Grammy-Nominated, 10x Platinum

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

A: One of my proudest moments was producing and engineering during my years in-house at G-Unit Records, working alongside 50 Cent at the height of his commercial run. Being signed as "Chad Beatz" at 19 and contributing to projects with artists like Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and Mobb Deep — artists I grew up listening to — was surreal. More recently, I'm proud of every independent artist I've helped cross the finish line. Watching someone's debut single go from rough files to a polished, competitive master — and then seeing them come back as a repeat client — that never gets old.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently mixing an Afrobeats compilation with artists from Nigeria and the U.S., plus ongoing mixing and mastering work for independent Hip-Hop and R&B artists across the platform. I'm actively taking new clients — turnaround is running at 48–72 hours right now.

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

A: There are several talented pros on this platform I've interacted with. For anything outside my specialty — vocalists, session players, songwriters — I'm always happy to point clients in the right direction. Just ask.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, and intentionally so. I run Pro Tools as my primary DAW and incorporate hardware-style processing through emulations of the API 2500 and SSL G-Bus compressor for that analog density and glue. For projects that call for it, I track through real outboard gear. The goal is always the same: warmth and punch with clarity. Digital gives you precision and recall; analog (or analog modeling) gives you feel. I use whichever serves the song.

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

A: Professional-quality work, fast turnaround, and honest communication from start to finish. You'll get 3 free revisions, a 48–96 hour delivery window, and a mix engineer who actually listens to what you're going for — not just what's technically "correct." I've built 214 repeat client relationships on SoundBetter by keeping that promise consistently.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The transformation. A raw session with unbalanced levels, cluttered frequencies, and no cohesion — and then 48 hours later it's punching, breathing, and sounding like something you'd hear on a playlist. That moment when the artist first hears the finished mix and says "that's exactly it" — that never gets old. Twenty-plus years in and it still fires me up the same way it did at 19.

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

A: The most common questions I get: "How many revisions do I get?" (3, free of charge). "How long will it take?" (48–96 hours from receiving your files). "Do you do stems?" (yes). "Can you handle both mixing and mastering?" (yes, combined rate available). The other big one: "What files do I need to send?" — I need individual track stems exported at 24-bit, 44.1kHz or higher, with no limiting or heavy compression already baked in. Dry is better.

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

A: That mixing is just "turning knobs to make it louder." In reality, a good mix is what separates a demo that sounds like a demo from a record that sounds like a record. It's surgical frequency management, dynamic control, spatial placement, emotional pacing — all in service of the song. The best mixes are invisible. You don't notice them; you just feel the music. That's what I'm building toward on every session.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask a few key things upfront: What's the genre and vibe you're going for? Do you have reference tracks? Are your stems already recorded and exported, or do you need production help too? And what's your timeline? Getting clear answers to these lets me quote accurately and deliver exactly what you need — no back-and-forth surprises.

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

A: Come with reference tracks. The single biggest thing you can do to get a great result is send me 2–3 songs that have the mix sound you're aiming for. It doesn't mean your song will sound exactly like those — it means I understand the tonal target. Also: trust the process. I've done this for 20+ years and worked with major-label and independent artists at every level. If something isn't working, we'll fix it — that's what the revision rounds are for.

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

A: Pro Tools (the brain of every session), Logic Pro (for production and composition), a quality MIDI keyboard (ideas need to flow fast), Maschine (for beat-making and sound design on the fly), and my AKG C2000 condenser mic. With those five I can track, produce, mix, and master anything from scratch.

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

A: I got signed to 50 Cent/G-Unit Records at 19 as an in-house producer under the name "Chad Beatz." That placement gave me immediate access to major-label sessions, professional studios, and artists like Dead Prez, Mobb Deep, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, Jim Jones, and Talib Kweli — credits that are Discogs-verified. From there I built a career spanning Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, Afrobeats, and beyond — accumulating 2 Grammy nominations, 10 Platinum certifications, and credits on 3 Billboard #1 albums. I've been doing this professionally for 20+ years. Now I run Tastemaker Music LLC and bring that same level of craft to every project that comes through my door, major or independent.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Clean, punchy, and intentional. I mix for emotion first — every frequency choice should serve how the song makes you feel. My background is in Hip-Hop and Urban music, so my mixes tend to have tight low-end, clear vocal presence, and energy that translates from headphones to car speakers to a club system. But I've worked across enough genres — Pop, R&B, Afrobeats, Reggae, Tropical/Dancehall — that I can dial into whatever sonic world the song lives in.

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

A: Larry June. His production sensibility — smooth, warm, West Coast-influenced without being derivative — is exactly the kind of project I'd love to mix. There's a laid-back confidence to his sound that takes real craft to pull off without it sounding flat. Plus the man is consistent, and I respect consistency.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Reference constantly. Pull up your reference track every 20–30 minutes and A/B your mix against it at the same perceived loudness. It's easy to lose perspective in a long session — your ears adjust to your own mix. The reference keeps you honest. Most mixes that sound "amateur" are suffering from a loss of perspective, not a lack of gear.

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

A: Primarily Hip-Hop, Trap, R&B, and Urban Pop — that's my core. But my credit list is diverse: I've worked on Afrobeats, Reggae, Tropical/Dancehall, Pop, and Gospel-adjacent projects. If you have a hybrid-genre project or something that doesn't fit neatly in a box, that's actually where I tend to do my best work.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Vocal placement and low-end control. Getting a vocal to sit perfectly in a dense mix — present, clear, and emotional without being harsh or buried — is where I've spent the most time over 20 years, and it shows in the work. On the low end, I've mixed enough Hip-Hop and Trap to know how to build a bottom that's tight and powerful on any playback system. Those two things together are what make a mix feel professional.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Perspective and intent. After 20+ years and 1,000+ sessions, I can hear what a song is trying to be — and then build the mix around that vision rather than just balancing levels. I bring clarity to the low end, presence to the vocals, and cohesion to the full arrangement. The result is a mix that feels finished and competitive — something listeners stream again, and that DSP algorithms reward with placement.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Once I receive your stems, I start with gain staging and organizing the session, then work through the mix in phases: low-end and drums first (the foundation), then instruments, then vocals on top. I send you a first version within 48–96 hours. From there, you give me notes and we do up to 3 free revisions until you're 100% satisfied. I communicate throughout the process — you'll never be left wondering where your project is.

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

A: Pharrell Williams for his harmonic instincts and genre-crossing sound design. Lester Mendez for how he blends Latin and urban textures without either element feeling like an afterthought. Owusu & Hannibal for the raw emotional honesty in their production. And every producer who figured out how to make something sound timeless with limited gear — that's the real standard.

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

A: The most common request is mixing and mastering for independent Hip-Hop and R&B artists — usually a completed song with stems ready to go. A close second is full production: artists come with a vocal idea, a vibe, or a reference track, and I build the beat, arrange the production, mix, and master the finished record. I also do a fair amount of vocal-only mixing for artists who already have an instrumental they love but need the vocal chain cleaned up and seated properly in the mix.