Second To None

"Second To None"
Song by Styles Of Beyond from the album Reseda Beach
Recorded	2006-2007
Released	June 26, 2007
Format	Digital, CD
Length	3:07
Live debut	September 03, 2007
Last played	August 17, 2007
Writer	Takbir Bashir, Ryan Matthew Maginn, Mike Shinoda
Producer	Mike Shinoda
Label	Dirty Version Records, Tokyo Sex Whale
Reseda Beach track listing Here We Go Hard Sugar Honey Iced Tea Take That (feat. Celph Titled) Call My Name Bumble Bee (Interlude) The Pirate Song (feat. Apathy) Damn Dumb It Down (feat. Apathy) Howdy Doody Live From Ibiza (Interlude) You Love Us (feat. Somaya Reece) Shut Everything Down (featuring Celph Titled) Dunky Fividends (feat. Apathy) Second To None (feat. Mike Shinoda) The Valley (Outro) Disc 2: Gats N Party Hats Hard (Remix) It's Us Hey You (feat. Mike Shinoda) You Cannot Fuck With This (feat. Celph Titled) Here We Come World Famous Bring It Back (feat. Apathy, Celph Titled & Motive) Murderer (feat. Celph Titled) Live At The BBQ (feat. Apathy, Motive & Celph Titled) The Story Begins Bangin' S.O.B. Kill 'Em In The Face (feat. Scoop DeVille) Get Involved They Don't Know Journey Savin' L.A. (feat. Bishop Lamont) Radio Clash Kick Me Out Chill Pill (feat. Apathy)

"Second To None" is the fifteenth track on Styles Of Beyond's third studio album, Reseda Beach. The song was produced by Mike Shinoda and features him on vocals.

Background

Describing how the song came together, Mike said, "Second to None" was a beat, I think I came up with that beat after the Fort Minor record, I think. And I wanted to hear somebody rapping over it, I didn't want to just put it on my own. We were working on the Styles of Beyond record and I kind of pitched it to them. And we ended up just doing it. I think we didn't know what would happen with it, but we were like, "Oh yeah this is dope, this is a dope beat." My concept for it, for part of it, I was listening to like 1988, 89, and 90s rap. Before Big Daddy Kane started making songs for like, girls. Like he was making R&B songs. At first he was doing like, hardcore rap and then he was like, making songs to be an R&B star. I loved back when he was dancing too, with it, which was so crazy. If don't know anything about Big Daddy Kane, look up Big Daddy Kane at the Apollo. K-A-N-E, that was like one of my favorite eras of stuff as a little kid, like seeing this stuff. And so "Second to None" was created with that in my mind."

About Mike's role on Reseda Beach, Ryu said, "Yeah, well pretty much we’ve been working with Mike [Shinoda] as long as S.O.B. has been together and putting out music. We all started together, we used to do demos in his bedroom. Mike produced even on the first Styles Of Beyond record [2000 Fold], so us working together was such a natural thing and as far as what his role was on the album, we kind of just trust his direction on things. What we do is he’s the executive producer on the record and what that entails is us just doing a bunch of songs and listening back to them and him telling us which ones are good and which ones aren’t, what we should do with certain ones and just giving us a gang of notes. He was totally involved with it and then he also provided beats for us too. I forget all the ones he did on there but I know he did “Second To None.” He polished this record for us because we were on a major label when we did this, we couldn’t just necessarily go in there and do 68-bar verses on every song and no hooks and stuff like that so it had to be somewhat acceptable for the label so he helped polish our sound a little bit."

Release

"Second To None" was originally released on June 26, 2007 as a part of the Transformers soundtrack.

On July 6, 2007, the LPU Newsletter included a comment from Mike about the song:

"hey everyone, i'm back with a little bit of news for you guys, for those of you who are familiar with STYLES OF BEYOND aka S.O.B. from my fort minor project:

S.O.B. just released a brand new song called "second to none." i produced the track, so i thought you might like to check it out. verses by me, tak, and ryu, plus scratches by cheapshot. it's on the new TRANSFORMERS soundtrack (available on iTunesÂ…put it on your new iPhone, ya heard?)

anyway, that song should be a little taste of one of the many sides of their forthcoming album, "Rocket Surgery," which will be out later this year on machine shop / warner bros. records. hope you enjoy it.

thanks, -m shinoda"

On July 30, 2007, Styles Of Beyond released the Razor Tag mixtape which included "Second To None" as a bonus track. The mixtape was released during the Projekt Revolution Tour 2007. It featured 21 songs as well as 2 additional bonus tracks - "Savin' L.A." and "Second To None." Mike has a production credit on the album for the song "You Cannot Fuck With This."

When Styles Of Beyond released the Reseda Beach album on October 23, 2012, "Second To None" was included as track 15 on disc 1. Disc 2 included the Razor Tag tracks as well as a few bonus songs.

Versions

Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Second To None	Transformers - The Album Razor Tag Reseda Beach	3:07	2007	June 26, 2007	Features vocals by Mike Shinoda.

Live

Mike performed "Second To None" with Styles Of Beyond on Projekt Revolution 2007, starting mid-way through the tour at the show in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He also joined the group in performing "Remember The Name" at these shows. For the performance in Hartfort, Connecticut, Connecticut-native Apathy joined the group for the song, even though he isn't featured in the studio version.

Mike rapped his verse of the song over the extended intro of "Points Of Authority" once: during Linkin Park's performance in Raleigh, North Carolina.

When Fort Minor made a comeback in 2015, Mike ran an online setlist poll to see which songs fans wanted him to add into the Fort Minor setlist. The choices were "Second To None", "High Voltage", "Step Up", "Red To Black", and "Right Now". "High Voltage" ended up winning.

Mike rapped the first verse of "Second To None" over the bridge of "Sorry For Now" due to a fan request at the Manila stop of his solo tour.

Live Guests

• Apathy

Personnel

• Ryu, Tak, Mike Shinoda: rapping
• Mike Shinoda: production
• DJ Cheapshot: scratching
• McKay Garner: mixing
• Vin Skully: recording

Lyrics

Album Version

It's the real authentic Leave ya'll dented Forget what ya heard If I said it, I meant it Did it for real While ya'll pretended Back for more I'm startin' the war to end it Raw Rippin' like I'm working a chainsaw New York to Cali New Jersey to Crenshaw Speak the gift while you plead the fifth My team is sick We eat, sleep, and breathe this shit Rough and rugged Killin 'em soft We don't leave one standin' when we breakin' 'em off Takin' a loss? Not a chance in your life If being fresh is wrong, I don't wanna be right Stop, drop, and roll We got soul Safety popped off when we lock and load So this how we get this done You can check on the rep, yep, second to none Check on the rep, second to none, yea This how we get this done You can check on the rep, second to none Check on the rep, second to none, yea This how we get this done You can check on the rep, second to none Yo, check the rep, yep, enough respect If not for the jewels I drop, the chunky neck I'm funky fresh Equipped with a rusty Tek Am I the best? Well I gotta put it bluntly, yes You can't touch me The flows'll get ya Squeeze breath outta your chest like boa constrictors I'm a killer and I usually know my victims So I catch a lot of bodies on the homie system, uh Don't get it twisted, I'll break your jaw You'll be sippin' fried chicken through a crazy straw Liquid diet, bitch We official pirates I ghost ride the ghost ship Drinkin' and drivin', yea You ain't nothing but a whiny kid That cries like a wimp 'cause nobody rides with him I ain't a thug, pimp, gangsta or grimey, done But you can check on the rep, yep, second to none One Check on the rep, second to none, yea This how we get this done You can check on the rep, second to none Check on the rep, second to none, yea This how we get this done You can check on the rep, second to none Then all the playas wanna step in the gate You can find me at the gym, bench pressing the weights Getting' diesel on that ass and I'm so disgusting I'mma tell the whole god dang globe to suck it I'm bad Now you feelin' something surround you My chemical mix, they got you pumpin' the valium The audience closed in and they had a reaction Similar to explosions off of battery acid My rhymes a razor, to slash your neck with So follow my trail path what next, your exit Into the dungeon, what you bringin' a bucket? No one's hearin' your screams, so start playin' the trumpet I'm outta your reach now So give me some rocket fuel Hookin' a beat down and do the impossible A couple of months later, the record was done So you can check on the rep, yep, second to none Check on the rep, second to none, yea This how we get this done You can check on the rep, second to none Check on the rep, second to none, yea This how we get this done You can check on the rep, second to none

Gallery

• 

  Razor Tag

• 

  Reseda Beach

• 

  Transformers: The Album

• 

  Transformers (Music From And Inspired By)

• 

  Transformers (Music From The Motion Picture)

In Other Media

• "Second To None" is featured in the 2007 film Transformers and was included in its soundtrack album.
• "Second To None" is featured in the 2009 film The Arena: North Shore.
• "Second To None" is featured in the 2009 film Street Dreams.

External Links

• Second To None: Transformers | Reseda Beach