Great Producers Listen to Great Music

Music for me is more than just simply putting together beats for rap stars. I make all types of music. I make blues, I make jazz, country… you name it. I take pride in using live instruments and creating a huge production with the records I create. It adds a certain soul to the tracks. I’m not your everyday, average producer with a limited ear for music.

My biggest influence is Bach. I play Bach, Mozart, Sibelius and a lot of no name composers I draw inspiration from. But it doesn’t have to be a big named person. I just like creativity. The musical background doesn’t matter.

Quincy Jones’ background is different from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’ background and Babyface’s background is different from R. Kelly’s background but they all put forth great efforts. It’s really about your artistry and how you put your music together. I like any inspirational efforts that have been included into the music world and I just like listening to music.

Growing up with my father being in an orchestra I was able to observe a lot of different instruments, a lot of operas, a lot of plays, a lot of performances and it exposed me to a lot of music early on. I was able to understand different musical instruments and identify the sound of a trumpet, clarinet, viola, violin etc. I even understood what a conductor did, what the difference between an alto is and a soprano is. It was like a swimming pool of musical talent and art forms and creativity and I was in love with this art as a child.

I feel this has made a huge difference in the way I offer my artistry. I’m able to identify what works and won’t work for a particular record. Becoming a great producer is more than just a “hit” record. It’s about the magic. It’s about putting everything you have into the record and making sure it speaks to someone. You have to give it your soul and emotion.

You could be mad, you could be angry or pissed off at somebody and make adrenaline music or up tempo, dark music. You might have just had sex, so you make a slow groove, something mellow and sip a glass of wine. It depends on a lot of emotions, the whole world of emotions.

That’s my inspiration, what’s yours?