Rob Swift

After hearing Soulful Fruit, it's hard to tell whether Rob Swift is a better composer or turntable wizard, because he's melded the two so well on his first solo album. A member of the X-Men, Swift is the kind of DJ who makes you wonder why the turntablist element is so often neglected on hip-hop albums. The turntable is undeniably at the very core of hip-hop, and with a skill set as refined as Swift's, it just doesn't make sense why more MCs aren't looking to talented DJs to help them produce that elusive classic album. This record extends itself to many forms of music, including hip-hop, jazz, funk, breaks, turntablism, and soul, and accomplishes what few artists have been able to do over a full album -- create a solid musical balance. There is a 14-minute live battle between Swift and Rahzel (the now famous beatboxer from the Philadelphia-based Roots crew), pitting beatboxing against turntablism and thereby creating something truly exciting to listen to. ~ Brad Mills, All Music Guide