Hey! How are you? The Production Port, which takes their time to interview many notable music producers and provide production tips, interviewed me a while back and published the interview on their website on July 23, 2012. Currently, the website is down, but I still have remnants of the interview if you’re curious of the questions they asked me and my responses to them. I did not edit or interfere with how the interview was written or set up in any way. Hopefully, there will be information on this interview valuable to you. If you have questions for me, don’t be afraid to ask! Enjoy the interview!
Why did you decide to start producing?
I’ve always loved music. I was taught how to play the piano at a young age, and as soon as I learned how to play, I made my first piano piece (around the age of 8). I’ve always preferred making my own compositions to playing songs that others have already made.
As I got older, I made more and more piano pieces, until I was sent to a boarding school. There, I met my roommate who had a Macbook with Garageband installed on it. He was kind enough to let me borrow his laptop when he wasn’t using it, so I used his laptop to make beats on my free time. With no teacher, and a strong drive to produce music, my adventure began…
Which program(s) do you use when producing?
Initially, I used Garageband to produce my music, but now, I’m using Logic Pro 9.
What hardware do you produce with?
The hardware I use when producing my music are a MacBook Pro and Krk KNS 8400 Studio Headphones. I also have a M-Audio Axiom Pro 61 which I haven’t used for a year.
How long does it typically take for you to make a beat?
It depends. A lot of times I’ve been really busy, so I’ll “half-bake” a beat in 10-15 minutes and either leave it alone, or come back to it and add some more instrumentation to it later. However, a lot of the beats people hear from me are made by what I call a “Euphoria.” They usually happen at night after I have had no creative ideas for a long period of time. Generally, A melody would start playing in my head, and after I record that melody on my program, multiple ideas branch off of it, until I hear a “song.” I try my best to make the instrumental sound like the “song” I envision. This usually takes 1-7 straight (yes, straight), hours depending on the complexity of the “song” I mentally hear. During those hours, I can’t take a break or I lose sight or vision of the “song.” When I feel like I’ve done enough, I take a day break, or so, and then take an additional 30 minutes to an hour to finish mixing and mastering it.
Which part of the beat do you prefer to start with?
I usually start with the melody. I rarely start with the drums.
You did a collab track with L3gion of Doom, what was that experience like?
My collab experience with the L3gion of Doom, in my opinion, was pretty laid back. He asked me to collab, and I liked his productions, so I agreed. He sent me trackouts of a track he wanted us to work on. However, I had a very busy schedule and “musician’s block” at the time, but I placed in what I thought would add to the effect of the instrumental and after weeks, sent it back to him. He loved it and added in his part. The end result was, in my opinion, triumphant!
Who/What has influenced your style of production?
A lot of people influenced my style of production, but the person who influenced my style of production the most was Johnny Juliano from 2009-2011. The amount of influence Johnny Juliano had on my music was unbelievable. From observing Johnny Juliano, it introduced me to mixing and mastering, the business side of music, networking and etc. It may not sound like it, but even my self-made voice tag is a “knock-off” of Johnny Juliano’s voice tag, which goes even further to show the influence he has had on my music and I.
Overall, Johnny Juliano was different and himself in his music and that is exactly what I would like to display in my productions.
Which artist would you eventually like to produce for?
I would like to eventually produce for mainstream artists like Drake, Lupe Fiasco, Chris Brown and Lecrae, but I would also like to produce for underground artists like D-Pryde, Lil Crazed, Jewlz, Drama B, Tommy C & the list can go on forever. At the same time, I’m trying to expand my versatility, so I’m looking to produce for movies and commercials in the near future.
Talk about some of your upcoming projects.
Well, I recently released my 2nd public beat tape and I have plans to release 2 other beat tapes. Also, I have collaborations with producers like the L3gion of Doom that are still in progress, I have artists using my instrumentals that I hope to promote through a free service I’m presently going to offer, and I have an official website waiting to be launched.
If you could meet any actor, who would it be and why?
If I were to meet any actor, it would probably be Will Smith. I think he’s a pretty cool guy who is very successful at what he does, he seems to carry himself well, and he is just a great actor.
Any last comments?
Thank you for interviewing me, theproductionport.com. I’d like to thank Jesus for all he has done for me, family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, those that supported me and those that gave me the opportunity to work with them. I’d also like to say, don’t be afraid to try new things and if you really have a passion for something, pursue it. You may develop other talents along the way. Also, under God, you are the limiter of your dreams and what you can do, so make the most of life, and last, but not least,
Keep it 100!
Hi, thanks for sharing. I’m wondering if it’s OK to copy some of the text in my site?
As long as you give credit, I don’t see the problem!