Rap Ballads. The curse of many otherwise spotless ’80’s hip-hop albums, in much the way that Hip House was in 1989 and the token “Southern” records are on many of today’s releases. If you think back to Big Daddy Kane‘s first album for example, you’ll find that every track is certified dope except for “To Be Your Man”, and that was one of the better rap ballads! LL must also shoulder a large part of the responsibility, as he downgraded from decent love songs like “I Want You” to the vomit-inducing fairy-floss that is “I Need Love”. Many otherwise respectable groups followed suit, although I’m sure that hit-seeking A&R’s are also somewhat to blame for sappy pap such as Stetsasonic‘s “Float On”, Black, Rock & Ron‘s “True Feelings”, Mantronix‘s “Love Letter (Dear Tracy)” etc.
Amidst this sea of musical fluff, TJ Swan often provided the one redeeming feature in these otherwise fast-forwardable songs. Thanks to his vocal stylings, tracks such as MC Shan‘s “Left Me Lonely” can still be listened to today with minimal cringing. It was Swan’s work with Biz Markie that really shines, as his contributions to “Make The Music with You Mouth Biz”, “Albee Square Mall” and “Nobody Beats The Biz” are essential ingredient in these classic tracks. How many rap songs can you say that about? Usually, the sung chorus detracts from the quality of the track, but Marley knew that from years of studying The Force MC‘s, Cold Crush and many other old school harmonizers, that singing could still be hardcore. This lesson seems to have been largely forgotten (with the possible exception of Nate Dogg).
But what do we really know about TJ Swan? According to Biz’s “Vapors”, he originally worked for UPS and “used to try to talk to this girl named Fran”. He also rocked gold and “fly Bally boots, rough leather fashions and tough silk suits”. I remember Marley Marl used to talk about the album he was making with TJ Swan in a bunch of interviews, but sadly it never saw the light of day. DJ Ivory of the P Brothers confirmed that the album was finished, but hasn’t heard it. Why do I care you might ask? Although I pretty sure that 75% of the album would have consisted of Keith Sweat style ballads, there’s also a good chance that there were a couple of vintage “project sound” Marley gems on there, possibly featuring a never-before heard Big Daddy Kane guest appearance or something. When I spoke to Mike Heron a few months back, the topic of Marley came up, prompting the following exchange:
Robbie: Did you ever hear the TJ Swan album?
Mike: Who?
R: You know TJ Swan? He used to be on Biz’s records.
M: Nah.
R: He sang “Albee Square Mall”, “Nobody Beats The Biz”…
M: Oohhh, TJ Swan. You pulled out…[laughs]
R: What happened to his album? In every interview Marley was like “Yep, TJ Swan is gonna be big.” This and that, and it never came out!
M: [still laughing, talking to himself in disbelief] TJ Swan? What the fuck is that nigga talking about? [more laughter] Swear to god, you said that…I should’ve got TJ Swan on Screwball‘s album.
R: He was the best singer in rap. Forgot all that-
M: Yeah, he was the first Nate Dog!
Although that didn’t get me anywhere, at least it provided Mike with a few cheap laughs. If anyone knows the current status of TJ Swan, please let me know what’s going on. With the amount of horrible, poorly sung hooks invading the rap airwaves, 2005 would make a perfect time for Swan to make a return to the game and show these toys how it’s done!
Biz Markie & TJ Swan – Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz (vocal) (Prism, 1987)
“The Other Level”- now that’s a love jam for the ages.
He killed it on his hooks on the Kid Capri album too, especially “this is what you came here for”.
I’d also love to hear a macked-out T.J Swan from ’88 produced by Marley and Biz.
Worst ever love jam on a golden-era has to be “something i can’t explain” by Nice & Smooth from their first album.
That Kid Capri track is a winner. There were some prety good songs on that album come to think of it.
am i wrong in remembering a tj swan track called mellow love or something like that??
i swear i heard a swan solo track on westwood a few times.
it had the biz snippet repeated a few times at the start”tj swan rock the house..tj tj tj swan rock the house…so break it down”
or ami thinking of another track??
I’ve never heard that song. It might have been a test-pressing or some shit that never came out.
Was it any good?
it was ok.would sound outdated now though.sure marley was playing it at the time of the la gear capital rap show rap exchange.he was also playing the good version of no bullshit with the i`m your puppet sample.thats a track i wish i could get,along with the original versions of tragedys at large,black rage and the original version of mc champion with another mc on it.
hey u are write tjswan did have a joint named mellow love with the biz sample the beat was from bizmarkie single the(doodoo)u can here it on biz beats lp it was hot a joint.
TJ Swan didn’t so much sing as he did whine. He was the first rap whiner.
tj swan is my father…i mean sperm doner..he fell off and is gonna stay off..he doesnt take care of his daughter’s (he has 3) i am his 1st daughter n i want evryone to know he’s a liar and a loser and I don’t respect him.
I use to be a fan but bring your personla shit makes no sense. So just because he didn’t love you we should not love him?
You said he fell off, he is smoking crack?
Adding extra personal stuff to try and bash the legendary TJ Swan. That’s not cool!! Two sides to every story. I’m sure there was some baby mama drama in that scenario!!
girlll
why’d you have to leave me that wayyyy
i love u to this dayyy
and it hurts to think of the
words you used to sayyy (sayy)
:-D
20 years later and we are still know he is the best. Maybe someone can break into Marley Marl’s safe and steal the TJ Swan album. I know I would buy it. TJ Swan why did you leave your fans soo lonely?
TJ Swan added flavour to the Juice Crew tracks, but I doubt I could listen to an entire album with only him singing. He wasn’t that good imo.
left me lonley is a pure classic!!!
IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEA HOW TO FIND THE VIDEO for that jam let me know!
Yo Nick!
I got that joint on an old BET tape! Shan in the Suzuki Jeep with the Puma sweat shuit and Kangol. That song was a prophesy for me. My girl left me in 87 because I was cheating on her…with Hip Hop!!!
I ain’t all ditigally proficient, but I’ll dub it for ya!
I don’t know if someone will developped this discussion, but i’d loike know a littlòe things. the tj swan, members of juice cre who sang with mc shan , marley marl and so on… is the same tj swan who dropped some gems of disco rap in the late 70’s and the early 80’s…
I’d like to know if he is the same person who rapped some classics (and you know that / get fly / are you ready) of first era of hip-hop (from 1979 to 1983). go to discogs.com and search tj swan – you will find his appareance on obscure labels like express, love train, eclipse with two other freinds (peewee mel and barry b ) which constitued the group “maximus 3”.
http://www.myspace.com/tjswanthehiphopsinger
Check out that myspace link above and see for yourself… sounds to me like TJ need some new beats to work with :-/
hi i am the real nicole i don’t know who this fake chick is but she is not my father’s kid nor is she me!my dad is a hiphop legend and i am proud of him he don’t smoke,gamble,don;t do drugs and never been in jail how many rappers can say that!my father left the business at the top of his game and he’s still balling!if u ever see this i love u dad aka tjswan your daughter nicole.
oh yea that fake nicole is probably some chick my dad dumped u groupie bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TJ SWAN LIVES I KNOWW HIM HES MY FRIENDS DADDD NEED SOME INFO HIT THE EMAILL
I would like to interview this man,a legend. Get back w me please
Whoa! Yo Nicole is authentic. That 2nd Nicole is probably swan writing . She is his oldest daughter. I will remain anonymous but I dated him. I never met her but I remember her mother calling his parents house and TJ Swan’s mother would give her money bc he was useless and selfish. He was a manipulative abusive and a thief only out to scam Marley Biz and anybody else to get to the top. And the nigga used to smoke coke
Ok. Just found this thread . Mellow Love is on YouTube by now I’m sure everyone knows this . The copy has a blunder from the person who recorded pressed pause at the beginning of the 3rd verse . BUT. I downloaded it & fixed . That song is SUPER DOPE & NEVER DATED . I feel the same way . Someone NEEDS to Interview TJ SWAN & ask about that unreleased album . His fans NEED that . I can only IMAGINE how DOPE that album is .
Too late now…R.I.P.
Let’s Petition Marley to release it in his Honor!
The bashing on my father’s name is crazy. To clear some things up my father raised me since I born until I moved out the house at 20 to live with my boyfriend now husband. Believe it or not he was a house dad lol. He used to always take me to Marley Marl’s house and I even recorded my first song with my dad at his house. He was always there for me and protected me in any way possible. He did not use drugs or alcohol . He never has been to jail but was willing to go if it meant protecting me (what father wouldn’t) . Daddy was quite the lady’s man even without the tj swan drip , females would just be attracted to him (ew lol) . These so called proclaimed sisters did not contact me until after my father died and I never spoke to them before that and they both won’t take a dna test :) . But as far as music there will be a release for his old AND new music as he intended before he got sick. Stay tuned to the Official TjSwan YouTube page .