Producer Major Seven Clears Up “The Devil Is A Lie” Controversy With K.E. On The Track

Earlier this week, Rick Ross and Jay Z released their monstrous cut “The Devil Is A Lie,” which is the second single off Ross’ forthcoming LP Mastermind. Propelled by trap drums and brass horns, the braggadocious anthem was initially produced by K.E. On The Track, an Atlanta-based talent who has made songs for Nicki Minaj and Future. Shortly after “The Devil Is A Lie” hit the Internet, rising producer Major Seven aimed a series of tweets at K.E. accusing him of stealing his beat and not giving proper credit. K.E.’s response? “We dont believe you , you need more people " hov.lol,” he tweeted.

Two days later, Major Seven says the situation has been resolved, but he feels K.E.’s business practices prevented him from getting a big resume booster. In our short conversation, Major Seven talks about how K.E. tried to recreate his beat, releasing his own making of “The Devil Is Lie” and whether or not he’ll work with K.E. in the future.—Eric Diep

XXL: Not a lot of people in hip-hop know Major Seven, but they know who K.E. On The Track is. Does it happen a lot when a bigger producer tries to take credit?

Major Seven: Its happened with K.E. before. I’ve heard his tag on my stuff online. It’s just K.E. I mess with people that are really only in the industry ‘cause my first look was really Keith Sweat being my manager, so that kind of gave me an advantage a little bit. That happened because my music was good [Laughs].

The actual beat that I submitted actually sounds better as far as quality wise because he tried to replay the drums, but they aren't the same quality as the one that I used. And [he] tried to change the 808s to a bass. The original one is actually better. You know, I guess it’s going to work itself out. It’s going to be a big look for me, for my first placement to be Jay Z and Rick Ross? The track I did before that was on T-Pain’s last mixtape, “Let You Go.” I produced that. I just see this as the start of my career.

Are you guys still beefing with each other? Because you’ve said the situation was already resolved.
I mean, it’s resolved from a business perspective, but I haven’t spoken to him. He was really trying to sign me to his production company [Beat Mechanics], but when that went sour the deal with Keith. That’s when he got upset and pretty much blacklisted me and just took the track. He had the track in the works. He had the whole situation in the works. That’s how that happened. I don’t really want to put it all out just because the situation got resolved. Even though it is what happened, at the end of the day, it is something that he’ll probably do to me, but I am not even that type of person. You know what I am saying? To where I am completely going to take his ability to make money away and make a living.

You should get your proper credit. I can understand why you were frustrated.
All I am going to do is make a beat video with me showing every single track that’s in the beat. And it’s going to be a real beat video. I really don’t have to say anything. I mean, the people in the industry will know. Big people already know. I made so many big connections just between today and yesterday.

Did you play your version to K.E. and you guys collaborated? How did he end up stealing your beat?
No, we never collaborated. He stole it because I emailed him back in January, along with six other people who I trust. That’s the people who give me constructive criticism in all my stuff, like homies. I knew K.E. for years, so he was one of those people. I knew he could get the record placed and Keith had no problem placing the record for me. And they get what they deserve for placing the record. I even got him on the phone with Keith after he attempted to sign me for multiple days and take 40 percent of my publishing and all of this. Pretty much, got Keith on the phone and just didn’t like that I guess. [He] pretty much tried to blackmail me.

You know how Young Chop made “Don’t Like” and Kanye came and tweaked it? It’s a familiar story.
Actually, if Kanye tweaked my beat and got me that much buzz, I wouldn’t be upset [Laughs]. But this, he was completely trying to take the credit when I made the beat. I sent him the beat. The full beat. He had me coming over to his condo and he basically complimented the way I sampled. The whole situation, he tricked me to playing the sample and then he tried to go in and redo what I did and all that stuff. He went the extra mile and that’s why I was so upset. And that’s why I handled it the way I handled it. But I still did it respectfully. You don’t hear me cussing nobody out. I said what it was.

It’s safe to say that this record will be placed on Mastermind. How excited are you?
I’m finally to starting to get excited. [Laughs]. Honestly, I only heard the record one time. Even if I knew from earlier, I really only listened to a first few seconds. Even when I knew from earlier yesterday, I didn’t listen to the full thing ‘till about 9, 10 p.m. I was just so upset, just for the fact that I predicted it.

Industry bullshit happens. I think it’s going to be in your favor now.
Oh yeah, definitely. I could really call him out—you know what I am saying? But I’m not going to stoop to his level. He disrespected me but I am hoping he had some type of conscious and sees I don’t have to be like him. And maybe he’ll change the way he does business because clearly he does it to a lot of people in the streets, he just got away with it a lot of times. He should have known better when he spoke to Keith Sweat ‘cause Keith Sweat is my manager. Keith Sweat is like my family.

Sometime down the line, do you think you’ll work with K.E. again?
I can’t see it. At the end of day, he did give me my biggest Christmas gift I could ever ask for. It’s just so crazy. It’s the biggest Christmas gift I could ask for. I got Jay Z and Ross on one of my beats. At the end of the day, thank you K.E.