Aleeex!
We got the opportunity to talk to AHLECKS. He's had he chance to work with Tay-K before he got locked up. He's got some knowledge to drop. Check out my personal favorite production of his: "After You" by Tay-K.
Where are you from and what age did you first make a connection to producing music? And how long have you been producing music?
Yo, what's good, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, the first connection I made to music production was as a kid taking guitar lessons. I had always grown up listening to many different music genres as well. It wasn't until I was 17 in high school when I started freestyling and decided to try to make my own beat. I made my first beat on Ableton but then downloaded an FL Studio demo and found it easier for me. I started taking producing seriously once I graduated high school and it's been over almost a year now.
What's your producer tag? How did you create it? What's the importance of having a producer tag?
My old tag was a slowed down version of Boo from Super Mario which you could hear on After You. Afterward, I decided to make my own tag which would actually represent my name and had one of my old girlfriends make a recording for me."Aleeex!" I think it's important to have a tag nowadays to get the recognition but you don't always have to slap it on every beat.
What's your scene? Would you rather be at the crib cooking up beats solo? Or be in the studio collaborating with other producers?
It really just depends on the vibe but i'd rather be cooking beats solo at the crib. It's cool to stack up beats at home but collaborating is just as important because it could spark other ideas. As of now, I still prefer to be cooking up at the crib because I get more creative and it's easier for me to learn. I believe it's always good to make music in different environments though because being too long in one place can make you feel uninspired afterward.
You've got a few songs out with Tay-K, how did you first connect with him?
Well, I first heard of Tay-K digging through SoundCloud in late 2016 when he only had 2 songs out which were "Biff Xannen" and "Sly Cooper". When I first heard Sly Cooper I thought it was raw and he had a whole new sound. When I started making beats in early 2017, I would post them on my SoundCloud, mainly so I could listen to them. Coincidentally a few months later Tay-K hit me up through Instagram telling me he wanted to work. Therefore I started sending out beats specifically just for him.
Can you run us through the process of making the "After You" beat?
I actually made that beat on an old Dell laptop that had been sitting in my house for years. I loaded up FL Studio 11 and used a VST called "ElectraX" and probably made the whole beat in under an hour. I remember going for a dark vibe on the beat and I truly believe Tay-k complimented it well. This beat was one of the ones I had a sent in a beat pack and didn't know he used it until his manager contacted me asking me if it was my beat. After hearing the snippet, I confirmed it was mine and a snippet started flowing around Youtube and hit 500k in less than a month. When the official track released, it hit 1 million in 3 days which gave me a huge feeling of success. Especially knowing that it was my first real placement.
Can you run us through the "Gun Him Down" beat? How did Tay-K end up hopping on it?
This beat is one of the most important to me because Tay-K wouldn't have hit me up if I never posted this beat online. I made the beat in a car with apple headphones on and laid it out in less than 30 minutes headed to the mall. I remember going for a Bankroll Fresh type beat and ended up with the catchy simple beat. After having it posted online, Tay-K hit me up telling me he wanted to hop on it and posted the track about a week later with a snippet on his Instagram. He had only about 10k followers at that time. This song will always be significant to me because it paved the way for both our careers.
Top 5 favorite producers? Why are they your favorite?
Kanye West, DP BEATS, Southside, Daft Punk, and Zaytoven just to name a few. I grew up listening to these producers and truly believe they have influenced trap production heavily.
Where do you get your inspiration for your beats?
Listening to new artists and different genres always help me come up with new ideas. My inspiration can also come from going outside and enjoying life not just music!
How did you get your beats heard? Any advice to a new producer trying to get their stuff heard?
I got my beats heard by posting them online and trying to make my beats sound different. It's always important to have your own style and come up with original ideas rather than stealing someone else. I believe you find you're sound within time as you make more beats.
One thing you know now as a producer that you wish you knew when you first started out?
How the industry works because as a beginner going into the music business can be very confusing. It's always good to know what you're getting into before anything pops off. I know many producers who have gone through many complications because they don't know how the industry works so it's always good to have knowledge of the business.
What's on the horizon for your music career in 2019?
New content everywhere and more placements! Always working on developing my sound even more.
Check Him Out!