Warbeats Interview with N Gage

N Gage has been a helpful member of Warbeats since Christmas of 2005 when he was deployed making real Warbeats for the Air Force. Glad you made it home safe!



N Gage sampler (hit play while you read)


Tell us your name and where you are from? 

Shaun.........LAS VEGAS,  NEVADA  SIN CITY!!!!!! I now live in ATL


How long have you been producing as a serious business?

I have been producing for ruffly 4 years but did not get serious until 2 years ago when i ran into Lil Wayne. I had a friend visit me and from South Carolina and he didnt have any money for a bus ticket  to get back home. It was crazy but we did an entire mixtape in one day, over and all!!!! Of course he rapped 95 percent while i had a couple of verses and i produced everything. We got on our grind  and was pushing it at all the Casinos where we ran into Wayne and his entourage. Luckily we had a boombox for people to demo and wayne approached us and gave us 20 dollars for the tape.(we were charging 5) He liked the beats but straight up said he hated the rapping and asked who did the beats. We exchanged contact information. That resulted in me landing Lil Waynes Dedication 2 Hustler Musik remix.


How did you get started in producing and when did you start taking it serious?

I started making beats when this military cat introduced me to fl 4 lol. I didnt know what the hell iI was doing  but i was forced to learn with out the internet and War Beats. I was only interested in making beats because what i was hearing on the radio at the time amazed me!  I had no clue about production and I started making some wack ass ish lol. But as time progressed , so did I. I started it taking it serious after the wayne encounter,  that put everything in perspective.


What are some accomplishments that you are most proud of in the production game? 

LiL Waynes HUSTLER MUSIK Remix, KILLA MIKE - RYDERS ARE RYDERS, MYSONNE - CANT LOCK ME UP,
PAPOOSE- UNDERGROUND


Who are some of your regular collaborators?

FMR STUDIOS, THE BEAT BULLIES, DMG, KHIA ( MY NECK MY BACK) lol



What production software/hardware do you use most often?

FL STUDIO(ALWAYS) , AKAI MPC (SOMETIMES), G FORCE MINIMONSTA, CAKE WALK DIMENSION PRO, EAST WEST COLLOSSUS, REASON 4 ( MOTIF, FANTOM REFILLS), NI FM7/ FM8, NI MASSIVE
M AUDIO KEYSTATION PRO 88 , EVENT TR5 MONITORS, TASCAM FW 1082 FW interface , SHURE KSM 27 MIC


What are your thoughts on the "Hardware vs. Software" debate?

I dont know what it is but hardware  you really dont have to do a lot of tweaking the sounds to get them sitting right in a mix. Software synths you gotta work to get that analog sound, but it can be acheived with some hi- end AD converters proper mixing and mastering and effects. Software has made it easier,convenient and cheaper to get in the game. It doesnt matter what you use as long as its hot. QUICK TIPIf an artist doesnt want you to use FL studio and you have a Synth with a sequencer  just do the beat in Fl  then export the midi files and bumpem to the synth    that way you aint gotta take a lap top  but jus the board. Artists wont even know you use FL. Most studios dont even have Fl and the hi priced ones wont let you install anything or even out a thumb drive in there MACS!!!!


Do you sell your beats online, face-to-face or both? And do you have a preference? Why?

I do both online is easier to do but you dont sell much. Face to face you establish a relationship, create a a vibe which turns into music. Over the net its hard to say Hey say that last Bar like this ........... Plus i like that cash in hand rather than waiting on pay pal .

www.thebeattrader.com  for you online freaks lol

PMP   IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS GOOGLE IT


What factors do you consider when charging for a beat?

There budget and who they are and if they major or clientel. Im not gonna tell joe blow 2000 for a beat and hes dressing like a Payless Fashion Model. I go by what they can afford. If you can only afford a 100 dollar beat then thats what ya pay. If you can afford A 5000 dollar beat  then you pay that. Im Fair.


Any tips you can give us mixing a beat? 

AWW man IM terrible. lol but  TOO BOIL IT DOWN there is no right or wrong way to do it. Everything but the bass and occasionally the kick drum I will roll off the  50 and below frequencies. Every instrument has to have its own place in the mix. The kick always has to be in the front, snares slappin and feelin the rest of the percussion not neccasarily hearing it. Pan smart not too much dont pan a hi hat 75 percent left. or a crash 100 percent right. I HAVE A GUIDE ON HERE FOR MORE INFO AND IN DEPTH DETAIL REFER TO THAT lol.


Everyone wants their drums to bang. how do you do yours?

EQ technique i learned from you lol and compression and not to much verb! SEND effects werk great

assign each percussion except the kick to an eq and roll off the 50 and below.PAN ACCORDINGLY
Use the official NFX EQ technique for the kick 
side chain compress the kick and bassline and your golden


Is having a management team an important part of the equation for you?

Yes very important.Managers are businessman and are people persons. They know how to negotiate and keep you on the right track. They the ones making the deals and the big moves. Get one that believes in you.
A street team is imperative as they promote you  all over your city the public will be forced to look at the fliers or posters if everywhere they go they see the promotion.

In your opinion, what types of things should the new/young producer concentrate on most to develop his/her skills?

MUSIC THEORY, AND DRUM ARRANGEMENT as well AS well as MELODY. Your first track you ever make will probably be the most terrible thing anyone has heard i know mine was. I still got it lol


One of the biggest challenges is promoting one's self. How do you do that and what advice can you give our readers on that?

Myspace,Street Teams, Open MICs(LOTS OF VOCALISTS ATTENDING), Conventions, And even handing out your music for free at clubs to friends in front of concerts, Also performing shows is key as well. Walking into labels doesnt work or calling them up asking to send a demo doesnt either. MILLIONS ARE DOING IT. GET YOUR FANBASE FIRST BEFORE YOU SEEK A DEAL MAKE THEM COME TO YOU. RADIO STATION EVENTS AS WELL.


What other producers (mainstream or underground) are you feeling the most right now?

HMM theres a few right now, COOL n dre , THE RUNNERS, TIMBALAND HAS DONE HIS THING LAST YEAR AND HALF!  DR DRE , STORCH SOME TIMES, No ID!!!!!!!! JUST BLAZE, R kellys production wow!!!! LYFE JENNINGS so much more


Do you have any upcoming projects you'd like to let us know about?

RULES OF NGAGEMENT HOSTED BY YOUNG DRO


Before we leave you, where can we get more information about you and/or hear more of your music?

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEREALNGAGE  

PMP