Hi friends,
I miss D’banj and Don Jazzy together on a song. Bangalee had some good songs after the break down, but obviously it wasn’t ‘Don Jazzy Again!’ Those two guys shared great chemistry in the studio and you can tell on every song they had, just like ID Cabasa & 9ice on the best combo of the century ‘Gongo Aso Album’, and Sosick and the late Dagrin (R.I.P) ‘CEO Album’.
Recently I read an article on Drake where he said loosing Noah ‘40’ Shebib is the biggest fear of his life cos ‘40’ has multiple sclerosis which might take him away anytime. Nobody does it better than Timbaland and Missy Elliot on a record, Pheelz and Olamide, Cohbams and Asa, Wizkid and Legendary Beatz and list goes on.
So ask yourself, who is your producer? You need to look out for these guidelines before choosing someone to work with.
Firstly, you need to understand your sound. Musicians who don’t know their ‘sound’ often create studio albums that take on their producer’s sound. It’s not your producer’s album. It’s yours! Be confident in your music and your style. Bring what you have to the table and make sure your music stands strong on its own so that your producer knows exactly what he/she is working with.
I don’t know about you guys, but for me most times when I’m writing a song, I already know what I want it to sound like. My first point and the second one go hand-in-hand. Being with a good producer gives you the opportunity to create a piece of art that explores the various personalities in you. Even if your music is rap, a good producer gives you the flexibility of making a multi-genre project. Some songs may end up being more Afro, Highlife or pop, so a producer helps you discover the possibilities while still helping your project maintain its ‘YOU’ element.
Incredibly important! Just because someone is good, doesn’t mean they’re the right person to work with. Make sure you’re working with someone who you can get along with. Meet up before you ever decide to work on a song together.
Can you talk with each other? Do you speak the same language? Are your personalities compatible? Is there potential to hash out touchy subjects civilly (these will definitely come up)? Being able to trust whom you work with is of utmost important. Spend as much time as you can learn about the person you could potentially be working with. Look for a producer who has worked with comparable artists. In other words, if you want to make Fuji music, don’t spend your time talking to a Mode9 who primarily works with hardcore rappers to produce you. I can honestly say that working with producers who I actually liked and felt comfortable around was what ultimately made most of my recordings easy.
Up and coming artistes pay thousands of naira to producers everyday and still can’t achieve a great song, creating good music goes beyond money. If you have a producer you don’t really get along with, or someone who frowns all day when you walk into the studio, may be it’s time to look for someone who has the same spirit as you. 90% of that odd situation yields nothing. Other than you, no one gets closer to your music than your producer. Choose wisely.
Don’t forget to tag any up and coming artiste, and share your experience. Take care guys, best of luck.