UNCANNY SOUND: SPAZOUTBEATZ

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | SPAZOUTBEATZ

INTERVIEW REALIFE PHOTOGRAPH ALIVIA CARTER

“I THINK EVERY PRODUCER AT LEAST FREESTYLES, I THINK IT’S SAFE TO SAY WE SPIT ON OUR OWN BEATS BEFORE WE RELEASE THEM. LOL” - SPAZOUTBEATZ

VALIDATED: BEING FROM BED-STUY BROOKLYN, WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP HOP CULTURE? 

SPAZOUTBEATZ: MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF THE HIP HOP CULTURE WAS BUSTER RHYMES AND TRIBE CALLED QUEST SHOOTING A VIDEO FOR "OH MY GOSH" AT THE CORNER STORE BY MY CRIB. R.I.P PHIFE DAWG. WATCHING THOSE LEGENDS DO THEIR THING WAS SO MOTIVATIONAL.

VALIDATED: WITH THE LONG LIST OF LEGENDARY  HIP HOP ARTIST FROM BED-STUY, BROOKLYN, HOW MOTIVATING IS THAT TO YOU TO SUCCEED?

SPAZOUTBEATZ: I FEEL AS IF I HAVE A HIGH STANDARD TO LIVE UP TO. I MEAN BIG, HOV, FAB... THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. EVEN THE NEW GENERATION MAKING NOISE... DESIGNER, 2 MILLY, THE STUY BEEN ON FIRE IN RECENT YEARS. I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP THE TRADITION GOING.

VALIDATED: YOU RAPPED FOR OVER A DECADE, HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START AS AN ARTIST INITIALLY?

SPAZOUTBEATZ: YES, DEFINITELY. I THINK EVERY PRODUCER AT LEAST FREESTYLES, I THINK IT’S SAFE TO SAY WE SPIT ON OUR OWN BEATS BEFORE WE RELEASE THEM. LOL 

VALIDATED: AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE TO TRANSITION FROM ARTIST TO PRODUCER?

SPAZOUTBEATZ: I HATE THAT MONEY IS A MOTIVE BUT I USED TO GET MY BEATS FROM "RSONIST" OF THE HEATMAKERZ AND ONE DAY I WATCHED HIM MAKE A BEAT AND THEN SELL IT TO CAM'RON FOR ABOUT 20 BANDZ. I SAID "SHEESH, I'M ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THIS GAME!" AT THE TIME I WAS MAKING BEATZ ON THE PLAYSTATION, BY THE WAY, MY FIRST BEAT I SOLD WAS FOR $900.00 MADE ON THE PS1. 

VALIDATED: HOW DIFFICULT WAS THAT TRANSITION? 

SPAZOUTBEATZ: HONESTLY, VERY HARD. YOU NEVER REALLY LOSE THE LOVE OR STOP RAPPING, YOU JUST STOP RELEASING THEM. ON THE BUSINESS SIDE, WHEN SELLING BEATS TO AN ARTIST YOU DON'T WANT TO COME OFF AS AN ARTIST WHO SELLS BEATS. YOU WANNA BE THE BEATMAKER WHO PRODUCES RECORDS.

VALIDATED: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SPAZOUTBEATZ SOUND?

SPAZOUTBEATZ: MY SOUND IS UNCANNY... IT'S SORT OF A MIXTURE OF THAT LATE 90'S GOLDEN ERA OF HIP-HOP MIXED WITH THE LATEST SOUNDS AND VIBES OF TODAY. FOR EXAMPLE, I MIGHT SAMPLE SOME SOUL FROM THE 70'S AND PUT SOME UK DRILL DRUMS UNDER IT.  

VALIDATED: YOU’VE PRODUCED FOR RECORD LABELS LIKE THE LEGENDARY RUFF RYDERS, STREET FAMILY AND SONY MUSIC, WHO WAS YOUR FIRST MAJOR PLACEMENT AND HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY COME ABOUT?

SPAZOUTBEATZ: BELIEVE IT OR NOT, MY FIRST PLACEMENT I GOT WITH AN INDUSTRY ARTIST WAS FRED THE GODSON. IT CAME FROM INSTAGRAM BACK IN LIKE 2014, HE PUT UP A POST ASKING FOR BEATS AND I SENT A BATCH TO HIS EMAIL. A FEW MONTHS HAD PASSED AND I ACTUALLY FORGOT ABOUT IT BUT THEN FRED POSTED THE SONG. I REACH OUT LIKE "THIS IS SPAZOUTBEATZ." HE SAID "YOU A FIRE PRODUCER AND I ACTUALLY GOT ANOTHER SAMPLE I WANT YOU TO FLIP.” BY THE WAY, I NOW HAVE MULTIPLE RECORDS WITH FRED THE GODSON.

VALIDATED: YOU’VE WORKED WITH ARTIST LIKE FRED THE GODSON, DRAG-ON AND FORMER BAD BOY ARTIST NESS (FROM “MAKING THE BAND”), ARE THERE ANY OTHER ARTIST ON YOUR RADAR AT THE MOMENT?

SPAZOUTBEATZ: I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH MEEK MILL AND JADAKISS, TWO OF MY FAVORITE ARTIST OUT RIGHT NOW. I FEEL THE ONLY REASON IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET IS BECAUSE I'VE NEVER MET EITHER OF THEM BEFORE. FUNNY THING IS BRILLO (RUFF RYDERS ARTIST) IS JADAKISS'S COUSIN AND ME AND BRILLIO HAVE A FEW RECORDS TOGETHER ON RUFF RYDERS.

VALIDATED: YOUR LATEST PRODUCTION RELEASED BY SONY MUSIC IS A SOULFUL TRACK NAMED "HELP ME” BY SOUND ALIVE RECORDS ARTIST REBEL RODOMEZ, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RECORD?

SPAZOUTBEATZ: WOW, "HELP ME" IS POWERFUL, THE MESSAGE IS SO DEEP. THE NATION SUICIDE PREVENTION FOUNDATION ACTUALLY PICKED THE RECORD UP ON THEIR CAMPAIGN. IT’S MOVING HEAVY, IT’S FLOURISHING ON SONY TOO. AS SOON AS REBEL HEARD THE TRACK HE WAS LIKE "SPAZ" WE GOT ONE.” ME AND RODOMEZ HAVE AT LEAST 5 MORE RECORDS WE ABOUT TO RELEASE ON SONY. 

VALIDATED: WHAT’S NEXT FOR SPAZOUTBEATZ?

SPAZOUTBEATZ: WOW, NEXT FOR ME IS TO CONTINUE MY NEVER ENDING QUEST TO FILL MY WALL WITH PLAQUES AND A GRAMMY TO SHOW MY SON, LIKE “LOOK AT WHAT DAD DID.”  ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU CHASE YOUR DREAMS.

VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS AND WEBSITE?

INSTAGRAM  HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/OFFICIAL_SPAZOUTBEATZ?R=NAMETAG  

FACEBOOK: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SPAZOUTBEATZ

WEBSITE: HTTPS://WWW.BEATSTARS.COM/THE_REAL_SPAZOUTBEATZ/TRACKS