Recovery - Behind The Beats

[TRG]

Just Blaze



Real name: Justin Smith



The lowdown: New Jersey-made Just Blaze is the veteran uber-producer for some of the highest-profile names in rap, including Jay-Z, T.I. and Kanye West. Just Blaze says it was an "honor to be a part of starting this new chapter" with Eminem, a collaboration that landed five songs on "Recovery," more than any other producer.

Outside in: Just Blaze says he and Eminem for years have had a mutual interest in working together. But, "like two cooks with the same recipe in the same kitchen," there were challenges. "I came from the DJ-battle underground, he came from the battle-rap underground. We were both underdogs in our respected communities that came out at the top of the game. But because we were cut from the same cloth, a certain level of trust had to be established."

The "Recovery" tracks: Just delivers the goods on five "Recovery" joints, from the razor-sharp, tone-setting opening cut "Cold Wind Blows" to the surprising Haddaway song "What is Love" that he chopped up into "No Love," a crazy creeper for Lil Wayne and Eminem to tag team.

The 12-year producing vet is wondering how the symbolic Proof dedication "You're Never Over" will resonate. A huge fan of the '80s bad-boy vampire flick "The Lost Boys," Just Blaze sampled "Cry Little Sister," the theme from the movie's soundtrack. "I originally did that record as a two-part song -- the first part upbeat, double time, and the second half was slowed down. That's when that familiar 'Lost Boys' singing came in. Em ended up really liking the weird juxtaposition. You wouldn't normally expect that sound in a dedication to the best friend you lost. That pain and mourning for Proof becomes a celebration."

On the record: Just Blaze says early on he "pointed out specifically" what he thought Em could do better on a record they were making and that surprised the Motor City mic master. "The next day or so Eminem was like, 'Yo, I hear what you're talking about right now; I appreciate that. Nobody really does that with me.' " Just Blaze says once they were able to reach that higher level of trust, "it was all good."

http://www.freep.com/article/20100620/ENT04/6200320/1362/


Alex Da Kid



Real name: Alexander Grant



The lowdown: Confident he had the talent but untested in the game, the now 26-year-old Londoner hit New York City about two years ago armed with an audio-technology degree from Thames Valley University and "about one million beats." ADK had watched and listened from across the pond most of his life, not releasing music in his native land because "America is where the world's trends are set."

Shady connection: After providing the soundscape underneath Nicki Minaj's "Massive Attack" and B.o.B.'s high-flying recent "Airplanes," ADK found Eminem's ear from a couple different angles. Eminem became "excited about the tracks I was sending and once he realized I did 'Airplanes,' it was like -- boom, instant: 'Let's record.' That included work on the "Airplanes" remix that featured Eminem.

The "Recovery" track: "Love the Way You Lie" was developed by ADK more than two years ago but wasn't in Shady's hands until recently. "Literally, like the day he had it, they said, 'Give us like a day; don't play it to anybody.' And two days after that he recorded it. We knew it was special." Eminem took the mid-tempo beat and cinematic acoustics and worked an aggressive rhyme of a man losing control of his relationship. After his vocals were recorded and mixed, the track was rushed to Rihanna, whose bombastic and hook-y delivery was perfectly suited for the track.

On the beat: "It was all so last-minute, but I went to Detroit to mix it with him and it was a very focused few days. I have a degree in this, but there's definitely a lot I learned from Eminem's process. He's really involved with the mix; he's very technical."

http://www.freep.com/article/20100620/ENT04/6200318/1362/


DJ Khalil



Real Name: Khalil Abdul-Rahman



The lowdown: It's been a slow-burn rise for the Los Angeles-based producer DJ Khalil the past 15 years. He has honed his underground sound with his group Self Scientific since the early '90s, while creating hits for hip-hop giants including 50 Cent, the Game and Jay-Z. In 2003 Dr. Dre, Eminem's longtime producer, added him to his Aftermath family as a staff producer.

The big guns: For a hip-hop producer, Khalil says, the goal is always to get your tracks into the hands of the biggest stars. Under Dre's guidance, Khalil believed that he had reached an elite level, and that his demo "Talkin' 2 Myself" was a perfect rock and hip-hop fusion that Eminem could really shine on. That track and others were sent to Shady Records. The day after the 2009 Grammys, Dr. Dre called Khalil to say Eminem wanted to meet.

"I'm in the studio with Em and Dre. ... He played me some of the album; I was completely blown away. My song 'Talkin' 2 Myself' was still in its rough stages, but it was insane. While he's playing them for me, Em's like, 'So, you have anything else?' ... Any producer would lose an arm for that experience."

The "Recovery" tracks: Khalil found himself with four contributions to Eminem's "Recovery," including the likely smash "Won't Back Down," which features Pink on the hook.

Beware, Khalil says -- his hard-hitting bangers like "Won't Back Down" and "Talkin' 2 Myself" even wore out the lyrical supreme-being Eminem. "When I first met Eminem he was talking about how my production is kind of dense, there was a lot going on, especially 'Won't Back Down,' which he loved. He said he was screaming at the top of his lungs on that track and he never really had to exert himself like that before. It's amazing -- Em said my tracks are beating him up."

Signature sound: Khalil says he no longer uses samples, which can be limiting, but instead utilizes live instrumentation to help him create a wide-ranging, emotionally anchored soundscape. "I love that, I want to be known for creating introspective songs where feelings are aired out. I want to evoke some kind of emotion: angst, anger, sadness or whatever. I want people to feel."

http://www.freep.com/article/20100620/ENT04/6200323/1035/Ent/Behind-the-beats-DJ-Khalil

Mr. Porter



Real name: Denaun Porter



The lowdown: Though his friendship with Eminem stretches to the mid-1990s, Porter is perhaps best know for rapping under the name Kon Artis with Eminem's group D12. But the 31-year-old Detroiter has segued into production, including learning from Dr. Dre and the late Detroit hip-hop pioneer James (Dilla) Yancey. As a producer, he has credits with 50 Cent and Jamie Foxx.

The "Recovery" track: "On Fire," the first he's produced as Mr. Porter for Eminem, is "an accomplishment in itself not only because he gave me the opportunity but, from my perspective, it's the only song like it on the album with that raunchy hardcore twist."

They made "On Fire" just after "Relapse" dropped last year, he says. "I use mostly live instrumentation now, but on this I wanted it to be if you were taking me and Em from 1996 and placing us into 2010; what our first connection was. This is not a D12 song, this is Mr. Porter. I wanted people to hear what he and I did, the way he rhymed, the words, the punch lines ... and it came out just like we wanted."

Under the white-hot light: When Eminem returned to performing publicly in 2009 with "Relapse," it was without his best friend and longtime onstage hypeman Proof, who died in 2006. Porter took over the role on the mic. "It was tough at first; everyone was so used to Proof being up there," Porter says, adding that he's truly honored about working shows alongside Eminem. "There were so many emotions at once when he asked me to do it. I am going to try and do everything I can to impress him and Proof."

Domino effect: Porter says Proof's passing affected a lot of people profoundly. And as Eminem went public about his struggles with addiction, Porter says he was experiencing a crippling depression at that same time.

"I was putting on a lot of weight, was in a horrible relationship, moving from one place to another -- I knew I needed to get back to myself," Porter says. "The first 'Relapse' album is critical to me. ... Here's a person who is allowing himself, in front of everyone, to be reborn. (Eminem) pushes me to want to be better."

http://www.freep.com/article/20100620/ENT04/6200321/1035/Ent/Behind-the-beats-Mr.-Porter

Emile



Real name: Emile Haynie



The lowdown: After living for a few years in Ann Arbor, the Buffalo-born Emile, 29, realized hustling would be critical to making noise in the biz. Now residing in New York City, Emile manages hip-hopper Kid Cudi's career, while continuing to produce music, including material for the late "mayor of Detroit hip-hop" Proof, Ghostface Killah and M.O.P.

Shady ways: Motor City mover and shaker Mikey Eckstein, who was working with Eminem's underground Detroit rap group D12, introduced Emile to Proof, "the first rapper who liked my beats," Emile says. That led him to then-Shady Records rapper Obie Trice and the studio where he co-produced his first record with Eminem, Trice's "Don't Come Down." "I learned so much from (Eminem) on that record; the way he formatted it, established a mood and gave it a big ending. He made my very good record this very powerful piece. It was a great start," Emile says.

The "Recovery" track: The process of "Going Through Changes" started about six months ago when Emile went on a record-buying spree in Detroit. Eminem had told him he wanted to do a track with a "classic rock vibe." After listening to a bunch of old songs, the two gravitated toward Black Sabbath's "Changes" and continued bouncing ideas off of each other. A "good feeling" soon followed and the Ozzy Osbourne sample transformed into "Going Through Changes." "When you start from scratch together you'll end up with a more personal experience and usually a much better product," Emile says.

The heart beat: "It's always been a dream of mine to be on one of his albums," Emile says. When listening to Em rap, "Swear when I come back I'ma be bulletproof / I'ma do it just for Proof," Emile reveals that the experience was "deeply personal."

http://www.freep.com/article/20100620/ENT04/6200321/1035/Ent/Behind-the-beats-Mr.-Porter

[BOX5 the best poster on this site yell]

as a whole i like these producers but i can't really get into this production to much on this new album, relapse beats bang out more, beats on this album was pau gasoft yell

[Chamillitary Click]

I had no problem with the production on this album.

Sure, it wasn't "as good" as Relapse; but it did it's job, for me.

[D-TalkX]

I liked the beats on Relapse but fuck this CD owns it in my opinion. Dres track on this is nice and better than a lot on Relapse but Blaze blazed a bunch. Real excited about this CD

[stillinrehab]

I had no problem with the production on this album.

Sure, it wasn't "as good" as Relapse; but it did it's job, for me.

Same here. I would still be bumpin this if the Roots album hadn't leaked the fuck out this week!

[BOX5 the best poster on this site yell]

the album got us talking about it,and that's a good thing, i just don't see nothing original that just blaze gave him yell

[dubsmith_nz]

Good read, shot bro

[NotoriousTDA]

Khalil says he no longer uses samples

WHAT A LOSER

[Lucifuge]

Couple good beats. Space Bound's is mad dope beat

[The-Leak (aka) kingwell (bka) JULES]

Alex Da Kid is gonna be a beast.  Watch for him.

[Dre-Day]

Khalil says he no longer uses samples

WHAT A LOSER

he says he sticks with live instruments now, that's a plus