Kane Beatz Is “The Building”
March 31, 2010
Recently I had the opportunity to interview the man that brought us hits such as “Bedrock”,
“Steady Mobbin”, my vote as one of the most underrated beats of ’09, and “Tuck Ya Ice”.
During the interview he talks his discovery, 2010 expectations, and the inspiration for
K. Michelle’s new single “Fallin”.
Mike Caren, Exec. VP of A&R at Atlantic discovered you off of Soundclick, prior to him did any other A&R’s or label execs show interest in your production?
Yeah, I was working on soundclick…so artists and a few A&R’s and managers were tryin to holla at me
When was the last time you logged on and used your sound click page?
Im not able to work the soudclick page because of my work load , so it’s ran by my team for a while…from time to time i drop beats on there to show love
Your mostly known for your hip hop production but you recently did K Michelle’s “Fallin” which further shows your diversity, where did you get your inspiration from?
That inspiration came from a Stacey Lattisaw sample called “Angel”. I heard the sample and knew I could remake the track. I brought Ashanti “the mad violinist” in to do the track with me and it was a wrap. We were able to recreate an old sound but bring it up to date.
Last year you had two record on Billboard’s Hot 100, “Steady Mobbin” and the hit single “Bedrock” coming off that success what expectations do you have for 2010?
Non-stop working right now. Just dropped the T-pain Reverse Cowgirl and that’s working its way up the charts now, “Fallin” is doing great also. This year I don’t expect anything less but the best from myself and the people around me. I’m trying to make my mark this year, and it’s gonna happen!
We’re only a couple months in but I’m sure you have tracks already placed for twenty ten, what records do you have slated to drop this year?
I cant really talk about everything, but the T-pain record “Reverse Cowgirl” just dropped, shout out to my boy Jmike who I worked on that track with. The Birdman “Loyalty” record with Wayne leaked, I’m in the studio working with alot of people write now.
What equipment do you have sitting in your studio right now?
keyboards, the fantom, midi keyboards, vsts, computers, I use everything ….We got logic in here, I run FL studio, I also use alot of live instruments so we got all types of instruments laying around the studio
Who are some of your musical influences?
Kanye, Mannie Fresh, man really anyone that’s on the grind
Any plans on opening your own label or production company?
Its done already “The Building” is the name of my label.
What is it your looking for exactly and how would producers/artists go about submitting material to you?
yea man really anyone whos dope, you can send me your demos or whatever to [email protected]
Take any three artists and put them on a track together, who would it be and why?
kanye, eminem, wanye…..kanye changes music eminem is lyrically crazy, and wayne is just wayne a beast
If you had your pick to be a part of any project, which artist would you choose?
2 Pac
What advice would you give to producers who are in the grind trying to land their first placement and get their name out there?
Man honestly this business is a grind. You grind your way to the top and it will come. If you want it go get it!
Any last words for our readers out there?
Thank you for the interview. Lets Get it “The Building”
Stacy Lattisaw-Let Me Be Your Angel
K. Michelle-Fallin
A Decon Short: SXSW 2010 Ft. Dilated Peoples, The Alchemist & Oh No (Gangrene)
March 31, 2010
The title says it all…
Q-Tip Producing For Kanye, Talib…Maybe Jigga
March 31, 2010
In an interview with Brooklyn Bodega Q-Tip revealed some of his future production plans and aspirations to get Hova in the studio:
BB: You seem to be very selective when it comes to picking artists to produce for. So how do you go about choosing projects?
Q-Tip: I just try to work with people who I admire or whom I think has got it. So right now I’m working on Nas’ shit, about to work with Kanye on his shit. Just trying to keep up my momentum. I’m about to work with Talib on his project. I been trying to work with Hova for a while so hopefully he’ll realize the heat I got and come with it [laughs].
READ MORE HERE
Beat Tip: Digga On “Eating Samples”
March 31, 2010
Super Producer Digga pulls your coat to the business side of sample use. Don’t get got!
“When you use samples in your production, the money is gonna come out of your pocket…”
“Forever Luvlee” Remix
March 31, 2010
“I just don’t give a fuck, my shits too ghetto’d out..”
So the Dres EP remix contest is coming to a close and you know I had to take a swing at those acapellas. I’m probably going to do the whole EP but I couldn’t adhere to the key rule in the contest: no samples.
For my “Forever Luvlee” remix I chopped up one of my favorite songs by the most talked about woman on the Internet, Erykah Badu.
It’s not my first time pilfering sounds from Momma’s Gun and it certainly won’t be the last and “Time’s A Wastin” is one that you should make yourself very familiar with if you haven’t done so already.
Mind you, I did this before she went and made my week with the “Window Seat” video, but how perfect is it that she is propping up a remix to “Forever Luvlee”?
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Hydrosonics-Rough Draft
March 30, 2010
NAME: Rough D.R.A.F.T
From: Cleveland, OH (now in Arizona)
Contact: Myspace
Nodfactor.com:So why the name Rough Draft?
Rough Draft: I used to be a graf artist in high school. My tag was KAOS back then. One day I was sitting in English class and had the most boring teacher ever, man. So we had to do a book report and she kept talking about the importance of the Rough Draft. I started tagging it and it looked good on paper so I changed my name. Today, I spell it Rough D.r.a.f.t.: Draft=Distorted.Reverberated.Amplified.Filtered.Thumpin’ .A lot of people have my name so I had to make it slightly different.
Nodfactor.com I like the “Watching Her Strut” beat on your Myspace page. How much of that is sampled and how much is played? if any?
Rough Draft
All of it is played.
Nodfactor.com
Nice. with?
Rough Draft
REASON and my laptop. No Midi controller, just the mouse pad. I input everything note for note.
Nodfactor.com
When did you first start producing and did you have any mentors?
Rough Draft
I first started making beats in ’93. I had a few mentors in the city. Jazmarc, Robbie Mann and Moe Tex. All those guys used the SP1200 and taught me. I bought my own SP in 1994. I consider those guys Cleveland legends to this day.
Nodfactor.com
I’ve read a lot of different stories about learning the SP. Some people actually read the manual, others were coached and some just jumped in blind. What did you do?
Rough Draft
I literally stayed up for 24 hours straight. When I bought my SP all I had was a ton of disks from my guys and a pair of headphones. That’s it. Jazmarc jokes about that even now. I was a fiend, man.
Nodfactor.com
Before you became a teen…93 seems like a million years ago now. What were your next moves after learning the SP?
Rough Draft
After I learned the SP, I bought the Ensoniq ASR-10 and MIDI’d them together. I used to do my filtered samples and basslines in the ASR, and had the drums thumpin’ out the SP. I put out an underground demo named “Uptight City” in ’94. People still talk about that demo today. I was doing a lot of performing and battling back then and earned my rep that way.
Nodfactor.com
Battling as an MC and as producer or just production?
Rough Draft
Was also doing a lot of production for local artists out of the small studio I had in East Cleveland. I do both, so I was getting at dudes on the mic and on the beats.
Nodfactor.com
When did you move to NYC?
Rough Draft
July of 2001.
Nodfactor.com
Was that a productive move for you? Music wise?
Rough Draft
It was more of a valuable life experience for me. I was up there with a wife and four kids at the time, so my urgency to make money was on a whole different level. More than often my music took the back burner for things that got me faster cash. I met Lord Finesse in the Bronx though. I think he’s one of the most down to Earth brothas in the industry.We kept in contact for a few months before I moved to VA.
Nodfactor.com
Say word? Ok. Did you guys share any production experiences?
Rough Draft
I left a few beats CD’s with him. He told me he felt me but that my sound was behind the times. Most of the time when I talked to Finesse, I was talkin’ to Rob…feel me? The few times we spoke was about life in general and not so much about the music. He’s a great dude.
Nodfactor.com
That’s what’s up. What did you think of his advice though? About being behind the times?
Rough Draft
I agreed with him and he was right. I moved to New York about 10 years too late. When I got there, I was still crankin’ out the old Pete Rock, old Large Pro, old Dilla sound. The whole emphasis of Hip Hop had changed to being ‘Gangsta’, and the sound had changed along with it. So I had to get up to speed on the current sound. It helped me grow as a producer. Now I can give an artist any sound he wants.
Nodfactor.com
What adjustments did you make sonically? Sampling less? Sampling different things?
Rough Draft
Tempo was a main adjustment. The sound texture was another. Less grit and more of a clean sound is what I switched to. NO JAZZ! LOL! Cats in the streets was not tryin’ to hear no jazzy beats. I started sampling from different sources than Jazz records. Started messing with rock, etc.
Nodfactor.com
Tell me about the beat battles you attended. Were those helpful in advancing your career at all?
Rough Draft
Honestly no. The first beat battle I was in was at CBGB’s Lounge and it had an all-star panel of judges. Finesse, Primo, Diamond were there, and I think Hank Shocklee was too among others. The judges wanted to see you actually push MPC pads and improvise on stage. I was one of the dudes who just had a beat CD though…no MP. So I blew out this dude in the first round but got taken in the 2nd because that brotha was doing things live on the MP for the judges.At Nuyorican and 5 Spot it was a different story.
Nodfactor.com
How so?
Rough Draft
At those battles I was outnumbered terribly. It was guys that had what I felt were garbage beats but had they whole damn neighborhood in the spot. So in those battles based on crowd response, I came up short every time.I didn’t come to the battle with no more than 3-4 people.
Nodfactor.com
yeah, I’ve been to the Nuyorican battles before. That crowd judging is a little suspect LOL
Rough Draft
So you know how it can be!
Nodfactor.com
Definitely
Rough Draft
Still was a learning experience though. Taught me showmanship. A lot of times the crowd want to see more than you just push and button and let your beat play. They want to feel your presence and personality.
Nodfactor.com
Yeah, the Fight Club cats were doing Beat club like that for a minute cats were PERFORMING on their MPCS. Was around 2005.
Rough Draft: I had just moved to VA by then.
Nodfactor.com Tell me about your crew the Synconauts
Rough Draft
My Brothas Jazmarc came up with the name about a year and a half ago. Were were part of a much, much larger collective called The Soulful Senate. Over the years things happened to members. Death, Jail, some just stopped rhymin’ and gave up on the dream. We stayed close like brothers though. It’s me, Jaz and Dominator. Jazmarc taught both of us how to make beats back in the day. Since then we have evolved into out own distinct sounds. Into our own. All three of us pull double duty on the mic and on the beats. Jaz uses the 3000 for most of his stuff, Dominator uses the 4000, and I use REASON now. I have CD’s of beats I did on the SP, the 60, and the 2000 though.
Nodfactor.com
You’ve done some music related things to pay the bills over the years. How did you get into the sound editing and voice over work?
Rough Draft
My kids used to dance at Uptown Dance Academy in East Harlem. They do a production every Christmas called The Black Nutcracker. They found out that I do music and we worked out a deal for me to do all the music editing for their productions. I used to be on the Connex List, an industry contact list provided by DJ Sonic and Lord Vader of the Wonder Twinz. I got the voice over work from being listed in there.
Nodfactor.com
wow
Rough Draft
I used to sell CD’s on Times Square from time to time, too. That, and at a couple of Bronx barber shops.
Nodfactor.com
I probably gave you the Heisman a few times not even realizing LOL
Rough Draft
Nothing has changed..I’m still looking for ways to get my music placed and earn income.
Ad agencies, Rocbattle.com, dance theatres..whatever. However I can get it out there and get paper.
Nodfactor.com It’s good that you are thinking outside of the record business. Because I think there is more money in advertising than records these days.
You hear the beats on some of these GMC ads?
Rough Draft: Man, I would LOVE to get music on one of these commercials. The car could be ugly, I don’t care.
Nodfactor.com There is a producer, Wendell Hanes that put out a book called The 30 30 Career. You should check it out
Nodfactor.com
Bet. So what’s on deck for 2010?
Rough Draft
I have the OK the release a few instrumental albums on the Cleveland based indie label ClevelandTapes. My guy Rafiq runs the label and seems to have a pretty talented, diverse roster. My music will be available for download online. I’m also in the process of posting beats to Rocbattle.com to see what that’s about. It would be cool if I could make a couple of dollars on there. I’ve been writing new songs to perform live. That way I can sell CD’s at the shows. I’m excited about the whole process of writing and performing again. The advertising thing is what I’m really pushing for this year though. I want my music in commercials and film, man. That’s looooong money right there.
Budo Wins Big At Big Tune
March 30, 2010
At South By South West Red Bull launched their first Big Tune event of the year with featured producer Evidence in front of a crowd of over 2000. The attendees witnessed Budo also known as Josh Sharp take home the victory. Budo is quoted as saying “I’m super proud and humbled, if it’s possible to feel those two at once, to have had the opportunity to play my beats in front of so many people.”
For all the producers interested in throwing their beat reel’s into the ring applications open April first on www.redbullbigtune.com. Qualifying rounds will be held in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Ann Arbor/Detroit and Virginia Beach. There will be two winners selected from each city who will move on to compete in the final phase of the competition held in Chicago during the latter part of this year. In case you are unaware everyone is vying for the opportunity to create with an artist of their choice at Red Bull Studios in Los Angeles, California.
Click the link to hear some of Budo’s work www.myspace.com/budo
Say “Hello” To The Soundkillers: Part 1 With Steph Bottex
March 30, 2010
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Steph Bottex manager of The Soundkillers (Reo, Phoenix, Dion Primo). Check the interview as he talks early success, what he looks for in a producer, and what else to expect from the team that gave you Beyonce’s “Hello”.
What lead you to managing producers?
I love listening to beats, I don’t need any words they’re the soundtrack to my days. The craftsmanship certain producers put into choosing their sounds, drums programming, and mixes I can appreciate that. In 2005 I put together a remix mixtape “The Remake Project Vol B. There was no real goal behind it at the time, I just felt certain producers that I liked really needed to be heard and what better way than having them remix songs that were already on the radio. Me and my homie Melo-x would go out every Friday when the labels serviced records to pick up vinyl’s so we could get the acapellas and send out to the producers. It was definitely a process getting all the vocals to the songs we wanted and finding the right producers cause it had to be hot. I didn’t want to release anything I wanted it done right. Since then I knew I wanted to be involved with the creative process and production.
What was the first record you placed and how did that come about?
You probably won’t believe this but the first song placed was “Hello” by Beyonce. We sent it in to her A&R got a call the next day that Beyonce loved it and the rest is history. Sometimes all you need is a great song! Thanks to REO for an incredible track and to Bey & The Writing Camp for a great song.
How did you discover REO?
I met REO while putting the remix mixtape together I used four of his remixes for the project. I was blown away by his production and I was a fan of his work instantly. We became really good friends with the same ideas it just made sense to work together. We believed in each other and a couple years after we formed The Soundkillers.
Your now able to say you manage a grammy winning producer, how does it feel?
It’s a great accomplishment just to be nominated amongst other great writers and producers that we look up to. We didn’t win but there are alot more great records to be done. I don’t believe one record is going to define The Soundkillers this is just the beginning.
What attracted you to Phoenix’s production?
Phoenix was brought to my attention by our writer Dion Primo. Phoenix has a very distinct sound nothing I can’t say that I’ve heard before it’s very unique and raw he’s definitely in his own lane. I really believe his sound now is what we’ll be hearing in the next couple of years get ready for flight Phoenix as he would say “Salutes”.
What’s different about these two members of The Soundkillers versus all the other ones you’ve came across?
It’s quite simple they work well together and have great chemistry. The Soundkillers isn’t a company where I manage producers individually. The Soundkillers is a movement, a group of ideas, a vision. As Reo would say “trying to put what’s in my head in yours”. A lot of times you may find someone who’s really talented but not willing to put in the work or vice versa but both Phoenix & Reo understand what it takes.
What is it you look for in a producer?
First and foremost I have to love the music. It’s really hard for me personally to work tracks that don’t inspire me. Secondly have to be able to work with the producer and be on the same page. What I mean when I say work together is someone who’s going to let me do my job and also give me what I need to get it done. Being able to work with other creative people is also key, you have to deliver when it counts. It’s not all about the track but the finish product: the song. Its one thing to be talented and dope but if you can’t deliver when its go time then you might not be ready or understand and accept the process.
Are you currently accepting other clients and if so how do producers submit music to you?
I’m a beat freak always looking to hear to new tracks whether client or not I always to try give some type of feedback. You can send mp3’s to [email protected] along with a bio.
Who is your current top 5 in the industry right now?
The Soundkillers, DJ Khalil, 40, Tha Business, D’Mile
Excluding your team who are some other underrated producers we should be watching for?
Be on the lookout for my dude Shamtrax out of NY he’s def a problem, and all around talent.
What advice would you give producers trying to break into the game right now?
Find an artist to develop that you believe in. A lot of times I see producers putting their artist on the back burner and shopping their hottest tracks to other artist. Your ability to develop an artist tells whether you’re a producer or beatmaker. Why would I want you producing my artist if you don’t take pride or do a good job producing your own? Build your network, twitter, facebook, and mySpace are cool but try your best to schedule meetings or get in the studio. Hire an attorney and manager with relationships that can refer and setup those situations. You want to be in peoples faces! There’s a difference when you can shake somebody’s hand, play your music, and see their reactions then just emailing an mp3. Those opportunities become less and less these days so make the most of them, be prepared! I should be able to find your music on the net. If I have a meeting with producer “John Doe” at 2pm trust me at 1:30 I’m looking him up on the net and if there’s isn’t any music to be found that’s a problem especially in this day and age when they’re so many different avenues thanks to the internet to have your music out there.
What would you like to see producers do less/more of in 2010?
Just be original and push the envelope stop trying to duplicate the producers on the radio. I won’t say what I’d like to see more or less of because I don’t think everybody should follow the same steps. Then everybody makes the same beats with the same sounds, and programs.
What’s on deck for The Soundkillers in this New Year?
We have a compilation we releasing in next couple of weeks called “Enter Active” its basically a playlist of singles featuring some of the hottest up and coming artists it will be release on our site www.thesoundkillers.com We also have an EP that will be released in the summer called Johnny Famous & The 15mins. Also be on the lookout for our artists Vo Megastar and Sliky P. We’re real excited about this year and you’ll definitely hear us on some of your favorite artist’s albums.
Any last words for our producers?
Be original create your own sound if you believe in stick to it, but allow room for suggestions and constructive criticism. Don’t be afraid to develop you own artist. Learn about the business it’s important to have some knowledge of what’s going on it is YOUR career. Have the right people in your circle that are going to keep you grounded and be real with you let you know your tracks are wack and need work from time to time. Also thanks to Chris B, Nodfactor and my whole TSK fam. Stay blessed!
Premier Vs. Pete Rock DJ Battle Trailer
March 30, 2010
Spotted this over at Nahright, apparently Premo and Pete Rock will be heading to Tokyo in May for a legendary, once in a life time DJ battle. It’s to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Manhattan Records and will take place May 2nd at Ebisu Liquid Room.
Manhattan Records presents DJ Premier VS Pete Rock -A Legendary DJ Battle trailer from getfunky on Vimeo.
A Conversation With A-Trak
March 30, 2010
“A-Trak is not an uncommon name in this crazy music industry. We all know this humble story of this Montreal-er - a multiple DMC Champion handpicked by Kanye West to be his touring DJ, co-founder of Fool’s Gold Records, a pioneer in this electro dance scene, an avid twitter-er, a renowned hotel reviewer and the list goes on. EIKNARF and Asian Dan in collaboration with Media Contender & KLOUD had the opportunity to be invited into Alain’s apartment/studio to get a candid view into how he got to where he is, what it took to get there and where he is going.”
A Conversation with A-Trak from EIKNARF on Vimeo.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER