Category Archives: Music Producer
Music, Music Producer, Reviews, Interviews & Features!
From Rehearsing in a Church Basement in Norway to Producing Music for International Artists: Music Producer Peder Etholm-Idsoee
June 25, 2018 P. L. McGroarty Leave a comment
Music Producer Peder Etholm-Idsoee shot by Alex Winter
Today internationally recognized music producer Peder Etholm-Idsoee is best known for his work as a music producer on the BMI award-winning song 'Que Los Mares No Se Enteren' by Nico Farias, the multiple songs he's produced for international artist Naïka, such as the world pop chart-topper 'Ride,' Lexxi Saal's new single 'Break a Bottle,' Lauren Carnahan's 'Criminal,' which has streamed over 600,000 times on Spotify, and more.
Etholm-Idsoee's musical journey began back home in Oslo, Norway when he picked up the guitar at the age of 6. "This is when my rock star dream really started" he recalls. "At that time, I dreamt about playing in a band, touring the world just playing shows and making music on the go. I think somehow everyone that does music for a living has had that dream in one way or the other."
Though he wouldn't go on to become a 'rock star' in the traditional celebrity sense, that was a decision all his own. Instead he would become a major behind the scenes figure in the careers of many of today's prominent artists.
By age 8 he was fully immersed in voice lessons, which he says he is now 'extremely grateful for,' and by age 10 he'd started teaching himself drums and bass, two instruments that fuelled his passion and led him to begin playing with rock bands in his youth.
Often times rehearsing in the basement of the local church, Etholm-Idsoee recalls during one heavy metal rehearsal in particular that, to the band's surprise, the church priest casually walked in. "We all thought that we might be in trouble because of the nature of the music we were playing." Rather than scolding the young musicians, the priest had something else in mind. "He came over to my drum kit and he looked at me and said 'that looks fun, do you mind if I try?… He sat down behind the drum kit and to everyone's surprise, started shredding like a god, no pun intended, which ended up in an amazing jam session with the priest. I quickly jumped on a guitar, and we ended up playing for hours."
Etholm-Idsoee marks that experience as one that taught him to 'never judge a book by its cover,' a vital lesson to his work as a producer, and a good rule of thumb for us all.
But it wasn't until the age of 12 that he got his first recording equipment, and that is when he began laying the groundwork for his career as a music producer. "When my cousin installed my first DAW, the software to produce and record music, that really sparked my interest in the craft of producing. This resulted with me starting to produce and arrange for every band that I was in."
After playing gigs in Norway with several bands in his youth Etholm-Idsoee soon realized that, while he loved creating and playing music, the celebrity appeal of being a 'rock star' was not all that appealing to him.
"I never really had the urge to be a frontman," explains Etholm-Idsoee. "I've always been interested in the recording and arranging aspects of music in many different genres… I'm a nerd, I love when I can sit down and make sounds and really geek out on the technical aspect of this type of work, something that never gets old for me at all."
By that point he'd achieved an impressive skill level on multiple instruments and had several years of experience recording and producing for all of his own bands, so it came as no surprise when he was accepted to the highly competitive Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA., where he would go on to graduate Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Music Production and Engineering.
Whilst living in Boston, he was invited to work as a music producer on Nico Farias' single 'Que Los Mares No Se Enteren.' With Farias already having the song written, Etholm-Idsoee and his co-producer Jason Strong came in and arranged the song and made additions to the melody. Earning Best Song of the Year from the 2015 Latin Billboard Awards and ranking No.1 on Guatemala's iTunes chart, 'Que Los Mares No Se Enteren' was the first Latin pop song Etholm-Idsoee produced, and it quickly became a major international hit.
At around the same time that he began working with Farias, Etholm-Idsoee came on board as a lead music producer for the artist Naïka, who has since signed with Capitol Records/Universal Music Group.
Naïka says, "Peder and I have been working together for almost 3 years, and he has been a part of many of my projects. Our first release together was my first single 'Ride,' which has done extremely well, and led to me to my record deal with Universal Music Group. Since then, Peder has contributed to most of my upcoming singles that are to be released under UMG including 'Serpentine,' 'Sleeping Pill,' 'Oh Mama' and 'Lose Control'."
Taking the No.2 spot on Spotify's Global Viral and US Viral charts, and being selected as one of the top 50 tracks on the Viral charts for more than 12 countries, Naïka's not embellishing one bit when she says the single 'Ride' has done extremely well.
Earlier this month Naïka released the track 'Serpentine,' and like 'Ride,' music producer Peder Etholm-Idsoee played a pivotal role. Present from the very first session, Etholm-Idsoee created the bass riff in the chorus of 'Serpentine' using one of his synths, a key element that sets the dark and sexy mood of the track, and is the basis on which they built the rest of the song.
Amongst the many things that set him apart from other music producers in the U.S. is the fact that Etholm-Idsoee grew up in a different country. His Norwegian cultural background has not only had a huge impact on his musical influences and his approach to producing, but it has created an avenue for more creativity when it comes to working with artists in America.
"It has been such a pleasure having Peder by my side along the way," Naïka explains. "Not only has his talent elevated my songs with his production skills, he has also helped me develop and define my artistry and my sound."
Aside from being one of the lead producers for Naïka, he is also the music producer behind the rock band Migrant Motel, who's newest single 'Blue' made it onto Spotify's Rock Total playlist earlier this month. As Migrant Motel's music producer since 2015, Etholm-Idsoee recorded and produced their debut album "Volume One," which was released last year, and is currently working on the next releases, which are scheduled to drop later this year.
"I love being 'the guy behind the glass' working for the project. So producing for other artists is just right up my alley of what I like to do," says Etholm-Idsoee. "I honestly just want to create music that provokes an emotion in people, either it is happiness you can share with your friends, being able to relax and enjoy the present, or helping a person through a tough time in his or her life, and I can keep doing that for the rest of my career, I would say that I have achieved my goal."
Capital RecordsInternational MusicMigrant MotelMusicMusic Producer Peder Etholm-IdsoeeNaikaNorwegian Music ProducerTechnologyUniversal Music Group
Music, Music Producer
Producing artists through hit songs with Rafael "Lhast" Alves
When an artist releases a song to the public, people are often quick to judge whether or not they enjoy it. They take the song at face value, listen to it one or two times, and decide whether or not it is something they'd like to purchase or to play again. Regardless of whether or not they feel as though the song is a hit or not, they attribute its quality to the artist or band that released it. What they typically fail to consider are the teams behind these artists and how much hard work and dedication goes into bringing a track or an album to the public. It takes ensembles of skilled composers, songwriters, editors, and more to carefully piece together each and every aspect of the project. Potentially the most important of these roles lies in the caliber of the producer on the track, a job that Portuguese producer Rafael "Lhast" Alves knows better than most.
The role of a producer is intricate, and requires a well-developed, refined skill set to achieve success. Producers are responsible for a number of crucial roles such as brainstorming and gathering ideas for a project, finding ways to change or improve song arrangements, coaching artists during and outside of studio time, acquiring session musicians, leading and directing recording sessions, and much more. Essentially, producers are in charge of supervising the entire process of recording a song and ensuring that the artist or band that they are working with are more than content with the final product. Lhast, who has always been passionate about building a career out of his love for music, has spent his entire life learning how to master these skills and adapt them to every artist he works with. Throughout his time working as a producer, he has lent his talents to artists like Richie Campbell on his song "Do You No Wrong," which received over 12 million views on YouTube, a Platinum Record Award for over 15,000 sales, as well as a nomination for a Portuguese Golden Globe. His reputable production style has also helped artists like Joao "Valas" Valido rise to fame. After Lhast both composed and produced Valas' hit song, "As Coisas," Valas was nominated for Up-And-Coming Artist at the New Era Awards and was the song that lead him to be signed by Portugal Universal. He is well versed in his art form and he is known for his ability to shed greatness upon the projects of the artists he works with.
In 2016, following the world-wide success of "Do You No Wrong," Lhast was approached by Diogo Picarra to produce his song "Historia." Knowing that Picarra was already a major artist in Portugal, Lhast knew that this would be a solid addition to his career. Picarra briefed Lhast on his vision for the song and Lhast was instantly confident that he was the best producer for the job. When artists approach him about a project, Lhast is always careful to ensure that he fully grasps the intentions of the artist but that he uses his own affinity for hit-making to refine the artist's vision and target their intended audience strategically. He has a keen understanding of the industry and he takes great care to professionally propose any changes to the song arrangements that he sees fit. At the time that Picarra recruited Lhast, he already had the composition prepared. He was simply looking for a producer to take his groundwork on the single to the next level. Fortunately for Picarra, Lhast added his flare to the song's elements and was likely the reason that Picarra went on to receive widespread recognition amongst fans and fellow artists alike.
"It was a very smooth process. Since Picarra already had the demo and composition for the song, I had the exciting task of adjusting these pieces to produce a five star, quality track. I suggested that we move the arrangement to draw attention in different areas and ironed out a lot of minor, yet important details. I also felt it necessary to record some other instruments on the track. In all, I wanted to make sure that the whole experience was sonically fresh and had great quality," Lhast said.
High quality is exactly what the track had. 7 million YouTube views and a Gold Record for over 5,000 sales later, Picarra is still buzzing about what he and Lhast accomplished together. This, however, is not an unusual reaction for the artists that Lhast works with. His reputation has grown because of the way in which he conducts his work and his ability to guide his artists along the right path. Take Valas for instance. After years of working with Lhast on several different projects, he still finds himself impressed by his skills as a producer. He credits Lhast with his growth as an artist, and knows that he was instrumental to the success of his career so far.
"Rafael is a producer with great attention to detail and knowledge of the various listeners we try to target. Beyond that, I think he really stands out for his understanding of the public's emotional response to a piece of work and how they will connect with it. He juggles the technical aspects of a song, as well as the emotional ones and the results are profound. I think he knows how to bring out the best in me and he is so incredibly in tune with what I'm trying to express through my music," told Valas.
While artists find joy working with Lhast, his pleasure extends beyond that. He loves the open challenge that each new project presents and that there aren't many rules regulating his creative mind. Despite the competition that surrounds him, he firmly believes that through hard work and persistence, great projects will find him. He sets his efforts toward perfecting his skill at any chance he gets and building discipline in the process. He is motivated every day and he truly loves what he does. He hopes that one day, he will be one of the greatest producers in the world. Maybe he will, or maybe his talents will steer him toward other great titles; however, one thing is for sure, he will stop at nothing to find out.
MusicMusic ProdcerPortugal MusicPortuguese Talent
Film Composer, International Musician, Music, Music Producer, Musician, Reviews, Interviews & Features!
Master Violinist Carlos Felipe Silva Makes his Mark as a Film Composer
September 16, 2017 Scott Prewitt Leave a comment
Carlos Felipe Silva at The Latin Grammys in Las Vegas (from left to right: Stefano Melillo, Sophie Maricq, Luis Tellez, Oscar Stagnaro, Calros Silva, Manuel Lara and Marco Flores.) Photo by Nora Gonzalez
Venezuelan composer Carlos Felipe Silva was born a prodigy. He received his first music lessons when he was just 5 years old; by 7 he'd begun formally training in the violin. Silva took to it like a bird takes to flight, but a mind like his could never be restricted to a single instrument. In the young virtuoso's head rang entire symphonies, and as he grew older it became clear what he was born to do.
"At 18, I had the opportunity to come to the States to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan," said Silva, recalling how music went from being his passion to his career. "It was during that time I realized how important music was to me. I knew from that moment on that I had to spend the rest of my life making music."
Silva spent the next five years as a violinist with Venezuela's world-renowned Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, led by world-renowned conductor and violinist Gustavo Dudamel, who has since become conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
"[After that], I got to study at my dream school — Berklee College of Music in Boston, the best place on earth to learn music," Silva said. "I studied with world class instructors, and I was immersed in an environment that breathes music 24/7."
By the time he earned his B.A. in Film Scoring from the ultra-exclusive Berklee College of Music, Silva already possessed more experience than many musicians gain in a lifetime. He immediately set out to prove his brilliance as a film composer, captivating audiences with his score for the 2015 thriller "Skye." At the heart of the film is the titular Skye, a girl who is abducted for ransom by three of her male classmates. As the action intensifies and the plan goes south Skye finds herself walking the line between survival instinct and Stockholm Syndrome.
"'Skye is a great thriller with fascinating turns. It shows the complexities of our society, and of how we react to life's greatest challenges," Silva said. "I wanted to create a score that could portray those complexities… In the first talk I had with the director we agreed upon a sonic landscape full of provocative elements and electronic pulses, with a lot of tension and suspense."
Following the success of "Skye," Silva didn't waste a single second continuing his work. Within the year he had finished composing and recording his next masterstroke, "Clocks."
"This piece and other cues were commissioned and produced by Moai Films, a production company based in L.A. I'd previously worked with them on the film 'Matthew,' and I developed a great relationship with Lukas Colombo, the head and creative mastermind behind Moai Films Productions," Silva said. "It was an incredible opportunity to record and conduct a full orchestra… [who] brought the score to life, and we were all very satisfied with the results. The session was incredible, and I got to work with some of the best musicians in town."
When writing "Clocks," Silva drew his inspiration from the beating pulse of the sprawling cities he'd spent his life in, starting in Caracas, then Boston where he mastered his craft, and ultimately Los Angeles, where he currently spends each day creating and performing.
"'Clocks' was written to portray the intensity of modern lives in big cities, where we all strive to achieve our dreams, but forget about the simple things that make life meaningful," he described soulfully. "We used a traditional instrumentation, where the trumpet has the main melody line which sits on top of a provocative string ostinato; the choir adds an emotional layer to whole composition."
In a way, however, "Clocks" represents the exact opposite of who Silva is as a person. Though he's led a metropolitan life, Silva has never been forced to choose between reaching his dreams and finding meaning in life. Through his music, he has captured both in equal measures. In that sense, Carlos Felipe Silva, the Venezuelan virtuoso, has discovered the true meaning of life.
"Music is everything in my life. It's a gesture of love which must be shared with others. It's an act of faith and spirituality, and it's the best way for me to communicate," he explained. "As Nietzsche said: 'Without music, life would be a mistake.'''
Berklee College of MusicCarlos Felipe SilvaComposer Carlos Felipe SilvaFilm ComposerSimon Bolivar Symphony OrchestraSkye filmVenezuelan composerViolinist
International Musician, Music, Music Producer, Music Videos, Reviews, Interviews & Features!
Young Ambition Leads to International Success for Duarte 'Duda' Figueira
May 25, 2017 lgreenbaulm Leave a comment
Music Producer/A&R Specialist Duarte 'Duda' Figueira
Whether it's being in the right place at the right time, unceasing ambition and unwillingness to slow down after hearing a dreaded 'no,' or a combination of the two, some people discover their dreams and go to work paving the way for them to come true much earlier than most of the population.
Like the inspirational and semi-autobiographical story Cameron Crowe brought to life in the Oscar Award winning film Almost Famous, which follows a talented teenage journalist who joins the band Stillwater on tour in the 70s and covers the journey for Rolling Stone, music industry aficionado Duarte 'Duda' Figueira experienced a similar rise to success back home in Portugal at the ripe age of 16.
Today Duda, as he is known affectionately throughout the industry, is known for his impressive achievements as a music producer/A& R specialist and major force behind some of Portugal's best known artists such as reggae/dance hall singer Richie Campbell, the rapper Regula and producer Lhast, to name a few.
Duda, who is now 26, took a leap of faith in his early teens and reached out to Lisbon's leading reggae promoter at the time, Fernando Cabral, with an e-mail pitch that would come to change his life forever. Duda knew the market for reggae music in Portugal was huge, but he felt that the information about reggae events was not reaching the country's fans as effectively as it should– so he offered himself up as a flyer boy. He was immediately given a one-time job postering the cities with flyers about an upcoming concert featuring the bands No Joke Sound, Stepacide, and the one and only Gregory Isaacs who sadly passed away in 2010.
"My mom drove me there. I got a chance to meet [Cabral] and the rest of the partners, and I was given a bunch of flyers and posters, and a guarantee of having a free ticket for the show. And that was great!," recalls Duda.
The following week what began as a one-time job turned into much more when, fuelled by a rare level of confidence for someone his age, Duda decided to pop over to Cabral's office to thank him for the ticket, have a chat about music, and ultimately offer his services on the public relations side of the business. There he was introduced to the members of the band No Joke Sound, who were on site recording a live set.
"As an aspiring Selector and MC, bumping into them was kind of a 'star-struck' moment," admits Duda. "The moment I walked in Fernando said to them 'this is the kid that sent the email!.' They were surprised."
The band members' understandable surprise at seeing a kid so young walk nonchalantly into the country's leading music promotion agency with big ideas of how they could better reach their target audience quickly faded once Duda began to speak about the music industry and what fans were looking for, but not necessarily getting. Duda exchanged contacts with No Joke Sound member Bernardo "Ben" Miranda, who subsequently invited him to come along the following week to the No Mercy Soundclash, Portugal's first ever reggae soundclash event.
"I met Ben's cousin, Gonçalo Leitão, also known as 'Krpan.' After the event, we went to Ben's house, and inside of his kitchen, Ben looked at both of us and said: 'You and you! You are going to have a sound system together.' And the rest is history… From that week until today, Ben has been my ultimate mentor. He was the one who pushed me to have a career in music," Duda recalls fondly.
Krpan (left), Duda and Lhast (right) of Fyah Box Sound
At only 17 Duda, along with Ben's cousin Krpan, created Fyah Box Sound, a reggae/dancehall sound system, which is a style of music collective that originated in Jamaica and includes a DJ, MC and engineer. Duda geniously developed the "Triple Threat" concept for Fyah Box, a series of weekly videos that include everything from artists freestyling to debut song releases. Upon inception the concept helped make Fyah Box a huge success in Portugal, and it has since become a leading source of music for reggae and dancehall fans across the world.
Building Fyah Box Sound up from the ground floor, Duda created a recognizable name for the collective by bringing in world-renowned artists such as Anthony B, Ikaya, Richie Campbell, Regula, Short Size, Blasph, Dillaz, Xeg, JLZ, Kristoman, DJ Nelassassin and several others to collaborate. What started as a reggae/dance hall collective quickly turned into a cross-cultural music platform thanks to Duda's decision to open the collective to other styles of music such as R&B, rap, and hip hop.
Now, a decade later, Duda has definitely carved out a prominent position in Portugal's music scene as a highly sought after music producer/A& R specialist. Considering the extent of what he does for the artists and projects he oversees, which includes everything from working as a booking agent, manager, fashion advisor and lead A&R man, Duda's music producer/A& R specialist title is the only one that fits, as he coordinates literally everything that goes into both the planning of a production and the artist's overall career.
A year after starting Fyah Box Sound, Duda began working as the A& R specialist for Portuguese artist Richie Campbell, who started the band Stepacide and was also a member of No Joke Sound prior to going solo. With Duda coordinating everything from planning releases, coordinating events, deciding on singles and album art, and crafting his image and musical approach, Campbell has been met with incredible international success as a solo artist.
Richie Campbell's manager Bernardo "Ben" Miranda explains, "Duarte is someone we know we can always count on for both the creative and strategic process as well as the execution. Over the past 9 years that we've worked together it was a joy to see him grow into the person and the professional he is today. His ambition, creativity, commitment, loyalty and organization make him one of the most desirable professionals in the Portuguese music industry."
Duarte 'Duda' Figueira (left) and Richie Campbell (right) in Berlin
As Campbell's music producer and A&R specialist, Duda has played a major role in the production and release of each of the artist's albums since 2010, including "My Path," "Focused," and "In the 876," as well as Campbell's 2010 EP "Richie Campbell" and the album and accompanying DVD "Live at Campo Pequeno." Fans across Portugal went wild upon the release of Campbell's 2015 album "In the 876," which quickly topped charts and became No. 1 on the digital store sales chart within a few hours of its release– something that hadn't been seen in the country since the release of Beyonce's 2013 self-titled album.
Over the years Duda has also coordinated a slew of high-profile events featuring Campbell, such as Campo Pequeno 2011 and 2013, Sumol Summer Fest 2012, which pulled in 25,000 people, as well as Sudoeste 2013 and Festival do Crato 2013, which each had more than 50,000 people attend– astronomically large numbers for Portugal!
In 2016 Duda was the A&R man on Campbell's hit song "Do You No Wrong," which has garnered over 10 million views on YouTube, and earned a Gold and Platinum Award on the Portuguese market. A major hit in Portugal, "Do You No Wrong" was produced by Lhast, who Duda also works with as a music producer and A& R specialist. Duda also coordinated the release of the artist's 2017 single "Heaven," as well as the music video, which has garnered more than two million views since being release at the tail end of April.
Campbell says, "What I appreciate the most about working with Duda is his versatility as a career advisor/manager and the way he can balance a deep understand of the current music business while never forgetting that an artist needs to be in touch with his audience. This enables him to provide great input on how an artist should work the business aspect of his career without ever jeopardizing the relationship with his fans."
In 2014 Duda formed Bridgetown Talent Agency with Bernardo Miranda, Afonso Ferreira and Richie Campbell. Today Bridgetown Talent Agency, which has become one of the most successful booking agencies in Portugal, represents a wide range of artists including Dengaz, Mishlawi, Curt Davis, Plutonio, DJ Dadda and the comedians Luís Franco-Bastos and Pedro Teixeira da Mota.
In 2015 Duda also started DGF Agency, an imprint agency that handles counseling, A&R, management, releases, PR and promotions for its artists. Some of the major artists Duda oversees as a music producer and A& R specialist through DGF include Lhast, Karetus, Krativ and Andre Melo. He is also working as a lead A&R man at Rebeleon Entertainment where he is handling the release of several upcoming albums, EPs and a few highly anticipated singles for artists such as La Santa Cecilia, Gloria Trevi, Alejandra Guzman, Mon Laferte, and Enjambre.
A well-known name throughout the U.S. music industry, Rebeleon Entertainment partnered with BMI last year to produce the 6th Annual 'Los Producers' event in Las Vegas during the Grammy Awards, which included performances from Latin Grammy nominees and music from other trendsetters in the Latin music industry.
After 10 years in the industry Duarte 'Duda' Figueira has not only managed to rise to the top of the music industry in Portugal and make his name known across the world, but he continues to bring the same level of fervor and adept skill to every project he takes on.
In the end Duda says, "I would love to look back to my career and feel proud of the work that I have put in, the results of it, and the impression that it had on society. Hopefully someone can feel inspired to create more and take some energy out of my experiences."
Almost FamousBridgetown Talent AgencyDGF AgencyDuarte 'Duda' FigueiraLisbonMusic Producer LhastMusic ProductionPortugal MusicProduction CoordinatorRebeleon EntertainmentRegulaRichie Campbell
Hip Hop, Music, Music Producer, Reviews, Interviews & Features!
Fiercely Talented Producer Lil' Lyss On the Hip-Hop Radar
Music Producer Diana D. aka Lil' Lyss
While there's no shortage of female vocalists and performers in the mainstream music scene, a major gender gap definitely exists between men and women working behind the scenes in the music industry with women fulfilling far fewer producer and engineering roles than men.
In a 2014 article published by The FADER, Ruth Saxelby wrote that less than 5% of music producers and engineers are women. While the number of women in the male-dominated industry remains unjustifiably small, there definitely are some talented female music producers making their name known in the scene, even if they've had to work a little harder to do it.
Diana D., better known as Lil' Lyss, is one of the fiercely talented female music producers who's made her way to the forefront of the industry, and she needs to be on your radar. Holding producing credits on several hit tracks for American rapper Ca$his, over the last few years Lil' Lyss has become one incredibly sought after music producer, especially in the rap and hip-hop scene.
Originally from Bulgaria, Lil' Lyss was instantly drawn to music during childhood, but it wasn't until she heard 50 Cent's "In Da Club" produced by Dr. Dre as a teenager that she realized she wanted to produce music.
She explains, "That opened my eyes for music. It was so simple and so great at the same time, then I thought I could do this too. I downloaded a bunch of programs and started messing with them and with time I taught myself to sound like I sound now."
It's been 14 years since the release of "In Da Club," and Lil' Lyss, now 27, has definitely utilized that time wisely. She spent those early years mastering the vast plethora of software necessary to be competitive in modern music and teaching herself the ins and outs of producing; and what she's accomplished since is nothing short of amazing. Her unique beginning, flawless style and musical genius have definitely made her a rarity in the industry; and her drive to produce new and innovative tracks are what's kept her ahead of the curve at every turn.
In 2013 Lil' Lyss gained major industry credit when she was tapped by well-known Shady Records producer Rikanatti to come in as a producer on a few tracks for Ca$his' second studio album The County Hound 2. How she landed that distinguished role as a producer on an album that features guest appearances from rap and hip-hop mainstays such as Crooked I, Obie Trice, Mistah F.A.B., Kuniva (D12), King Los, Boaz and more, is unique in itself– and it definitely proves that her skill is enough to catch the attention of the industry's best.
She explains, "I am constantly looking for people to work with and that day I saw Rikanatti had tweeted that he was looking for producers to feature on Ca$his' next album. I contacted him and sent him several examples of my work and he instantly responded with an offer. From the thousands who submitted music to him, I made the cut."
And that was that. Lil' Lyss landed her spot as a producer on the tracks "Imma Hustla" featuring Crooked I and Sullee J, and "Imma Hustla [W.C. Remix]." The hit single off The County Hound 2, "Imma Hustla" definitely thrust Lil' Lyss's skill as a music producer into the spotlight. Those in the rap game who didn't know her name before definitely did after.
Undeniably one of the album's standout tracks, "Imma Hustla [W.C. Remix]," which features Mistah F.A.B., Roccett, Crooked I and Goldie Gold, is hard, heavy and rhythmically energizing, which is due in no small part to the beats and overall musical backdrop that Lil' Lyss masterfully created. It's no secret that production is the foundation of any hip-hop song. The beats and tempo are the vehicle that allow the lyrics to flow, and Lil' Lyss definitely nailed the production on both versions of "Imma Hustla." It's impossible not to nod your head to the song as it plays; and the way Lil' Lyss creatively melds together the elements of gangster rap with energy amplifying cross fades and perfectly timed pauses throughout the track definitely deserves a nod as well. Her talent as a hip-hop producer is evident from the first few bars of the track, and the fact that she holds production credits on an album where four of the other 16 tracks were produced by 15-time Grammy Award winning rap icon Eminem doesn't hurt her street cred either.
After producing two of the album's most popular tracks, it's not surprising that Rikanatti and Ca$his tapped Lil' Lyss to come back to produce the track "A-Rod" on Ca$his' 2015 album The County Hound 3.
The lead single off the album, "A-Rod" features New York heavy hitter Emilio Rojas. While it's on the opposite end of the spectrum tempo-wise compared to the "Imma Hustla" tracks, with "A-Rod" boasting more of a low-key fluid vibe, the track is yet another hit under Lil' Lyss's belt as a producer.
"It was an honor and a challenge to work with Ca$his and Rikanatti, their talent is always very inspiring for me and their work ethic made me a better producer," says Lil' Lyss. "I created the music for the projects we did together, and Rikanatti adjusted the arrangements and mixed and mastered the whole album."
While Lil' Lyss's reputation for producing epic beats has made her a highly sought after producer for rap and hip-hop artists, her skills are by no means limited to any single genre. Last year she released her first EDM/Trap track "Beast Race." The dynamic, bass-heavy track generates an energizing, dancey vibe that will make you want to bob your head and get your booty shaking. "Beast Race" gained immediate traction with listeners through the internet with Crazy Pellas, Smash The Club, EDM Nation and other popular music outlets featuring the track on their website.
About what drives her to produce, Lil' Lyss explains, "I love good music and I want to be a part of it. Especially now in the current state of music, I think the industry needs creativity more than ever. There are millions of people out there that crave the good music but all they get is mumble rap and 3 chord pop songs. I'm here for them!"
From producing hits for rap and hip-hop artists to creating tracks that strike a chord with EDM fans, Lil' Lyss clearly has a stockpile of tricks up her sleeve, and the more music she produces the more we get to see just how dynamic a producer she really is. As long as we have creative female music producers like Lil' Lyss who are driven to push the boundaries of the main stream, we can faithfully look forward to the direction rap and hip-hop music is going, while also opening the gates for more women to enter the field, because producing good music is not defined by gender, Lil' Lyss is proof of that.
Up next for Lil' Lyss is the upcoming album for The Marine Rapper, which she will be producing later this year. A 10-year US Marine Corps combat veteran, The Marine Rapper is an LA-based hip hop artist who's created a recognizable name for himself by addressing military, civil and political issues through hip hop and rock music.
The Marine Rapper says, "I would like to work with Diana because she brings a unique production style that has not been introduced to modern music. I think with her worldly travels and various techniques she can bring something new to American music with a collaboration effort."
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