Beat Talk: K.W. the Artisan Interview

Check out our exclusive, one on one interview with young rising indie hip hop recording artist K.W. The Artisan.  In this interview with The Beat Yard he talks about new mixtape Paradise Phone Home, favorite producers, who he would like to collaborate with and more!  Read all about it below.  

The Beat Yard:  What's going on K.W. the Artisan?

K.W. The Artisan:  Nothing much. Everything is everything. I can't complain.

The Beat Yard:  You have a mixtape out right now, Paradise Phone Home, could you tell the readers a little something about the mixtape?

K.W. The Artisan:  The mixtape is dope!  It tells story about the path to paradise and what paradise really is.  It contains skits from an anime called "Wolf's Rain." I have a few features, a bunch of bars and even a few songs for the ladies.  There's something for everybody on this one.

The Beat Yard:  What type of beats can be found on this project?

K.W. The Artisan:  There's a couple of 90's beats, a few familiar samples, and some original beats.

The Beat Yard:  Who are your favorite producers / beatmakers?

K.W. The Artisan:  Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Timbaland, Organized Noise, DJ Quik, No I.D., Pharrell, Pete Rock, DJ Premier just to name a few.

The Beat Yard:  Do you producer or make any beats yourself?  If so what do you use?

K.W. The Artisan:  I am just getting into it. I just bought a keyboard from my homie and I'm going to try Garage Band until I get good enough to buy a program.

The Beat Yard:  What producers / beatmakers would you like to work with in the future?

K.W. The Artisan:  Any of the producers listed above. A J. Cole and Big K.R.I.T. collaboration would be dope.

The Beat Yard:  Are you picky about beats or are you the type of artist that can pretty much ride any type of beat?

K.W. The Artisan:  I'm not that picky at all. I listen to a wide range of music so as long as I like it, I can pretty much rap over it.

ABOUT COLLABORATING WITH K.W. THE ARTISAN

I am actually. I'm just looking to collaborate with other artists in general. My email is kwtheartisan@gmail.com. My instagram and twitter is @kwtheartisan. My website is www.higherupsuniversity.com

Beat Talk: Rhyme Scheme (Interview)

Take a look at our newest interview with West Coast based emcee and Beat Yard featured artist Rhyme Scheme!  In this interview Rhyme Scheme talks about beats, favorite producers and more!  Read all about it below....



The Beat Yard:  How would you describe your sound as an artist?  

Rhyme Scheme:  My sound is from the 90's era.  I would describe it as real hip-hop.  I like to speak about reality and flow on beats that can keep your attention.

 

The Beat Yard:  What type of beats bring out the best in what you do?

Rhyme Scheme:  I really love when a beat speaks to me.  It has to be a variation of instruments to create an irresistible sound.  I really love west coast beats but some east coast beats allow me to tell a story.

 

 

The Beat Yard:  Who are some of your favorite producers?

Rhyme Scheme:  Some of my favorite producers are Dr. Dre, J. Cole, DJ J Green, KZR Beats, The Alchemist, Kanye West, & Daz from the Dogg Pound.

 

 

 

The Beat Yard:  Who are some of the producers you've worked with so far?

Rhyme Scheme:  I have worked with KZR Beats, Nabeyin, Jee Juh, DJ J Green and DJ ZTRFKR.

 

 

The Beat Yard:  Who are some beatmakers that you'd like to work with in the future and why?

Rhyme Scheme:  I would like to work with Dr. Dre & DJ Premier. They both have a very unique sound with an old school approach.  Kanye West is also a very soulful producer.

 

 

The Beat Yard:  Do you buy beats?

Rhyme Scheme:  Yes. I like to buy beats.  You never know which song could be a hit.  So it's better to have some type of beat contract with the producer.

 

 

The Beat Yard:  What is your process for selecting beats?

Rhyme Scheme:  I usually set aside an entire day and run through dozens of beats from many producers. When I hear a potential song, I write the name of the producer and beat down for future references. Sometimes I will buy the beat on the spot and record the track right away.  The beat to my single "4 Letters" was an instant marriage.

 

The Beat Yard:  Do you prefer to be in the studio with the producer, or would you rather them mail tracks to you?

Rhyme Scheme: Both processes work for me. Sometimes having a producer in the studio could enhance the creative process.

 

The Beat Yard:  How would you describe the beat on your latest single "4 Letters" for those that may haven't heard it yet, and what made you select it?

Rhyme Scheme:  The beat to "4 Letters" instantly caught my attention. Before the entire beat finished, I already had a song created.  The lyrics were 100% freestyle because the beat spoke to me.

 

 

The Beat Yard:  Is there anything else you would like to plug?  Any shout outs?

Rhyme Scheme:  I would like to give a shout out to "The Giant Blast", KZR Beats, DJ J Green, Victoree, and you, "The Beat Yard" for this interview. One Love!

 

 THANK YOU 

RHYME SCHEME FOR 

THIS INTERVIEW!

Fans, listeners and viewers can get more updates on Rhyme Scheme at http://www.rhymeschemeblog.blogspot.com

 

 

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