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1/31/2006 How are you doing? Everything's good. We've been working a lot on Joe's new album. We've been working two weeks straight, hard. We've just been putting in a lot of work on this. How's the album coming? It's called "The Pandemic." He's taking the approach of the streets. He's not messing with any soft tracks. He's not doing nothing for the women. He's keeping it all hardcore. It's the original Joe Crack that everyone loves. We don't look for Joe Crack for a "Let's Get It Popping" with Nelly. We look to him for that hardcore street shit. That's what we like him to provide for us. What have you done for "The Pandemic"? I've produced four tracks. That can change though, since we're still in the early stages. I also did the intro in "All or Nothing." I'm playing a bigger role for this album. He's really looking to me to provide him with some big tracks. How is it working with Fat Joe? It's dope. When he's on fire, the energy is incredible. He'll bang out three to four tracks a night if he's on fire. He's a perfectionist, too. He really impresses me with his beat selection. If you listen to his albums, he's got a great beat selection compared to other artists in the game. You hear tracks other artists pick and you're like, "What'd they pick this for?" Even if it's not a track I produced, he always ends up picking out some hot shit from LV, Khaled, Buckwild, or anyone else he's working with. How did you get down with Joe? I produced "Take Me Home" off the Terror Squad album. That was the single. When he heard that record, I was able to slide through and play more beats for him. That's when I played him "New York State of Mind." That ended up having Remy and Killa Cam on it. He became a fan of my beats. He wanted to sign me. I signed to his production company and I was with him for a year. That agreement kind of dissolved, but we still maintain our working relationship because the vibe is crazy. Are you working with other Terror Squad artists like Remy and Prospect? Not really. It's primarily with Fat Joe. I did a record with Remy. I don't even remember what she was calling it. I think it was "What's Popping?" It was featuring Fat Joe on the hook. I guess I put it down too early for her because now it's not going to make her album. How did you get down with Juelz Santana? They had a track with a sample they couldn't clear. I came through and I made the track without the sample, but I tried to keep the same feel, so there wouldn't be any clearance issues. Spliff lined that up. They used my record for the song "Gone." That's how it all went down. It's crazy because two weekends ago, I was in the studio with him recording another record with him for the DJ Khaled album, and my track that's on his album is another Juelz Santana record. I was actually in the studio when he recorded that record. That seems to be a rare thing to be around when a Diplomat records is being recorded. One thing I have to say about it is that it's the most important thing in the world to have direct contact with the artist and let them feel you out. There's a lot to producing. You have to bring concepts and ideas. It's not just about mailing out beats and then getting a call that it's going to be on the album and having to wonder what it's going to sound like. That kind of working, I'm not too into it, but I can't deny that I don't love it when I get that call that says, "Juelz Santana just rapped on your record and it's going on the album." I love hearing that, but I would also love to be there to touch the beat and hear how it comes out. Where do you draw the line between mailing out beats and being in studio sessions? You can't be too strict, otherwise no one will fuck with you. It gets more exclusive the higher up you get. You can't get 10 beats from Scott Storch on a beat-CD through the mail. If you want to work with Scott Storch, you have to book a session at the Hit Factory and he'll make you a beat. As you get more work in the game and more shit popping, eventually you'll get to work more hands-on and it gets more exclusive. How did you get your start in producing? Producing the record "Take Me Home" helped a lot because I could tell everyone that I did that. I was outshined on that by Cool and Dre because Dre was on the hook and the media ate it up like it was his beat. That track helped a lot because it opened the studio doors. If anyone was in a session in a studio I was at, I could tell them I did "Take Me Home" and they would let me play my other beats. That was a good look. It helps to have a little hit under your belt. You have to build up your track record and work with as many people as you can. You have to send out beat-CD's to everyone and their mama. When you get on, you can be more particular as to who you send CD's to. If you get hot and you have beat-CD's everywhere, artists are going to start mixtape-ing your beats. You're trying to get paper for your joints and they're on the mixtapes with them. What can you do? The shit ends up on HipHopGame.com and you're like, "I never got paid for that track." It's all good. How many artists pick beats based on past beats and how many listen to a new producer's beats with an open mind? I really can't speak on behalf of all the artists, but I know it helps. You don't have to have a hit record like a "Lean Back." If you have "Lean Back," you're going to have artists lined up to work with you. If you're hot in the streets and they've heard of you, they're going to be more open-minded to work with you. If you're absolutely nobody and you have no buzz, that's what you have to work on. You have to get your buzz up and your name up. You have to have people talk about you like you have some shit. Sometimes they look for that name because they know they're going to get that sound, so they go with a safe bet. I'm still working on getting my shit popping. I'm not out there like that yet. I'm good enough. People know of me. I got it to where people in New York know about me and know what I've done. I just have to look at it like, "I wish people would check out some of the newer producers that are coming up and are more open-minded. But when they're dealing with a big budget and trying to make a huge album, I can't blame them. When did you start making beats? I went from DJ'ing in my bedroom and collecting records to wanting to make records. I copped my first drum machine in high school. I kept on developing my sound. I went through a lot of bullshit managers before I met the right one. That shit is crucial. Finally I found the right person that could do that. Jay Rob of High Capacity Management got on it. With his footwork and me crafting my sound, helped take me to the next level. I know it sounds like a fast process, but it was really about six years in the making. "Take Me Home" got placed six months after we started working together, and it came out a year after he was repping me. We've stayed on the grind and he gets at everybody. We've managed to come across some pretty good placements. We've come across some solid people in the game that believe in what we're doing. Was there ever a time when you thought about giving up? No. I can't give up. There is nothing else for me to do. My man has the same approach to it. This is it. This is all we really can do. We have to really make this music thing pop off. Once we get that bread, there can be future investments to upgrade the hustle and do bigger and better things, but for right now, this is it. If you want to get that big money and that ill whip with the beautiful crib on the water, this is what can get you closest to that dream. As long as you work hard and stay on it. You see it all the time with these producers who get these publishing deals and have one big song and really pop off. What equipment do you use today? Right now, I just make beats with a lot of records and an MPC-2000XL. I keep it real basic. You have to have your little Pro Tools set-up so you can drop your tracks out. I have a Motif keyboard also. I keep it real simple when it comes to equipment. How does being from Miami influence your sound? My tracks have a lot more bass and 808's. My tracks are always bass-heavy. They have a little bit more of a bounce to them. For example, on "Take Me Home," Joe was rapping with the triple-tongue rhyme scheme. Same with Remy and Prospect. They're from the BX. That's a pretty good example right there. I touch that, but then I can make those straight-up street records that you can nod your head to. What's coming up for you? It's looking like some solid placements on Fat Joe's album. I'm working with Cam on his new album. I'm not sure about any placements. I have a couple solid placements on Peedi Peedi's album. I'm on Spitfiya's album and DJ Kay Slay's album for my record with Fat Joe, Jim Jones, Shaq Diesel, and Sheek Louch. What new artists would you be excited to work with? I'm feeling Saigon. Saigon is definitely ill. Jody Breeze from ATL and Smitty from Miami. That's from the North to the South. Those three artists are all ill to me. I'm out here in Miami and I meet a lot of artists in the South, and Dirty South rappers can definitely get down to my tracks, but I have an up-North sound too. What do you want to say to everyone? You just have to stay on the grind, be on top of your business, get the management that you need, get the placements, make sure your ASCAP is in place, just keep getting money, and do good business. For more information, visit www.streetrunnerbeats.com

By Brian Kayser

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