Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
After winning the February 4, 2016 Beat This! Competition, I decided to ask a few questions to Jen about the winning beat. It was really tough to judge because we had a theme of "Smooth Keys" and Jen's came out on top with a really smooth track. Let's see what's up...
Congratulations on the win! How did you put together that beat?
Thanks Fade, I put "Rhode To Life" together about a year ago, actually I made the melody first, left it alone awhile, then I came back to it and completed it about three months after making it. I love the sound of Rhodes it just takes me to another place, my sole purpose for the beat was to smooth it out, so when I read the rules for the Beat This competition I already knew what beat I was going to use.
As I mentioned in the forums, your beat could have had a little something extra on it but it was still very smooth and fit the theme perfectly. What would you have added to the beat though?
It's funny that you asked that because when I knew what beat I was going to use, as I was listening to it I thought about adding something extra but I just wanted to keep it simple, but I know that always don't work. As I'm thinking about it now I probably would have added a ambience sound, or maybe some strings.
I noticed that most of your beats are smooth. Is that something you aim for or does it just come out that way?
Yes, the majority of my beats are smooth it's a little of both, but most of the time it just comes out that way. As I mentioned earlier I love the sound of Rhodes, Chords, Pianos, and Strings so when I use any of these sounds or a combination of them the beat just comes out smooth.
Being from Detroit, are you influenced by what's going on in your city?
Absolutely. I'm always influenced about what's going on in Detroit and Flint. I made a beat called "Back Home" that's basically about making a change, and being aware about what's going on, and how we need to come together to make that change. It kind of put you in the mind of Kanye West's track "Homecoming". I'm currently looking for an artist to bring this visual to life.
So what do you currently have in your setup?
Right now I currently have my laptop, Maschine MK2, Audio Technica M30x monitor headphones, and a pair of Yamaha HS7 studio monitors. I also like to use Massive, Kontakt, and Prism, I also use Maschine for my Ipod to make my beats on the go. It's very convenient.
What is the one piece in your setup that you can't live without?
I can't live without my Maschine MK2, I just love how easy the workflow is.
You're on social media and selling beats, what do you think is the hardest part about selling?
The hardest part about selling beats is actually getting people to listen to what you have. I noticed that when I promote my page I would get traffic, but a lot of people wouldn't actually play the beats. You really have to be consistent and learn how to market yourself. I made an email list of artists who was looking for beats and I would connect with them at least once a week. The artists who would respond just wanted free beats. I also learned that you just have to continue to network, network, and network some more.
Have you worked with any artists, if so, how does that compare to just making beats?
No, I have not yet to work with an artist as far as making a track from start to finish, but an artist has heard one of beats and liked it the way that it was and made a track from it. Currently that is one of my goals - to accomplish working directly with an artist to see how we vibe together, and hopefully make some dope music.
How did you originally get into making beats anyway?
I always had a passion for music, and wanted to take a stab at making beats. About five years ago I took a chance with it but to be honest I wasn't serious about doing it so I would just make beats here and there. Two years ago is when I really buckled down and made the decision that if this is what I want to do I had to be serious about it. I gained the confidence that I needed to showcase my talent, and now I don't want to let a day go by without making a beat, or learning something new so I can get better at what I'm doing.
There will always be trends in Hip Hop. Do you get influenced by them or do you just make whatever?
Great question. To be honest when I first started making beats I would try to follow the current trends, thinking that I had to make beats like everyone else just to get noticed. Sometimes I still feel that way but I just continue to be myself and don't fall into the norm, but I do understand why some producers do it. I just do what comes from my heart and soul, or just how I'm feeling at that time.
What can we expect from Jen in 2016?
In 2016 you can expect for me to continue to make dope beats, reach out to more artists to work with them, compete in more beat battles, stay consistent, continue to get better, and hopefully collab with other producers. I'm also planning to put out a few instrumental albums to showcase my beats.
Thanks for the interview. Any shoutouts you'd like to give?
No, thank you for the interview. I just would like to give a shout out to everyone who is not afraid to follow their passion, and everyone who refuses to conform into the norm and just be themselves musically and in life. Peace, family.
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