Producer Lifted chats with “On the Come Up” about his merciless sound.
Where are you originally from?
Lifted: Phoenix, AZ.
What was your first introduction to the music industry?
L: Being involved in the music scene at a young age, and going to shows. Music was always playing in my house. My cousin was in a band that toured nationally, and by being around backstage and during sound checks, I was seeing things first hand. Then I got into DJing and it accelled from there.
What was your inspiration for “Mercy” by Kanye West?
L: I started off with the track, and once that was complete I wanted to hear a vocal over it. I started going through sessions that I had on my drive - I'm an engineer also - and sampled the “lamborghini mercy” vocal from an artist that I work with named YB. I chopped up one of his verses, pitched it down, and built the chorus.
How did you get the opportunity to work with Kanye West? How was your experience working with him?
L: My manager Che played my music for some people at G.O.O.D and they liked a couple beats, “Mercy” being one of them. Kanye still had to hear them, and once he did, I went to LA and met ‘Ye. It was a wild experience working with him. The first time I played beats for him, it was in a room with Kanye and some of [my] favorite artists. I got a good response. That led to going to London and New York to work on music. It was rad.
What are you currently working on?
L: I'm currently working on a bunch of G.O.O.D music projects, and my artist Hannibal Leq.
Who is your musical mentor and why?
L: I try to learn and soak up game from everyone that I'm around. I learned a lot from the homie, Soulman, Roc and Che. I'm still learning new things daily while working with everyone at G.O.O.D Music.
What advice do you have for up-and-coming producers?
L: Build relationships, be cool, work hard everyday and never give up!
For more information on Lifted, follow him on Twitter at @Lifted_NewFOs.
Gospel artist Amber Bullock talks to “On the Come Up” about donning her “Sunday best.”
You are known as the Season Four winner of BET’s Sunday Best television series. What motivated you to audition for the series? What was the most important lesson that you learned from your experience on the show?
Amber: I am not a big fan of competition shows actually, and I had to revamp my thinking about the competition. I thought of it as a platform as opposed to a competition. The great thing that I did learn from it was that it was a platform. A lot of times in the music industry, we are competing and don’t realize a lot of the opportunities that are right there just by being yourself. If I wouldn’t have won the show, I would not have been worried because I knew that somebody was going to see something about me that they liked. So, I just kind of held on to that and the rest is history.
You recently released your sophomore project, So In Love. What can fans expect to hear on the new LP?
A: You can expect some wonderful production by PJ Morton. You can also expect some wonderful production from the Grammy Award-winning producer Sean Martin. You can expect some features from Kirk Franklin and Isaac Carree. You can expect just feel good music. You’ll be able to put the CD in and leave it in - no skipping necessary, you can just go from beginning to end. I like to think of it as a perfect date. You can expect all live instrumentation, live strings and live horns. You can expect some out-of-the-box Gospel.
I listened to the album and one of the songs that really stood out was “Take It Back.” What was the creative process behind the song?
A: One day, PJ called me and said, “Yo, do you like that song by Rihanna, ‘We Found Love?’” I said, “PJ, that’s my jam!” So, we decided to do “Take It Back” based off of that and it worked. The thing I love the most about that song is that it’s a pop song, but the message is still there. I’m just proud of the whole thing.
Where are you originally from?
A: St. Louis, MI.
Who is your musical mentor and why?
A: I don’t know if I have a mentor. I just have a lot of people that I admire. I haven’t necessarily adapted a mentor as of yet. There are so many people that I look up to, for instance, Brandy, Kim Burrell and of course, PJ Morton. Kirk Franklin doesn’t sing, but I will definitely give him the mentor title as an artist. He’s been teaching me the ropes and teaching me about what the business is. He is number one. He’s always looking out for somebody, especially me. I have been blessed in that way.
What inspires you to create music?
A: It kind of just comes to me. I kind of let the music speak to me. If there’s a track first, then I just let it happen. I’m inspired by the natural. I don’t go looking for inspiration.
What advice do you have for up-and-coming Gospel artists?
A: You need to make sure that this is something that God told you to do. I say that in every interview because it’s very important. Always be personable. So many opportunities have been awarded to me because I was nice to someone. It doesn’t hurt to be nice. It feels better to be nice.
For more information on Amber Bullock, follow her on Twitter at @singamber.
Songwriter Xplicit shows “On the Come Up” why his musical style is unequivocal.
Where are you originally from?
Xplicit: I am Cuban-American, born and raised in Miami, FL.
What was your first introduction to the music industry?
X: It was back in 2009 when I placed my first record as a songwriter. The record was titled Diddy Bop, and it was Diddy featuring Young Joc.
What was your inspiration for “Burn” by Big Sean and Meek Mill?
X: Just hearing them rap was all the inspiration I needed. Sean and Meek are two of the hottest dudes out right now, so it was only right to let that [expletive] burn!
How did you get the opportunity to work with Big Sean and Meek Mill? How was your experience working with them?
X: I've been working with Big Sean for a while now. He's family. Big Sean and I worked on the song “My House” together on his debut album, Finally Famous. We linked back up to do some more work on Sean's sophomore album and that's how I met Meek. They’re the next legends. I'm just happy to be a part of history.
What are you currently working on?
X: I’m working on music for Big Sean, Meek Mill, Wale, Elijah Blake, Sammy Adams, Ludacris, and Enrique Iglesias to name a few.
Who is your musical mentor and why?
X: Stefan Johnson of The Monsters and The Strangerz, which is a songwriting and production team that I'm also a part of. I wouldn't be writing if it wasn't for Stefan. He has always pushed me to be better, and still does to this day. It's all business, never personal - Stefan taught me that. I probably wouldn't have a career if I hadn't changed to that mind state.
What advice do you have for up-and-coming songwriters?
X: Keep grinding and stay focused. And remember, you create your own universe.
For more information on Xplicit, follow him on Twitter at @iamxplicit.