Today we’d like to introduce you to Cobaine Ivory.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cobaine. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My mom was a singer and my stepdad was a jazz drummer. At seven years old, I would sleep in the studio as my mom recorded. I received my first keyboard and drum machine when I was eight years old and have been making music ever since. In elementary school, I had two music classes: one normal class revisiting old classical works and one with my music teacher Mr. Mastriani. He allowed me to bring in any song I wanted and would teach me the elements of the song on drums, piano, bass and guitar. I kept my music-making a secret until mid college when my stepdad said to me, “We didn’t buy you this equipment to make this a hobby.”
I moved to NYC and the first artist I worked with was Outasight, who worked at a restaurant at the time. I produced artist demos until around 2013, when I decided to pursue music ideas that I was passionate about. I concluded all of my artist’s demos and focused on three project ideas, two of them ended up being more successful than anything I’ve ever worked on previously. CharlieRED & Tristate of Mind ended up on many blogs worldwide including 2Dopeboyz, Fader, Pitchfork and Complex and was licensed by brands like Victoria’s Secret, Armani, Bath & Body Works, Ubisoft and more. In 2018, I was the 2nd producer to sign a production/publishing contract with legendary music producer Alex da Kid. Since then, I have produced for HER, Jorja Smith, Luke James, Rapsody, Kirk Franklin & more.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would say that it has generally been smooth sailing, but my perspective on “struggles” are that they are lessons. I associate my “struggles” with pending success. When I was broke and had a broken Achilles tendon, I received one of the largest checks in my career for scoring a Victoria’s Secret commercial. When the part-time job I had closed, a week later, I was flown out to work with Alex da Kid. I immediately see positivity in challenges. Even if you’re having difficulty adopting this mindset, you should at least understand that thinking negatively never helps. You have to continue to move forward unfettered. Someone is always watching.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m the owner of Japanese Fight Club which is a recording label/production company. My intentions are to sign new talent that creates truth regardless of numbers or trends. I know truth heals and connects from experience.
What were you like growing up?
Actually, basketball was my first dream. Creating music has always been a necessity, like breathing, but I thought I’d make the NBA. I played D1 AA, but it was too much of a job and I was kicked off of the team.
Contact Info:
- Website: CobaineIvory.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @CobaineIvory
Image Credit:
Kim Preston, Kuson Parson
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