Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
Check out what the August 13, 2003 Beat This! champ has to say about the MPC vs. Fruity Loops debate, his upcoming projects, and his winning beat.
Wassup, how you doin'?
Chillin man, taking a break from working on our album.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Aight. Well I'm 19, Hispanic from dirty Jerz, Ambush represent. I'm a college student with a passion for music.
How did you come up with your name?
My name started out as XL cause I'm a big dude, but I didn't wanna start no beef with Chino XL, so I changed it to Exel. The brain is something I added this year, just an a.k.a.
I thought it had something to do with the MPC! What sort of recording setup do you have?
I got an MPC2000 XL, turntable, Rode NT1 setup, and my laptop with Cool Edit.
I made that winning beat on Cool Edit before I got my MPC.
How do you like using a laptop for your productions? Do you come across any problems that you wouldn't have on a desktop PC?
Nah no problems really. As a matter of fact, I made some of my beats on the train ride back from school.
On the train! LOL, that's dope. When did you start producing? Do you also DJ or MC?
I started producing like 2 years ago and yeah I'm also an emcee. I started flowing 4 years ago, kind of new to this production shit.
Have you MC'd over any of your own beats? And do you think rapping is easier now that you're familiar with bars, and other production related stuff?
Yeah I'm producing our whole album and I'm also one of the emcees in the group. And yes rapping is definitely easier now that I'm familiar with bars - way easier.
I figured that, it's like being a DJ first before you produce, it helps a lot. Do you sample?
Yes sir. I prefer that sampled sound, just my taste dawg. I'm not hating on synth beats though, a hot beat is a hot beat.
What do you look for when you sample? A certain melody, or a certain instrument? Or just whatever fits the track you're working on?
98% of the time the sample makes the beat. I just look for obscure shit. Sometimes I find samples that niggas would skip over, shit happens to me a lot. I'll play the beat for someone and then play the sample and they will be like, "How did you think of that? I wouldn't notice that shit".
How much vinyl do you have?
Not much, about 100 - still haven't even heard half of this shit. I sample MP3's and CD's too, I don't give a fuck, the outcome is still the same.
Very true, I do the same thing and get great results with my samples. What's your favorite piece of gear that you own?
MPC2000 XL definitely.
What do you think of the MPC vs. Fruity Loops debate?
I prefer the MPC because it's hands on but I have heard a lot of Fruity niggaz that would shit on me, it's all you, not what you're using. I personally tried using FL and couldn't fuck with it, I prefer Cool Edit.
What's the first thing you do when you start a new beat?
First thing I do is listen to the sample over and over until I get ideas, then I chop my shit up on Cool Edit - I love this program.
What do you think of today's mainstream producers?
I give props to all producers who are out there. If they made it this far then that means they paid their dues, nah mean?
So true. Do you have plans of "making it big" as a producer?
I don't depend on it. I got my career coming soon but production is something that I will be doing on the side, whatever happens happens.
Have you worked with some MC's, and if so, what are some of the songs you have out there?
I've worked with some local cats. I'm currently working on our group's album. Be on the lookout for that. I'll give ya'll some updates. I'm also working with Forbidden Chapters from Jerz, nothing out yet - but coming soon!
Can you tell us a bit about your group's album?
Don't wanna leak no info yet, but I'm doing all the production on it - mad versatile.
Ok onto the competition, were you surprised that you won?
Kind of, I thought that StraDivaRius was gonna take it.
Have you competed in any other online competitions? If so, did you win?
I competed in the last Beat This! comp, didn't win. And I also competed in the hiphopproduction.com beat meet, don't know the results of that one yet.
How did you put together your beat?
I basically put some creativity into this. I sampled an old Spanish guitar, started it out with a slow little loop. Then I put a little scratch before I sped it up. I think that put some feeling into the beat. Then I found an even hotter guitar later on in the sample, that's when everything clicked in my mind and I just hit it off with some drums and brought out the bass from another sample. I think the bass goes nice with the beat. Luck I guess - I actually made this beat a couple of months ago on Cool Edit, before I copped my MPC.
Any shoutouts you'd like to give?
Yeah - my niggaz Cyfer, Wordplay, Max Pain, Relm, T.I.O. (the ill ones) Forbidden Chapters. El Boogie, my niggaz at IllMuzik and ughh.com and all my ambush headz. Anybody I forgot, my bad. I got mad shit on my mind right now.
Aight man, congrats and thanks for doing the interview.
No doubt man, good looking out. I hope your site gets out there even more. Exel, Good Music Representative signing out. UNO.
Wassup, how you doin'?
Chillin man, taking a break from working on our album.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Aight. Well I'm 19, Hispanic from dirty Jerz, Ambush represent. I'm a college student with a passion for music.
How did you come up with your name?
My name started out as XL cause I'm a big dude, but I didn't wanna start no beef with Chino XL, so I changed it to Exel. The brain is something I added this year, just an a.k.a.
I thought it had something to do with the MPC! What sort of recording setup do you have?
I got an MPC2000 XL, turntable, Rode NT1 setup, and my laptop with Cool Edit.
I made that winning beat on Cool Edit before I got my MPC.
How do you like using a laptop for your productions? Do you come across any problems that you wouldn't have on a desktop PC?
Nah no problems really. As a matter of fact, I made some of my beats on the train ride back from school.
On the train! LOL, that's dope. When did you start producing? Do you also DJ or MC?
I started producing like 2 years ago and yeah I'm also an emcee. I started flowing 4 years ago, kind of new to this production shit.
Have you MC'd over any of your own beats? And do you think rapping is easier now that you're familiar with bars, and other production related stuff?
Yeah I'm producing our whole album and I'm also one of the emcees in the group. And yes rapping is definitely easier now that I'm familiar with bars - way easier.
I figured that, it's like being a DJ first before you produce, it helps a lot. Do you sample?
Yes sir. I prefer that sampled sound, just my taste dawg. I'm not hating on synth beats though, a hot beat is a hot beat.
What do you look for when you sample? A certain melody, or a certain instrument? Or just whatever fits the track you're working on?
98% of the time the sample makes the beat. I just look for obscure shit. Sometimes I find samples that niggas would skip over, shit happens to me a lot. I'll play the beat for someone and then play the sample and they will be like, "How did you think of that? I wouldn't notice that shit".
How much vinyl do you have?
Not much, about 100 - still haven't even heard half of this shit. I sample MP3's and CD's too, I don't give a fuck, the outcome is still the same.
Very true, I do the same thing and get great results with my samples. What's your favorite piece of gear that you own?
MPC2000 XL definitely.
What do you think of the MPC vs. Fruity Loops debate?
I prefer the MPC because it's hands on but I have heard a lot of Fruity niggaz that would shit on me, it's all you, not what you're using. I personally tried using FL and couldn't fuck with it, I prefer Cool Edit.
What's the first thing you do when you start a new beat?
First thing I do is listen to the sample over and over until I get ideas, then I chop my shit up on Cool Edit - I love this program.
What do you think of today's mainstream producers?
I give props to all producers who are out there. If they made it this far then that means they paid their dues, nah mean?
So true. Do you have plans of "making it big" as a producer?
I don't depend on it. I got my career coming soon but production is something that I will be doing on the side, whatever happens happens.
Have you worked with some MC's, and if so, what are some of the songs you have out there?
I've worked with some local cats. I'm currently working on our group's album. Be on the lookout for that. I'll give ya'll some updates. I'm also working with Forbidden Chapters from Jerz, nothing out yet - but coming soon!
Can you tell us a bit about your group's album?
Don't wanna leak no info yet, but I'm doing all the production on it - mad versatile.
Ok onto the competition, were you surprised that you won?
Kind of, I thought that StraDivaRius was gonna take it.
Have you competed in any other online competitions? If so, did you win?
I competed in the last Beat This! comp, didn't win. And I also competed in the hiphopproduction.com beat meet, don't know the results of that one yet.
How did you put together your beat?
I basically put some creativity into this. I sampled an old Spanish guitar, started it out with a slow little loop. Then I put a little scratch before I sped it up. I think that put some feeling into the beat. Then I found an even hotter guitar later on in the sample, that's when everything clicked in my mind and I just hit it off with some drums and brought out the bass from another sample. I think the bass goes nice with the beat. Luck I guess - I actually made this beat a couple of months ago on Cool Edit, before I copped my MPC.
Any shoutouts you'd like to give?
Yeah - my niggaz Cyfer, Wordplay, Max Pain, Relm, T.I.O. (the ill ones) Forbidden Chapters. El Boogie, my niggaz at IllMuzik and ughh.com and all my ambush headz. Anybody I forgot, my bad. I got mad shit on my mind right now.
Aight man, congrats and thanks for doing the interview.
No doubt man, good looking out. I hope your site gets out there even more. Exel, Good Music Representative signing out. UNO.
Last edited: