always put into the shadows of NYC legends such as Big L and Big Pun…
Nonetheless Mr Cartegena surprised many as he put his label on his Back and with the help of Scott storch production, they produced a song that would be remixed a 100 times for the rest of that year… Lean Back brought that gritty New York attitude to those signature horns that Storch loved so much … Along with the thorough introduction of the most gangster bitch in the game, Remy Ma. She reminded u to never mind how niggas got into the party wit burners and hoodies. She also stated that gangsters don’t dance, but instead boogie. You can say that this song was ahead of it’s time because it also came along wit a dance. In the current state of hip hop, we all know ya song ain’t gonna make it unless it’s accompanied with some type of gyration of the pelvic area. Noted in this masterpiece of a song is shots taken at the Jigga man him self. It is well known, at least in the hoods of NYC, that the 2 rappers never cared for each other. Joe reminds the world that his team ain’t have to play in a Rutger summer street basketball tournament game for his team to win the chip. He’s referring to the Rutger championship game his team won by default simply because Jay z’s Rocafella team were no shows! All in all, this anthem topped the billboard Top 100 charts, R&b/hiphop chart, gained a gold plaque and was nominated for a Grammy for best rap performance … Not bad for a nigga nicknamed “cook the coke ”
3 – Baby Boy -Beyoncé ft Sean Paul
In 2003 the R&B world was put on hold as they all hailed the Queen B on her solo debut album “Dangerously In Love”. After the success of her first single (Crazy In Love) , the direction she took on selecting the second single from her debut album was looked upon as out of the box.
In August of 2003 , Bey debuted her second single Baby Boy that featured up and coming reggae artist Sean Paul. The Indian and middle-eastern infused rhythm mixed with the dancehall sound was a production brought to the masses from Scott Storch. He added all type of different sounds to the dancehall beat including his signature horns to make it a unique mixture of melodies . This hot and raunchy song quickly rose to top of the charts and became a fixture later in Beyoncé career as one of the top songs performed on her tours. Speaking of performances… Why have you never ever seen a live performance done with the other artist on the song you may ask … Well it has been well publicized that the possibility of Sean Paul whining up too close pon Beyoncé punnie while performing may be the cause of this. Apparently Jay z couldn’t fathom seeing his girl whining up on the Jamaican mega star… I for one can’t blame him … U know Jamaicans do it the best … All in all this mega song spent 9 weeks on top of Billboard charts, reached top 10 in various other countries, became certified Platinum and also was placed on Sean Paul Grammy award winning album Dutty Rock.
4 – Candy Shop-50 cent
After the worldwide success of Get Rich or Die Trying, it was time to show and prove if the hook master Fiddy could do it again.
50 followed up with another diamond selling album titled The Massacre. For the second single (one of his most successful, to date) off the album ,50 reached out to the one Scott Storch for assistance. It would also begin a long lasting relationship between the two as another released single from The Massacre album (Just a Lil Bit) would also reach success on the Billboard charts. The song Candy Shop came out to mixed reviews because most wanted 50 to remain in tune to that hard gangster vibe he possessed on the Get Rich or Die Trying project . Nonetheless this song was a club banger and peaked at #1 on the Billboard top 100 and was Grammy nominated for best rap song. It lost out to Diamonds from Sierra Leone by Kanye West ( 50 losing to Kanye West would become a recurring theme later on in years to come via:Curtis vs Graduation).
5 – Lil Kim – Lighters up
At a time when it was said that Lil Kim’s career was near it’s demise due to legal troubles and presumably because of the year she did up north for not snitching on her fellow brethren .. It came to many as a surprise when the first single off her 2006 “the Naked Truth” album heated up the streets the way it did. The song “lighters up” came with a similar tone of another well respected song: Welcome to Jam Rock by Damian Marley and the uptempo production of ex boyfriend Scott Storch. We here at EMA believe that she received a discount as one of the benefits of falling into Lil Kim’s hole. It was a reminder of the rules of the land of trouble (BK).The song quickly rose up the top 100 charts and will forever be known as one of Brooklyn’s anthems.
Rozay