"Something To Believe In" | ||||
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Single by Fashawn featuring Nas and Aloe Blacc | ||||
from the album The Ecology | ||||
Released | February 19, 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2014 | |||
Genre | Hip hop, R&B | |||
Length | 4:04 | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | DJ Khalil | |||
Fashawn singles chronology | ||||
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Nas singles chronology | ||||
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Aloe Blacc singles chronology | ||||
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"Something to Believe In" is a song by American rapper Fashawn,with guest appearances by Nas and Aloe Blacc. [1] It was released on February 19,2015 as a single from Fashawn's second studio album The Ecology . [2] The song is produced by DJ Khalil. [3] It has received positive critical reception and is also featured on the soundtrack for the video games Madden NFL 16 and WWE 2K16. [4] [5]
The song came to fruition after Fashawn signed to Nas' Mass Appeal Records. [6] According to Fashawn,the original instrumental was part of an unreleased collection of material held by Aloe Blacc and his band. [3] Aloe Blacc sent the instrumental to Fashawn,who then recruited DJ Khalil to put together a newer version that contained a more hip-hop feel. Coincidentally,both Fashawn and Nas wrote their verses while touring separately in Europe. In an interview,Fashawn reflected upon the song's creation by saying,"I felt like it was the perfect canvas to paint on and epitomizes what we stand for in rap." [3]
Elias Leight of Billboard commended "Something to Believe In" for preserving hip-hop's history of being grounded in soul and funk. [2] Alicia Miller of Zumic stated that "Fashawn and Nas both drop deep bars in their verses and Blacc croons on the hook with thought-provoking lines". [7]
"Something to Believe In" appears on the soundtrack for the video game WWE 2K16 by 2K Sports,released on October 27,2015. [5] The song also appears on Madden NFL 16 by EA Sports,released on August 25,2015. [4]
"N.Y. State of Mind" is a song by hip hop recording artist Nas,taken from his debut studio album Illmatic (1994). The song's production was handled by DJ Premier who sampled two jazz songs:"Mind Rain" by Joe Chambers and "Flight Time" by Donald Byrd. Premier additionally scratched up vocal samples from Eric B. &Rakim's "Mahogany" for the song's hook. Nas raps two verses on the song in which he talks about his rapping talent and describes the dangerous environment that is the city of New York over a drum break sample of "N.T." by Kool &the Gang. Nas has attributed the song "Streets of New York" by Kool G Rap as one of the song's primary influences. A sequel to "N.Y. State of Mind" can be found on Nas' 1999 album I Am....
Duck Down Music Inc is a New York City based record label,talent management,music-marketing,and consulting company founded by Drew "Dru-Ha" Friedman and Kenyatta "Buckshot" Blake in 1995. In Duck Down's 20-year existence,the Company has released over 40 albums and sold more than 3 million collective copies worldwide. Home of established hip hop artists such as Boot Camp Clik,Pharoahe Monch,Black Rob,9th Wonder,KRS-One,B-Real of Cypress Hill,The Away Team,Statik Selektah,Random Axe,Promise,David Dallas,Marco Polo,Ruste Juxx,Torae,Blue Scholars,Special Teamz and Kidz in the Hall.
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III,known professionally by his stage name Aloe Blacc,is an American musician,singer,songwriter,rapper,record producer,and philanthropist. He is best known for his singles "I Need a Dollar","The Man",which topped the charts in the United Kingdom,and for writing and performing vocals on Avicii's "Wake Me Up",which topped the charts in 22 countries,including Australia and the United Kingdom. Aside from his solo career,Blacc is also a member of hip hop duo Emanon,alongside American record producer Exile.
Pranam "Chin" Injeti is a Canadian singer,musician,and music producer. He got his start as a founding member of Juno Award-winning group Bass is Base. He frequently collaborates with producer DJ Khalil;together they have written and produced songs for Dr. Dre,50 Cent,Drake,Clipse,Eminem and P!nk. Injeti's work with Eminem and Lecrae has garnered 3 Grammy Awards,as well as Grammy nominations for Aloe Blacc's Lift Your Spirit and P!nk's The Truth About Love.
Aleksander Thomas Manfredi,better known by his stage name Exile,is an American record producer,disc jockey and occasional rapper. Aside from his solo career,he is a member of the musical groups Emanon alongside Aloe Blacc,as well as Blu &Exile.
Khalil Abdul-Rahman Hazzard,professionally known as DJ Khalil,is an American music producer and DJ from Los Angeles,California. Khalil is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific and a member of the group The New Royales,which also includes Liz Rodrigues,Erik Alcock and Pranam Chin Injeti. He produced the albums Recovery and The Marshall Mathers LP 2 by the rapper Eminem,as well as the multi-platinum single "The Man" by Aloe Blacc. He is the third born son of former UCLA player and coach and NBA player Walt Hazzard.
Johnson Barnes III,better known by his stage name Blu,is an American rapper and record producer from Los Angeles,California. He is best known for his group Blu &Exile and their debut album Below the Heavens (2007). He is a forefront member of the California-based collective,Dirty Science. Blu is also co-CEO of New World Color,a label through which he has released many of his projects. He is recognized for his collaboration albums between him and various producers such as Exile,Mainframe,Ta'Raach,Bombay,Damu the Fudgemunk,Madlib,Nottz,and Union Analogtronics.
The following list is a discography of production by DJ Khalil,an American hip hop and R&B record producer. It includes a list of songs produced,co-produced and remixed by year,artist,album and title.
The Layover EP is the first EP by Dilated Peoples member Evidence,released on November 25,2008 by Decon.
U-N-I are a hip hop duo from Inglewood,Los Angeles,consisting of Y-O and Thurzday.
Santiago Leyva,known by his stage name Fashawn,is an American hip hop recording artist from Fresno,California. He first gained major attention after releasing his debut album Boy Meets World in 2009,which was produced entirely by Exile. The album received critical acclaim and landed him on the cover of XXL Magazine's Top 10 Freshmen issue in 2010. Since then,Fashawn has collaborated with other artists and producers such as Nas,J. Cole,Wiz Khalifa,Evidence,Murs,Aloe Blacc,Blu,The Alchemist,and 9th Wonder. In 2014,Fashawn performed the entrance theme to WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley's rematch against Manny Pacquiao.
Boy Meets World is the debut solo album by American rapper Fashawn,with all songs produced by Exile. It was released by the independent record label One Records on October 20,2009.
Sam Barsh is a GRAMMY-nominated American songwriter,keyboardist and record producer. He has worked in the genres of jazz,R&B,hip hop and pop.
Desi hip hop is a term for music and culture which combines the influences of hip hop and the Indian subcontinent;the term desi referring to the South Asian diaspora. The term has also come to be used as an alternative for rap music and even pop music which involves rappers of South Asian origins.
The discography of American singer Aloe Blacc consists of five studio albums,five extended plays and 47 singles. On July 11,2006,he released his first LP album,Shine Through. He then toured across Europe and the US with Emanon,while working on his second solo album. In 2010,Blacc released his second album,Good Things,on Stones Throw records. The first single "I Need a Dollar",made major chart success in over 15 countries in Europe,peaking number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and also charting in the top 20 in Australia and New Zealand. He later released a second single from the album,"Loving You Is Killing Me" which also attained chart success in Austria,Germany and Switzerland. In 2013,Blacc collaborated with Swedish DJ/Producer Avicii on a song titled "Wake Me Up!" for the first single from Avicii's debut studio album True. Blacc partnered up with Coca-Cola in 2014 and released an exclusive charity single titled "Together (RED)". The money paid for the song was donated to AIDS research.
Markel Ni'Jee Scott,better known by his stage name Bishop Nehru,is an American rapper and record producer from Nanuet,New York. He also directs and edits music videos.
Lift Your Spirit is the third studio album by American musician Aloe Blacc. The album was released on October 25,2013,through Interscope Records,the album was released in the United States on March 11,2014 and April 7,2014 in the United Kingdom. The album has charted in Austria,Germany and Switzerland. The album includes production and co-songwriting from DJ Khalil,Pharrell Williams,Elton John,Theron Feemster and Rock Mafia. Strings for the entire album were arranged and recorded by Daniel "Danny Keyz" Tannenbaum. The album received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 57th Grammy Awards in 2015.
"The Man" is a song by American vocalist Aloe Blacc. First included on his EP Wake Me Up,the song was later released as the second single from his third studio album,2014's Lift Your Spirit,on Interscope Records. Blacc co-wrote the track with Sam Barsh,Daniel Seeff,and its producer DJ Khalil and Alex Finkin;Elton John and Bernie Taupin received songwriting credits as well,due to the song's interpolation of the line "You can tell everybody" from John's 1970 single "Your Song".
Mass Appeal Records is an American independent record label founded in 2014. The label is the music division of the Mass Appeal Media Group. In May 2014,it was announced that American rapper Nas was launching an indie label with Mass Appeal with Peter Bittenbender of company Decon. The label's current roster includes artists such as:Nas,DJ Shadow,Mannie Fresh,Dave East,Fashawn,Black Milk,and Keyon Harrold.
The Ecology is the second studio album by American hip hop recording artist Fashawn. The album was released on February 24,2015 by Nas' Mass Appeal Records. Nas serves as executive producer for the album,and guest features include Nas himself,Aloe Blacc,BJ the Chicago Kid,and Dom Kennedy. The album's production,similar to Fashawn's debut album Boy Meets World,is handled primarily by Exile,with additional contributions by DJ Khalil,The Alchemist,and more.