Upscale LIVE Magazine Volume 2 - March/ April 2014 - Issue 2 | Page 50

How long have you been making music?
It’s been about 9 years now.
How did you get started?
Well, it kind of hard to explain. I’ve done some form of music all of my life. In 2004, I began doing it professionally. I met a guy who had just opened a studio and was looking for producers and engineers, we
talked, and a week later I had a key and I've been doing it ever since. We both were growing from the bottom up. The first two years I may have gotten a session every one or two weeks. I remember waiting
weeks at a time for phone call to work. As I waited, I was in the studio all day everyday perfecting my
craft, getting screwed over, paying dues. Then one day phone started ringing and hasn't stopped. It’s lead
to a lot of opportunities and opened a lot of doors.
You mentioned getting screwed over what happened?
I had a guy that I’d worked with closely on a project. I played a couple of beats for him; he liked them so I
made a snippet CD for him. Well, long story short, he showed up later with a CD! He’d taken my beats to
another studio, had them looped, and put it out for sale. I never got credit or a dime.
You are multi-talented and musically gifted, what instruments do you play?
I play piano, organ, trumpet, and euphonium. I’m currently learning guitar and bass and I also sing and do
talk box.
How did learn your craft?
I attended Hampton University where I received a degree in Music Technology. Attending school gave me
the foundation that I needed. Then running a studio, learning various programs, and actually being hands
on, hour after hour helped greatly in perfecting my craft. I’m still learning every day.
Who are some artist that you’ve worked with?
Patra was my first placement. I’ve worked with Kanye West, Rubin Studdard, Wale, Staley, J. Holiday,
Tierra Thomas, Chris Brown, Fabolous, Steven Marley, Roscoe Dash, and the list goes on.
When you’re working (creating) what’s going throughout your mind?
When recording I think about what I can do at mix and what I can do to help the artist sound the best. I
want everybody that I work with to be at their best. When working with someone I believe that their
work is also my work, it’s going to reflect me. My growth, I contribute heavily to my clientele. I know people who have been doing this for years, people that taught me, and still can't find work so I try to make
sure that no-one leaves a session and we both aren’t happy with the work.
How did you get the attention of so many major mainstream artist?
It started with word of mouth, due to work with Wale; people heard a lot of stuff. Then, I would get sent
work randomly, for mixing. Really, I would say that my post production buzz opened the door. I became