Today we’d like to introduce you to 89.
89, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2005, I was hanging out at my brother’s friend’s house where he was recording himself and making his own beats. That was the first time I was exposed to a different side of music and was interested in what he was doing. He told me he was using Reasons to make beats and Cubase to record vocals. When I got home, I took my mom’s PC and downloaded the software and started creating music. My cousins Bam and Loco D found out what I was into and gave me their computer, I was about 23 years old. They taught me the basics of recording and then from there I continued to teach myself while recording Loco D. I used Cubase for a few months, after teaching myself more about engineering I decided to upgrade to Pro Tools since that was the standard in the music industry. From there, my friend Brendan hooked me up with an internship with a producer named Big Tank. Big Tank worked with Christina Aguilera and Timbaland. While interning for Big Tank, I was fortunate enough to be able to work on the HBO series The Boondocks.
After that, I met JAG at the Pit and we started working together, along with James Fauntleroy (the same year he wrote No Air by Jordan Sparks and Take me Down by Chris Brown). Then I was introduced to New Boyz after they released You’re a Jerk and we recorded Tie me Down at my studio, I ended up recording the rest of their debut album, Skinny Jeans and a Mic. Shortly after, I started working with Larrance Dopson, CEO of 1500 or Nothin, this is where I engineered for Ally Brookey as a solo artist before she joined Fifth Harmony. Brendan also introduced me to Claudio Cueni who eventually became my mentor, through Claudio I started engineering for Poo Bear, Omarion, Joelle James, etc. I was also producing songs for Netflix, HBO, and Shoe Warehouse out of 89 Studios.
Fast forward to 2016, I decided to open my studio to the public and finally quit my day job, I was doing too much and developed Bell’s Palsy, this is when I threw everything into music. I began developing artists through my production company, 89 Productions. I started off working with a lot of underground artists (Adios whose current songs are Cactus and Blackfist) to build my brand in the streets as an engineer and music producer.
In 2017, Mike Wayne introduced me to RJMrLA and in 2018, I helped engineer and produce RJMrLA’s debut album On God. After the release of On God, I continue to work closely with RJMrLA. It was around this same time that I was introduced to Ambjaay through TJ, one of the underground artists I was recording. I engineered It Cost to Live Like This part 1. A year later, we reconnected and I engineered and produced Dangerous Hibachi. and City Girls off of It Cost to Live Like This part 2, which just dropped this past April. April was a busy month, Rich off Mackin 2 by RJMrLA and Royce The Choice also dropped, I produced nine songs on this album, engineered most of it, and mix/mastered the whole project.
Coming later this year, Compton AV is dropping an album currently untitled that I produced two tracks on. RJMrLA is also dropping a project, Let Me Talk My Shit, I engineered the whole album and produced six songs. Current artists from 89 Productions that have music out now are; Rave Nicole, Porvida, Ty Killingsworth, Chasen Day, and Adios, available on all streaming platforms. 2020 has me taking a little break from music. In March, I was diagnosed with Cancer and started chemotherapy, I am also awaiting the arrival of my first child in July.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road but success ain’t easy. I have had many struggles along the way like building a business foundation, learning to negotiate, learning how to communicate with artists all having different personalities or egos, learning how to develop a good rapport with people that I meet, and learning how to follow up on leads. I think it is important for producers and engineers to understand their role when working with new artists and their camp. I have gotten good at reading the atmosphere/vibe in a room and have found that it makes it easier for me to maneuver/suggest ideas to the working artist in that moment. Personally, I like being behind the scenes, working alone or one-on-one with artists. Trying to build my brand and my business and be successful has forced me to step out of my comfort zone and put myself out there. And then there’s the obvious struggles like being consistent, trusting in the process, knowing when to pivot, and stay the course when money gets tight because you’ve gotta keep the lights on in order to keep working.
Honestly, most entrepreneurs experience these same struggles, it’s just something you have to go through. Personally, I have struggled with balance. I hate to use the word balance because I don’t really know if that’s the right word but for a long time I would work 20 hours a day seven days a week, I did it because I love what I do, it took a long time to see that other areas of my life were suffering. I want others coming up to realize that sometimes it’s quality or quantity and working 24/7 doesn’t always equal success or keep you in front of the curve. My biggest and current struggle has been my health and my time and all the trials and errors that go into figuring out how to do it all. Producers and engineers don’t know that a lack of sleep is stressful on the body. I still struggle with this ideology but with my current health situation, I am learning how to take time to sleep, recharge my body and eat healthier. At the end of the day, I am trying to work smarter not harder.
89 Studios – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I created 89 Productions to work with up and coming artists of my choice, I am able to see an artist’s potential and want to help develop them further. I believe knowledge is power and I have done a lot of work and research over the years to get to where I am, I think it’s valuable to share that. I instill in my artists/clients the importance of music business, marketing, credit and how to build it and how to invest in themselves. Something I do a little different than most producers is that I don’t send beat packs, I send ideas for the artist and we collaborate in order to create a custom beat. This is hard for some artists and I have missed opportunities because of it, but that is just the way I prefer to work and once an artist works with me, they generally get more out of this process.
I am most proud of the fact that all my business is word of mouth and I work with artists I believe in. It isn’t just about the money to me, I want to make good music with people who have a strong work ethic like myself. I don’t like to do sessions with artists just to get paid, I want to develop a relationship with them for however long it lasts. I think this sets my business apart, in this industry you run into a lot of people who are just in it for their own selfish reasons. I want to see people be successful, I’ve taught artists how to record themselves and give them tips on building their own studio. There is enough out there for all of us to win.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment in my career so far is quitting my day job and putting everything I have into 89 Studios. It was a huge risk and sacrifice, I went from a steady income of $4500/mo to barely making $1000/mo on music to start. I’m proud because I didn’t give up, I focused all my time and energy on my craft and really had to trust in the process and myself. Trusting in yourself is something that is hard for some people to do.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostinthestudio/
Image Credit:
RDIGITAL Photos, Bennyy Blanco, Ruby 626 Photography, Thirty Three mm Photography
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