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The phrase “young and gifted” is an understatement when referring to Shawty Redd, platinum producer out of ATL Shawty! At the age of 17 this self made producer was nominated for the highest honor a musician can be recognized for, a Grammy. While some people take years to accomplish this goal he was able to gain his credits before most people graduate from high school. Working with major artist like Young Jeezy and Snoop Dogg he has been able to establish a reputation as a hit maker and a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Instead of letting these honors get to head has decided to reach out to other up-in-coming artist and producers to assist them with breaking into the tough and sometimes grimy industry. Showing that being selfless and having knowledge of the business side of the industry is the true way to obtain success

Start off by reintroducing yourself to the reader’s and by giving them a quick rundown of your background.

Cool, cool, this ya boy the platinum producer whose Grammy nominated Shawty Redd checking in from the studio in ATL getting it in, ya dig? As of right now they got me working for everybody and they got me working hard. While we’re doing this interview I’m in the process of putting something together for R. Kelly and I’m also working on projects for The Game, Young Jeezy, Grand Hustle, Snoop, Yo Gotti, Hurricane Chris, Gucci Man who paid for this while he was in jail. At the end of the day I’m just about working for everybody right now.

Tell the reader’s about your style and how they can tell your production apart from other producers.

Basically everybody knows me for a lot of the Jeezy records I’ve done and its funny cause a lot of the major labels and executives who make the decisions didn’t know I could produce hits until the hit I produced for Snoop “Sexual Seduction”. From that one song everybody is coming and looking for me to produce their next project. I’ve been trying to get my sound for production out there for the longest and I don’t have a title for it but I like to call it feel good music because it’ll make you feel good.

I see you putting in overtime in the studio but explain to the reader’s what motivates you to work this hard besides the money and the fame.

I want to show the world I’m from Atlanta and to not stereotype a ni**a. People quick to stereotype a ni**a and put you in a lane or category and for you to stay in that lane. That’s how it’s been for me for the longest since I was fifteen and when I was producing at fifteen I felt like I was the shi* but they put me in a box. At the age of seventeen I produced my first album called, Drummer. The single went platinum and the album went gold. They keep me in a box because I produced a Southern artist but I’m motivated to prove them wrong. Ever since the Snoop record though everybody been riding my di** and I’m trying to show everyone that I’ve been able to do this for the longest but all I needed was a chance. Now I’m at the point where I can do it myself because I’ve gotten my weight up and I’m trying to promote my production company and upcoming producer D. Rich.

Talk about some of the artists you look forward to working with and how do you go about choosing which artists you work with?

To tell you the truth I fu** with everybody and at the end of the day I’m a real ni**a. For those that didn’t wanna fu** with me before have no choice but to fu** with me now. The one thing I try to do is fu** with everybody. If you get a Shawty Redd track I don’t just collect a check and deliver the track. I personally sit there with you in the studio to make sure we get a hit record. I don’t discriminate.

Talk about your production company.

The company “Beat Bangers” cause we banging the beats and its independent company. What I do is get a lot of younger cats under the company to give them a fair shot so no one takes advantage of them like others did to me. With that said I have my team of lawyers and others inside the music business who are familiar with how to handle themselves in this business helping the upcoming producers. As we speak I have this producer D. Rich who produced the “Who That” beat that I met off of Myspace a few years ago and now he’s a platinum producer. Then we have my little brother wrote the hook for “Sexual Seduction” for Snoop so we’re in a good position. I can put artists out just to rap but I’m trying to show them another side to make big money and if they want to pursue being an artist then they’ll have the money and know how to do it.

So the internet is something you’ve already started looking into as far as finding talent. How do you feel about the game changing where everything is through downloads?

To tell you the truth I’m really not an internet dude or a computer ni**a. The only time I really get around the computer is when I’m working in the studio. I really believe shi* happens for a reason and God works in strange ways. As for the downloading music I can’t really say because at the end of the day I get my money, you feel me. I make the beats and that I think really affects the artists so I can’t really say. Everything I ever touched I ate real Good off of. I can’t really speak on that because I’m not an artist.

Talk a bout your relationship with Jeezy.

The crazy shi* about that is me and him been going hard for a minute and when people see us doing things together they shocked. What people don’t understand is that we are like big brother and little brother. I was never really around him like that cause when you got fifty or so other ni**as around you asking for money all the time and around for the wrong reason I don’t want nothing to do with that. I’ve been there before and I’ll let you see for yourself. Eventually Jeezy realized and when people didn’t see us together anymore then they started assuming we were beefing but that was never the case. Me and Jeezy would speak on the phone everyday and we were just out together the other day. We good and the reason why I haven’t been making a lot of tracks for his latest album is because I needed a break. Jeezy’s first album I produced like seven or eight tracks and I was suppose to do more but then the label jumped in it pushing him to get production from others to get different sounds. So with the second album I only produced three tracks and I wanted to show everybody that I can switch up my style every time I do something but on his next album I wasn’t fresh at all. I had just gotten into a car accident where I broke my leg and I was doing more commercial tracks like “Sexual Seduction” and I was played out on the other type of records. My little producer D. Rich who I met from Myspace produced the “Who That” record and Jeezy liked the beat and from there my producer was in the game. At the end of the day me and Jeezy are good.

Talk about the first album Jeezy dropped “Thug Motivation” which was a classic in my opinion, talk about the chemistry between you two in the studio while working on the records for that album.

Our chemistry is so crazy and people don’t know but me and this ni**a were doing albums before that. Me and this ni**a were hanging in the streets for the longest just chilling. I had a deal with MC8 while he was looking for a deal. I had a studio at the time so I’d let him record while I went to the strip club. Our chemistry was crazy because we’d sit at the boards and as I pressed the keys he would tell me it was cool. From there I added the drum beat cause you know we’re always gonna keep the Shawty Redd and Young Jeezy drum pattern and whatever I played he would tell me he liked it. There would be a couple times where he liked it but I didn’t like it and he would just be like cool so we good. The last couple albums we ain’t even been in the studio together. “Who That” was the first time me and him got in the studio together since the first album. That’s why the chemistry was like that and when we shot the video we were just having fun kicking it.

Talk about some of the equipment you’re working with now compared to when you first started out.

I pretty much keep the same equipment and don’t really switch it up too much. I couldn’t even tell you what this shi* is except I know its pro tools, you feel me? That’s why I have my own engineer who can go into any studio and work that shi* so me I just write the record or make the beat or something and do what I do.

Any advice for upcoming producers?

Real talk, just learn the business first cause there’s a lot of crooks out here and I try to mention that in every interview I do. You can’t just jump into this game thinking you’re going to be Shawty Redd, Dre or Timberland. We’ve all been fu**ed before and personally speaking I’ve only been fu**ed once before and I can tell you getting fu**ed ain’t good, you feel me?  For the younger cats it’s cool to be an upcoming producer but as you’re perfecting your craft it’s in you’re best interest to perfect the business side as well. A lot of cats don’t understand that because a lot of cats think they can make a beat and just sell it to Jeezy but it’s not like that all the time. Just get some good people in you’re corner so you can’t get fu**ed.