Author:
Ryan
Read 782 Times Since
Posted on 2007-04-10
24: How long have you been producing?
Red Spyda: I’ve been producing for 7 years
now.
24: What made you want to be a producer?
Red Spyda: First and foremost I’m a musician.
I play bass. A lot of people wouldn’t know that. I play guitar. A friend
of mine back when I used to skip school had the sequencing program and he got
me all into it. [Producing] went from a hobby to having something else to do
to occupy my time. I was working on this beat one day on this keyboard and I
was at somebody’s studio and dude said he would give me $1500 for the
beat. I said “For what? This thing on the keyboard?” Keep in mind
this is early 90’s in Miami. There’s no music industry, there’s
no producers. There’s just Luke. Me being young at the time, I was 18,
$1500 cash for something on the keyboard, I said let’s do it. That definitely
inspired me right there.
24: Who are some of your influences?
Red Spyda: Teddy Riley is a big influence.
Marley Marl, Easy Mo B, Dr. Dre of course. More like the N.W. A./Ice Cube.
24: You said you play bass and guitar.
What else do you play?
Red Spyda: I play bass and guitar. I play around
with the piano and I play drums.
24: What was the first record you did
that made it big?
Red Spyda: My first major record was with 50
Cent. In New York there was this record called “NYPD You’re Not
Like Me.” I did that record. As far as worldwide, I did “The Realest
Niggas” with [50 Cent] and Biggie. I’m the reason why a lot of people
take accapella’s now and rap with dead artist. Well, me and Whoo Kid.
We’re the reason. There’s a science to the whole thing. I actually
didn’t want to do that. You have to keep in mind, you want to do something
the artist would have done.
24: How did you link up with 50 Cent?
Red Spyda: I met 50 through Whoo Kid. I’m
originally from Miami. I moved out to New York early 98-99. I was the one editing
and engineering for Whoo Kid. The politics with New York, is that any producer
trying to get on, you have to link up with a DJ because the DJ has access to
the artist. I hooked up with Whoo Kid and he had cats like Mobb Deep and a lot
of Queens rappers come by the studio and 50 Cent was one of them and we started
doing one of the early 50 Cent tapes. He heard my music and they started picking
some beats and then from there it was on.
24: For people out there, what other artist
have you worked with?
Red Spyda: Down in Miami I worked on Trick
Daddy and Trina’s first album. In New York I did ‘Kiss Ya Ass Goodbye’
for Sheek Louch. I worked with Jadakiss. On the R&B side I worked with Amerie,
Ginuwine, Lauren Hill. I worked with a lot of people.
24: If you could work with anyone you
haven’t worked with, who would it be?
Red Spyda: That’s a good question. I’m
more so a fan of a lot of artist that are successful, but as a producer because
it’s my job, I choose not to work with artist that are already established.
That’s why you don’t see Red Spyda on a lot of albums with established
artist. What I want to do as a producer is develop and work with new artist.
24: What projects are you currently working
on?
Red Spyda: I’m working with this new
artist from Gary, Indiana called Freddy Gibbs signed to Interscope. There’s
a new artist signed to Jive named Huey. I have a group coming out called Entourage
and I’ve been developing my company Red Beam Entertainment. Definitely
doing a lot of in-house projects. Me and Whoo Kid are teaming up to do some
more tapes, so look out for that. Another kid too that I’m working with
is Uncle Murda. Everybody is going crazy for this guy. Look out for him.
24: What advise would you give to up &
coming producers coming into the game?
Red Spyda: Know exactly what you want to get
out of this business. If you’re in it for the art and the music, align
yourself with people that can take care of the business part. Don’t try
to copy what’s out on the radio and people won’t take you seriously
and you won’t have your own individual sound. Definitely be a trendsetter.
Get a DJ. It’s just like tools. As a producers, these are the components
I need to get a job done. I need an engineer, I need an artist, I need a songwriter.
Without these things, I can’t produce. It’s like a director without
his lighting crew and his team. As a producer, don’t just buy sound modules.
Go out there and do your homework. If you want to be a hip-hop producer, you
have to go dig in the crates and listen to hip-hop. Don’t just make beats
and think your beats are hot. Do your homework. Definitely know song structure.
Whenever I make a beat and I’m not with the artist, I try to act like
the artist that I’m about to play the track for. Format your beats. Remember
that.
24: What are your goals as a producer?
Red Spyda: My goals are to get to a scenario
where I can expand. One thing about Red Spyda is that you can hear a record
and not know its Red Spyda. With me, I’m trying to bring in more elements.
I come from a music background. You will never hear a Red Spyda track that sounds
like another Red Spyda track. I don’t want to have a “sound.”
As a producer I want to get to level where I can look back 10 years and see
a growth.
24: Is there anything you want to promote?
Red Spyda: Red Beam Entertainment is the only
thing I’m promoting. Shout out to Loreal, that’s my female rapper.
Shout out to Entourage. Shout out to Miami, the originally home town. Whoo Kid
what’s up, you know how we do this. No Budget No Beats! No Budget No Beat!
Red Spyda. You know what this is.
For a complete list of production credits, visit
myspace.com/redspydastudio
