Swing Mob

DeVante Swing (center right) of Jodeci, formed the collaborative crew called 'Da Bassment' part of his label Swing Mob

In the early 1990s, DeVante Swing decided to assemble a large crew of rappers, singers, instrumentalists and producer to sign to his Swing Mob label and collaborate with. He auditioned many local groups and acts. The performers met in Swing's basement studio in Rochester, a location that inspired the moniker "Da Bassment Cru" (also a pun on bass). The group brainstormed and recorded music together in Swing's studio, ultimately aiming to produce a VHS compilation project that could market the group members to record labels. Acts who were recruited into Da Bassment Cru included the R&B groups Fayze (later renamed to Sista) and Playa; the rap duo Timbaland & Magoo; the singer Ginuwine; and a trio called Sugah. Swing also recruited record producers and audio engineers such as Jimmy Douglass and Stevie J. During this time Swing also met Rochester School Of The Arts graduate Renee Anderson through Paul Boutte, a prominent figure in the Rochester gospel scene, producer Reginald “Reggie” Moore, and Dajhelon Studio owner Dave Schumaker. Anderson was a member of Colorz, a local R&B girl group at the time. Moore played Anderson's demo for Swing backstage during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Swing then flew back to Rochester to meet Anderson, agreeing to produce an album for her. [3]

From 1993 to 1995, the collective crew released multiple collaborative EPs, though many of these were commercially unsuccessful. In 1994, Sista released its sole album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World;[4] this album received positive reviews but was shelved due to a lack of commercial success. Swing Mob members also featured on film soundtracks during this period, with their music appearing in titles such as Above the Rim and Dangerous Minds.[5]

The Swing Mob label dissolved in 1995. Artists such as Missy Elliott (who had been a member of Sista) and Ginuwine had begun to leave the group and pursue musical careers elsewhere, and other artists from the collective stated that they felt Swing was underpromoting or mismanaging them.[5] Smoke E. Digglera of Playa has stated that artists were forced to choose whether they wanted to sign directly to Def Jam or through Swing Mob instead, weakening some acts' loyalty to the Swing Mob brand.[6][7] Since the disbandment of the collective, Swing has also been accused of physically abusive behavior toward his artists. Stevie J has described an incident in which Swing purportedly entered the studio with his entourage and began slapping the artists, a situation which devolved into an all-out brawl.[8][9][10][11]

Missy Elliott was first part of the girl group SISTA under the Swing Mob collective before branching off to become a successful artist.

After the dissolution of Swing Mob, its former artists continued to collaborate. During the late 1990s, they formed a loose collective, initially called Da' Bassment. This would go on to be supplanted by The Superfriends collective in 1997.[12][13] The group became a 'dream team' of acts, as described by both Missy and Timbaland, who would add a few more members to Da Bassments new roster. Members grew to include Nicole Wray,[14][15] Skillz, Tweet, and rising R&B artist Aaliyah.[16][17] The collective began working with each other and collaborating on each others recordings, keeping the features within the group, and often appearing in each other music videos.

The first collaboration under the Superfriends name took place on Timbaland & Magoo's 1997 single "Up Jumps da Boogie", in which Elliott and Ginuwine provided background vocals and made appearances in the music video. Also providing background vocals was Aaliyah, who had become affiliated with the former Swing Mob roster after Timbaland produced her 1996 album One in a Million.[18] Missy Elliott, who had served as a writer and background vocalist on One in a Million, went on to release her debut solo album, Supa Dupa Fly, in 1997. A critical and commercial success that featured production from both Elliott and Timbaland, this album helped to raise the profile of the collective.[19][20][21] While affiliated with the Superfriends collective, Playa released the 1998 album Cheers 2 U. Playa member Static Major also served as a songwriter for many other members of the collective, contributing writing to Ginuwine's "Pony" and many of Aaliyah's songs from this period.[22] Nicole Wray and Tweet also released music during the Superfriends' period of peak activity.[23]

Aaliyah, who had become a core member of the Superfriends due to her commercial success, died in 2001. This loss shook the collective, and its members gradually began to drift apart in the aftermath.

R&B artist Aaliyah became a major part of the Superfriends collective after the release of her album One in a Milion.

Some former Swing Mob members ultimately went on to establish their own record labels. Missy Elliott founded The Goldmind Inc., while Timbaland founded Mosley Music Group and the now-defunct Beat Club Records. After Playa broke up, member Static Major found mainstream success in writing songs for other artists including Aaliyah ("Try Again", "Are You That Somebody?"), Pretty Ricky ("Your Body"), and Lil Wayne ("Lollipop"). He eventually died in 2008 after complications from a medical procedure.

Ginuwine and Timbaland would eventually fall out with one another,[30] but relations remain close between the other former members of the Swing Mob and Superfriends collectives.

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