producer

Rick Rubin: “I Know Nothing About Music”

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Rick Rubin, the legendary producer whose influence is still heralded as gospel, said that he knows nothing about music. In a recent interview with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes, he explained how he has no technical knowledge of music production. Moreover, he had some insights as to why his style and taste is so sought-after… and successful.

SANTA MONICA, CA – NOVEMBER 01: Rick Rubin attends the premiere of Endangered Spirit’s ‘Bunker77’ on November 01, 2017 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by JB Lacroix/ Getty Images)

“Do you play instruments?” Cooper asked the Def Jam co-founder. “Barely,” he replied, to which Cooper responded almost incredulously: “Do you know how to work a soundboard?”

“No. I have no technical ability, and I know nothing about music,” Rubin stated. Cooper laughed, as we’re sure many did when they heard those words. Furthermore, given his track record (Kanye West, Run-DMC, The Strokes, Johnny Cash, Black Sabbath, and Eminem just to name a few), this seems preposterous. Still, the 59-year-old identified why he stamped his name into the game.

“I know what I like and what I don’t like, and I’m decisive about what I like and what I don’t like,” he expressed.

“So what are you being paid for?” Cooper asked. “The confidence that I have in my taste and my ability to express what I feel has proven helpful for artists,” the Beastie Boys producer said humbly.

In a previous interview with Channel 4 News, the producer highlighted the importance of singularity and not comparing yourself to others. Moreover, such advice likely fueled some of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Some are License to Ill by The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. However, more recent examples of Rubin’s genius are Ye’s Yeezus and Slim Shady’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2.

“We each have a singular voice, we each have our own voice,” he told Channel 4. “What I do is different than what you do…we all do something different and they’re not comparable. They have nothing to do with each other. It’s apples and oranges.

“So if you make something today and you think it can be better,” he concluded, “tomorrow you can improve it. You can continually make the thing you’re making better. You can learn and practice and do anything.”

Still, what do you think of Rick Rubin supposedly knowing “nothing” about music? However you may feel, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for more wisdom from the music industry’s genius gurus.

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DJ Dahi Slams Kendrick Lamar Leakers

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One of Kendrick Lamar’s most frequent collaborators, DJ Dahi, recently slammed leakers who put some of his demos on Spotify. The “Morale Pack,” as it’s titled on the platform, is a set of three new leaks from the Compton MC. Moreover, many thought that they were leftovers from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. However, the legendary producer set some things straight on his Instagram story.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 24: Rapper Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during day thre of Rolling Loud Miami 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium on July 24, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

““Why are y’all leaking s**t from 4 years ago???” he wrote on Thursday (January 19). “We didn’t even bounce those records out. These kdot records are strictly demos. Y’all are really dying of thirst out here lol.” Maybe they should ask Kendrick to sing about them.

Jokes aside, leak culture caused a lot of discourse in the 2010s, and continues to hamper projects and releases today. Readers may remember the highly-anticipated state of Whole Lotta Red, when many of Playboi Carti’s songs leaked before he could drop the album. However, this is a pretty different case, as the leaked material is about four years old according to Dahi.

Still, for being four-year-old leaks, these new Kendrick tracks aren’t half bad. Moreover, they contain some interesting overlap with a few Mr. Morale cuts. When it comes to flows, certain lyrics and verses, themes, instrumental choices, and delivery, it appears to be in a similar headspace. In fact, completed tracks like “Purple Hearts,” “Silent Hill,” “Count Me Out,” and Baby Keem’s “vent” are the end results of many of these leaks’ ideas.

Even then, that’s just a theory or small observation, because who knows what else Dahi and Kendrick have in the vault. Mr. Morale was Spotify’s most successful rap album of 2022, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more great material from these sessions. Despite our highest hopes, K-Dot is likely in another phase of his legendary career, but here’s hoping for some more untitled unmastered. tracks in the future.

Regardless, what do you think of DJ Dahi cracking down on leakers who put unreleased Kendrick tracks on Spotify? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest news regarding hip-hop’s greatest talents.

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Trauma Tone Reflects On His First Beat Placement, Cites M.I.A. As A Dream Collaborator, & More For “On The Come Up”

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Meet Trauma Tone, one of the incredibly talented artists featured on this season of HNHH’s “On The Come Up.” However, it would be criminal to describe the steadily rising producer as a novice in the music industry. In fact, you have probably already heard some of Trauma Tone’s unforgettable beats. Nearly a decade ago, the Virigina-born hitmaker was cutting his teeth with up-and-comers like Chief Keef and Rich Homie Quan. Now, when looking back, it’s evident he was also making classics in the process.

For instance, Tone’s early work includes cult classics like Chief Keef’s “Blew My High” and fan-favorite Rich Homie Quan tracks. He produced I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In standouts like “Man of the Year” and “1000.” Furthermore, Trauma Tone also created the creeping beat for Yo Gotti and Rich Homie Quan’s platinum-certified collaboration “I Know.”

Trauma Tone on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)
Read More: Hollywood Cole Reflects On Producing For Lil Wayne, Drake, Dom Kennedy & More For “On The Come Up”

After the success of his breakthrough placements in the early 2010s, Trauma Tone continued to grind. Over the following years, he put his beats in the hands of artists like Money Man, Jacquees, Plies, Iamsu!, Skippa Da Flippa, and Dreamville’s own Cozz. However, the 2020s ushered in a new — and unquestionably well-deserved — era of prominence for the hardworking producer.

In 2020, Trauma Tone supplied beats for Kevin Gates’ popular songs “Dreka” and “Always Be Gangsta Freestyle.” Soon thereafter, Trauma Tone went on to work with Curren$y on his collaborative album with Fendi P, Smokin’ Patnas. He also landed placements on Sada Baby’s “Aunty Stella,” Bino Rideaux’s OUTSIDE project, and Money Man’s popular Epidemic mixtape. However, things really took off after Trauma Tone landed a beat placement on NBA YoungBoy’s second studio album, Top. Thus, “Cross Roads” subsequently became Tone’s first-ever song to be featured on a Billboard 200 chart-topper. 

Since then, Trauma Tone’s pool of collaborators has been rapidly expanding. A wide range of artists — from Migos, BlueBlucksClan, and Duke Deuce to Dej Loaf, Lil Reese, and Shy Glizzy — have rapped over the Virginia producer’s beats in recent years. Without a doubt, Trauma Tone is currently in high demand. Get familiar with him by checking out his exclusive interview for HNHH’s “On The Come Up” below.

Read More: Gloss Up Details The Female Rap Scene In Memphis & “Don’t Play With Me” For “On The Come Up”

Randall Emmett Denies Being Under Investigation For Pedophilia

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Randall Emmett says his ex-wife Ambyr Childers’ claim that the FBI is investigating him for pedophilia is a lie. Emmett addressed the allegations in a post on Instagram shared over the weekend.

“At this point, the lies have been stretched so far,” the Hollywood producer said in the video.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 19: Randall Emmett attends the Los Angeles Special Screening of Lionsgate’s “Midnight In The Switchgrass” at Regal LA Live on July 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

He continued: “We spent today getting confirmation because we knew there was no truthfulness to any of this, that the FBI has never been investigating me and isn’t investigating me because there’s nothing to investigate.”

The video isn’t the first time that Emmett has denied the accusations. In a statement provided to Page Six, he previously defended himself from Childers’ claims.

He wrote at the time that the notion the FBI is investigating him is “beyond absurd.”

He added: “Anyone can say whatever they want in a pleading; that doesn’t make it true. There is zero evidence that I’m being investigated for anything, and we still share 50/50 custody of our children.”

Childers made her claim as part of a domestic violence restraining order request against her ex-husband. She submitted that she “was contacted by a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation asking [her] questions about [Emmett’s] suspected activities with child exploitation and pedophilia.”

Emmett and Childers share two children, a 12-year-old named London and 9-year-old named Rylee. The Los Angeles Times reports that there is a hearing set for January 12 to review joint custody matters. The outlet also reported speaking with three other individuals who say the FBI contacted them regarding Emmett.

Check out Randall Emmett’s explanation on Instagram below.

[Via]

Hollywood Cole Reflects On Producing For Lil Wayne, Drake, Dom Kennedy & More For “On The Come Up”

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Who Is Hollywood Cole?

Producer tags are everything. At their best, they are immediately recognizable, an informal call that sparks excitement for what’s coming next. Thus, when you hear a tag like, “Cole…You Stupid,” you already know what’s going down. 

The aforementioned tag that calls back to the classic ‘90s sitcom Martin belongs to none other than Hollywood Cole, a rapidly rising producer with ties to both the West Coast — through his birthplace of Seattle, Washington — and the East Coast — through his upbringing in Virginia. After winning a beat battle at Wish Atlanta that was judged by Sonny Digital, Cole started linking up with big-name artists and producers in Atlanta, which eventually led to his work with Quentin Miller and four beat placements on Dom Kennedy’s 2020 album, Rap N Roll. Roughly a month after Rap N Roll, Cole got an even bigger look, as a beat that he produced became Lil Wayne and Drake’s acclaimed “B.B. King Freestyle” collaboration from 2020’s No Ceilings 3.

Hollywood Cole on HotNewHipHop’s “On The Come Up.” (Cam Kirk, Collective Gallery)

From that point on, Hollywood Cole’s work has been featured on countless major Hip-Hop releases, from Isaiah Rashad’s The House Is Burning single “Lay Wit Ya,” and G Herbo’s “Statement” to Latto’s 21 Savage-assisted 777 single “Wheelie,” Buddy’s “Wait Too Long,” and J.I.D.’s The Forever Story album cut “Sistanem.” 

Hence, it was a no-brainer to feature Hollywood Cole in the latest season of HNHH’s On The Come Up. Keep scrolling to familiarize yourself with the incredible producer before his next round of mindblowing beat placements rolls out.

Akademiks Slams Ashanti For Not Naming Predatory Producer

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Shortly after Ashanti revealed that a music producer asked her to shower with him in exchange for records he worked on for her, Akademiks entered the chat with his own opinion.

Saying that the singer is doing a disservice to other women by not name-dropping the unknown producer, the hip-hop commentator also brought up rapper Latto to validate his point.

“Here’s my problem with her saying this, I wish she revealed the name. It’s like when Latto said this…And then everybody thought it was Kodak.”

Prior to the release of her 777 album, Latto shared that a man she collaborated with refused to clear the record after she rejected his advances. Though some fans suspected Kodak Black, she never confirmed who the artist was.

READ MORE: DJ Akademiks Trashes Lil Baby

“It’s like, yo Ashanti. You’ve been in the industry for 20 years now. Just say the name,” Akademiks fired at the New Yorker on his live stream. “Just say the f**king name. You know what I mean? Because I don’t think you do any service to any other woman who might work with this n***a later.”

“If some sh*t like that happened and you’re trying to speak about it on an interview for awareness, why not just say the n***a name?” the podcaster added.

As HotNewHipHop previously reported, the “Foolish” singer recently stated on The Breakfast Club that an unnamed music producer requested a shower or a date with her in exchange for a musical working relationship.

“We did two records together. He was like, ‘Okay, I’m not gonna charge you, you know you my homie.’” But when she was assembling her album content, he then switched up and asked her to shower with him.

“I thought he was joking,” she then shared.  “And then he was like, ‘Nah, I’m dead serious. Let’s go out, or let’s take a shower together, and I’ll give you the records. If not, I need 40 racks per record.’”

What are your thoughts on Ashanti’s account? Do you agree with Akademiks that she should drop the name of her past producer?

Sound off in the comments with your take.

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Just Blaze Reveals Jay-Z’s song, ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ Was Originally Meant For Ghostface Killah

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just blaze lead

The producer behind the iconic song “Girls, Girls, Girls,” Just Blaze shares what it was like to bring the song to life, while taking a deep dive into the making of Jay-Z’s hit album The Blueprint.

Recently, legendary producer, DJ, architect of early 2000’s hip hop and pioneer of sampling Just Blaze talked with lyricist and emcee Talib Kweli on the People’s Party podcast to discuss his influences, impact and journey with music. 

The iconic turn tablelist also dished the massive influence the legendary producer, Pete Rock has on his production. Blaze and Kweli also discuss the close mutual friends they share in the business and talk about J Period’s spiritual decision to ditch sampling around the time of his contribution to the Black Star album and how that led to Blaze getting the bulk of his record collection.

Find out Blaze’s take on why Kanye’s stated that he was his arch nemesis while they both were working as the chief producers at Roc-A-Fella  and so much more!

Share your thoughts and comments with us on social media.

The post Just Blaze Reveals Jay-Z’s song, ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ Was Originally Meant For Ghostface Killah appeared first on The Source.

Nicholas Craven’s Most Essential Canadian Collaborations

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Image via Publicist

  • Rowjay, “Exercise De Finesse”


  • Chung, “Bellona”


  • Jimmie D, “Wowzers”


  • Nicholas Craven & Connaisseur Ticaso, “Nouvelle Religion”


  • Raz Fresco f/ Jimmie D and The 6th Letter, “Bad Reflection”


  • D-Track f/ Akhenaton, “Soroche”


  • Mike Shabb, “Island Boy”

Just Blaze Breaks Down the Making of ‘The Blueprint’: Touring with Jay-Z Was “Humbling”

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just blaze

The producer behind the iconic song “Girls, Girls, Girls,” Just Blaze shares what it was like to bring the song to life, while taking a deep dive into the making of Jay-Z’s hit album The Blueprint.

Earlier this week, legendary producer, DJ, architect of early 2000’s hip hop and pioneer of sampling Just Blaze talked with lyricist and emcee Talib Kweli on the People’s Party podcast to discuss his influences, impact and journey with music. 

The iconic turn tablelist also dished the massive influence the legendary producer, Pete Rock has on his production. Blaze and Kweli also discuss the close mutual friends they share in the business and talk about J Period’s spiritual decision to ditch sampling around the time of his contribution to the Black Star album and how that led to Blaze getting the bulk of his record collection.

Find out Blaze’s take on why Kanye’s stated that he was his arch nemesis while they both were working as the chief producers at Roc-A-Fella  and so much more!

Share your thoughts and comments with us on social media.

The post Just Blaze Breaks Down the Making of ‘The Blueprint’: Touring with Jay-Z Was “Humbling” appeared first on The Source.