PLATINUM BOY: AMADEUS

BRONX, NEW YORK | AMADEUS

INTERVIEW: TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK (@REALIFEVMG)

PHOTOGRAPHY: SIDNEY KIRK (@SIDKPHOTOGRAPHY)

TO SAY THAT SUPER PRODUCER AMADEUS HAS HAD A SUCCESSFUL CAREER THUS FAR WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. EMERGING FROM THE BRONX, NEW YORK, HE’S PRODUCED FOR SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN HIP-HOP, R&B AND POP, INCLUDING CHRIS BROWN, THE GAME, JIM JONES, TREY SONGZ, KEISHA COLE, JUSTIN BIEBER, J LO AND 50 CENT. SINCE 2003 AMADEUS HAS CONSISTENTLY CREATED TIMELESS MUSIC ACROSS DIFFERENT GENRES. 2019 FINDS THE MULTITALENTED MUSICIAN FOCUSING ON EXPANDING HIS BRAND AND GIVING BACK. VALIDATED’S REALIFE RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH AMADEUS FOR A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE PRODUCER’S INDUSTRY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PASSION FOR EDUCATING, OTHER VENTURES AND WHAT HE HAS PLANNED NEXT.

VALIDATED: BORN AND RAISED IN THE BRONX, NEW YORK, WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF R&B AND HIP-HOP CULTURE?

AMADEUS: IT’S HARD TO SAY BECAUSE GROWING UP I HAD VERY MUSICAL PARENTS SO EVERY SATURDAY MORNING WE HAD A THING CALLED CLEAN UP DAY AND ON THAT DAY NO ONE WAS ALLOWED TO GO ANYWHERE OR DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE HOUSE WAS CLEANED. DURING THAT CLEAN UP TIME BOTH MY MOM & DAD ROTATED ON PLAYING MUSIC SO ONE WEEK MY DAD HAD CONTROL OF THE RADIO SO HE PLAYED ARTISTS SUCH AS THE BEE GEES, CHIC, STEVIE WONDER, TEDDY PENDERGRASS, ETC AND WHEN MY MOM HAD CONTROL OVER THE RADIO SHE PLAYED ARTISTS SUCH AS HEZEKIAH WALKER AND THE LOVE FELLOWSHIP MASS CHOIR, MICHAEL JACKSON, KURTIS BLOW, MC HAMMER AND MORE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE I WAS SURROUNDED BY NOTHING BUT MUSIC AND ALL TYPES OF MUSIC SO I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH IT! I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIP HOP AND BACK THEN FOR ME IT WAS CASSETTE TAPES AVAILABLE AND I REMEMBER BUYING TAPES OF ARTISTS LIKE GRAND PUBA, DAS EFX, BRAND NUBIAN, FAT JOE, LORDS OF THE UNDERGROUND, MAD LION, PUBLIC ENEMY,   AND KRS-ONE TO NAME A FEW.

VALIDATED: TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROWING UP AND HOW IT INFLUENCED YOU?

AMADEUS: I WAS BORN AND RAISED ON 169TH WASHINGTON AVE, BRONX, NY. WE MOVED A FEW TIMES BUT BASICALLY ON THE SAME BLOCK, SO AT FIRST WE LIVED IN BUILDING 1309, THEN MOVED TO 1451, THEN MOVED TO 1420. LOL I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS BUT WE KEPT MOVING. (SMH) MY NEIGHBORHOOD WAS TOUGH, WASN'T NO AREA FOR SCARED PEOPLE, YA KNOW. MY MOM AND DAD GREW UP OVER THERE SO IT WAS A LITTLE EASIER FOR ME BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY KNEW I WAS BUDDY AND RUTH'S SON. SO I KINDA GOT A PASS BUT LIKE I SAID IT WAS TOUGH. I WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL ALL MY LIFE AND WHERE I WAS FROM THAT WAS FROWNED UPON SO I WOULD GET TEASED A LOT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I HAD TO DRESS UP AND WEAR A UNIFORM ALSO DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WENT TO CHURCH A LOT SO THAT DIDN'T HELP AT ALL. LOL MY NEIGHBORHOOD WAS VERY INFLUENTIAL TO ME THOUGH BECAUSE IT WAS FILLED WITH HIP HOP AND I FELT THAT IS WHAT I CONNECTED WITH WHICH I’M SURE PLAYED A PART IN ME BECOMING A RECORD PRODUCER.

VALIDATED: ARE YOU A SELF TAUGHT MUSICIAN OR HAVE YOU HAD EDUCATION/TRAINING?

AMADEUS: ATTENDING CATHOLIC SCHOOL I WAS ABLE TO TAKE DRUM CLASS/LESSONS IN THE 4TH GRADE SO I WAS ABLE TO LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MUSIC DURING THAT YEAR BUT UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO ATTEND ANOTHER SCHOOL AND IN THAT SCHOOL IT WAS A FEE FOR ME TO CONTINUE MY BANDS CLASSES AND WITH MY PARENTS ALREADY SACRIFICING AND SENDING US TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO AFFORD TUITION AND ANY ADDITIONAL FEES FOR BAND CLASS SO I GOT MY TEACHINGS AND MY FLAVOR IN CHURCH. IN CHURCH IT WAS NO RULES, IT WAS PLAY WHAT YOU FEEL AND USE YOUR GIFT AND INSTRUMENT TO GLORIFY GOD SO TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION I WOULD SAY SELF TAUGHT AND CHURCH TAUGHT.

VALIDATED: WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR INFLUENCES MUSICALLY FROM PRODUCERS TO MUSICIANS AND WHY?

AMADEUS: GROWING UP I WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY SEAN “PUFF DADDY" COMBS AND THE BADBOY/HITMEN PRODUCERS, DR.DRE AND THE ENTIRE DEATH ROW MOVEMENT, SWIZZ BEATZ AND THE ENTIRE RUFF RYDERS MOVEMENT, JUST BLAZE AND KANYE WEST AND THE ENTIRE ROCAFELLA MOVEMENT, RODNEY JERKINS, THE NEPTUNES, SCOTT STORCH AND SO MANY MORE BUT THESE FOLKS THAT I'VE MENTIONED REALLY PLAYED A KEY PART IN MY CAREER AS A MUSICIAN/PRODUCER.

VALIDATED: AS A MULTI-PLATINUM BAD BOY/HITMEN PRODUCER UNDER SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS YOU'VE PRODUCED FOR OVER 80 MAJOR ARTISTS SUCH AS J LO, CHRIS BROWN, JUSTIN BIEBER, FRENCH MONTANA, FABOLOUS, LIL WAYNE, CEE-LO GREEN, 50 CENT AND MANY MORE. ARE THERE ANY ARTISTS YOU HAVEN'T WORKED WITH YET BUT WOULD LIKE TO?

AMADEUS: OH YEAH SO MANY MORE ARTISTS I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH SUCH AS BEYONCE, USHER, KIRK FRANKLIN, MARY MARY, RICK ROSS, MEEK MILL, JAY-Z, ARIANA GRANDE, NICKI MINAJ, THE MIGOS, SNOOP DOGG, LUDACRIS, CARDI B, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, 2 CHAINZ, TY DOLLA $IGN TO NAME A FEW CAUSE I CAN GO ON AND ON!

VALIDATED: IN 2000 YOU LAUNCHED PLATINUM BOY MUSIC, YOUR OWN PRODUCTION AND RECORDING IMPRINT, WHAT LED YOU TO DO SO?

AMADEUS: IT STARTED WITH JUST MYSELF AS A RECORD PRODUCER/MUSICIAN. I WAS TO EXPAND AND TO BUILD A STRONG TEAM BUT LIKE THE COMPANIES AND BRANDS THAT I WAS INFLUENCED BY WORKING ALONGSIDE ARTISTS, PRODUCERS, MUSICIANS AND SONGWRITERS. IT’S NOT EASY BREAKING INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, IT'S A LOT OF POLITICS INVOLVED SO I WANTED TO BE THAT PERSON TO OPEN THE DOORS AND HELP AS MANY PEOPLE ACHIEVE THEIR MUSICAL DREAMS AS POSSIBLE!

VALIDATED: WHAT IS THE GOAL FOR THE BRAND?

AMADEUS: I JUST WANNA CONTINUE TO CREATE AMAZING MUSIC, CONTINUE TO SHARE MY GOD GIVEN GIFTS AND TALENTS WITH THE ENTIRE WORLD AND ALONG THE WAY HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS I POSSIBLY CAN LIVE THEIR DREAMS!

VALIDATED: YOU'RE THE MUSIC DIRECTOR AND TOUR DRUMMER FOR MULTI-PLATINUM ATLANTIC RECORDS RECORDING ARTIST TREY SONGZ. HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY COME ABOUT AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU HELD THE POSITION?

AMADEUS: I'VE BEEN IN POSITION AS MUSIC DIRECTOR AND TOUR DRUMMER FOR TREY SONGZ GOING ON 12 YEARS AND WOW IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING JOURNEY THAT’S FAR FROM DONE! I WAS IN THE STUDIO WITH ARTIST MIKE JONES WORKING ON A RECORD WITH HIM AND TREY AND AT THE STUDIO IN HOUSTON THERE WAS AN ACOUSTIC DRUM SET KINDA TUCKED AWAY IN THE CORNER. I TOLD BOTH MIKE AND TREY THAT I WAS A MUSICIAN, I WAS A DRUMMER AND THEY BOTH LAUGHED AT ME THINKING I WAS PLAYING AROUND. I REMEMBER REALLY TRYING TO CONVINCE THEM. SO I JUST STOPPED TRYING TO CONVINCE THEM SO WE COULD GET BACK TO RECORDING AND FINISHING THE RECORD BUT BEFORE I DID THAT I SAID TO TREY "THE MUSIC YOU ARE MAKING IS REALLY SOULFUL AND WITH THAT TYPE OF MUSIC YOU WILL EVENTUALLY NEED A LIVE BAND TO BACK YOU AND WHEN YOU DO CALL ME AND I'LL PUT THE BAND TOGETHER FOR YOU!” THAT WAS THAT... WE FINISHED THE RECORD AND ALL TRAVELED BACK TO WHERE WE RESIDED AND ABOUT A YEAR LATER I GOT A CALL FROM TREY'S MANAGEMENT AT THE TIME ASKING "YOU READY TO PUT THE BAND TOGETHER?” AND I SAID "NO!”, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE IN PUTTING BANDS TOGETHER. I WAS A DRUMMER AND JUST WANTED TO HIT THE ROAD WITH HIM. LONG STORY SHORT I TOOK THE GIG AND THAT WAS 12 YEARS AGO AND SINCE THEN WE'VE TRAVELED ALMOST THE ENTIRE WORLD AND FAR FROM DONE!

VALIDATED: YOU CREATED A MUSIC 101 COLLEGE TOUR, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?

AMADEUS: I HAVE A PASSION FOR EDUCATING, EMPOWERING, INSPIRING AND TRANSFORMING ANYONE THAT I’M BLESSED TO COME IN CONTACT WITH. SO IN REGARDS TO CREATING THE MUSIC 101 COLLEGE TOUR I JUST WANTED TO TEACH PEOPLE THE MUSIC BUSINESS, SHOW THEM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS LIKE JOBS AND TITLES THEY COULD HAVE AND BE INVOLVED IN BESIDES BEING AN ARTIST, PRODUCER AND SONGWRITER! WHEN I WAS COMING UP NO ONE TAUGHT ME THE BUSINESS, NO ONE TAUGHT ME THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF THE BUSINESS. I HAD TO LEARN, EXPERIENCE AND FIGURE IT OUT ON MY OWN. I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT BUT I HAVE NO REGRETS BECAUSE EVERYTHING I'VE BEEN THROUGH I NEEDED TO GO THROUGH TO ONE LEARN AND TWO BE ABLE TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE NOT GO THROUGH WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!

VALIDATED: YOU'VE ALSO CONDUCTED PANELS INVOLVING MAJOR CORPORATIONS TO MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE OTHERS TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR DREAMS. WHAT DRIVES YOUR PASSION TO GIVE BACK?

AMADEUS: NO LONG AND DRAWN OUT ANSWER. I JUST BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT THIS IS MY CALLING TO HELP, HELP AND HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN!

VALIDATED: YOUR RESIDENCY IN LAS VEGAS AS THE IN-HOUSE DRUMMER AT THE #1 HIP-HOP CLUB IN LAS VEGAS, DRAIS NIGHTCLUB, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?

AMADEUS: IT’S TRULY A BLESSING AND HONESTLY HISTORIC FOR ME AS A DRUMMER/MUSICIAN. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT RESIDENCIES MOSTLY ARTISTS AND DJ'S HAVE RESIDENCES WHICH MAKES IT SUPER COOL TO BE ABLE TO SAY I’M THE RESIDENT DRUMMER AT THE #1 HIP HOP CLUB IN LAS VEGAS. I PLAY ALONGSIDE THE RESIDENT DJ, DJ FRANZEN ON FRIDAY’S, SATURDAY’S AND SUNDAY’S PRETTY MUCH EVERY WEEKEND AND IF I’M NOT THERE IS PRETTY MUCH BECAUSE I’M ON THE ROAD WITH TREY SONGZ. SO IF YOU’RE IN VEGAS FOR THE WEEKEND YOU MUST COME TO DRAIS NIGHT CLUB. ARTISTS SUCH AS FRENCH MONTANA, BIG SEAN, THE MIGOS, FABOLOUS, GUCCI MANE, MEEK MILL, 2CHAINZ, RAE SREMMURD AND MORE HAVE RESIDENCES THERE!

VALIDATED: YOU'RE AN ACCOMPLISHED PRODUCER AND MUSICIAN WITH COUNTLESS HITS OVER THE YEARS CONTRIBUTING TO AN AMAZING DISCOGRAPHY. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT ARE A COUPLE OF YOUR BIGGEST HITS?

AMADEUS: I PRODUCED THE 2016-2019 ESPN FIRST TAKE THEME SONG, YOUNG MA’S "PETTY WAP", "PRAKTICE" AND “CAR CONFESSIONS", I PRODUCED 9 SONGS ON CHRIS BROWN'S  “HEARTBREAK ON A FULL MOON” ALBUM, FABOLOUS’S "I’M RAW", "TEAM LITTY" AND “TRAP ROYALTY", CAM’RON’S “TAKE EM TO CHURCH", DAVE EAST FEATURING CHRIS BROWN "PERFECT", PAPOOSE FEATURING REMY MA "BLACK LOVE", JENNIFER LOPEZ FEATURING FRENCH MONTANA "SAME GIRL" AND “TENS"... JUST A FEW RECORDS I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO PRODUCE!

VALIDATED: WHAT'S NEXT FOR AMADEUS?

AMADEUS: WHATEVER GOD HAS IN STORE FOR ME!

VALIDATED: WHAT'S YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS?

AMADEUS: INSTAGRAM: @AMADEUSPBM

TWITTER: @PRODUCERAMADEUS

FACEBOOK: ANTWANAMADEUSTHOMPSON