After dominating the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards with their cypher and performance, the sky is the limit for TDE’s success. The crew—who graces our October/November issue—have kept a tight circle for their collaborators. One of them is producer/rapper Terrace Martin who recently released his album 3ChordFold featuring a number of the label’s artists. Martin isn’t signed to TDE, but he’s a close affiliate who met Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock during his teenage years. “This is my family,” he says. “Paperwork don’t hold me down. Love and loyalty do.”

Martin believes chemistry goes a long way when it comes to making music. The Los Angeles native was behind some iconic TDE songs, notably Kendrick Lamar’s “Real” and “Ab-Soul’s Outro.” The reason he keeps collaborating with the same people is simple: they make good music to vibe to. Here, Martin talks about working with TDE, why Problem is the best MC out now, and how the legendary Kurupt influenced a lot of West Coast artists. —Eric Diep (@E_Diep)

Kendrick Lamar

I’m like his utility man. You know when you rent an apartment and [there’s] one guy that can do everything? He’s gonna fix the gas oven. You know, all these things. He’s gonna paint and fix the door. I’m that guy. Not only a producer, but whatever he needs from me. “T, I need you to replay that.” I’m gonna replay that. “T, let’s do that.” “Hey Terrace, for my line, I want to do this, do this, do that.” I’m just here as his utility guy. My thing is, whatever makes him go further, that’s my job with him. Whatever makes his brain go [fast], that’s my job. My job is just to support Kendrick Lamar in that situation. I’ve known him since we were 16. We’ve been doing the same music too. Now, it’s just sold a million records. We’ve been doing the same shit for ten years.

I grew up under Kurupt as a kid, a tiny kid. I think Kurupt is one of our greatest MCs in the world. Ain’t nobody give him credit. Actually, that’s Kendrick’s favorite rapper too. The art of rhyme is very important. “What did you say? Why did you say that?” That’s why it is shocking me, to touch on a little bit, that people are so upset with [the “Control” verse]. But if you really listen to the rhyme, to the art of it, before he mentions New York—in a sense, he’s paying homage. But you know, people got “New York, New York” confused also too. That was a song giving it up for New York, but people took offense [because of] the video shoot. And then the buildings got kicked down. I don’t think the buildings are going to get kicked down this go around. It's just beef, being friendly. I mean, this is hip-hop. But, the art of rhyme—when it comes to hip-hop—it’s very important. The art of rhyme is important in song in general.

Kendrick is confident. He’s from Compton. He went to Centennial High School, just going to school and going home. Being from Compton, L.A., there’s already a tag from you that you are from Compton. They already think you are rude. They already think you are this. Just to fight that all of your life is a motherfucker. Parents from Chicago. That’s a whole other beast. They [are] Chicago people. He got Chicago parents in Compton. They never converted. That’s a whole other thing. What you hearing is everything in him come out.

Problem

I think me and Problem make the best music together. The crew—me, Problem, Bad Lucc, Kendrick—we are a close-knit family back at home. It looks spread out, but it’s not. Everybody is connected.

Everybody has been in my living room rapping. I’ve always had studios in my house. Everybody at one point—even at one time—is staying with me rapping. We’ve always done music like that as a crew. [Problem] brings out the best melodies. He’s a time machine, man. He’s one of the best songwriters in the world. In my view of him, the rap thing is a piece of him. He’s a producer. He’s an excellent songwriter. He was rapping, but he really got taught how to get it together by Kurupt. His art of rhyme. If you cut him loose, oh my God. He’s one of my top MCs. Kendrick, him, Lucc, Ab, Jay Rock. These are some of my top MCs in the game to me.

I like one [collaboration] on my album. He came up with the idea of melody on “Something Else.” Me and 9th Wonder produced the record. Problem came with that hook and it was, whew. “Remember what you told me? You never leave...” He’s so '90s! He’s so, like, Teddy Riley! He’s my favorite person to work with. Even when I do an all jazz album, I am going to have him produce a lot of it. A lot of it.

I love all the ratchet music that everybody does. That’s not my thing. I like getting turnt up in the club, drinking to it, hanging out. After an hour and an half, it’s time to cut that shit the fuck off. [Laughs] For the most case, I love it, partying. Turnt up to it. He does that well. He’s not just that, but that’s his lane in L.A. But he’s definitely about to shock everybody.

Jay Rock

That’s one of my favorite people to work with in the world. I worked with all of them. You can’t name an artist that I haven’t worked with. Jay Rock is one of the best in the world. Definitely one of my top three is Jay Rock.

Jay Rock is gifted. He’s beyond talent. He’s very focused. He’s like a boxer. When he writes a rap and he’s focused, he’s like a boxer about to go into that ring. He’s very ready. He’s very militant with the pen. And then one of the cats, executive producers, there’s two of them. Marlon Williams and Punch. Punch is an MC too. You can put Punch on a song with Ab and Kendrick and you won’t miss a step. Different, different, you won’t miss a step. Trust me. I got songs with all of them. You won’t miss a step. He’s a president of that company [TDE]. He’s a good friend. He’s my manager. He’s also the executive producer of [my album]. He keeps everything in order musically and everything. He’s a special cat.

Punch came up with the title to 3ChordFold. He seen what I was going through and just looked at it and said, “this is what this is going to be about.” I did the music with what he said. He’s 50 percent of the genius behind my shit. He’s a visionary. Quincy had a couple of visionaries around him too. Punch is like my visionary. If I can’t see, I trust him with the steering wheel.

Wiz Khalifa

That’s my bro. We met through Warner Bros. He wasn’t even signed yet to Warner Bros. A cat named Tek, a good friend of mine, signed him too. We were signed together. The best thing Warner Bros. did was put me and him together. That was 2006-2007. So, we’d always had a bond. He kept coming at L.A., staying with me at the house, working at the house with me. We still work. I always saw something special in him. The emotion. He can really rap. That little motherfucker can rap.

I always use the same crew [on my albums] because these are my friends. I thank them because they are stars. They don’t have to come back and fuck with me, but they give me a piece of their time and I am grateful. This album I was going through some shit. This album is a true testament of my life. I was going through some shit. I was sad. I knew I had a beat. Me and my boy Craig Brockman, one of my big brothers who did the beat. And I had my girl Brevi. Brevi is an excellent artist from L.A. I just heard Wiz on it. I was like, “Imma go call Wiz.” He was busy. For a month, back and forth calls. I finally locked it down. We got a studio in L.A. I was down there. “Hey, I got a record for you.” He looked at me. Went in. Spit some hot shit. Came back out with a gang of weed, gang of food. He gave me a big hug. He said, “You like it?” I said, “Yeah!” We cut the record right there.

James Fauntleroy

We grew up in the same neighborhood together. This is what happened with Motown. They all in the same [area]. Me and James, I’ve been friends with James since I was 17, 18. I always saw something special in James, man. He just a bad motherfucker. Oh, God. He can sing. He can rap. He can write. He’s just amazing. The song “No Right, No Wrong” me and Robert Glasper. I hate to say it again, but I’ve known him since I was 16. We all one crew. Me and James did a lot of records together. Definitely the first early part of my career and his too. That was the start of my professional [career] was with James.

Another one who knew what I was going through. “I got a record for you.” He was busy. He was doing Justin Timberlake, Drake, everybody who is selling millions of records. Here comes little me coming along. “I know you are busy, dog. I need this.” 24 hours.

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