Found in the inbox from the homie DJB, the same man who supplied the Quik rarities.

Hey Gotty,

I threw together a history of “The Symphony” concept/beat. I know it’s been pretty exhausted over time, but if you’d like to make a Loosies post on it feel free to use this. I appreciate the shout out from Beware for the Quik joints! –Dylan

Extra verbiage from DJB, giving some backstory on some of the tracks.

– Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle” is one of the original sources (Assist to Ivan).

– EPMD reworked the concept with a new beat for their own two song version of “The Symphony” using M.O.P. and later Meth/Red/Lady Luck.

– UGK used parts of the song in a reworked beat, but latched onto BDK & Kool G. Rap as a tribute to the original.

– Wu-Tang went in on it for a radio freestyle. (Sadly I don’t have a nice clean soundboard version of this.)

– Lloyd Banks went in on it for a mixtape track in 2001. The mixtape advertised it as “G-Unit Symphony 2003,” but it’s just Banks going solo over the beat.

– Capleton/Method Man used it on the reggae/rap joint, “Wings Of The Morning.”

– Sadly Truck Turner ruined the KRS-One/Big Pun Jive version. I think someone miscalculated on this. You’ve got KRS-One and Big Pun on a posse track…and Truck Turner sounds like a poor man’s Shaq behind the mic for the first time.

– I included Marley Marl’s two original efforts and then a later effort he created with his new recruits, Foundation Symphony, on the 2001 album titled Re-Entry.

– * Personal favorites

The Symphony Loosies

Capleton, Method Man – Wings of the Morning
EPMD, M.O.P. – The Symphony Part I
EPMD, Redman, Method Man, Lady Luck – Symphony 2000
Frankie Cutlass, Craig G, Roxanne Shante, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane – Cypher Part 3
Hell Rell, J.R. Writer, Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, 40 Cal, Un Kasa – Dipset Symphony*
Lloyd Banks – Symphony 2003
Marley Marl, Larry-O, Seven Shawn, J-Wells, Miss Man – Foundation Symphony3
Marley Marl, Master Ace, Craig G, Big Daddy Kane, Little Daddy Shane, Kool G Rap – The Symphony Part II
Marley Marl, Master Ace, Craig G., Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane – The Symphony
Masta Ace – Four Minus Three*
Snoop Dogg, Mystikal, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Fiend, C-Murder, Goldie Loc – Ghetto Symphony*
The Firm – Affirmative Action (Remix aka The Firm Symphony)*
Truck Turner, Big Pun, KRS-One, Kool G Rap – Symphony 2000
UGK, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap – Next Up
Wu-Tang – Wu Symphony (Freestyle)

The Symphony Loosies

BONUS — VA – Cold Chillin’s The Juice Crew Story Greatest Hits