Mixing & Mastering Engineer

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

A: I have an incredible amount of respect for Sia, Jay-Z, Max Martin, the Dream, Janelle, Rhapsody, Sevdalisza, Drake, Kendrick, Sampha, MC Solaar, Nas & many more as writers. I hate lists. You always forget important names. So too many to fit in one list. As far as mixing is concerned, Dave Pensado, Ken Lewis, MixedByAli, Young Guru, 40, Bob Power, Dre, Geoff E. and many more fascinate me. Lists are really terrible. I know I'm forgetting great names. I also enjoy studying executives a lot. Someone has to package and move all this music. Someone has to make this lucrative.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Records. It stays. It's forever. The process. All of it//

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

A: Computer with desires DAWs and attached plug-ins for recording and production, Avid mBox pro, Neumann U87 with a portable booth, a pair of Yamaha HS8s, and some headphones.

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

A: Dre, Kendrick, Sampha, Lauryn Hill, Janelle Monae, 40, Wayne, Sevdaliza, Thundercat, Tyler The Creator, Cole, Timbaland, Jay-Z, Paul McCartney, The Dream, Davido, Max Martin, Sia, Skepta, Wizkid, Drake, Andre 3000, Rick Ross, St.Vincent, Solance, The Broods, Syd The Kid, Pharell, Kanye, Asap Rocky, Jimmy Iovine, Rakim, Maitre Gims, Red Hot Cilli Peppers, Fleet Foxes and so so many more... This isn't even a fair list. & To learn. I would just want to sit, talk to them and watch. Really if I could be in every studio session and at every show I would. There's so much to learn, create and experience. So little time...

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Writing, artist development, arranging, vocal mixing, and vocal performance.

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

A: I most commonly do writing and art development with my clients and fellow creators. I help grow their sound and write around their aesthetic in a way that they can brand themselves as themselves in the most exciting way possible. I also discuss the steps after the recording with as many of my clients as possible because I care about the records getting places. I care about other artists and their art.

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

A: That me being in the process of growing means I won't deliver greatness.

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

A: We're going to shoot for the most memorable music we can create together. I won't write average. I care about what I do. & I'm always growing and looking for growth, so whatever we do will grow with time.

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

A: It's a tie between my first mixtape, & the first project I wrote & recorded for another artist. It wasn't there yet in terms of a sound, bit it gave me the confidence to do this all the way. It showed me I really loved what I do, because it got no love and I was still in love with what I was doing.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: An EP for a raggae artist. An EP for an afrobeats artist. My own music. Singles for Hip-Hop, R&B and Pop artists.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: No. Hopefully soon.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I don't care. It depends on what you want to accomplish. If anything both. It's all very grey.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: How fast can you deliver? Whenever you need it.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How do you want to make people feel? What's your audience? How far do you want to take this? Why are you doing this?

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

A: Let's make it a conversation. It's always about the quality of the conversation.

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

A: I learned as I went I'm still learning. I started when I was 18. I am now 25.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Diverse.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Talk to the music and listen when it talks back. It's a conversation. Those levels will talk to you. The song will talk to you. It'll tell you where it's going. It's always a collaboration between you and the music. You're not making the music. You're creating with it.

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

A: Hip-Hop, R&B, Raggae, Afrobeats, Pop.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Groove. Compelling melodies. Powerful delivery. Depth. Layers.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I write pretty fast. The skeleton of a record is usually done between 1-3hours. I then decide whether I want depth or a light record to build around the record and get ambitious with the layers. I love playing with vocals. Layering them, taking them out of their element and playing with delivery.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Very simple. An Aston Spirit, a TLM 103, an MBox and an Apollo Twin. Protools 10, with all waves plugins.