This week we've got Matt aka Money Making Matt. He's an A&R at Dreamville Records (J Cole's label if you've been living under a rock). He manages producer Cardiak (another friend of the show), who managed to score over 20 MAJOR LABEL SONG placements in 2017 alone (dinner on Matt!). We spoke about his time at St. John's University in Queens, NY meeting J Cole for the 1st time, getting into the scene and some major gems for up-coming music producers really trying to break into the industry. Al...
Dec 22, 2017•1 hr 37 min
The episode you all have been waiting for. It was such a pleasure to have the great Taz Taylor (of Internet Money) on our show. Taz is undeniably one of the forefronts in the "internet producer" movement, having earned hundreds of thousands of dollars hustling online selling and leasing beats to independent artists. We dug deep into conversation about some of the pros/cons of the industry, his recent cross over into the "industry producer" side (signing with APG), dropping out of school at an ea...
Dec 15, 2017•1 hr 16 min
There's no doubt that this gentleman right here is one of the PIONEERS of today's popular trap sound. From his early days developing artists, to coming up with Gucci, Jeezy and countless other down south legends, old and new, C Note has solidified his legacy & continues to build even more! There's a rumor that he's got over 7,000 major placements. Try to wrap your head around that one lol. We spoke about why it's important to develop a relationship directly with the artist and some best prac...
Dec 01, 2017•1 hr 32 min
Releasing your music is the only way to get your career started + surrounding yourself by people that will "d*ckride" you, and why + producing music to connect deeply with the listener and how to achieve that + getting to the point where the music is undeniable + an interesting technique to utilize in the studio when vocal producing.
Nov 25, 2017•7 min
This week we decided to do an entire episode of only BLAP OR CRAP (for the 2nd time)! If you've been living under a rock, you're probably wondering.. What is "Blap Or Crap"?? Well, it's a segment in our podcast where we listen to random beat submissions found on www.beatthread.com and if we like the beat, we give it a "BLAP" rating. If we don't like it, we give it a "CRAP" rating. We also give a bit of constructive criticism (mostly destructive involving fart noises and toilet flushes lol). Enjo...
Nov 10, 2017•55 min
We had an intimate conversation with a young legend (yeah, he birthed a lot of sounds!) Sonny Digital (he produced "Tuesday" for Makonnen, amongst multiple hits that we can list but just don't have enough space for it lol). He drops jewels for the up-coming producer community, his transition into really pushing himself as an artist and so much more. Lately we've been seeing some progress in the music production community, in terms of bigger producers finally "speaking up" on certain frustrations...
Nov 03, 2017•1 hr 17 min
The road to success as a music creator is tough. The real question you should ask yourself is "do I love it enough?". Do you love the grind? When producing music, every sound matters. Every instrument matters. Every vocal take matters. It's all characters in a 3 minute movie.
Oct 27, 2017•11 min
His name is Rob Markman. Journalist. Writer. Rapper. Visionary. A Hip-Hop encyclopedia. From his days writing for XXL & helping to pioneer the "freshman cover", to now working as an executive at Genius, these are just a few things that Rob has contributed to the culture. We spoke about the incredibly new and helpful series called "Deconstructed" on Genius and why it's helping to educate people on the creators "behind the scenes" of a song (like us music producers, song writers etc) and much ...
Oct 20, 2017•1 hr 46 min
Why is confidence so important in the music industry? We invited 5 random fans to come to our podcast studio and had a conversation about it on our rooftop. There's a plethora of gems in this one, including an !llmind technique on how to get more record placements as a producer (After all, he's got 14+ major placements in 2017 alone. We think he might be doing something right!). Enjoy!
Oct 13, 2017•23 min
What's it like to go from being too shy to present in front of a classroom at school, to literally rocking festivals in front of tens of thousands of people for a living? Well, we spoke to the man himself. One of our favorite producers and part of the great collective Soulection. We talk about "record placements" all of the time. It's usually a goal for most up and coming music producers. But, what about the other side of the game? What's it like to be a producer without too many major placement...
Oct 06, 2017•1 hr 29 min
I'm extra excited about this episode (I mean, what else is new? lol). This kid Medasin is a PROBLEM! In the last 3-4 years, he's managed to build a really amazing fanbase as a music producer. Unlocking the so called "Soundcloud Code" he's racked up millions of views, streams & follows. He's toured the world. He's rocked stadiums. It's all super authentic and super impressive. The best part about it is that his music is super creative and a nice breath of fresh air, sonically. We go deep into...
Sep 29, 2017•1 hr 30 min
Episode 50! Wowzers! In this special episode, we interview a gentleman you all should get to know and be familiar with. He is the music supervisor for the hit HBO series "Insecure" (shouts to Issa she's a genius!) and is well connected in the TV & FILM music licensing industry. We get tons of questions regarding the placement of your music and beats on TV shows, Movies, etc. The ultimate question is always "how do I get my music on these shows!?". Well, our friend Kier is here to break the w...
Sep 22, 2017•1 hr 36 min
You asked for it. We delivered! This week we decided to do an entire episode of only BLAP OR CRAP! If you've been living under a rock, you're probably wondering.. What is "Blap Or Crap"?? Well, it's a segment in our podcast where we listen to random beat submissions found on www.beatthread.com and if we like the beat, we give it a "BLAP" rating. If we don't like it, we give it a "CRAP" rating. We also give a bit of constructive criticism (mostly destructive involving fart noises and toilet flush...
Sep 15, 2017•1 hr 14 min
We back baby! In this episode we have one of the filthiest up and coming superstar producers on the rise. He's from Toronto (surprise surprise.. seems like all of the awesome producers are coming from there!) With recent placements on Drake's "More Life", Uzi's "Luv Is Rage 2", Bryson Tiller's "True To Self" & more, 2017 was no doubt his break-out year. At 20 years young, what are the next steps as a music producer after just reaching these new milestones? We dig a little deeper into what li...
Sep 08, 2017•1 hr 15 min
Re-live some of our favorite moments. Back next week with a brand new episode! Enjoy!
Sep 01, 2017•38 min
From being Playboy's "Artist In Residence" (which is a HUUGE deal), to releasing his brand new full PUMA collaboration (shoes + shirts/etc all FIRE), to art pieces cosigned and purchased by Swizz Beats, Diddy, Rihanna & more, Naturel is one of the most influential "new school" visual artists of today. He calls himself a creative. And boy, he is creative as f*ck! He spent years and years discovering himself, grinding to the point where he decided to post some stuff on Instagram. That led to a...
Aug 25, 2017•1 hr 30 min
I hate labels. I just want to start by making that clear. You knew we'd get here eventually. There's a lot of debate regarding this topic. What I've discovered is that there are many factors that go into play when comparing the two. Do these labels even exist? Maybe they don't. Maybe they're one in the same. Or not. We called a few fans to get their perspective. What makes you a beat maker? What makes you a music producer? Regardless, this discussion had to happen, and it's fascinating.
Aug 18, 2017•1 hr 18 min
After !llmind's chat with Gary Vee (the motivational god of all gods!) we wanted to further examine the theory behind what "fun" actually is, and why it's such a crucial component to reaching success and happiness. You'd be surprised at how simple and powerful having fun actually is, especially in the music industry. As music creators, it's easy to get frustrated by the grind. We tend to focus on the negative things, and we start to second guess what we're doing. In this episode, we examine what...
Aug 11, 2017•1 hr 12 min
Longevity is the key. So the question is, how do you attain that in the music industry? Well, our guest Jake One might have a few ideas. 15+ years in the game. Platinum records. Platinum singles. Grammy nominations. All while staying completely true and consistent with his sound. This is the same guy that produced "Three Kings" (Jay Z, Rick Ross, Dr Dre) "Rock Co.Kane Flow" (De La Soul) "Furthest Thing" (Drake). I mean, we can go on forever. The catalog is crazy, but the stories behind them are ...
Aug 05, 2017•1 hr 38 min
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 ...
Jul 28, 2017•1 hr 35 min
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 deca...
Jul 21, 2017•1 hr 33 min
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 s...
Jul 14, 2017•1 hr 35 min
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 highe...
Jul 07, 2017•1 hr 44 min
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...
Jun 30, 2017•1 hr 41 min
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 cont...
Jun 23, 2017•1 hr 38 min
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 cert...
Jun 16, 2017•1 hr 47 min
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 othe...
Jun 02, 2017•1 hr 58 min
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 st...
May 26, 2017•1 hr 56 min
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...
May 19, 2017•2 hr 5 min
Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppepin, Timbaland, The Rolling Stones, Aaliyah, Missy Elliot, Jay X, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Sean Paul, All Green. What do these names have in common? Jimmy Douglass. 30+ years as an engineer/producer/musician/problem solver. We spoke about that one time Timbaland first brought Missy to the studio in Rochester, NY, his experience working for Atlantic records in the early days, and where the game is headed. Oh, and did we mention that he knows how to use ...
May 12, 2017•2 hr 5 min
