Symphony in X Major

"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"
Released	2002
Genre	Rap
Length	3:55
Label	Loud
Songwriter(s)	Alvin Joiner Andre Young
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) "The Watcher 2" (2003)

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

"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

Sales chart performance of "Symphony in X Major"

Chart	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[2]	43
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[3]	63

References

1. 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. ISSN 0749-4467.
2. "Australian-charts.com – Xzibit – Symphony in X Major". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
3. "Xzibit Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.