UK Rapper, Sound Engineer

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For every project I work on, I have three phases - the beginning, the formation, and the end. In the beginning, I always start with a clear and precise goal in mind for the project. I then go on to outline a clear step-by-step process that will meet the end goal. These steps are usually shared with the client in order to give them transparency on how the Production/Mixing process will work. Whilst writing down the steps, I keep my clients biggest requests at the forefront, ensuring their demands are met throughout the process. During the formation of the project, communication is present during each step. I ensure to explain any changes made and always encourage my clients to ask any questions or raise any queries they may have before moving on. Towards the end of the project, a complete product will be handed over to the client. Most importantly, the initial step-by-step plan we had created at the start will also be looked over, confirming all points have been addressed. We go through a final stage of last touch-ups before the final product is handed over to the client.

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

A: Noah '40' Shebib - observing the sound himself and Drake have created for the city of Toronto is iconic. Other influences include Boi 1da and Jordan Nullman.

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

A: Most of my work is as a Sound Engineer to help create bright, modern, and competitive sounding mixes that are comparable to any song on the radio or on streaming platforms.

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

A: A project that I am proud of is a track I worked on with British-Asian artist 'Saloni' called Desi Nwantiti. The track was a cover of the famous TikTok single 'Love Nwantiti' by CKay, whish also included covers of well-known songs from South-Asian artists, such as AP Dhillon and Pulkit Samrat. I'm most proud of this track because of my role as the Producer, and Mix & Master Engineer, as well as directing Saloni with performing the single. The track has gone on to surpass 60,000 streams on Spotify alone, all by promoting the song on TikTok, which has allowed Saloni to grow and also my name to be recognised within the South-Asian music space.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I have a 3-month release schedule from my own discography coming up as well as shows in London. I'm also working with British-Asian Singer 'Saloni' as her personal Mix Engineer, and sometimes producer, as she looks to release her album in the next coming year.

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

A: Manuel Garay - Record Producer / Composer I worked with Manuel providing him vocals for some of his singles that I featured on. Working with Manuel was simple, to the point and confident. I loved his enthusiasm during the process, and I believe our effective communication was the key during the process.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Despite the quality and originality behind Analog music formats, I believe digital has come a long way and has ultimately allowed music to grow in mass the way it has.

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

A: My promise to my clients is that their demands & requests will always be at the forefront of each project, ensuring their end goal is met, and that every step is communicated during at each stage.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: One thing I love about my job is that my years of experience allows me to help somebody instantly without them having to go through the same amount of time & effort that I've had to put in, all for a fair exchange. This makes music super fulfilling.

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

A: The most common questions I receive include pricing (which is all shown on my SoundBetter profile) and the duration of the project.

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

A: Being 21 years of age in the industry, some would question my lack of experience in my field. However I'm excited to acknowledge that I'm an upcoming artist in this industry, mostly due to the feedback I've received and the time I've spent on my craft.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: At the very beginning I ask the client for the brief issues they've been facing and the problems they'd like to address. This is then followed by a clear & precise goal that they have in mind, one that would be deemed a 'success' for them. I then go on to asking for references of songs, sounds & artists that have inspired and influenced the record. This allows me to get an initial direction for the track to create a foundation that we can work from. Before finalising a decision on the project, I ask for their expectations with time and any other mentions that need to be addressed on their side, before proceeding with the project.

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

A: Being an artist myself, I understand the deep emotional connection musicians hold to their music. We pour our hearts into our craft and always put our music first. This is always considered in every project that I take on, which ultimately allows me to put the goals & ideas of my clients first, followed by honest feedback and advice on my behalf.

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

A: All I'd need to make amazing music; my Laptop, audio interface, microphone, headphones, and a USB mouse, just for some extra ease, despite already being on a desert island :)

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

A: Being surrounded by Hip-Hop at a young age of 12, I began by writing lyrics to instrumentals to Rakim and Tupac beats on YouTube. A couple years went on for me to experiment with a music software that my older brother had shown me, and that began by placing 8-bar, stock loops on top of each other and thinking I was the world best producer. Listening to a lot of conscious artists such as J.Cole, Nas, and Tupac, I'd hear artists speak up on the issues within their communities growing up, and how they wished to overcome these. At fourteen, I realised the issues within my family and my home. We weren't the less fortunate, though we were also not well off. But the pain and struggles we endured sprung mostly from the mental warfare that is within the lower-middle class cycle. I began to notice the talent that had unfortunately been wasted in my family. People with genuine desires and passions that had let their dreams go due to cultural standards. I saw anger in they eyes of some, confusion in the eyes of most, and regret in the eyes of them all. At sixteen I decided that I'd be a Rapper. I wanted a better life for my family and most of all did not accept that I'd possibly have the same outcome. I made a decision that most would say was reckless by not continuing with my academic education and put all my effort into music. In 2018, I released my debut single, and have since worked on 30+ singles as a performer, producer, or mix engineer. In my most recent years I have used my skills as a Mix Engineer & Producer to work with artists, build relationships, and be part of many collaborations. All whilst building my own discography as a Rapper.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My most general description would be 'authentic hit-making'. I make music that people will love, all whilst letting the artist be the biggest point of difference within each record. Not to be confused with 'following the trend', but more so implementing trends with new ideas that can last forever, further than most people's 5 minutes of fame.

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

A: Strandz, a rapper from London, UK. Bringing back Classic 'boom-bap' Hip-Hop in a modern tone is something I admire, and is ultimately what I wish to work more on in the future as an artist myself and with others.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't think too much. I believe you should let your mind breathe sonically, and use whatever it grasps onto as your foundation for the rest of the track.

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

A: I specialise in Hip-Hop and R&B music as well as Mixing/Producing for artists within the Pop & World genre, usually within South-Asian music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Being able to provide a mix that levels with any 'industry-standard' single you would hear on radio or streaming platforms. This also includes making a track sound complete and providing a perfect balance between vocal presence on top of the production.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I believe I truly bring to the life the ideas and visions that my clients have through my Production/Mixing.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: An organised music & work space for efficient music production. It consists of my HP Spectre at the heart of the studio, connected to my Focusrite 2i2 interface. This is then connected to my Rode NT1-A mic, supported by the Neewer NW-6 Vocal Booth. For clear and efficient sound, I swap between monitor speakers ( FD A510 2.1 Multimedia Home Theatre Speaker) and Audio Technica ATH-M30X Headhphones, for close-control analysis of the music.