Needlz Interview (Producer for 50 Cent, Young Buck, Rakim, etc)

[D-Nice]

http://illuminati2g.com/site/2011/06/27/needlz-interview/

I2G chilled with producer Needlz for a exclusive interview. Many of you will recognize Needlz's work with G-Unit, Rakim, and a surprise one from Bruno Mars and we get in depth with him about some of I2G's favorite tracks with his production. We also talk Honors English, the music biz and much more so check it out, good read.

Illuminati 2G is here with Needlz how's it going man?

I'm chillin man, how are you?

Good. Let's get right into it, tell me a little bit about your new position with Universal Music with their management division.

It is something that has been in the works, to start a management company affiliated with Universal. It is still in the works but it seems to be a good look.

Also in being that you are a producer, you have your own label, Dry Rain Entertainment. What is coming up next from the label?

Yeah the main artist right now is Honors English, and he just recently dropped a new joint with Lupe Fiasco called Flying High. He is the first act that I am putting my stamp on and have been working with for the past year.

We are right now just putting records out and letting them live and see what the reaction is from the people. We are slowly building a brand and yeah to check out his music, go to www.honorsenglishmusic.com.

Do you have a projected release date for his project?

Well basically there are 3 chapters to his project, called the Honors English Project, and each chapter has 5 songs and so far we have released 2. The next song we have coming out is called Short Story Long produced by myself and Bink. We also have Freeway Ricky Ross on there as well and we have a couple other records and we have a video for one of them that I think is really going to change the game. No set release date.

Are there any projects coming soon that we will be hearing your production on?

I am working with everyone right now. Rain, Drake, 50 Cent, Ludacris. My main focus has been my artist, the Honors English project, but I get calls all the time to do other projects as well.

That leads right into my next question. I picked out 5 or 6 tracks that are my personal favorites from you and some of your biggest hits that you have done production for. Just wanted to get your viewpoint on the songs and good memories from it. First one is Young Buck- Let Me In.



Yeah that was I would say my first big hit single. Man, it was right around the time I had my first child and I just remember being in the studio with Sha Money listening to the record and all of a sudden he said yo we need the clean version for this!

I was surprised when he said it, because I was up and coming at the time, but Sha said yeah this is a single. I love that record and Bang Bang as well from Straight Outta Cashville.

Next one is 50 Cent- Piggybank. That was a pretty controversial record at the time when The Massacre came out. Did you even know that track was going to be a diss track?



Yeah, at the time I was mixing a record for Rich Boy out in LA and they told me..., actually 50 was in another studio and his people told me that he did this crazy song and it is going to be a game changer.

The hype was so crazy around the record and just alot of drama when that joint came out. I am happy that I was a part of that whole movement, the whole G-Unit movement in general.

Lloyd Banks on his second album, The Rotten Apple, my favorite track off the album, Get Clapped with Prodigy.



Yeah that track was a sleeper man. I don't think that album did as well as G-Unit thought it would do, but yeah that was a little Harlem anthem joint. I remember originally using a sample for that track but I had to take it out.

Having Prodigy on the record was dope because I grew up listening to Mobb Deep, one of my favorite groups. Yeah man that track was slept on.

You worked with the legend Rakim on his last album, Seventh Seal, on the track Walk These Streets. Any good memories from that track?



Yeah I think that album was kinda pushed out there but yeah it is a honor to work with Rakim just because it's him and I grew up listening to him as well. Just to have that you work with him on your resume is dope, I mean I have met him once or twice, but I did not build that beat for him in the studio with him there.

I know at one point they wanted.., well Dr. Dre was going to produce on the album or something like that. It was a good look regardless.

Yeah alot of people thought at first that beat was a Dr. Dre beat. The drums and the bassline was very Dre esque.

Yeah they wanted a more Dre influenced sounding beat for that song.

Next one is Drake- I'm Going In



Just the way that song came together, Wayne got a hold of one of my beat cds and wrote a song to about every one of them and put them out on the net. It ended up working out for the best because out of those batch of records, was the one that ended up being I'm Going In.

It was just one of those organic records that just came together.

And last one, Bruno Mars- Just The Way You Are. All those tracks I named and the Bruno Mars one is completely left field from all of them. Did you expect that song was going to be a huge hit as it is right now?



Nah you can never really expect a song to blow up like that when you are in the process of making it. I actually produced that song for Lupe Fiasco and they had Bruno sing the hook but he ended up keeping it for himself. He added his verses and it ended up being the first single off his album.

What are your thoughts on the music industry and the music that has come out in 2011 so far?

I don't know, it does not seem like alot of new stuff is coming out anymore. It seems like people are scared to drop albums and take a chance on trying something new. That is on the major label side of things, because there are alot of cats not signed or that do not have a release date that are making noise right now.

Nobody is really dropping albums right now, I mean Lupe and a few others dropped but outside of that not a whole lot. It's kind of a scary time as far as hip hop, I mean the pop stuff will always stay around and be relevant.

I try and do my part instead of complaining about what is not right about the game and hopefully things will change for the better. Definitely the game is lacking creativity in songs and that is something I hope comes back. But it is still early in the year and the heavyweights still have not dropped their albums yet, Kanye, Jay-Z, Drake, Wayne.

What's your website information?

NeedlzOnline.com (Coming soon)

Twitter.com/Needlz

Facebook.com/Needlz

HonorsEnglishMusic.com

Alright well that is all the questions I have for you. Appreciate you getting down for the interview. Is there any last words or shoutouts you want to get out there to the people?

Thanks to everyone for the support and thank you for the interview.

[Eric - Dubcnn.com]

Great interview, props to Illuminati2G.com for doing their thing.

[Blood$]

his recent work with Pill has been dope

[OG Jaydc]

Been a fan of him since let me in. I remember he also did drag-ons single put your drinks down.

Get clapped is my favorite track off rotten apple. That whole gets way too much hate, it just came out at the start of the anti g unit turn so people trashed it.

[dubsmith_nz]

Get clapped is my favorite track off rotten apple. That whole gets way too much hate, it just came out at the start of the anti g unit turn so people trashed it.

Word to this, some really dope joints on this album.

Needlez is a dope producer, always check for his joints

[ABN]

Let Me In and Bang Bang are my favorite tracks by Needlz. the Let Me In beat bangs hard and it sounds different, but in a good way. and the Nancy Sinatra sample on Bang Bang works surprisingly well.

[D-Nice]

Been a fan of him since let me in. I remember he also did drag-ons single put your drinks down.

Get clapped is my favorite track off rotten apple. That whole gets way too much hate, it just came out at the start of the anti g unit turn so people trashed it.

My favorite as well and I still bump Rotten Apple. Much darker album than his first but that shit was banging.

[Fonkarround]

Didnt he work with Dre on some joints? Is that the guy?