Published: Saturday - April 9, 2005
Words by Bill "Low-Key" Heinzelman
Disco D (Photo: Tatiana Arocha)
You may not be familiar with the name, but you are certain to have heard his work. If you are one of the million plus individuals that purchased 50 Cent's The Massacre, then you must have heard the standout track "Ski Mask Way" -- Disco D produced it.
D is not a rookie in the production game. He released his first album at the age of 17, and is one of the originators of Ghettotech. In addition, Disco D produced five tracks on the Nina Sky album, and is currently in the studio with Sara Stokes of "Making The Band" fame. He may not be your conventional producer, but Disco D is proof that hip-hop knows no such boundaries.
BallerStatus.com: Let's start in the beginning. How did you first get into producing?
Disco D: Well, I first got into playing music as a kid. I played the piano from ages 5 to 9, and the sax heavily from ages 10-16. I really wanted to be a music major, but my parents were like "We aren't taking out loans for your schooling for you to go to music school," which kind of dashed my sax dreams. A few months after that, they split and one of my best friends Aaron Deakins, who was like a big brother figure to me at the time, started taking me to rave parties in Detroit. The first one was at the old Packard Motors plant with like asbestos falling off the walls. At that show, I watched Gary Chandler (Detroit radio mix show legend) and DJ Godfather (Now one of the world's biggest Ghettotech DJs and also a popular mix show DJ in Detroit). At the time, I didn't know anything about DJing, but I knew I wanted to try it. So I begged my dad and he got me the cheapest belt drive BD10 set for Hanukkah. I then started DJing, and within a year I was DJing some bigger spots in Detroit and had a Wednesday night residency where I opened for some big national and international acts. They were impressed with what I was doing, but really I was looking at them like "why are they bigger than me?" And realized it wasn't the skills, but really the hype. Then looking at the types of press these people were getting, I realized that most of the write ups of big dance music DJs were based on production, not actual DJing -- well about 80% of the time anyway. Then I made it a goal to start releasing music, bought an MPC 2000 with money I had saved up, and had my first 12" EP out before I graduated high school.
BallerStatus.com: What was the first beat you ever sold?
Disco D: The summer after my first EP, I got offered a multi-vinyl EP deal with Bad Boy Bill's company Mixconnection Multimedia. I guess that qualifies. I didn't actually produce for someone else officially until the Nina Sky album, because before then all I really put out were Disco D records.
BallerStatus.com: How did you start to make a name for yourself and eventually get your foot in the industry door?
Disco D: With all the underground Ghettotech records I was putting out, and with the amount of attention I was getting as a DJ, I was able to make contact with a broad set of people. Then, after college in 2002, I moved to New York and started putting those to work. One of the biggest hooks was definitely Max Glazer; he put me in with a lot of people I needed to know. Thanks Max!
BallerStatus.com: I read that you are one of the originators of Ghettotech. What is that?
Disco D: It's a name we gave to this weird mutated style of DJing, and music that came out of Detroit strip clubs, clubs, mix shows, and rave culture. Basically think Kraftwerk, George Clinton and Luke in a blender at 155 BPM with DMC-style battle skills.
BallerStatus.com:URB and Mixer hailed you as a prodigy, since you started out younger than most. What do you attribute to your success early on, or being able to grasp production at an early age?
Disco D: A wide set of learning experiences, both technology and music wise, and also business wise.
BallerStatus.com: How would you describe your production sound?
Disco D: I just try to write with the most pure emotion I can find in myself at the time. I don't really have a sound. It sounds good, I guess!
BallerStatus.com: What equipment do you mostly use?
Disco D: I'm very Pro-Tools centric, as I have to have an HD system when I work. Sometimes I use an MPC with it, and sometimes not. Sometimes I use keyboards and sometimes I don't, it depends on what comes out. I like to have a wide palette of paints, but I usually choose one or two main colors every time, whether it's a sample or keyboard or whatever. Also I mix everything myself, that's half of your track right there. 50 Cent was the only exception to that as my organization didn't have a close relationship with G-Unit like we do now.
BallerStatus.com: You have worked with a variety of artists in all types of genres, from hip-hop to R&B. What do you attribute to that, since most producers these days usually stick with one sound?
Disco D: I just write with emotion, and emotion is universal. Genre-fying stuff is a bad idea. It's like running with blinders on.
BallerStatus.com: You have gotten a lot of attention for your work on 50 Cent's new album, with "Ski Mask Way." How did you hook up with 50?
Disco D: My publicist knew Sha Money XL (50's manager and producer), and all the G-Unit cats before they blew up.
BallerStatus.com: While opinions on 50's album have been mixed, almost everyone agrees, the best track on the album is "Ski Mask Way." When you heard the final product, were you like, "Damn, this sounds like the 50 of old, in his prime?"
Disco D: You know, I wrote that beat a day when my girl (now fiancée) didn't speak to me because we had a disagreement, which was caused by language and distance (she is Brazilian). Now my Portuguese is much better, and we don't separate at all, so no more fights. When I heard it I loved it, but it was so crazy to hear a song about robbing over a beat about my girl, so I was more trying to get my head around that then compare it to other stuff!
BallerStatus.com: I see you are also working with Sara Stokes of "Making The Band." Tell us about that project.
Disco D: I met Sara in January. She had done some work with some other producers that they weren't happy with. We had a five day session, which netted three tracks, and a four day session three weeks later that netted another three. By that time, my manager and I already had got labels to come to the table. Now I'm co-exec producing the project. I'm probably going to do another one or two tracks, Rockwilder (a longtime friend of her manager and a new friend of mine) is going to put in a few, and she has some other producers we hooked up as well.
BallerStatus.com: You have also branched out by working with companies such as Sprite, Nike, X-Box, Best Buy and Comedy Central. Tell us what your work with those companies involves and how someone goes about landing work in that area?
Disco D: I work with a music house Expansion Team -- Eexpansionteam.org. When I first moved to NY, I was also their marketing manager for a year and a half. I get offered a wide range of stuff, such as themes for shows like VH1 Hip-Hop Honors and Nick's Kids Choice awards, commercials, and stuff like that. Usually I write to their notes, and then there's usually some feedback and changes. Then when there is a picture, I edit the track and sometimes re-write a little around the picture in Pro Tools. As for getting into it, there's a lot of barriers to entry in that area, it's best to try to hook up with a music house that has some relationships. You should also research independent music supervisors and get in with them; it's a lot easier than trying to go direct to the companies.
BallerStatus.com: Currently, who are some of your favorite producers?
Disco D: Kanye [West], Needlz, Timbaland, Neptunes, Scott Storch, and Lil Jon, who is a f---ing genius.
BallerStatus.com: What producers would you say influenced you the most?
Disco D: Historically, I would have to say DJ Premier and Rockwilder. I have fond memories of "The Rockwilder" on the Red and Meth album on repeat during college until my roommate was ready to kill me.
BallerStatus.com: Who else have you recently sold beat to or have worked with?
Disco D: I have about 1/3 of my beat reel on hold, but I don't like to speak on projects early. I'm also going out to L.A. in two weeks to work with a very big artist, debatably bigger than 50 (non hip-hop), but I am under strict orders not to speak on it for paparazzi reasons. Sounds crazy doesn't it?
BallerStatus.com: What else do you have going on in the future?
Disco D: I got another twp new artists I've been working with, Kato from Atlanta, and Bee out of Detroit, that are both about to get deals. I'm doing another Sprite commercial right now. I got a self-filmed documentary series called "Disco DVD." First episode hits my upcoming web store in the next 2 weeks. I'm starting an all-digital label called Disco Digital that will be distributed thru I-Tunes and beatport.com. We are in contract stages with all of that, but should be live within 3 months.
BallerStatus.com: Any last words, shout outs or plugs?
Disco D: Shout out to my family, both blood and non-blood because we are all from the same source and of course God! If anyone wants any production or music business advice hit up my forums at forums.discod.com. I answer sh-- there daily.
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