Ep. 252 | How Murda Beatz Cracked Hit-Making

Today's guest is the name behind a decade of names you already know by heart. Eight weeks at #1 with Drake. Over a billion streams off a single Travis Scott beat. A top-six Hot 100 record with Migos, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B — all on one song. Nipsey Hussle. French Montana. A whole generation of trap and rap that doesn't sound the way it sounds without him. And here's the part that should annoy every producer alive: he made most of it in under 20 minutes, by himself.And The Writer Is... Murda Beatz!In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:- Why doubt is important- The principal who told him being a producer was "unrealistic" — and what he'd say to him now- Making "Nice For What" in 20 minutes — and why it was never actually mixed- Selling beats over Western Union for $50–$200 — until working with the Migos got him flagged for fraud- DMing his way from a Canadian bedroom to Chief Keef, the Migos, and Nipsey Hussle- The Migos teaching him to cook beats in 10 minutes: "you gotta be faster"Losing his dad at 21 — and how he handles grief while the machine keeps runningand his new mixtape, 'Bando'And much more...Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.Follow us on socials: @andthewriterisA special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible.Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us.And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.Chapters:0:00 Intro1:45 The best producer tag that isn't yours2:32 The songs: "Nice For What," "Butterfly Effect," "MotorSport"3:03 The plaque wall — and the one with "some crazy number"4:29 When the label wouldn't put a producer's name on the plaque7:00 Born in Niagara Falls, a town of 3,000 on the Buffalo border8:33 A dad who played guitar, a left-handed kid on the drums11:36 Why so many great musicians come from Canada13:08 Trading the drum kit for trap beats14:29 Digging for Lex Luger drum kits in Skype groups16:25 "Murda Beatz on the track" — building a fanbase on Facebook and YouTube19:38 The principal who said being a producer was "unrealistic"21:51 "The doubt is important" — Michael Jordan and manufacturing motivation24:50 How you go from YouTube to a $20,000 check26:33 Learning his value — refusing to be a "sound producer"27:26 Selling beats on Western Union, and getting flagged for fraud33:00 Being a white kid making rap on Chicago's South Side35:02 How he met the Migos on the internet40:36 Making "Pipe It Up" — and learning to cook beats in 10 minutes42:32 World #1s in 15–20 minutes: "Butterfly Effect" and "Nice For What"45:35 Curating a beat pack — and remembering every beat by name51:24 The crazy fact about "Butterfly Effect": it was never mixed52:13 "MotorSport" hits #6 — sitting on it for four months53:24 Making Nipsey Hussle's beat his first day in LA56:55 "Nice For What" — made in Canada, #1 for eight weeks62:10 Adjusting as hip-hop changes: "I made rap because I wanted to make rap"63:42 Producer vs. featured artist — why go solo68:17 Simplicity: 8–10 stems and nothing wasted69:27 Losing his dad at 21, and how he deals with grief70:14 The alone time that built everything71:15 What's next: the "Bando" project, ten years after his first mixtape73:02 Rapid fire: signature beat, Mount Rushmore of producers77:25 Murda Melodies — the plugin that landed on a Bad Bunny record80:28 Advice for upcoming producers80:31 A message to his mom — and what he'd tell his dadCredits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad SaadEdited by Jad SaadPost-Production VFX by Pratik Karki Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.