Hip-hop/Rap producer for hire

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

A: One seminal project was mixing an album for an independent emo rapper who poured raw emotion into the lyrics. Beyond polish, my crucial role was using effects like filtered delays to complement that vulnerability through ambiance and layering to heighten the cathartic vibes for listeners. His reaction confirming I helped fully actualize his artistry made the long nights truly rewarding.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently co-producing an alternative R&B artist's debut EP featuring her incredible 4 octave range. I'm handling vocal production and mixing the tracks for a fresh, vibey sound we're excited to debut soon!

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

A: Absolutely - for mastering with an EDM focus, Bruno Kramm always delivers flawless, loud masters true to my mixes. And for live instrumentation recording, Mat Dupont brings world-class quality microphones and pres.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I leverage an analog workflow's natural richness along with the precision editing and recall efficiency of digital tools for the best of both worlds when producing and mixing music.

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

A: I promise to work tirelessly until we've achieved your sonic vision through communicating every step, welcoming feedback, and refusing to settle on anything less than your absolute happiness.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the joy of problem-solving technical and creative challenges to unlock an artist's fullest potential and make their personal visions resonate commercially. Plus I get to live music production daily!

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

A: "How do you make this song sound so impactful?" My answer - Meticulous layering, EQ moves avoiding clutter, dynamic peaks/valleys, emotive adlibs and special sauce!

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

A: That great mixes happen instantly during tracking! There is deep nuance in post work building upon good recordings through intricate tweaking until objective excellence across playback systems is achieved.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask about their overall vision, musical influences, reference tracks, target listeners, past recording challenges, ideal timeline, budget sweet spot, and post-release plans to craft the perfect custom solution.

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

A: Analyze prospective engineers' portfolios for examples of actual client work in your genre rather than unrelated skill demos. Book initial test sessions before commitment to major projects. Clearly communicate mix expectations.

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

A: On a desert island, I'd choose a DAW loaded with plugin essentials like EQs and compressors, nearfield monitors, a quality microphone, headphones, and an audio interface to record even in isolation!

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

A: I started self-producing and mixing my own rap tracks as a hobbyist which grew into handling projects for friends' bands and local artists. Over the past 6 years, it has expanded significantly working with over 100 regional acts in my personal studio while I further honed my mixing ear.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Rather than imposing a set "sound" or style, I adapt my production approach based on each artist's unique identity and the lyrical narrative or instrumental aesthetic they envision to best showcase the spectrum of their talents.

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

A: As a massive fan, I'd love to work with Kendrick Lamar given his conceptual, Pulitzer-winning albums to help realize a similarly ambitious and thematically rich project. His storytelling and bars over my beats would be incredible.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: When mixing synth pads and atmospheric elements, subtle organic modulation using chorus, phaser, and autopanners can make them shift pleasantly reminiscent of vintage keyboards to avoid sounding static.

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

A: While I have a soft spot for hip hop and R&B, I end up working in almost every popular genre from country, EDM, reggae, rock, pop and beyond. My versatility and custom approach allows me to bring out the best in artists across styles.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Having sharpened my ears through years of full-time mixing and production, my strongest skill lies in precisely tuning vocals using pitch correction, doubles, chains, and aux sends along with intricate compression settings to make voices sit impressively in a mix.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Beyond technical polish, I bring a holistic perspective in enriching songs through subtle ear candy, emotion-enhancing effects, and overall listening dynamics that amplify what uniquely makes an artist compelling. I further advise on arrangement, sound choices if multi-tracking, and pen detailed mix notes.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by closely reviewing the mix vision with clients and studying the raw files to plan my routing, panning and tonal approach. After editing, sound replacement etc, I build the foundation mix balancing elements like drums, bass, pads etc. Then I intricately craft the feature elements like leads and vocals using my analog tools and digital effects. I tweak mixes through multiple speakers before having clients verify the delivery meets expectations.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I operate a hybrid studio with analogue summing gear for warmth alongside digital recording and processing tools like Pro Tools, Waves plugins, and various synthesizers and modules for unique coloration options. I monitor on Yamaha HS8s and use outboard preamps, compressors and EQs from brands like API, SSL, Neumann, and Empirical Labs for that authentic, vibrant sound.

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

A: A few production legends that inspire me are DJ Premier for his iconic jazz and soul-sampled hip hop beats, Rick Rubin for his stripped-down and emotionally stirring approach, Quincy Jones for the classic thrills in his arrangements, and Linda Perry for her visceral songwriting perspective when producing.

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

A: The most common services I provide for my clients involve mixing and mastering original music recordings. The vast majority of the projects I handle on a regular basis are taking unpolished vocal and instrumental tracks, then professionally treating them with effects like compression, equalization, panning, and reverb to achieve a radio-ready sound quality and commercial competitiveness. This optimization process ensures the music translates with clarity and engagement across all listening formats for end consumers. My specialty and passion is improving a song’s dynamics and listenability by balancing, adjusting, and enhancing each element of the mix. Making vocals feel vibrant and instruments blend cohesively within the soundstage is integral to on-brand, emotionally compelling records. So whether working strictly with vocal tracks or receiving entire multi-track sessions, that core process of mixing audio down to stereo channels plays a central, recurring role with most clientele.