BlapChat

Fresh off of producing a handful of records on artist Amine' ("Caroline" is my sh*t!) artists debut album, the very talented Jahaan Sweet joins us in episode 43 (Wow! We're climbing up on these episodes!). With an extensive musical background, Jahaan was really able to find his "sweet spot" (pause AND no pun intended) in the music industry. He took a chance with Kehlani before people cared about Kehlani and was able to grow with her. This led to many more opportunities and collaborations, which in turn led to placements. The interesting thing is, Jahaan didn't start his career "selling beats to indy artists" necessarily. He stood by his sound from day one, and only worked with people he was inspired by. He took the "invest in the artist for free" approach, and it seems to have paid off. Definitely an interesting perspective to analyze. Another must listen.

What do "Hate It Or Love It" by 50 Cent & "New York" by Ja Rule have in common? Not only were they timeless records, but they were 2 of MANY smash records produced by the legendary production duo COOL & DRE. We had the pleasure of talking to Cool about how he met Dre, his start as an R&B singer/songwriter and the various steps he and Dre took to take their careers to the next level. Some legendary stories about how they met Fat Joe and how they are able to stay relevant almost a decade later. Super inspiring.

What happens when you go from selling beats on youtube to indy rappers, to producing the #1 record in the country? Life changes instantly. In this episode we spoke to Menace, who one day sold a beat to "just another customer" named Desiigner. The beat he sold ended up being "Panda". The interesting thing about this placement is HOW it happened, and the fact that something like this could happen to anyone at any time as long as the work is put in. We also spoke about producers pulling up to the studio & the differences between emailing beats and actually showing up in person. Oh, and of course our "Blap Or Crap" segment was pretty epic!

Watch on iTunes - https://youtu.be/1FZ02zmclJU

In this episode, we discuss one of the most exciting and new music producer platforms to hit the market. It's called BEATTHREAD. What is it you ask? It's basically a website where you can upload your beats to receive feedback/beat critiques from other users. In turn, you can also listen to other users' beats and give them your own critiques. There is also a rating system (thumbs up, thumbs down and "meh"). The kicker to all of this is that the highest rated tracks float to the top of the charts. It's kind of like the Reddit for music production. We spoke to the co-founders Danny and Nathan (alongside Atlas & !llmind as co-founders as well) about how and why this platform will become revolutionary for the music production community + so much more. We even spoke to a few current users of the platform to tell us what they think and how it's been helping them! Listen to it now, and check out http://www.beatthread.com after you listen.

Watch On Youtube - https://youtu.be/ROVMm8YJGqQ

It went down in the DM! We spoke to NES about how one DM on Instagram instantly changed his life and introduced the opportunity to jump on the phone with Bryson Tiller. This led to him producing a large majority of songs (including one with !llmind!) on Bryson Tiller's brand new album "True To Self". His journey is only beginning. We also spoke about why producers don't get recognition, and some things they can do to get more of it. Another one for the books, baby!

Watch On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6H-oOwE8lQ&t=494s

"The coach last longer than the player." That's the first quote you see when you look at Steve Lobel's profile. From carrying crates for the late great Jam Master Jay, learning from Russell Simmons, to breaking legendary artists and managing Scott Storch, Steve has seen and done it all behind the scenes. We spoke about his longevity, what it takes to be a real executive, and some valuable life lessons he's learned and continues to learn. A true "one-of-one" in the industry. This one is probably one of our most valuable shows to date. You may need to listen to this one more than once!

Watch On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_9NR-hsLPw&t=3417s

This episode is all about "taking initiative for yourself". Sometimes we take for granted the most obvious. One of those things is looking in the mirror and being honest with yourself, your needs and what you truly want to accomplish in life. The idea of getting out there and trying different things is proven to be very powerful. We dig deep into the philosophy of "exploring your options" and being willing to fail at certain things and succeed at others. This was a great conversation. Listen in and hopefully the conversation inspires you!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXo7b-E5E-Q

In this episode, we finally discuss the on-going topic of the various pros and cons of the "type-beat" producer approach. Are there actually advantages in promoting your beats online using titles like "Drake type beat", "Kanye type beat", "Metro Boomin type beat" etc? Maybe. Does this approach impact your brand negatively? Maybe. We also discuss the top 6 reasons why things seem to go viral. Whether in the music industry, or any other business, there are some common denominators as to how and why information spreads. Many jewels in this episode you don't want to miss!

What happens when you score the biggest placement of your life with one of the biggest artists in mainstream music? Everything changes in an instant. We're talking about Cameron Chef Pasquale, producing "KMT" for Drake on the "More Life" project. Man, what a time to be alive! We spoke about his journey leading up to this placement, and what he had to do beforehand to get him there. He basically confirms all of the things we talk about on this podcast; persistence, passion, preparation & a strong network. What a bright future. Definitely don't sleep on this episode.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE - https://youtu.be/_FzJO2DwZ8s

Ryan Leslie. The man who revolutionized the "beat making" videos and created viral sensation on youtube during its early days. The man who broke the Myspace code and revolutionized the way we look at marketing and streaming music by breaking Cassie's career. The man who graduated Harvard at an early age, and went on to produce hundreds of platinum records. His mission to connect the world is inspiring and fascinating. This man had so many jewels on this episode, I don't even know where to begin. Just listen to it and get ready to feel cleansed.