"Symphony in X Major" was the second and final single released from Xzibit's fourth album named Man vs. Machine. It features Dr. Dre, is produced by Rick Rock and samples a portion of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3". Dr. Dre mixed the song.

"Symphony in X Major"
Single by Xzibit featuring Dr. Dre
from the album Man vs. Machine
B-side"Harder"
ReleasedDecember 9, 2002
GenreRap
Length3:55
LabelLoud
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Rock
Xzibit singles chronology
"Choke Me, Spank Me (Pull My Hair)"
(2002)
"Symphony in X Major"
(2002)
"Hey Now (Mean Muggin)"
(2004)
Dr. Dre singles chronology
"The Wash"
(2002)
"Symphony in X Major"
(2002)
"Encore"
(2004)

A music video was shot for the song directed by Joe Hahn of Linkin Park.[1] Dr. Dre does not appear in the video. It reached number 43 in the Australian singles chart.[2]

Composition

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"Symphony in X Major" samples two extracts of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3" as interpreted by Wendy Carlos on her 1968 Switched-On Bach album. These two samples are taken from the composition's middle section where it transitions into the relative minor key, "useful in reinforcing the menacing tone of the hip-hop track."[1]

The first corresponds to bars 70-71 of the concerto and appears in the introduction and choruses of the song, while the second is taken from bars 68-69, and is used in the verses and the outro, giving the song a contrasting verse-chorus structure.[1]

Charts

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Chart performance of "Symphony in X Major"
Chart (2002–2003) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 43
Australian Urban (ARIA)[3] 16
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4] 63

Release history

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Release history and formats for "Symphony in X Major"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States November 25, 2002 [5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Williams, Justin A. (2014-03-04). "Theoretical Approaches to Quotation in Hip-Hop Recordings". Contemporary Music Review. 33 (2): 188–209. doi:10.1080/07494467.2014.959276. hdl:1983/92ce47d7-85d3-48a6-ac4a-bbb593fc1fb2. ISSN 0749-4467.
  2. ^ a b "Xzibit – Symphony in X Major". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  3. ^ "Issue 689" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  4. ^ "Xzibit Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  5. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1480. November 22, 2002. p. 24. Retrieved July 10, 2022.