Kanye collaborator Swizz Beatz says he 'wanted' the outraged reaction to his infamous Taylor Swift song
"I was in LA, and he was in the studio and wanted me to come by," Swizz Beatz recently told Business Insider about collaborating with Kanye on "Pablo." "We started working on tracks and vibing for three days, no sleep in the studio... We did some other things that didn't come out yet."
Swizz is listed as a producer on "Ultralight Beams" and is a featured vocalist on "Famous," arguably West's most infamous song off of the album.
"Famous" instantly sparked a sharp reaction for its unflattering reference to Taylor Swift. Early in the song, West mentions Taylor and says, "I made that b---- famous."
The outraged reactions were expected, though, Beatz said.
"That's what Kanye wanted to do," he said. "If he didn't get that reaction, something would be wrong. You know the lights are on and it's showtime when you get that reaction, like, 'Oh, that's Kanye. Here we go.'"
Swift appeared to respond with a subtle hint during her acceptance speech for album of the year at the Grammys, but West himself defended the lyric and claimed it was Swift's idea.
Swizz said his favorite song is "Ultralight Beams," the album opener, "because it's a lot of positive energy."
"For me, I love to promote positive energy and be uplifting... because life is short, and the world already has a lot of trials and tribulations, so any time you can express positive energy through creativity and music and art, always a plus," he added.
That positive energy is what drew him to Canon's Rebel with a Cause campaign, which he's currently promoting. For Swizz, the initiative was about finding and celebrating "unknown" artists.
More than 4,000 people submitted work on Instagram and 30 different pieces were chosen, Swizz said. The works were projected at the Brooklyn Museum and Bronx Museum of the Arts. Seventeen of the pieces were then featured at Sotheby's Auction House, and an online auction for the artwork will stay open through March 31. All proceeds will benefit the artists and the Bronx Charter School of the Arts.
"As an artist, this campaign means a lot to me," Swizz said. "I was an unknown myself. We're born unknown, and our goal in love is to be discovered through our greatness. Imagine if you have the next Picasso that's not being discovered or don't have the know-how or the resources to be discovered. Creativity makes the world go round, so as much as we can possibly discover, the better off the world will be."
You can watch the video for the initiative below: