Miami
Florida is home to many heavy hitting Hip-Hop acts.In the earlier days the 2 Live Crew sold
millions of records with their raunchy, up-tempo, bass music.Today, rappers like Rick Ross and DJs like
Khaled are continuing the legacy of the Sunshine City.
Keeping
with the tradition of body moving music is a production group steady on the
rise.Miami Beat Wave is blazing new
trails with a blend of talented artists that each brings a unique element to
the production trio.Musician Chip
Williams, and sample junkies Brandan Toledo and St. LaRok, combine their qualities
as producers and engineers to form a one stop for innovative tracks.
Miami
Beat Wave took time out with BeatDynasty.com to discuss their breakthrough in
the realm of video game production as well as their conscious efforts to change
the idea of the “Miami Sound.”
BeatDynasty.com:
Given your name, one would assume you're all from Miami. Is that true?
Brandan:
No, I'm from Miami, Florida. I'm a producer and engineer.
Chip:
I'm from North Carolina.I'm a producer
and engineer.
St.
LaRok: I'm from Chi town. I'm a producer and writer.
BeatDynasty.com:
Why the name that incorporates Miami then?
Brandan:I actually started this company before I
brought my teammates along.We met in
college, but after we graduated, they stayed to get another degree.I came back to Miami and started building a
studio and I came up with the name.
BeatDynasty.com:
I know all of you guys went to Full Sail University.Do you see that as an advantage because some
people feel you can get the same education on your own.
Brandan:From our experience Full Sail is more of an
engineering school.It's not about production.They don't teach you how to make beats, they
don't teach you how to play a piano.They teach you the science like how to record sounds or how to use a
microphone.Full Sail wasn't about the
producing, but there was a lot of talented people there.
BeatDynasty.com:
I guess the networking was also crazy there right?
Brandan:
Yeah definitely.
BeatDynasty.com:
You guys have scored some pretty big placements in the video game market.Many producers are headed in that direction,
but how did you get into that?
Brandan:That's a pretty simple story really.Hudson Entertainment was making a video game
called Miami Law and a Japanese producer [originally] made the
music. At the end of the day [the music] didn't make them happy.They said it wasn't Miami enough for the
game.So, Victor Ireland, the dude who
was running the whole project googled "Miami Producers" and our
website popped up.He listened to our
music and he liked our beats.From there
he just gave us a call from looking at our website.
BeatDynasty.com:
How do you approach production differently when dealing with a video game?
Chip:It's just very different because with video
games you're producing to support something visual going on.Whereas when you're producing for an artist,
you're producing to support the vocals you're going to lay on it.Producing video games is about producing
music that is going to make you feel a certain way.If you're in a certain place like a science
lab, how do you invoke scientific thoughts with music? It's not about the
lyrics but about the feeling you get from hearing the music.
BeatDynasty.com:
Do you get a visual to work with while you produce?
Chip:
They give you a description of a scene.If you get lucky, you'll get some screen shots.Beyond that you might get a demo version of
the game to play.Sometimes they tell
you what descriptive set goes in what area of the game.A lot of times you'll just get a short
description which makes it harder.
BeatDynasty.com:
In terms of producing beats, do you guys all work together?
Chip:We can work together or separate.It can be very dynamic.
Brandan:
Usually me and St. LaRok do a lot of sample based stuff.So we chop up samples and throw some drums on
them.Then Chip comes with the live
instrumentation.So he may add some bass
or some keys and synth to it.We mix
samples and live instrumentation.
BeatDynasty.com:
Chip, what instruments do you play?
Chip:
I play drums, bass, guitar, and piano.I
know music theory though, so that enables me to play a lot of different
instruments.
BeatDynasty.com:
How does that give you an advantage?
Chip:
Well it allows me to create beats entirely from scratch or make beats with
samples in them.It also allows me to
re-play samples in some instances.You
know sometimes you can use the sample without paying for it.You just have to play the mechanical
royalties on it.Just being able to add
that to my partners' sampled beats just makes our beats that much stronger.
BeatDynasty.com:
St. LaRok, are you more of the preemo type of producer?
St.
LaRok: I wouldn't even compare myself to Preemo, but he definitely was an
inspiration for me to start making beats.In that sense, as far as taking samples, chopping them up, rearranging them,
and keeping it dirty is pretty much my style.
BeatDynasty.com:
Is it hard for you guys to sell beats in Miami because it's more bass, keyboard
type of music?
St.
LaRock:We want to add a new twist to
what people consider the "Miami Sound" in the fist place.Right now as far as Miami goes, the market is
opening up.As far as them doing a
specific Miami sound, I can't accept that.I'm here to add a new spin on it and show something that they maybe
haven't been accustom to.
BeatDynasty.com:
In terms of production, who are some of your influences?
Brandan:The RZA and all the Wu Tang stuff, and Quincy
Jones as far as being an all around producer.
Chip:Bob Marley, and Dr. Dre.They're pretty diverse and Bob has the guitar
and bass that I love.
St.
LaRok:I grew up listening to an array
of eclectic sounds.My sound came up
from listening to House music and James Brown. As far as Hip-Hop production it
was DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, and Diggin' In the Crates.
BeatDynasty.com:
I see where you guys also are also accomplished mixers.How does that help your production?
Chip:It definitely enables to see things that we
wouldn't have seen. It's funny because it can inhibit you as well because you
get so picky and you can listen to so many different things that you're losing
site of the actual producing.For me
personally, I have to separate the two.When I produce, I don't mix and when I mix, I don't produce.That's because my mind has to switch modes
literally.
Brandan:
I feel the same way. It's two sides of the brain. When I'm making a beat, or
chopping up a sample during the whole creative process, I want to know that it
sounds good, but not worry so much about the mixing or engineering. Usually
what we do is make the music and the beats, and come back in a week later and
figure what we need to do to mix it.
BeatDynasty.com:
What projects do you guys have coming up?
Brandan:
We are working with Scotty Boy who's signed to Maybach Music which is Rick
Ross' label.We did a track called
"Guess You Forgot" for David Correy's album.We also have a new music video coming out
with Grammy Nominated artist Omniscient.We've also been engineering for Platinum producer Tony Galvin.We're concocting a song called "My Brother"
with Grammy Nominated singer Itagui.
BeatDynasty.com:
We always ask for what advice you can give someone else?
Brandan:Work hard and work at your craft.Make sure you're making hot, fire,
beats.Wake up every day and do
something to forward your career.It
sucks that sometimes you can't be with family, but when you're sleeping,
someone else is making beats.
Chip:You got to really be on your grind. Also me
and St. know about being away from family because we came all the way from
Miami because this is where the business is popping off.To get that leg up, you have to master your
craft and go hard every single day.
St.
LaRok:For anybody that's aspiring, make
sure that one hundred percent, this is what you want.It takes a lot of sacrifice and heart
aches.It takes a lot of ups and downs
and disappointments.The more work you
put into it, the more you're dreams comes to fruition.The pay off is nice, but be ready when things
don't go your way.
BeatDynasty.com:Do you have any last Words for the community?
St.
LaRok:Shout out to
BeatDynasty.com.Thank you for the
opportunity.
Brandan:Check us out at MiamiBeatWave.com and also
the Myspace.com/Miamibeatwave as well as the Twitter.
