Beat Talk: Ike Ellis

 

North Carolina is a state that's booming with talented hip hop recording artists, from Petey Pablo, to Phonte' Coleman to J. Cole, and in this Interview we reach out to one of the most current stars to shine and emerge from the state Ike Ellis!  In this one on one Beat Yard exclusive interview Ike Ellis talks about the production on his new album Cornbread (set to be released on June 12th 2012), what beats bring out the best in what he does, his favorite producers and more!  Read all about it below.

 

The Beat Yard:  What type of beats bring out the best in Ike Ellis?

Ike Ellis:  Big drums, high hats, guitars,  kind of rock and roll but hip hop base sound.  Maybe to describe the feeling would be Just Blaze sound with Dre type mix to it.  I think my favorite song ever made when I think of production is Mannie Fresh/TI “Top back” to this day. 

 

The Beat Yard:  Who are your top 5 favorite beatmakers?

 

Ike Ellis:  Timbaland, Mannie Fresh, Dr. Dre, DJ Toomp, Just blaze

The Beat Yard:  Can you name 5 of the best beats you've ever heard?

Ike Ellis:  TI “Top Back”, Common “Corners”, TI “You Don’t  Know Me”, Jay-Z "Public Service Announcement" and

Aliyah “One in a Million” till this day I still don’t know what Timbaland used in that song what it crickets?

 

The Beat Yard:  What beatmakers have you worked with?

Ike Ellis:  Streetzmentor, B Squared, Focus, Reese Keys, and Brad M. 

 

The Beat Yard:  Who would you like to get a beat from?

Ike Ellis:  Mannie Fresh, Dr Dre, Timbaland, but hey they out my budget so I have to go with whatever give me that feeling and grind it out.

The Beat Yard:  Have you ever wrote a song to a particular beat that you weren't feeling, but somehow the song still came out great? 

Ike Ellis:  Yea It happens all the time.  It’s some music I really don’t get into as a listener, but as an artist I have to share my thoughts on instrumentation that some people will like.  It’s about the tone, the pitch, and the message within in the songs that helps me write a song.  The beat has never made me as an artist.  I try to compliment what the beat wants me to say on the beat.  As a song writer the beat talks to me, or makes me rap this kind of way instead of that way if that makes any sense.

The Beat Yard:  You also make beats yourself, we read that you produced the song "Black Man in a Black Car" which will be featured on your forthcoming Cornbread album, how would you describe yourself as a beatmaker?

Ike Ellis:  I come from an artist point of view.  Some people was charging way to much for the music, when I know the caliber artist I am.  With that said, I had to make a few beats to get the ball rolling on the concept of the album and the beat and that song is what I came up with.  My beats are energetic and futuristic for the most part.  I have not mastered the all the aspect of production.  I know what I would like to hear, but the technical side of creating the beat is not master on my part as of yet.  I'm working though, and in no time I will have it down pact.

 

The Beat Yard:  What do you use to make your own beats?

Ike Ellis:  I have a Roland Fantom, Reason, mpc 1000 (but I don’t use it much), Logic.

The Beat Yard:  Have you produced songs for other artists or do you just make tracks for yourself?

Ike Ellis:  I have produced a track for Young Nitres, and Broadway Miller was featured on a song I composed called the “Carolina Conglomerate”

The Beat Yard:  Do you buy beats?

Ike Ellis:  Yes, I purchase beats if they are worth what they are charging.

The Beat Yard:  How can up and coming beatmakers submit beats to you, or do you just prefer to go after the producers you want to use?

Ike Ellis:  Send the joints to king.of.karolina@gmail.com 

I check out all the beats and put them in a library.  The feeling have to catch me in the first 30 seconds or I will go to the next joint.  Also, I don’t like when producer limit me as an artist or say this type of sound is for IKE ELLIS because he rapped this way on that song.  Variety is what I am after.  The main thing is the drums have to be right, and the tone or the message with in the songs has to talk to me and the people that will be listening to the track.

The Beat Yard:  Would you be open to doing a collaboration project with another beat maker?

Ike Ellis:  Yes, I will work with most as long as it fits within the image of what IKE ELLIS represents.

The Beat Yard:  What types of instruments and sounds do you like most in the types of beats you like to rock to?

Ike Ellis:  The drums, guitars, and high hats.  I love all the sounds from the west coast for some reason.  There drums just do what it is supposed to do, clear, crisp, sound that can be identified.

The Beat Yard:  Are there any last minute things you would like to plug in this interview?

Ike Ellis:  Appreciate the interview of my thoughts as an artist. This is big business. IKE ELLIS, signing out.

If you like what this artist had to say and if you are looking for more updates on this artist then check out this blog Ike Ellis News here at http://www.ikeellisnews.blogspot.com