Interviews Beatz101

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With the latest Beat This! title under his belt, Beatz101 takes a timeout to tell us about himself and his future goals in the music industry.

What's up? Tell us about yourself.

Well, basically most of y'all in the IllMuzik community know me as Beatz101 but that's just a screen name. In the streets my name is Chris Williams aka One-O-One. I'm a 22 year old representing Fayetteville and Greensboro, North Carolina. I'm a senior at North Carolina A&T State University. I own my own company, One-O-One Entertainment, which specializes in music production, and graphic designs like CD covers, flyers, logos, etc. Peep the site, www.one-o-one.net. I'm also part of the Hip-Hop collective The M.E.C. which should be in full effect by 2006. Some might know me from WNAA 90.1 FM, http://wnaalive.ncat.edu, some might know me from NxLevel Entertainment, www.nxlevelent.com, but most probably don't know me at all until now. I'm just an up and coming music producer and graphic designer, a part of this North Cak movement. I'm about making this money and making a living doing what I love to do, which is create art visually and sonically.

Graphic design? How did you get into that?

I'm majoring in Graphic Communication Systems. I was originally going to major into visual arts because I used to draw a lot in high school. But its too hard to make money in that field like that, so I got more into computers when I started college. I learned Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and all that, got my skills to a level where I was marketable and started making moves. I also noticed that around my area, flyers are everywhere. Everybody is throwing a party, everybody wants to be heard. So I was thinking, "I need to get a piece of all the action." I knew I was already skilled artistically, so if I get my mind right I'll have a good advantage over the competition. I'm still trying to perfect my craft but I'm getting paid, which is always a plus. So I kind of turned my academic studies into another side hustle. It kind of goes along with the music end at times because a lot of times when a rapper is looking for beats, they need a CD cover also. And also every time I pass out my demo, kats be like "Who did the cover?", and I'm like " I did the cover too", and they like "Dang, that's hot right there!" So even if they don't like the beats, they call for some graphics work or vice versa. That's what it's all about, hitting all corners. Never have all your eggs in one basket. Right now I'm learning how to DJ, so I can get income and exposure off that. And after I graduate I'll have more time to work on One-O-One Comics, and drop a couple comic book series on the net, and hopefully that will turn into some big things. Maybe in 4 years, I'll learn how to skateboard or something.

How does it feel to FINALLY win the Beat This! Competition?

It feels good, man. The last couple competitions I placed 3rd place and I could taste the number one spot. So I felt like this time I had to step it up an extra notch. It's crazy because I thought I was going to place top 5, but I didn't think I was going to win the whole thing. I try not to get my hopes up too much because I'd hate to be completely disappointed. I knew my beat was hot, but the competition I was up against was on point also. And I know I don't have a lot of juice or pull around IllMuzik so I thought the odds where against me regardless of how hot my beat was. But surprisingly the judges felt I was number one. I couldn't believe it because I usually don't win anything so that really felt good.

I read in the forums that you felt like some people didn't think you deserved it. Care to explain?

I don't know. I guess everybody has different tastes in music, and I'm okay with that. I read a lot of people's posts and they was like, "Damn....that was a surprise, I liked so and so's beat better." And I recognize my reputation on this site. There was times where I'll post 5 or more feedbacks for people's music in the Showcase and I'll post my beat to get some feedback from everybody else in return and only two people will actually peep my music and give me feedback. So either there is some hating going on, or I'm just being extremely slept on. But stuff like that doesn't bother me too much because rejection is not new to me. Most of my life I've been looked over, not just in music but in general. But I think its about that time where I get my props when props is due. Everybody has their time to shine, and I truly believe my time is coming very soon.

I think it's that you're heavily slept on, but now with the win, people can't deny it! Do you think having some sort of "rep" on IllMuzik affects the outcome of the competitions?

Now I don't think so, but I used to. If reputation was a factor, I think DJ Excellence or Stresswon would have won. I think reputation affected how much feedback you get in the showcase section though. Everybody peeps Classic's joints, everybody peeps DJ Hoppa's joints. I peep they joints a lot because them kats is serious. I'm gonna be real, they probably two of the maybe five producers that keep me on my toes. Shout outs to Exampul also.

IllMuzik is all about helping everyone excel with their production, has it helped out a lot?

Definitely. IllMuzik helped keep me on the grind. Especially since I started entering the Beat This! comps. It keeps me grounded knowing that their is kats in the UK or on the West Coast that can probably outshine me if they wanted to. A lot of the people around me kind of gas me up a little bit. And I get emails occasionally where people from all over just give me props for what I do. IllMuzik lets me know that even though you got a little fan base, don't just sit on your ass an enjoy it because there is somebody out there ready to take your spot. IllMuzik also has helped me identify my sound. If you got a wack beat or something doesn't sound right, somebody will tell you. So I appreciate the unbiased constructive criticism I get at IllMuzik. I also appreciate the Industry Talk section. I basically study the music business in that sub forum. Y'all just don't know how much I learned from this site, its crazy. I study this site more than I study in most of my classes.

LOL maybe I should pitch an IllMuzik class at Harvard. Do you think there would be a high enrollment?

Definitely. There is so many kats trying to get into this rap game it's ridiculous. And probably 75% of them are not even educated on how the game actually works. All they know is the money, the videos, the groupies, get a deal, and go platinum. The mentality of most of these kats is if they got a deal today, they would blow they whole advance on females, and material crap. Little do they know that they should have been using that money for promotion, studio time, and living in general because most likely you won't drop until 2008. So that 50 grand a label throws at you really ain't that much when you factor in the possible B.S. You got well known kats that got deals right now working at The Gap. A deal ain't nothing but a trap unless you know what you doing. Even I got a lot to learn, so I'm not signing nothing.

When did you first start producing? Why?

I've been producing since I was 16. So that was probably when I was a sophomore in high school, 6 years ago. I was rappin' at the time and I had like 3 books of rhymes but I just wasn't confident in my flow. I wasn't confident in myself matter fact, but I still needed an outlet for my creativity. So I was begging my brother to buy me a drum machine for Christmas, so he broke down and copped me a Zoom 123. That has to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. If you're familiar with the Zoom 123 it's pretty wack, but I made some decent joints on it in my opinion. I used to plug it in through my boom box and record all of the beats into a tape recorder. I'll play a couple beats for people that rode the school bus with me, and they would straight diss my joints. Then when I went to college in 2001, my mom bought me a laptop for a graduation present. It was meant for academics, but I wasn't having that.

I got put on to Fruity Loops and Cool Edit Pro and it was a wrap. I started making music because it was in me. I'm simply in love with music, so I make it. Love creating, whether it's a portrait, a CD cover, or an album. And then later on I realized I should be selling some of this stuff because I'm broke, I'm definitely not built for school, and just having a degree on the mantel won't guarantee a job after I graduate. I need to align myself in a way that I won't need a 4.0 GPA to get a job that I love to do. I'm gonna have to use the skills God gave me to make a living. So I do the music because I love it, and also because I'm ready to get this money. Three years ago I made a promise to myself that I will be making money, my way, by the time I'm 30 years old.

Do you think having the Zoom machine was a great start? Or would you have started with something else like an MPC?

The Zoom made me a better producer. When you have nothing, you work harder to make something hot, so you pick up more essential skills in my opinion. It's like Rocky 4, ya know. Stallone was in the snow mountains chopping fire wood, lifting logs and away from the rest of the world. Drago was using steroids and had all the top-notch technology. But in the end, who came out victorious? When you have nothing, it builds heart and you have a lot more to prove and live up to. I have to sound like I got an MPC 4000, a ton of vinyl, and $3000 of production gadgets to compete with some of the people who actually got all that stuff. If I started with an MPC, I don't think I would be as passionate as I am now, but that's me.

What's your setup like?

My setup. A laptop, an Oxygen 8 MIDI keyboard, a Korg Electribe R I never use, and two external hard drives filled with too many samples and sounds. I use Fruity Loops 3, and Cool Edit Pro. I got Reason and Acid Pro but I don't have time to learn how to make beats over again. I'm thinking about getting some more hardware but I'm not sure if I need it. I was thinking about coppin' an MPC, but I doubt I'll ever use it. It would be more of a status symbol for me. A Motif is definitely in consideration. I want to step up my sample-free game. And plus I want to shut the mouths of anybody who thinks I can't make "original" beats. I got some original joints in the stash to shut these kats down, please believe it.

I used Fruity Loops in the past for just my drums but then I went to Reason for that. Do you really think it's a matter of "re-learning" how to do that part of the process?

Sometimes, but I see where you're coming from. The thing is that I'd hate to go through the headaches of getting stuff to sound right knowing I got a program I already know that can do just about the same thing. Maybe I'm being lazy, I don't know. Hopefully early next year I'll spend more time looking into Reason. I've heard a lot of good things about it, but I never had the time to get nice on it.

Do you DJ? Do you have lots of vinyl?

Nah, I don't DJ. But I will learn how to in the next 6 months. Just give me 6 months and it's about to be DJ One-O-One real soon. Matter fact, I just ordered a Numark joint the other day. I want to be as multi-talented as possible. And plus I want steer away from using Limewire and Shareaza so much. I've heard stories of kats losing all they beats, they samples, and everything because they just left they computer on all night downloading music. And even when you do download music, sometimes the file names be all messed up.

So when you do sell beats and the label wants the name, artist, and record label the sample came from so they can clear the beat, you gotta worry about where that sample actually came from. You're losing time and money right there. But at the same time when you're buying vinyl, you're spending mad paper on records you might not even use. Maybe out of the five records you bought, you only get two or three album worthy beats. Compared to you downloading 50 songs for free and you're getting a good 15 album cuts off that. So on both sides of the coin, you got your drawbacks. But I think vinyl is the next stage for me. I want to scratch on my production and add a new dimension to my joints. And plus, I want to get even more rare samples to stump the biters. Hopefully, buying all this vinyl doesn't murk my paycheck. Some people can't afford to dig for vinyl.

Instead of vinyl, have you thought about the Final Scratch setup?

Yeah, that Final Scratch is looking nice. It depends on what my money is looking like though. I'll still need the vinyl because I want those rare records, but the Final Scratch would really come in handy if I start doing parties in the future. This is the future of DJing. A lot of die-hard DJs might be like "vinyl forever!", but in the next couple of years DJing will be basically 100% digital. It's just gonna get so advanced that you probably couldn't tell the difference.

Have you ever sold a beat?

Yeah, I have. I don't sell enough yet to maintain a steady income yet. I sold my first beat for $40. It wasn't a real big deal or nothing. I just wanted to see if I could actually do it because I treat my beats like its my babies, you know. It's hard to let them go. I get a lot of people wanting to buy tracks from me but sometimes I'm hesitant because I don't want nobody wack on my beats. Sometimes you have concepts, and you already have a hook for a certain beat. So it would break my heart to hear some cornball dude stumbling over one of my babies. I put my heart on these tracks. Sometimes I'll be up until the sun comes up making tracks. So I want the rappers on my beats to make the same sacrifice I made. But at the same time I might have to make that similar sacrifice, which is selling some of my beats to questionable artists, to get the exposure I need. This whole rap game is like chess moves.

Have you ever worked with MC's? What was that like?

I worked with a couple local emcees. I go to North Carolina A&T State University, so 90% of the people here are part-time rappers and their is a hand full of full-time real emcees. What up to T-God, Cuzo, J-Blitz, and Chico. Working with rappers is very time consuming but worth the experience. I used to rap, so I somewhat have an ear for how someone should flow on my beats, or what's hot and what's wack. From my experience working with emcees, I realized that my work ethic is a lot stronger than most people. I haven't met many people as passionate as I am with making quality music, getting on your hustle, and getting this money.

Right now I'm working with my peoples, Celsius and General Lee on this M.E.C. project. Celsius is probably the hungriest, most talented, and homicidal emcee I've met. He got "rap star" written all over him. He's gonna LL Cool J, Nas, and DMX the game all at the same time. And General Lee is like the brains. He's got that real distinct natural flow that's going to add that new dimension to the equation. And myself, 101, offers the beats. All I got to say is that the competition better hope we don't ever drop, because if we do then it's a wrap. Just take your MPC, all your records, and your little microphone, pawn all of that and get some rims. If you thought "The Struggle" beat was nice, then wait for the M.E.C. mixtape. I am not playing on this project. The mixtape should be out by early next year, maybe earlier. I'm also thinking about coming out with another 101 Radio mixtape with some local talent on there. Don't forget to peep the 101 Radio: World Premiere mixtape on my website, www.one-o-one.net. Check that out.

Who are some of the well known producers that have influenced you?

DJ Premier influenced me greatly. Pete Rock was very influential. DJ Paul and Juicy J influenced my drums a lot. I study Timbaland's drums a lot too. Kanye West and Just Blaze are something serious. Mannie Fresh is tight with his. D-Dot, Organized Noize, L.E.S., Large Professor, and Ali Shaheed from A Tribe Called Quest. That's all I can think of right now.

What kind of music inspires you to make beats?

Everything inspires me. I try to listen to all kinds of music. It depends on the mood I'm in. I listen to a lot of R&B, and I might pop in a 80's or 90's rock CD every once in a while. Sometimes I listen to video game music and that inspires me. I don't discriminate when it comes to my music, especially since I sample most of the time in my beats. If it's hot then its hot.

Even when I listen to Hip-Hop, I can have a mix CD with Three 6 Mafia, Common, Little Brother, Ras Kass, and Young Jeezy on it. I think Hip-Hop music in particular is like the movies. Sometimes I want to watch an action movie with no real plot, just explosions and violence. And sometimes I want to watch a suspense/drama that's autobiographical and as an underlying message. Both can be great movies, but in their own particular fashion. It's the same with my music. Sometimes I want to just get crunk and bump some ignorant stuff, and sometimes I want to listen to something deep, learn something, and enlighten myself. I think me taking inspiration from different forms of music keeps me fresh, and keeps me trying new stuff in my music. If you trying to be a Hip-Hop producer, but you refuse to listen to other genres then I think you're playing yourself.

Do you usually make a complete beat, or do you make loops then construct a complete beat later on?

My little process is basically dig for some songs either on the net or on some old CDs. Then I listen to about 30 songs and cut the songs I like in Cool Edit Pro. Then later in the day I'll go back to the cuts and make beats out of them in Fruity Loops for a couple hours. Sometimes I get "producers-block", and I sit on the track for like a week and complete it later on. But if I'm feeling a certain sample or melody, and I see "hit record" written all over it, then I'm not sleeping until that beat is completely finished and bangin'.

So do you just sample? Or do you use synths too?

I do both. My specialty is sampling though. Sampling just has more depth and soul to it. I don't care if you're the illest keyboardist in the world, you will never capture the spirit of a sampled beat unless you got Michael J. Fox's time machine. I feel that it is good to learn both crafts though. Because sometimes you want all of your publishing when you got the #1 hit record in the country. Just Blaze really made a small cut off that Fabolous hit "Breathe". I heard the original artists wanted like 90% of the publishing. But they still dropped it as a single because it's not about the money all the time, especially with me.

Sometimes you gotta put a joint out for the sake of its hotness alone. But in the position I'm in right now, I plan on going more the sample-free route next year most likely. I want to appeal to a wider audience. See right now I can make a grimey East Coast joint, or a sample-free dirty south joint, but my R&B game is kinda shaky. I'm thinking about coppin' a Motif or something and taking it to that next level. Because I see the music in my head, but it's hard to materialize your ideas when you got a bunch of Fruity Loops cornball synths, and too many soundfonts that sound like ass. I can work with what I got, but things can be a lot easier. I got skeletons of beats, melodies, and ideas I refuse to work on unless I have the proper tools at my disposal. I want to do music with live bands and everything, but all that is going to have to chill until I get to a level in my career where I can get these dreams to reality. But right now I'm in front of a dusty laptop putting down fresh beats on the regular.

Where do you see yourself in a few years with your music?

I'm on the grind right now. In the next few years, I'll still be on the grind hopefully getting paid more than I am right now. I don't want to be extremely famous like that. I just want to do what I love to do, and get paid a comfortable amount of money doing it. I'm not necessarily trying to be on television and be popular, because most of time I want to be left alone and on chill-mode. But if it goes down like that then I'm prepared. I just want people to know, "Yeah, that's dat 101 dude, Chris. He's a talented kat. I want to be like him and do what I feel and get a stupid amount of money doing it." I want my life to be the blueprint on how you should live. This is what happens when you do what you love to do, master it, market it, and get this paper. That's why I chose the name One-O-One, because I'm going teach you and your kids how to pimp the system.

There is so many people out there in the world 30 or 40 something years old and not happy with their lives. They looking back like, "Where did I go wrong?" I heard too many stories of people talking about, "Yeah, I used to be an artist" or "I wanted to play ball" and they doing some off the wall job they hate. That's not happening to me. I refuse to work for anybody for the rest of my life at a job I do not feel 100%. The very thought of that depresses me. I can't even imagine myself broke and doing something I know in my heart I shouldn't be doing. I see myself blessed, happy, paid, and grateful in the future and I can't see it any other way. Any other outcome would be unrealistic. Even if this music and/or art hustle doesn't produce anything fruitful in the next couple of years, I'll still do it because I have to be my biggest fan. And that's the mindset I think people should have.

If God gave you a gift that you could clearly recognize and you feel in your heart that this is what you should be doing, then do it. If God gave you the gift to sing, then sing. If you can draw, you better draw. Don't listen to your advisor, your guidance counselor, and maybe sometimes even your parents. Listen to what's inside you, that burn in your chest you can't even explain. And that's where the true answer is. And if I'm broke and on crack in the next 10 years, all of what I said is bullsh*t.

Any shoutouts you'd like to give?

Shoutouts to my Mama first. My brother Brandon, my Dad, Grandma, Uncle Johnny, Bre, Melissa, Aunt Bell, Cameron, and the whole Furgeson Family. There is too many of y'all.

Shoutouts to Aunt Beverly, Uncle Walter, Aunt Lorrane, Uncle Eric, Aunt Aundrea, Simone, Terrence, Ashley, and the whole Williams Family.

Shoutouts to B.Rogers aka Celsius, General Lee, T-God, Kemo, little Malikai, and everybody supporting The M.E.C. click.

And shoutouts to Shanika, Josh Mason, them Air It Out boys, April, and everybody that kept it real with me and saw I that I was a cool dude and not the stuck-up, anti-social, ice griller people think I am.

And also shoutouts to North Carolina, South Carolina, ATL, Brooklyn, all the Aggies, WNAA 90.1 FM, Nxlevel Entertainment, all the people that's going to be buying my albums in the future, and all the haters. Let the hating commence.

Shoutouts to IllMuzik.com for giving me the opportunity to speak my mind, showcase my music, and get my shine on. And finally shoutouts to anybody looking for some beats or some graphics work.