It “Takes Two To Tango”, a common phrase that establishes the relationship between two beings with a common dedication to achieve a goal or to fail in it and within Hip Hop the relationship has always been between Rapper & Producer. While so many of us focus on the face of the track, being the rapper, the real artist has to be the man behind the beats & technical works.
With that said its no hidden secret that SA has some pretty dope producers and today we have a chat with Hit-Maker CapCity producer Reverb360, as he breaks down how it all started for him and the difficulties local unknown artists go through within the industry…let’s get straight to it…
You a producer, R&B singer, song writer, qualified sound engineer & skilled pianist. Take us through your journey, how did this all start out for you?
I started out as just a singer then due to the lack of producers that could produce the sound that I required, I had to learn music production and the best way was to get a sound engineering diploma so I could have proper knowledge of what I’m tryna do. I started making beats with my friend Phiziks then it led to where I am now, though with the piano side of things I’m self-taught, same as music writing. It wasn’t as easy as I make it sound but I was determined to do it, there was no stopping me.
You’ve been labelled as the master key to opening ‘industry doors’ for upcoming artists and when analysing how our corporate industry operates, what difficulties would you say unknown artists go through when trying to make a name for themselves?
I could say I helped out a few artists over the years in my career but one big obstacle unknown artists face is a chance to prove their worth. Most of the beginners lack the quality, but they got the skill and studio time is very expensive so I also help them out as much as I can ’cause most of them are really good and yeah.
You’ve worked with quite a number of well known local artists, as they consider you the “hit making hook man”. What’s your opinion on the quality & growth of our industry? Who’s leading the game in your opinion?
True, I’ve been doing a lot of features but mainly hooks and I feel like we’ve grown as an industry but we only have a few acts to look at and I feel there isn’t enough come-ups ’cause we have a lot of talent. As far as who is in the lead I could say I see AKA doing his thing proper but Captain’Hook ain’t planning on being behind anyone – I’m here to do my ultimate best.
How would you describe your style?
I use a lot of mellow instruments and still make catchy melodies and try to keep my drums as far from anything I’ve ever heard as possible. I don’t like having too many loud instruments that would end up crowding the artist’s vocals. I want them to be heard but still have a dope beat. I also worked on a lot of Dynamic1852 Beatz, I like that sound.
What software are you currently working with?
I’m a Reason 5 and record user
Now getting straight to the cliché question, comparing the levels of hip hop between Cap City & J-Sec, what would you say sets the two apart? Has there has always been a competitive aspect involved?
[Laughs] This has been an interesting topic for a while and I still don’t see the comparison ’cause I’ve worked with both J-Sec and Cap City artists. The only thing I see is the fact that J-Sec cats get airplay, so they get to be heard first whilst a few Cap City records make it to the charts and playlists. But ain’t no comparison really, music changes a lot, what’s hot now can be not so hot later…
Which local and international artists would you love to work with along your career?
Locally I’d like to work with our female rappers like Nadia Nakai and Gigi LaMayne and others that are interested. The fellas must just email me, let’s work I’ve been doing hooks for y’all… Internationally I’d really love to get into studio with Chris Brown, Nas, Kid Ink and Bruno Mars.
If you had the choice to collaborate with any other producer in the world right now, who would it be?
This girl I’d like to marry [laughs]. @CeceGOnline, she’s very talented and pretty and @Killwillmusic, though I already have some work with him via email. Timbaland obviously and my all time favourite Pharell Williams.
With more producers coming up so frequently these days, some being surprisingly young,do you think the market is overcrowded or do you like the growth?
It’s a good thing actually ’cause the music becomes better since the beat makers have to improve their skill everyday to stay unique that’s the reason why I don’t appreciate copycats. Originality is key.
Describe a day in Reverb’s shoes…
That would be an amazing day of non-stop work and beautiful music creation, a combination of business and pleasure if I may say.
One word that best describes Reverb360?
Innovative.
Written by: Rudzani “@Roo_AT” Netshiheni