Conversations with Anwar Ahmed

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anwar Ahmed

Hi Anwar, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Anwar and I’m an Ethiopian-American music producer! I was raised by four women (My mother Zeineb, my aunt Roma, my grandma Tiblets and my cousin Amira. These four women are the blessings that sharpened me at a young age. Without them, I would’ve fell short in my lifetime. My life and accomplished are due to them. My first 17-18 years were in Falls Church, Virginia. After high school, I left to Pennsylvania, where I studied Computer Science and Mathematics at Penn State, and I absolutely loved it. Programming and tackling complex problems were thrilling, but when I transitioned into the corporate world, that excitement quickly faded—I felt replaceable.

At my first job, I was by far the most capable person on my team, but management restricted essential tools, and my colleagues lacked the knowledge to push projects forward. Instead of feeling challenged, I felt like an unappreciated machine, simply executing tasks without recognition. I couldn’t tolerate that, so I left for another company.

The second time around, things were different—I felt valued, and my contributions were acknowledged. But something still felt off. I started questioning whether tech was truly my passion or if there was something else out there for me. That curiosity led me to Los Angeles, where I enrolled in a Product Management course, still within tech but exploring a different angle.

Once in LA, I felt an undeniable pull toward something entirely different—art. That creative energy pushed me to step away from tech and give my artistic instincts a real shot. I began managing artists, but soon realized that management wasn’t the right fit for me. I was pouring everything into my artists, yet they weren’t even willing to share fair splits. By August 2019, after returning heartbroken from a Baltic Region tour (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, etc.), I knew I needed a change.

That’s when a producer named Blackbeard invited me to his studio in Arcadia, east of LA. He wanted to lift my spirits and suggested we make beats together. Little did he know, that moment changed everything—it awakened something in me. Music production became my passion, my purpose.

The hardest part of this journey? I never received help from the people I had supported in my earlier career, but five years later, I’m finally getting that recognition. Starting over was humbling, but necessary. Now, I’ve learned to be intentional with my energy and to avoid those who drain me.

Would I ever return to tech? Maybe—if I needed a break from the chaos of the music industry. The truth is, the entertainment world is full of actors, and I’m not always in the mood to play a role. Sometimes, I just want to be me.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I haven’t had a single month of smooth sailing in this industry, and that’s because I refuse to settle for the lowest version of myself or allow myself to be placed in the wrong settings anymore. Before becoming a music producer, I was used as a music manager and left with absolutely nothing. I dated a singer who only valued the security I provided but couldn’t have cared less if I fell off this planet. On top of that, I watched people switch sides and cut ties with me—simply because of a last name—despite the fact that she was the real problem.

That experience was the turning point. That’s when I gained true vision for myself.

What 99% of people in this industry won’t tell you is this: most distributors, lawyers, artists, and producers are out to finesse you or show you the bare minimum of care. Distributors only prioritize a tiny fraction of artists—the rest are just paying subscribers getting little to no support. Lawyers? They follow the money and will side with whoever benefits them the most. Artists often try to take advantage of producers, engineers, or anyone they cross paths with, simply because they don’t understand the business and mistakenly believe they’re the prize. (News flash: You’re not the prize if you don’t even understand the industry you’re in.) They’ll take whatever they can for free. Even producers try to finesse other producers—whether through connections, lowball percentages, or unfair buyouts.

But what’s even worse than all of that? The lack of support from family and friends. They see you as nothing more than a struggling dreamer instead of someone chasing their vision with purpose.

I do believe there’s another side to all this, but I haven’t found it yet. This industry is dark, and if you don’t have tough skin, you need a manager who does—but even then, you still have to know the business. At this point, I keep to myself. Seeing the good in this industry feels delusional. I’d rather create my music in peace and stay out of the scene entirely.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I go by several alias, which are, Anweezy, Weesh, NWR and Aktiv World. Each alias has a different specialization, Anweezy and Weesh are producers, NWR is a singer, and Aktiv World is my label’s imprint for releases. But it wasn’t until August 2019, after experiencing heartbreak, that I truly discovered my passion for music production.

I am undeniably one of one—there’s no one who works like I do.

When I re-entered the industry in late 2019, every connection I had was gone. I had to start over—not once, but twice. And honestly, I’m grateful for it. It forced me to build genuine, direct relationships with creatives who truly value me.

What I’m most proud of? The impact I’ve made. I’ve contributed to over 1,400 released songs, collaborating with more than 800 creatives. That’s my legacy, and I’m just getting started.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I love going on the app Quora due to the questions people ask on there that needs to be answered by experts in their relative field. My main resource is myself being in solitude because no one will have the space to bother my thought process, meaning I’d be able execute my idea without distractions and persuasions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anweezy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anweezy/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/anweeezy
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwarahmeda/
• Twitter: https://x.com/anweez_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/anweezy
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/anweez
• Other: https://linktr.ee/Anweezy