By Michael Raine
Professional Sound ’ s
HIP-HOP PRODUCERS ’ ROUNDTABLE
Rap production is really unlike anything typically found in the area of rock- and roots-oriented music . And really , the role of producer in rap is fundamentally different than the role producers play in rock and roots . Whereas the rock or country producer acts as a coach and / or sonic guide for the artist , rap and R & B producers are truly artists themselves – in on the ground floor of the creative process .
While I ’ ve consciously developed a much greater appreciation of current rap and R & B over the last five or so years , really , I got thinking about this because of a quote in the April 2021 issue of Professional Sound from an unlikely source . The great Daniel Lanois , someone who ’ s produced countless guitar-wielding legends over the last 30 years ( Bob Dylan , Neil Young , U2 , etc .), told writer Manus Hopkins that he often listens to hiphop radio in the car . “ I appreciate that some of that is as crazy as it is ,” he said , adding : “ Those folks are doing very far out stuff and a few times I ’ m jealous .”
With this in mind , I wanted to reach out to a few highly-respected Canadian rap producers to learn more about what they do .
David “ Gordo ” Strickland : As an engineer , mixer , and producer on hip-hop and R & B records for more than two decades , Strickland has worked on seminal tracks by the likes of Pete Rock , Erick Sermon , EPMD , Keith Murray , Redman , and Method Man . He ’ s also been involved in records by almost every one of the groundbreaking Toronto hip-hop acts , including k-os , Ghetto Concept , Jelleestone , Kardinal Offishall , Saukrates , Jully Black , Divine Brown , Glenn Lewis , Choclair , and Drake . Strickland was in on the ground floor for the OVO explosion , turning in Grammy-winning work behind the boards on Drake ’ s albums Thank Me Later , Take Care , and Nothing Was the Same .
FrancisGotHeat : Francis Bach Hoang Nguyen-Tran , a . k . a . FrancisGotHeat , is regarded as one of the hottest young talents to come out of Toronto in recent years . He ’ s a multi-instrumentalist , multi-platinum producer , and composer . Splitting his time between Toronto and L . A ., his credits include Drake , Big Sean ft . Eminem , Zayn , Lykke Li , Lil Uzi Vert , Higher Brothers , Bryson Tiller , Roy Woods , Ab-Soul , and Isaiah Rashad amongst others .
OUR PANEL
London Cyr : Originally from Vancouver and now based in Toronto , Cyr has worked with many of Toronto ’ s most hyped new artists , including Pressa , Lil Berete , Smoke Dawg , Killy , and 88GLAM . He also worked with his friend and mentor WondaGurl to produce the song “ CAN ’ T SAY ” from Travis Scott ’ s Grammywinning album Astroworld .
Prezident Jeff : Jeffery Offe , better known as Prezident Jeff , is a Ghanaian-Canadian producer based in Toronto . He ’ s produced for artists like Wiz Khalifa , Kevin Gates , Little Simz , and J-Soul . His close creative partnership with OVO ’ s Roy Woods has sparked some of the rapper / singer ’ s most popular hits like “ Down Girl ” and “ Instinct .”
Taabu : Spencer Heaslip , a . k . a . Taabu , is a Toronto-based producer , mixer , and mastering engineer whose work was featured on Haviah Mighty ’ s hit song “ Wishy Washy ” from her Polaris Music Prize-winning album 13 th Floor . Taabu is also known for his production with 2oolman ( A Tribe Called Red ), Snotty Nose Rez Kids , The Sorority , Lex Leosis , and more .
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