LT HUTTON (November 2006) | Interview By: Nima

       Dubcnn had the fantastic opportunity of speaking with the producer LT Hutton. We took time out to discuss his past, how he got into production and how he met Snoop Dogg. We also delved into the LBC Crew project, disucssed his work with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and most recently for the new Tupac album "Pac's Life" on which he produced the lead single with T.I & Ashanti. LT Hutton also spoke on the work that went into the new Tupac album, recording the "Real Talk" track with Snoop and much more in this exclusive interview.
 

As always we have the transcript and the audio for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: nima@dubcnn.com



Interview was done by phone in November 2006


Questions Asked By : Nima


LT Hutton Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here (Audio)

Full LT Hutton Interview : Here

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Dubcnn: We're here with LT Hutton. You've been in the game for about a decade now,
producing tracks, so go ahead and introduce yourself to everybody and let them know what's going on with you!

What it do what it do? It's LT Hutton, keeping it live, keeping it 100, bringing the West back in a real way. Just making hits, cranking it out, keeping it West West ya'll!


Dubcnn: Let's go back in time a little bit, how did LT Hutton start making beats and what inspired you?

Shit, I came from Chicago, and my first thing was hooking up with Snoop and Big C-Style and all them cats, who introduced me to Snoop, and joined the Dogg Pound. I have been doing beats for a long time, for other R&B acts, and other acts around town, local artists in Chicago, trying to get it cracking. With Da Brat and other people. When I came to Death Row, Snoop gave me a shot with the Dogg Pound's first joint over there, "Beware Of My Crew". But I started off in church a long time ago, I knew I was going to produce from day one. But coming out here to the West, and getting into the whole Death Row camp, I was over there like '93-'94, I really got my start in that boot camp.


Dubcnn: How did you first get introduced to Snoop Dogg?

We was in the same area, cause I had actually came in with this other R&B group, and Big C-Style plugged me. I was just doing everything, I was this lil dude around the studio making all these beats and he was like "This nigga is dope!" So I had been around, and I wasn't cool with the niggas that
I had initally came to California with, so me and Style hooked up, Style brought me to Snoop, and after me and Snoop linked up, he introduced me to everybody. Next thing you know, Snoop handed me a Dogg Pound jersey, with the 21 on the back, and they put me in the Pound! So from that night, I was Dogg Pound for life, we was locked in!


Dubcnn: What were the first couple of projects that you were heard on?

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" Soundtrack.


Dubcnn: That was the LBC Crew joint, right?

Yeah. The group I was in was B-Rezell, and you don't even wanna go that far back, cause that's too much. *laughs*


Dubcnn: You can go ahead, I was going to ask you about that anyway.

We was on the Above The Rim soundtrack, and when that kicked off, I wasn't really all the way with them cats like that. But I had did a whole bunch of stuff with them, and a lot of stuff was getting shiffed under the rug, and names being taken off, so I had to emerge as myself, as LT Hutton the
producer. Then came "Tha Doggfather" album, and after that 'Pac came, we were doing stuff on 'Pac. After that I think was the Lost Boys, that kind of set me aside from the West Coast people, cause I had went over to the East Coast and got down with people that was on the East Coast. So when the Lost Boyz "Music Makes Me High" came out, with Tha Dogg Pound [and Canibus], in the mist of all that drama that was going on, I actually was able to stop some of the nonsense when we did that collaboration.


Dubcnn: I heard there were actually talks about Canibus coming to the Pound!

Oh yeah, first Canibus was with us. I put Canibus on the first track he was on, that Music Makes Me High! A lot of people didn't even want him to be on there, but I went ahead and put him on there. All the stuff he did after that, I don't really know. Canibus is super-dope, still!


Dubcnn: How about Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, you've been on a lot of Bone related projects.

My thing is I never want to be one sided, because we was actually beefing with Bone at the time we was over there on the Row, and I was the first person to make that contact, and clean that whole little thing up with the Pound and Bone, cause we wasn't really fucking with them. I went over to
Ruthless Records, and I was running Ruthless Records with Tomika, so I was bridging the gap. We was always cool, but just had that one misunderstanding with Eazy and how all that went down. But we had love, so I put that together, and me, Bizzy, Wish, Lay and Kray, we all super tight, and I just
ended up doing a lot of the Bone records. It's not a Bone record that I haven't been on since we made that merger, so I've been on their albums ever since, them my dudes right there!

From Bone, to Nate Dogg, to C-Murder... When No Limit was doing their thing, me and C got real cool, I did some Mystikal joints... It's like a walk down memory lane man, I've been one of the most famous infamous people around, because on the West, rappers wasn't really hollering our names out, like Swizz Beatz, or Kanye or whatever. So those producers got stamped instantly, because the rappers put their name in the song on the East Coast. Just Blaze and all of them. It's a lot of producers from the West and around, that didn't get that notoriety like that, but that have been here and been consistant for years, and was getting major money, but didn't have the accolade, and the "fame". Until we started asking the rapper.

Cause on this side, it was more gangsta, so niggas wasn't really finna be hollering out "such and such on the track". Then I was like "Snoop, we gotta take our game to that level." That's why on "Got Beef", that was on of the first times that you heard "It's another one of those Snoop Dogg LT Hutton
thangs." And "Got Beef" was when we were coming together for Tha Eastsidaz. That right there bridged the gap cause that was one of the number ringtones, well not ringtones, but before they had these skytels. So that took us to New York, and again I was bridging the gap between the West and the East, keeping it worldwide. So that's all I've been trying to do, bridge the gap and make it to where it's not coastal. And just really keep it consistent. But now, the way I'm doing it, we're coming from behind the scenes. Because the West Coast producers, we've always been behind the scenes. Dre is still behind the scenes, he's never been up front like that.

So I have been trying to change the format of the "west coast producer", because we're worldwide, but we have been behind the scenes cause we're so business oriented, we like to stay consistent. We don't like to come out, make a lot of noise and then be gone the next year. So that's why a lot of
us was just doing the business. I could name 100 West Coast producers that ya'll probably never heard of, just because, unless you're real credit readers, and real music connoisseurs, because a lot of people wasn't into jumping into the light like that. But now it's like, you have to. So we gotta do it, or we're going to fade away. That's the thing to do now.


Dubcnn: Tell us some memorable experiences you've had with artists in the studio, or special moments.

We'd be here all day! It's so many! Put it like that, my life has been one great experience. I'm 32 years old man, and if I was ever to say I did, I did it! Talking about being in this game, doing something I love, and making tons of paper with it. The biggest thing about LT Hutton that everybody
loves is, I've transcended and stayed here so long at a certain level. It's hard to stay at pace in this game. People come and they go. Nobody stays consistent really. It's hard, man. I've been here a long time and I still haven't blew my shine, I haven't hit me peak, I've been very consistent, in
the movie business, in the real estate business, in this business, everybody knows LT Hutton is a business man. He does big moves and he does big things regardless. It can be cold outside and they know LT will have it hot somewhere. And that's what I do.

What I do right now is try to create avenues to replenish not just the West Coast but music in general. We've taken so much out of music, we've added so much to it, but there's still more to leave here for the future generation. There's more to give. What I'm doing now, with my new label called "The Program", with mostly R&B acts, because the West is known for rapping but it's so much R&B out here too, gangsta hop! We call it Rhythm & Gangsta, R&G instead of R&B. But it's never been seen since Motown! So I just wanna start that movement, like young Berry Gordy up in this piece. It's also just to replenish the system. It's time for somebody to get the thumbs up around here to say "Okay this is what's hot" and people will listen. Like we need more rappers out here. I'm talking about solid bonefied story tellers, people that really entertain. Let's put some substance back in the game!

Like take the Tupac album for instance. You get so many computer geeks and so many knuckleheads talking about what Pac would have done or what Pac would do, or that certain songs are a disgrace to his legacy. What kind of nonsense is that to say? Pac would have transcended just like everybody else transcended. Pac was a visionary. Pac definitely would have did a song with T.I., T.I. is hot! Pac would have definitely did a song with Ashanti! Pac would have loved her! Who are these people to say what Pac would have done? I produced for Pac when he was alive! I know how he swings! Pac sometimes would do a hardcore record, and then Pac would do a record like Toss It Up! We got love ballads on Pac! So to say something is too soft, or too hard, or don't fit, it's like the nerve of these muthafuckas. You gotta understand man, it's like somebody is reciting a Martin Luther King speech. People are going to say it different, but the speech is still the same. That's what Pac's words are like man!

Pac was one of the first dudes I knew with the sweet joints, Pac was rocking all the Versace shit before anybody! That's why he was mad at Biggie and them for jumping on his style! Pac had style man, Pac was a fly dude! Do you think he wouldn't have had a broad like Ashanti with him? You feel me? You think he wouldn't get down with T.I.? T.I. a fly nigga too! So how you going to say that that don't fit? That don't fit! Now everybody wanna be an analyst... But they'll accept, I ain't even going to name no names, but they'll accept all types of stupid ass records and say these records is hot,
but a record with the magnitude of "Pac's Life", you got the nerve to even comment on it! Everybody is paying homage to dude! Them people took little to zero for those records! I stepped in just to make the shit official, but like Big Syke called me, every person that really knew Pac and was down with him was like "Yo, that record is a smash!" From Snoop on down. We know what it is! So for anybody that says they don't like it, there are 50 people who say we love it, it's a smash.


Dubcnn: I guess it's about changing the original tracks, like on the last record I think it was, they took off Spice 1, and put Eminem on it, or something like that.

See the Eminem record, that is what it is. You can't really be mad at that. A lot of people was mad about it, but I mean look, if Pac was here, Pac made business moves! Pac wasn't no nigga to sit there and not transcend! People don't understand, Pac controlled the album more than you know. Dude got a very strong spirit, very strong vibe. He ain't finna let nothing come out that ain't supposed to! Trust me on that one. Dead or alive, you dig? About the original content. How long are you going to sit on old content? If I was to go, I wish people would remix the hell out of me! Keep me going! Keep my
legacy going! You can't destroy that man's legacy. Those records that Em did wasn't bad! People didn't like the combination cause they think they know!

That's why the beauty of "Pac's Life" is, it's called "What do you know about Pac's life? Everybody needs to chill! Why are ya'll concerned with my life?" Dude! Pac had something to do with that man! Cause it's perfect! It's like, chill! It's Pac's life! His mother got the rights now, and all the proceeds that she do, it goes out to the center that she has for all types of stuff. She ain't getting rich off of putting Pac's vocals out! Everybody that's featured on that, we're not getting paid like that off of that Pac stuff! We do that in homage and to keep it fresh. And it's hard to keep stuff fresh and make it sound like that. The song "Pac's Life" is ridiculous! We couldn't use the original sample cause it wouldn't clear, and it was dry. So we spiced it up! Like when Snoop came in the room, he was
like "Oh my god that's a banger!" I had to make it like he was here! Did you dig it?


Dubcnn: Yeah, I thought it was cool.

It's rocking! That's why, like I said, for every person that don't like the combination, the world done already spoke! Everybody is loving it! New York Hot 97 don't usually play Pac's records. They're playing that one, though! You want the man to be hard on every goddamn record? We gotta get airplay too! It's such a hard thing doing these Pac records cause you're gonna have 85% happy, and then the rest is going to be mad as hell. You can't please everybody. You like it? Go get it! You don't? Shut the fuck up. You feel me?


Dubcnn: How's the rest of the album?

I haven't heard all of it, I have like three tracks on there. The other joints I did are super gangsta and hard, but you can't play that shit on the radio! All of it is hard! It's Pac man! My thing with Pac is, you're either going to love it or you're going to hate it. For those who hate it, don't listen to it! Don't even comment on it! Just keep on going on about your business! But for those who love it, they're going to keep on loving it man. The thing is, if dude was here, I know where he'd be at! He'd be right here rolling with us doing what the fuck we talking about! Then they couldn't say nothing! But now he ain't here and now they wanna say this and that. But it is what it is.


Dubcnn: You did the song "Real Talk" with Snoop Dogg a few months ago, tell us about that song.

That song got 3 million hits! If Dogg wasn't here, people would probably be saying that we're doing the wrong thing, but it's just what it is! "Real Talk" got 3 million hits, 3 million downloads, and nobody really thought that record was going to be.. But it's music man and that's the beauty about music! There's some things we like, and there's some things we don't! Some shit is for us, and some shit ain't. It's a lot of songs I hate, I just care not to comment on them. For the people that love it, let them love it, don't spoil it for nobody else! That song happened when he came into the studio
and he wanted to do a song just about real talk. Cause people criticize Snoop all the time, they wanna say this they wanna say that. Goddamn man, opinions are like assholes, everybody got one. And most people that got stupid opinions are assholes. So it goes hand in hand. "Real Talk" was a
super record that we did. Did you like that one?


Dubcnn: Yeah I thought it was hot!

So that was a banging record, and we had did a song on the international version of the album, and it's just so many records that we got. We just try to please the masses, but the ones we can't please, ain't shit we can do about that.


Dubcnn: Who else have you been working with lately, what projects can we expect to hear you on?

Man, I got Snoop, Ashanti, Oryan's album coming out, which is Omarion's brother, but Ashanti's album is really ridiculous. We got the Vaa album, he's on the program, Mr. Right, which is a guy group of mine, Gunn, which is a girl group of mine, we got Tiffany Foxx coming, I'm sure you heard of her, man! I know I'm forgetting shit. Man, what I got coming out is the world! *laughs* We finna really turn some things around, and just set the record straight. Like I said, "Pac's Life", we're paying homage. And you know what's really going to make them mad? The next 'Pac album, I'ma do the whole goddamn thing so nobody can say nothing. And I'm bringing everybody in, and we're really really going to dig into it. I'ma take control of the next one, it may be coming in January, so lookout for that! *laughs* People talking that shit, but instead the state of the rap game and the whole nonsense going on, that's what they need to talk about! But what we doing is like VH1, we trying to save the music and the integrity. We've been out here forever, you know it, you've been around us for a long time. We're soldiers man, and what we're trying to do is to save the music, so people can come up under us, younger cats, so they have something to have and hold on to.

The biggest thing you gotta understand about the music game, and this is a big statement, is that when you take the value out of something, and the consistency out of something, then it means nothing anymore. And they know that! The white business owners understand and they know, once they take the value out of rap, it won't exist no more! Because once you saturate the market, it's over. If I could go play in the NBA, ain't no way in hell they gonna pay nobody 100 million, if I could just walk on the court and play. So why in the hell are we letting come off the street and become rappers. There is no limit. There is no statue, there is no standard. Anybody can do it, at any time. So what happens? It becomes oversaturated. And when something is oversaturated, it's not valuable anymore. So that way they can get us for lower prices, rape us, and the next you know, it's just gonna disappear! Cause it's not worth shit no more. When they can't make money off the game
no more, then it will not exist.

So the biggest thing is, let's weaken the system by putting all the bullshit up front, because when you keep the bar high and the expectations high, nobody can really get in, the money is being made, and you're creating too many black millionaires man! Too many people are getting money when it's up
there! But when everybody splits the sales, splits this and that, then all the money is getting cut and it becomes like a free for all. Turning the game into fast food! That's why people put out a single, last for a month, or a half, and it's over! What kinda shit is that? It's very crazy! But the thing is for us, we have to know what it is, attack it and deal with it in a real way. And that is by putting out good music, with good substance, and for the listeners and the fans to not be so critical on shit, and just kick back and be cool man!


Dubcnn: I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us, is there anything else you'd like to let everybody know?

Let them know, LT Hutton is coming man! And I will be! *laughs* I will be. A force to be reckoned with. And to everybody, think like a boss, don't think like a employee.




 

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