Dijon “DJ Mustard” McFarlane has incorporated veteran styles from different regions in his production process scoring over a dozen hit records and chart topping albums. So it only makes sense that he takes a similar approach to how he dresses himself. The L.A. based hit man behind YG’s “My Krazy Life” debut and countless radio hits for […]
“I’m gonna record my vocals from the pool!” LV says with a straight face. Sean C’s partner in beats has the studio at Daddy’s House rolling as he reveals his plans to record a solo album called “Get In the Pool/I’m Scared of Guns.” Seriously. “I like swimming,” he adds matter-of-factly. “But I’m scared of […]
“The name of my recording studio is M.A.D Studios, Money at the Door. I don’t play no games,” says Atlanta based, Houston born triple-threat Cory Mo. “Been running it since 1999, just opened one in Atlanta five years ago. I produce, engineer and am also an artist. However the bills get paid I gotta […]
“From Fatherless To Fatherhood” is a documentary film that explores fatherhood in the black community. To help raise awareness about the film, the Kobie Chronicles is releasing a series of videos, an online extension of the documentary. The series provides living examples of men, women, children and families who embody the new norm in the narrative […]
Words by Jo Basch DJ Khalil. One half of the rap group Self-Scientific (for underground hip-hop fans). The man behind beats such as Jay-Z’s “I Made It”, 50 Cent’s “I’ll Still Kill”, Drake’s “Fear” and Eminem’s “Won’t Back Down” (for the commercially inclined). And most notably, a staff producer for Dr. Dre (for those of […]
“A lot of people don’t really know me because I played the back scene. People know the songs I put out but not the face behind it,” says Brooklyn born producer Sharif “Reefa” Slater, echoing the circumstances of many of his peers. “Now with social media people want to know who is doing the music […]
Thanks to cats like Swizz Beatz, Diddy, Arab Music and the like producers in 2014 no longer have to take backseats to the rappers they make hits for. With signature catchphrases like “Its Showtiiime!!” or “Just Blaaaze!” hitting the listeners ears before the first bar is ever spit, producers getting their just desserts is quite […]
Detroit, Michigan has a respected and accomplished lineage in hip-hop, specifically among its producers. With artists like Black Milk, J-Dilla, DJ House Shoes and Wajeed laying the foundation, the bar has been set pretty high. Enter Apollo Brown. The twenty-something track master has been filling iPods providing his dusty, drum heavy compositions for instrumental albums […]
When it comes to crafting classic albums or block-breaking singles, there are few better on the boards than Just Blaze. Since his start in 1999, Just has been a consistent source of heat for new-jacks and established acts alike with a diversity that’s allowed him to supply sonics for everyone from Mariah Carey, Kanye West, […]
James Brown’s influence and impact on American music is almost impossible to measure, but the continued consumption and recreation of his work from generation to generation is a testament to The Godfather of Soul’s genius. For Black Music Month award-winning producer DJ Scratch has assembled a tribute mix of some of James Brown’s most well-known […]
There’s a couple of things we know about California native Ty Dolla $ign from his DJ Mustard produced smash “Paranoid” feat. B.o.B. You know that two of his *ahem* ladies are in the club, they know about each other and they have similar taste in cars. But what you wouldn’t know about the Taylor Gang/Atlantic records signee is […]
The music listening public first got a taste of the collaborative chemistry between De La Soul and the late James “J-Dilla” Yancey in 1996 for their title track “Stakes Is High.” Dilla’s flip of Ahmad Jamal’s Swahililand set the bar high for subsequent “Dilla Soul” songs like “Thru Ya City,” “Much More” and “Verbal Clap.” […]
