Posts
1.How's it going?
It is going good…..God is great, Music is good, life is good..
2.Damon Lacey is your name but tell fans your production company name?
My production name is Don Arti iste. it means
DON- archaic; An important personage.
ARTISTE ar•tiste - A person who is highly skilled in some occupation, A person with artistic pretensions.
My track tag is "6 Figgaz" I use that because whenever you heard the word 6 Figures you think of someone who is not the average person who doesn't have the average job and who doesn't make average money typically when someone said " six Figures" they're thinking man that person is a high achiever so I look at my self in every aspect of all those things I just put my twist on it and it became " 6 Figgaz"
3.How long have you been producing?
I have been playing around with beats since I was 17.. I started using fruity loops but I decided to quit I didn't take it serious..
4.What inspired you to become a producer?
Well my older brother Eric was my inspiration, he had his home studio when i was like 12 and that was when I had my first experience when Juvenile 400 degrees had just come out and I remember my brother had this yamaha keyboard in the studio and I was just finding the keys to some of the songs off the 400 degrees album and just playing along with it… I am a drummer also I have been playing drums for about 15 to 16 years so the music interest was already there. I seriously got into producing in 2004 my friends had a studio and I learned a lot from them on cubase. But what made it serious for me was when my brother got locked up he gave me a Triton Studio Workstation and I learned how to make my first track and from there I learned to how to build beats, I practiced and made beats for 6 to 8 hours a day for about 8 months to a year.. I taught myself how to play the piano now I am more gifted with piano. And as time went on I learned about bars and breaking beats down for verses and hooks, that is important in being a music producer.
5.Whose your favorite producer?
Awww man I have so many different producers I take inspiration from… But I have to say I have a variety of producers who have made an impact on music from the past and the present from. Rick Ruben, Quincy Jones,Dr.Dre J Dilla, Just Blaze, Kanye, Justice League, Dangerous LLC, Drumma Boy ,Kane Beatz, The Runners man I could go on but I really enjoy music and the gifted people who have made it into a lifestyle and who have crafted their careers and have taken their music to levels of imagination.. I love listening to producers who understand the importance of records and who can create something out of something small. Like Ryan Leslie and Timberland for example they take a lot of sounds that the naked ear takes for granted and they magnify them into their music. What I mean is that Im sure you know someone who saves loose change? Well Ryan Leslie will take a cup full of loose change and make it the main percussion line in a record, or Timbo will take a floor Tom and make that his kick drum or a empty water bottle… To me making sounds is what shows who takes time to make a hit..But I like any producer who takes his craft seriously….
6.Whats the difference between a beatmaker & producer in your eyes?
Ummm that is a very important and a very great question. it is a very big difference….I started off as a beat maker and I am sure a lot of my fellow producers did as well… I was taught it was about having a Macbook and Pro Tools but I now there are some talented producers who are delivering hit records but using Fruity Loops and Garage Band. And I say all of that to say once I believed that it was the hardware or the equipment that showed the difference but really it is the creative side of a the person… the producers of back in the days used what they had to make hit records and if they didn't have the fly nice equipment they used the run down stuff and made hits with it.. and we got away from it for a min like i said It was thought if you used Pro Tools you were taken serious but I tell you this almost every hit single has been made of Fruity Loops by some of todays platinum producers. If you a person who is just taking 15 minutes and having a hard 808 and a decent snare and a few sounds and you do that constantly I name that person a beatmaker someone who just makes beats…. But a producer will take time on his craft he or she understands the importance of music and will do whatever it takes to push each and every sound to its maximum potential.. Bringing out every aspect of the music that is produced..
7.Who are some of the artist you've worked with and have been working with?
I am currently working with Real, JC,Kryst Lyke, Big T & Kastro. I have worked with Artists EJ, Bam, J Nyce, Big Prophet, Dem Deacon Boys, Just Me There is some possible music coming from a couple of heavy named artists in the future from some heavy hitters one is from Maybach Music camp and the other from DTP like I said those are things being worked on as we speak nothing concrete just possiblities…
8.Who are some artist you'd like to work with?
I want to continuing working with Free Will and the others who have helped me grow who I still currently work with. One day hopefully Nikki Minaj,TI,Jeezy,2 Chainz, Birmingham J, 6 Tre G, Rich Boy, Yelawolf,Yo Gotti, Lil Wayne,Rick Ross and the whole Maybach Music camp, Meek Mill, Kanye, of course Drizzy Drake.. J Cole, Big Sean there are quite a few more but I will just stick with the short list for now..
9.How would you describe your production style?
I would say that I am a construction worker of production.. I build a lot of beats from either simple melodies or a hard drum pattern which is my foundation sometimes I take natural sounds as well I use a lot of live snares on some of my R&B records and then just working from there it can take 2 hours even on up 4 to 6 hours I am a perfectionist I care about the product I put out… If the sound isn't what I want to start all over!!!
10.So you will be on the panel at Sunday Night Cafe Nov. 6th @ The M-Lounge...Tell us how that came about?
Well I know K.Bibbs over at Freewill Records him and I have had a close relationship for some time now and Big Tony as well.. Really I didn't expect to be on the panel Big Tony brought the opportunity to me and I was right on point with him…I am really excited because this is my first time being on a panel I am really grateful for the opportunity to network and be apart of a great event.
11.Whats next for you going into 2012?
Ummmmm.... man there are so many great things happening right now I have a lot of new contacts who either represent the artist or who are the artist I would like to work with…. I am looking forward to working with some vey hot artists and putting out some great records and being apart of music history!!!! 2012 I believe is going to be my breakout year and I thing will be a life changing year so I am looking forward to new things and I just want to be in the position God wants me to be in and receiving all he has for me!!
12.How can artist contact you for beats?
I can reached thru email
Don.artiste@gmail.com
Don.artiste@yahoo.com
SoundmyndEnt@yahoo.com
and also on Twitter @Don_Art_iste
13.Any shout outs? Major S/O to GOD for being good and allowing me to be in the position I have been in and I am grateful, S/O to my wife Adrian Denise my main backbone, my sister Meka, my brother Eric coming home soon..my mother Gretta Lacey my father Arthur Lacey my siblings and my whole entire family!!! K.Bibbs, The Whole Freewill Records fam for supporting me… 6 Tre G,Big Tony,Snipe Young,Ensayne Wayne,Kryst Lyke, J Nyce, Tj M, Tony Kinoin,Kastro, my Boys Ground Xero, RIMM, also my fam the Establishment Formally SwatTeam Productions,My right hand man Gabriel Tajue, and also the man that passed the talent along to me RIP LO JR, Alabaster, Tha Ville, Tha Holla , Tre 1, Gangsta , Blaze, !! and SHOUTOUT TO EVERY ARTIST THAT I SENT BEATS TO THAT NEVER USED THEM!!! YOU INSPIRED AND STILL INSPIRE ME FOR GREATNESS!!!! To every hater Im getting 6 figgaz plus interest on my dividends!!!!!
14.Leave readers with some insight or last words of wisdom?
Oh yea mos definitely The Lord is my light whom shall I fear? Just stay hungry and focused and prayerful and never give up your dreams keep reaching for the moon if you fall you will land on a cloud…
Bham Music Blog
Damon Lacey
Edited By:J.Dash @
Bham Music Blog
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