Unlock Your Music's Potential

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: Joe Budden "All Love Lost". I managed to do 3 songs on that album and Joe also did an interview where he said the beat for the intro (produced my me) inspired him to make the project in the first place. Joe was my favorite artist at one point that was a huge point of pride for me. Rick Ross "Black Dollar" is a close second because that was my first major label placement.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I have an artist that I'm developing and a beat store that I update weekly but other than that I'm always working on major label projects that I can't ever really talk about.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital that models analog. UAD is great for that. I just have to stay in the boxing when creating and I hate being a slave to older sounds and methods. Let's at least try to create something new!

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: You will walk away with a song that you feel was cared for from start to finish. I've been guilty of fussing over records more than the artist at times but it's because I want us all to win.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Ever since I was a kid I knew that no matter what I was going to have to make a living doing something creative.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That it's as easy as Ryan Leslie makes it look in those amazing videos he does.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What kind of song are you looking for? Do you have any songs already finished for this project? Are you looking for music for a project or just an individual song? What is your budget?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Just be willing to create something different from time to time. I have a beat site if you want a beat that sounds like another artist but if we are working together I would prefer if we created something special that is unique to us. That's where the magic usually happens.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My Macbook Pro (yes in today's game your computer is absolutely gear), uad apollo Twin, my HD280's, and any good semi weighted 61 key midi keyboard.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started as a rapper back in High School. By my first year in college I couldn't afford to pay producers for beats so I started using FL Studio to figure it out myself. Within a couple of years I stopped making rapping completely and 4 years after that I landed my first song on Joe Budden's "A Loose Quarter" mixtape.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: 40's feeling, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League's attention to detail, Timbaland's groove, & Bob Marley's intention all in hip hop form.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Jay Z, Nas, Kanye West, & Beyonce are basically my bucket list artists. Those artist were basically the soundtrack to my middle school, high school, and college years so being able to work with them would pretty much be validation for me that I made it. My left field artists would be Jon Bellion, Bruno Mars, & Kendrick Lamar because of the challenge.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: It's not about your beat, it's about how your beat helps the artist bring their vision to reality. So don't over-produce your records. The more talented you are as a producer the more difficult this will be. Some producers might think of simplicity as "dumbing it down" but even when working with artists who don't have a dumbed down sound I've found that keeping the most essential sounds to the song makes for the best music.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I mostly work on hip hop & trap but I'm currently developing an artist who is a perfect cohesive mix of multiple genres.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'm great at making ambient records that create a vibe or hybrid trap soul songs with a really good groove. Basically I am a vibe.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I'm building a reputation for making songs that mean the most to artists. I tend to work off of feeling and I think that comes out in most of my records. Songs like Rick Ross - Foreclosures, Joe Budden - Poker In The Sky, or Chauntae Pink - You The One are great examples of this.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Just Blaze, Quincy Jones, DJ Khalil, Timbaland, & Jon Bellion to name a few.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Once I find out what type of songs my clients are looking for I will either provide them with beat options that I have already made (that can be altered for the song's needs) or I can make something custom for them. I'll be there throughout the recording process and for my remote clients I will give advice for changes if they are necessary. I have also helped some of my clients with marketing and promotion strategies so that they can have the best chances of reaching the largest audience.