"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 | ||||
Length | 4:04 | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
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]
Christopher Edward Martin,known professionally as DJ Premier,is an American record producer and DJ. He has been frequently lauded as one of hip hop's greatest producers by publications such as Vibe. He formed the hip hop duo Gang Starr alongside American rapper Guru,with whom he has released seven albums. He formed another hip hop duo,PRhyme—with American rapper Royce da 5'9"—in 2014,with whom he has released two albums.
"N.Y. State of Mind" is a song by hip hop recording artist Nas 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.... On January 28,2019,it was certified gold by the RIAA.
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 as Aloe Blacc,is an American singer and rapper. He is best known for his guest performance on Avicii's 2013 single "Wake Me Up",which peaked on the charts in 22 countries,including in Australia and the UK. As a lead artist,he is known for his singles "I Need a Dollar" and "The Man",the latter of which topped the UK Singles Chart. Aside from his solo career,Aloe Blacc is also a member of the hip hop duo Emanon,alongside American record producer Exile.
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. The son of NBA player Walt Hazzard,he signed with rapper Dr. Dre's record label,Aftermath Entertainment,as in-house talent in 2001. Since then,he has co-produced the Billboard 200-number one albums Recovery (2010) and The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013) by Eminem,Donda (2021) by Kanye West,Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers (2022) by Kendrick Lamar,and I Decided (2017) by Big Sean,among others. Furthermore,he has been credited on the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "The Man" by Aloe Blacc,"Kush" by label boss Dr. Dre,"Survival" by Eminem,and "Hurricane" by West and the Weeknd. As an instrumental artist,he formed the hip hop duo Self Scientific with Chalice Infinite in 1994,as well as the group The New Royales in 2008,which includes Liz Rodrigues,Erik Alcock and Chin Injeti.
Johnson Barnes III,better known by his stage name Blu,is an American rapper and record producer from Los Angeles,California. He performs as one half of the duo Blu &Exile,which was formed in 2007 and whom released their debut studio album,Below the Heavens in July of that year. He is also the forefront member of the California-based collective,Dirty Science. He is recognized for his collaborative albums with record producers 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 solo extended play by American rapper and record producer Evidence. It was released on November 25,2008,via Decon. Recording sessions took place at Soundproof East,Chop Shop Studios,The Ether,The Lab NYC,Dirt Class West,Daddy's Crib,Soundproof West,Studio 1,Dirty Science Lab 12. Production was handled by The Alchemist,Khrysis,DJ Babu,Sid Roams,and Evidence himself. It features guest appearances from Aloe Blacc,Blu,Defari,Elzhi,Fashawn,Krondon,Phonte and Will.i.am. The album didn't reach the Billboard 200 chart,however,it peaked at No. 27 on the Heatseekers Albums in the United States,and received generally favourable reviews from music critics.
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,Big Mike,Brother Ali,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.
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.
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 singer 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. Additionally,Elton John and Bernie Taupin are credited as songwriters as the song interpolates the melody and the lyric "you can tell everybody" from John's 1970 song "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,Fashawn,Black Milk,and Keyon Harrold.
"0 to 100 / The Catch Up" is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on July 15,2014,by Young Money Entertainment,Cash Money Records,and Republic Records. The song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 30,2015,for selling over 1 million digital copies in the United States.
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.
FASH-ionably Late is a collaboration EP by American hip hop recording artists Fashawn and The Alchemist,released on December 18,2014. The project contains seven original tracks,with Fashawn rapping over The Alchemist's production. The EP serves as a prelude to Fashawn's long-anticipated second solo album The Ecology,which was released on February 24,2015 under Nas' Mass Appeal Records.