No Jumper - The ENRGY Beats Interview: Creating the Flint Sound, Rio Da Yung OG, EST Gee & More

Episode Date: July 30, 2021

Producer Energy Beats talks about his come up, crafting his sound, the explosion of Flint/Detroit rap scene, people copying his style, influences and more! https://www.instagram.com/enrgybeats/ Stamps by https://www.instagram.com/nicholasosp... ----- NO JUMPER PATREON http://www.patreon.com/nojumper CHECK OUT OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5te... FOLLOW US ON SNAPCHAT FOR THE LATEST NEWS & UPDATES https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! http://www.nojumper.com/ SUBSCRIBE for new interviews (and more) weekly: http://bit.ly/nastymondayz Follow us on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nojumper iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n... Follow us on Social Media: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper https://www.facebook.com/NOJUMPEROFFI... http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm Follow Adam22: https://www.tiktok.com/@adam22 http://www.twitter.com/adam22 http://www.instagram.com/adam22 adam22hoe on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Jumper. Coolest podcast in the world. And today I got somebody who I consider to be kind of like the architect of the sound of a lot of the music that you guys listen to out there on a daily basis. We got my guy, energy beats. How you feel, man? Feeling good, man. I'm feeling good. I'm just, you know, chilling. Really just living for real. Right. You spend a lot of time out in L.A. now at this point? At this point, this is probably the most, like probably the most recent city I visit a lot. Like I've probably been out here like five or six times. Okay. How are you enjoying it?

It's going pretty good. Like, I feel like it's, I love it so much out here because it's so opposite of Michigan. Because it's so much going on, basically. Yeah, yeah. It's like, really, it's Michigan is so dead. It's like you come out here and there's a whole different world. Like you, I can eat past one o'clock. I want to, so it's like, it's smooth.

But that's a different thing, because like, when you're back in Michigan, it's kind of like, well, we've got to make this music because what the fuck else are we doing, right? Exactly. That's really how all this shit really came about because it's like we just, in the career, getting creative, you know what I'm saying? So it's like, I created a lot of this shit really just my senior year, trying to figure out something to do. But if you had been surrounded by bad bitches and crazy-ass house parties and people doing all, you know, like all these things that in LA, realistically, if you want to go to a different fucking mansion kickback, smokeout, brand opening, whatever the fuck.

I mean, you've got to opportunity like every night to do that shit. And that's a big part of what people got to realize is that if you really want to grind and make something out of yourself, a lot of times you got to start turning that kind of shit down, you know? That's crazy because, like, I'm totally opposite from that shit. I really don't need the party life, damn there. Like, I just, you know, so I can get past that shit. I've gotten to the point now of working so hard doing interviews, doing content, which is basically like my equivalent of what you're doing in terms of making beats and stuff, where now I'm kind of like, I got to start like going out more.

I got to start being around people more because I've gotten to the point of just working so hard every day that it's kind of like, fuck, maybe I got to enjoy the fruits of my labor. a little bit more, make more connections. Because you know, anytime I go to a club or a party, I might meet 10 people that are good opportunities to interview, you know? Facts, facts. And that's kind of like, that's my thing too,

like getting out, because I, I didn't meet Rio for the first time until, like, early 2020 for the first time. Like, I didn't know nobody, like, I didn't know none of the rappers. I didn't be a person that's grounds, because we damn there grew up together. Right.

Okay, so take me back to the early days in terms of your upbringing and stuff. You always been from Michigan since you were a kid? I grew up in Beecher. It's like the outskirts. It's like the outskirts. It's the whole community. Like, it's really Flint, but it's not, you know what I'm saying?

So I grew up there. That's where Jay, Chris, we like kid, Browns. You know, we all grew up in that area. But I grew up there. I had a good childhood, you know what I'm saying? Okay. I wasn't, I ain't had no struggles, you know what I'm saying? I was, I was really just, I lived basically the same

down there life that they did, you know? You had both parents? Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. So I had damn near the same life as like, you know, grounds in them, but it's like really just cool as hell. So, yeah.

Were you super interested in music from a young age, or what kind of stuff are you into in, like, elementary school, junior high, that kind of shit. I started making beats when I was three years old. Three? Yeah. What kind of equipment do you have a three? I was on

MTV Music Generator. I started on that playing on the PlayStation 1. Oh, wow. And I was making beats on there. And then I got my first, like, my first, like, PC when I was, like, six or some shit like that. And I've been making these on fruit loops,

like, a long time ago. What are you thinking? was that made you so drawn to it. It seems like if you were doing it that young, then there must be something in your brain that was just bringing you in that direction, right? Yeah, like my pops used to make music. He used to rap and he used to make beats. So he kind of, you know, brought me in and taught me how to do this shit. Like, I don't remember. I have like little, like, flashbacks of like when I was younger type shit making beats on the PlayStation. But it's like all my life, I just knew I'd do that shit because I'm around it. That's crazy because now that I have a kid,

always like thinking like is she going to just see the shit that I do and is she going to automatically get interested in it because it's just what I'm doing but then at the same time like three year old I mean that's a hard sell especially something complicated like making beats you would think that that's going to be kind of hard to make a kid interested in that young yeah it's it's really just it's like it has it got to be like an organic type thing you know what I'm saying like whatever you are a product of your environment so whatever however you know what I'm saying it's either you're going to you're not going to fuck with it or you're going to fuck with it. It's just, it's the word.

I mean, if your dad had been out in the front yard playing basketball every day, I would have been open. You probably would have been like, fuck, I want to play basketball. Exactly. For sure. Was your dad, like, what kind of music do you remember to listen to at that young age and, like, what was being emphasized in that regard? Um, shit.

Like, I was listening to, like, 3-6 Mafia, um, UGK, um, fucking, uh, everything that was going on on West Coast in the 90s. That's the stuff he was into. Yeah, so that kind of stuff. I didn't fuck with music, like up-to-day music until like 2011. Oh, really? So you were mostly schooled on the classics. Yeah, yeah.

Like all the old shit, 70s, I's brothers, all type of, just old jam and shit. So it was just always around in the house and you were just naturally drawn to it? Mm-hmm. That's why the samples, like I'm up there. to parr. Like, I know what samples on sample. Like, I know majority of the time, that's why I have to, like, with certain songs, like, Wad Jumper,

like, I didn't know nothing like that. That's why I have to dig deep into, like, different kind of samples, but majority of the samples, I know what I'm sampling. What is that sample in Wack Jumper? That whee- So, it's like an Italian artist.

Oh, really? It's named Charles. Charles Asim, or something like that. So you were never turned off to the idea of working with samples, Because I feel like a lot of artists now, they are kind of like, ah, we're not going to make as much money if we use samples. So they never even get into that mentality, right? Yeah, yeah.

I feel like when you, when you, like, come from, like, where we come from, you don't really think about, like. You weren't thinking about streaming services. Exactly. You know, you just, you're just creative. Like, I grew up on sampler, so it was kind of like I wasn't drawing away from the idea of sampling. Now when I'm in the game, now I'm in a game. I was like, okay, maybe I need to hold back on some samples, but it's like, that kind of shit,

that kind of shit is fun to me, like taking what somebody else did and flipping it into your own way of doing something. So it was, I'm not drawn away from it, but now I can kind of like hold back, you know what I'm saying? I might, I might fuck with like some free loops or some shit, but yeah, I'm not really drawn away from that shit. Definitely. Were you, so did you know anybody, like, who were the first people that got on your beats, just friends of yours? Or do you ever make beats and then your dad hopped on? Okay, yeah, yeah, okay. So it was like two parts of this shit.

Like, I used to make beats and my pops used to rap on them, bitches. But, you know, that was like, I ain't never had nobody else rap on them. But that was like when I was like six, seven, eight, you know what I'm saying? In those ages. But it was a long time I was just making beats from, you know, like 10 to like 18 I didn't have nobody rapping on them so it was just I was just making beats but the first person other than my pops to rap on the beat was uh wires our grounds okay and that's how really the the whole shit started because grounds wrapped on it and then uh he introduced my shit to

real so it's just kind of grounds really the goat for real for real so you were you were just making all these beats but not really like like thinking about the, because you know, there's kind of like two parts. If you want to be a producer, there's like the art of like actually making the shit. And then there's kind of like the networking because nobody's going to hop in your beats unless you can get it into the right hands. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because it's like you got to have that. And that's a part where I feel like that came pretty easy to me, like the networking part because the rapper will talk for me. You know what I'm saying?

I really didn't really have to reach out. You know what I'm saying? Because it's kind of like my work with you. just show, you know what I'm saying? But that's where I feel like I'm learning too, like networking and shit. Like that kind of shit is just coming to me now, like, where I'm actually having to do it for myself, you know what I'm saying? Right, because, like, I could imagine even when people see this fucking interview,

there's going to be so many people that never thought, like, oh, I would love to see an energy beats interview. But they're going to be like, that's that dude. Fuck. Like, I heard his tag on 100 million songs, and I know that he's legendary. I got to figure out what he's about, you know? So, like, you know, doing that kind of network inside of things can definitely help take shit to the next level. And then the next level of that is when you see dudes really becoming like a brand where you have somebody like a metro or, you know, I mean, DJ Cali is in his own fucking world.

But, you know, like that kind of thing where you start to really become like a personality that people want to work with, not just because they like the beat, but because they fuck with you and the brand that you sort of invented for yourself, right? Exactly. Exactly. And that's the goal. Like, I just want to, I want to, that's, that's type. That's crazy. you say it all the names because it's like I want to get to that level you know what I'm saying that kind of shit is like where the name itself get people turn you know what I'm saying like my tag itself you're gonna know that shit going boom you know what I'm saying so definitely um there's like a certain well when you when you started versus like now how do you feel like your your style kind of developed like what kind of shit were you drawn towards in the beginning and how did your style sort of start to take shape

and become like the sort of signature style that we think of now? Yeah. In the beginning, okay, you say in the beginning, like as like early on, like 2019, something like that. Yeah, yeah. I say like in the beginning it was like I was more drawn to like that dark, like crazy shit,

like in the beginning, fast, dark shit. You know what I'm saying? Because that's the type of shit. was attracted to. You know what I'm saying? That's the kind of music like we had going on, you know what I'm saying? So that kind of shit was like, like, what I wanted to hear at the time. You know what I'm saying? But like I say it developed into like a like a groovy sense. You know what I'm saying? Like that's where Coochie beats came from, you know what I'm saying? Where I really wasn't even trying to be groovy when I was working with Jay. It just happened that way.

but that kind of aspect came from me like loving for real music like for real music was like the the craziest grueviest drum kind of pattern so it's kind of like I'm inspired by that so I kind of brought it out in my like in my groovy beats later on like early 2020 so you had a time period where you were making shit

that was more just like hard street type beats and then you sort of like started to introduce more or more melodies and shit. Yeah, exactly. And that kind of shit, it just helped complete the song. You know what I'm saying? Because you can't just have all-aggressive, but you can't just have all-groovy, coochy shit.

It's got to be all-mix-in-one. Definitely. Because, I mean, when I think about, oh, I mean, if you go to, like, 2019 or 2020, even then it wasn't, you know, early 2020. It wasn't, like, as obvious. Like, now when you think about Flint, when you think about Detroit, it's kind of like,

wow, there's like a really crazy number of artists who have blown up out of there and like, damn there, all of them have hopped on your production. But, yeah, what were you listening to? Were you listening to a lot of these artists? Like when you met Rio, had you already heard him? Did you already know, like, what he was doing or were there any artists in particular that you were kind of in your head making beats for? I say, like, I heard a Rio.

I didn't hear a Rio like early on, but like when I started making beats for grounds, that's when I started to tap in into like the whole sound of Detroit because I didn't start listening to Detroit until 2018. Well, I'm going to say 20. When T. Grizzly dropped first day out, that's when I started listening to Detroit shit. Right.

I mean, I feel like a lot of people, if they probably don't want to admit it or not, that that's kind of, there's a lot of truth to that. That that song was so big, and it kind of inspired, I think, a lot of different artists to sort of take their own direction from there. Exactly. But it's kind of like,

it's kind of like, and of course, I ain't going to say I haven't heard of Detroit shit because Do Boys Cashin'all had the shit going crazy, like 2013, you know what I'm saying? Like, that shit was going crazy. So I remember all that shit, but I didn't start personally listening to it into T.

So, like, I was listening around that age. I was like, probably listening to Baby Smooth, probably like a Baby Face Ray, you know, around that time. So it was kind of like, I was listening to that. But I didn't hear a Rio until I started making those kind of beats. And when he dropped shit talking, that's when I was like, oh, who the fuck is Rio? You know what I'm saying? It's kind of, and that kind of shit right there, because that was the biggest song that ever come out of Flint, like in years. Right.

hit a million views like that that a million views that's like uh winning a plaque winning a grammy for real so you know um i was listening to real i started listening to real when he dropped in and like drago abino like all them like all around the same time so right yeah definitely um okay so what what was the first song that you had actually go crazy that like you did the production on that you felt like all right, this is it. I'm actually going somewhere with this. This is actually starting to work.

I'll say the song that changed it for me was, it was like two parts of this. It's when Rio dropped dumb and dumber. When Rio dropped dumb and dumber, and it was energy and reckless. That's when I was still in high school at this time. So I'm like, damn, like this hit 100K. A little bit of cloud goes a long way in high school.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then when legendary dropped, that legendary was, like, different. To me, that's, like, one of the best examples of your sound or, like, just such a raw embodiment of it, like, just a perfect execution of your type of beat. Yeah, yeah. And that was crazy because that beat came about, like, I was working a job at the time, so I'm just, like,

I went to sleep. like around 9 o'clock. But I woke up, like, hearing a melody in my head at, like, 3 o'clock a.m. Like, I just got up, got on bed. I just made the beat and just sent it to him that night. Wow. That's crazy. It's crazy how that worked.

Like, that was just crazy. But then, like, do you ever, you know, just, you make the beat and you think, like, damn, somebody could go crazy on this? Did you hear that song and just think, like, oh, wow, they really do go crazy on this? Like, they did exactly what they had to do to make this shit a smash. Yeah. And a lot of the times, I ain't gonna lie to you. I try to separate.

I try not to think about what somebody could do because it's like seeing like something like legendary pop out of nowhere. And I really, everything that happened made sense, but I didn't know it was going to be that big. But of course, Rio had buzz at that time, so I'm already thinking he going to do Rio, you know what I'm saying? But that song like was just kind of crazy. But I try not to think about what it could be and just make this shit.

You know what I'm saying? Definitely. Was like, you know, first time you met Rio, you're kind of, you know, you're in high school. You're like, you know, a little bit more like quiet kids sort of observing, taking shit in. You meet somebody like Rio, he's been in the streets for all these years. He's whaling out. He's got all kinds of amenities, I'm assuming, around and stuff. Like, were there any of these rappers where you met him for the first?

time and you were like holy fuck like I'm I'm dealing with some serious ass people right now uh not really not really because it's it's like of course I don't live that lifestyle you know what I'm saying but it's like I didn't seem people you know what I'm saying like people like I don't know like I wasn't like you know like a shot like oh man like like no because it's it's kind of like you just see it like you can see it in it like even though you you ain't part of, you can still see it, like, as you grown up, you know what I'm saying? Well, I feel like you probably get, like, a good version of a lot of people, too, because you could have, like, the most street dude in the world.

And, you know, if they're smart when it comes to dealing with a producer, they should be trying to butter you up, me as nice as possible, like, make you happy, make sure you're having a good time because they want to be the one who's getting, you know, your favorite beat and not your 50th favorite beat from that month, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just got a brain phone Yeah man Yeah yeah

Hold on what you just said I just had a brain phone We could just like cut that out or whatever Well I mean I feel like you're going to get like the best version Of a lot of artists You know because they're wanting you to give them like the best beat That you're going to make that month

to not like your 50th best beat. So you know, I feel like a lot of times they're gonna be on kind of their best behavior when it comes to producers, or at least they should be if they're thinking right. Yeah, I mean, shit is really just being them, to be honest though, because that's how all this shit is, it's like literally just being us, you know what I'm saying?

Like, we just, we ain't going in there really just trying to do anything. Like, that's how all this, you really just having fun with all this shit, to be honest. I mean, I know I'm not like necessarily tuned into all of it, But it does kind of seem like a lot of the Flint, Detroit dudes have some sort of like a brotherhood type vibe going because realistically, like, they all know that this city was not that popping a couple years ago. And that, you know, it's kind of like when you look at Atlanta or L.A., it's like it's such a big scene that people have room to sort of start hating on each other and shit like that. It feels like Flint and Detroit are in a pretty good place in that regard.

Like, you know, the Yadi tape comes out and got everybody on that tape. That was a good look for the whole community, I think. For real, because it's just kind of like, when you don't have the resources or you don't have like the resources or you don't have like the buzz or necessarily even like attraction to the city, you know what I'm saying? Like we just, all you got to do is stick together. You know what I'm saying? They ain't no other choice. You know what I'm saying? So it's kind of like that seeing our respect level, seeing from Flint.

to Detroit, you know what I'm saying. And even if, like, I think Detroit a little bit more, you know, kind of a little bit more separated, but at the same time, you can still see, like, they, they really got a good brotherhood in their area. So, you know what I'm saying? And they're pretty big, so, but in Flint, we ain't got no other choice, you know what I'm saying. Like, it's, we just one city. Like, you either do or die pretty much, because it's like, you all kind of see, like, that there ain't necessarily, like, good opportunities happening if you don't do it, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. Okay, so then you're starting to get your name there.

Like, did people just start reaching out to you? Or how do you go about, you know, sort of getting in the studio with more and more people? Or how did, did you think to yourself, like, maybe I just want to be Rio's producer? Or were you like, no, I want to, like, get out there and, like, really start communicating with a lot of different people? I feel like the goal, the goal always been, like, I want to be, like, number one. You know what I'm saying? Like, I, even if, like, I knew, like, I knew, like, I'm not. I'm doing this Flint shit right now, but I want to be number one.

You know what I'm saying? So the goal always been reaching out and going past Flint, but at the same time, still keeping Flint. You know what I'm saying? So I always want to be involved with this shit, you know what I'm saying? Because now you've been working with all kinds of big-ass artists and stuff. Is that, I'm assuming that you're probably not in the studio with a lot of them, and they just want beats and you're just sending shit through.

Like, has there been anybody that really kind of amazed you that reached out? Um, I feel like, um, I can't even think all this talk about my hair, because I, I really don't be thinking about that kind of shit, though. Um, I say the, like, the first big one was Yadi. Yeah, like, Yadi. What was that conversation like? Um, he was just like, he hit me and he was like, bro, uh, send me a pack because I, I've been, I've been trying to, uh, get, uh, he said he's trying to find me like for months or some shit like that. He ain't know. where to find me or some shit. So I'm like, yeah, yeah. So it was really just good just tapping in with him because that kind of shit. That was like the first big shot like I ever had. Like Yadi was like big, like 2016, like that whole year.

That changed the way of hip-hop, I ain't know why. So that kind of shit, seeing Yadi, that was like different. How old you right now? 20. 20. Yeah. So 2016, you were 15. That puts in perspective, too, because a lot of the interviews I was doing at that time and stuff, I forget that, like, you know, you're talking to a 20, 21-year-old artist or producer.

Like, they were watching that shit or listening to that shit when they were at, like, they're going through puberty. They're in the middle of being 15 and just sort of figuring life out. That's crazy. Yeah, that's why it's kind of like surreal sitting up right here. It's like, nigga, I was sitting up here watching every interview, like, out of all my idols. So that's kind of crazy. Yeah, you earned it, man. Yeah.

Do you, I noticed you don't got like jewelry on and stuff, do you, like, what's your perspective on that? Because a lot of these artists that you're dealing with, I mean, they're buying as much jewelry as they possibly can. Yeah. I feel like my perspective on jewelry, like, for a long time, was like, this shit, that shit kind of stupid. I ain't going to lie. I'll be looking at jewelry, like, it's kind of stupid, but I ain't going to lie to you. Like, I can't say I don't like that shit. That shit, that shit looks hard, but I, I'd rather, I'd rather buy, you know what I'm saying, a car, or I'd rather buy, I don't even necessarily buy clothes.

Like, I'd rather just buy something that's just more, that seems more valuable to me. You know what I'm saying? I don't feel like jewelry that much value. Yeah, and the thing that people do wrong is that they buy jewelry before they got like, you know, a nice house or an apartment or a car, you know, all the car or apartment, all these kind of things make a lot more sense in terms of building. in your life of. If you're going to go straight to the jury, I mean, yeah, to me, that's not the best, best plan. Oh, yeah, for sure. And that's, that's kind of mentality of, like, a lot of, a lot of hoodniggas, you know what I'm saying? Like, there's just kind of like, the chain and the, and the, the flash is more important than the, you know what I'm saying, the actual wealth,

you know what I'm saying? And that kind of, that kind of shit, I just, I just, I just stay away from, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, do you, do you think long term, though, like, are you, are you, Is your mind state on how you're going to make, you know, a career for yourself that's going to have you still living good 20 years from now and not just right now? For sure. That kind of stuff. I feel like so many people, like, like, seeing, like people's experiences kind of shape the way that I even handle money today. You know what I'm saying? Seeing like even like how my mama and even like just family generations, you know, of how different experiences, you know.

know what I knew I never wanted to work a job because I'm like this modern day down near slavery you know what I'm saying so it's kind of like seeing different shit you know what I'm saying kind of shaped the way like I don't want to do certain shit you know what I'm saying even though like family do whatever like it's good attentions but you know certain shit just just not cool that's so true though because I feel like when I was young my mind state was on like my mind state was not on like how am I going to be the freshest dude around or how am I going to be stunting harder than other people than my in my grade or whatever my mind state was on I don't want to have a job so I'm going to figure out how to live as cheaply as possible

and how to make money from different ways and I always knew like if I have like a big ass car payment every month or whatever it's just going to make it harder and harder for me to not work which is my number one goal was like I just don't want to have to wake up every day and go do something I don't want to do yeah exactly yeah that's facts because I think that that told me I got a job. I was a detailing cars. Every day I was like in that bitch just stressing. Like I'm, and at the time, I'm just, I'm dropping shit with the whole Flint, you know what I'm saying?

But it's just like, like, that shit just taught me I don't want to ever be in that, that predicament ever in my life. That kind of shit just gone. Yeah, I got those memories too, like thinking about being a kid and all I wanted to do, I was like 15, 16, it was ride bikes. Go out with my friends and ride bikes, do those BMX shit. And I just remember, like, I worked at the grocery store like three days out of the week. And there would just be days where all my homies were like, oh, we're going to Boston. Or we're taking the train and we're going to go ride or go to this skate park or whatever.

And it just killed me that I was missing out on a fun-ass experience so I could work for $5 an hour in the grocery store. That killed my fucking soul. So, yeah, that just really helped spur. everything for me, yeah. Yeah, yeah, man. Definitely. You know, okay, so what is your preferred way of working with artists? Because I see, like, there's a lot of different styles, you know, like my boy Ron Ron

the producer, who's one of the hottest producers out of L.A. I had him pull up to the studio with AD, who you just met the other day, and he just popped in, gave him the hard drive, downloaded, like, however many beats, boom. He was kind of like out the door. He was in and out in, like, 23. 30 minutes. And I was like, that's interesting because, you know, I know a lot of producers who would much rather, you know, sit there, cook up a beat, have the artist start kind of flowing on like a rough skeleton of the beat. And then they keep adding more sounds until they

feel like they got it exactly where they want it. There's like a lot of different styles of how a producer can work with an artist. What's, what's your preferred one? My preferred, I'm, I'm kind of in and out, too. You know what I'm saying? I'm kind of in and out because, like, I, I always I'm kind of like, I kind of want to feel the artist, you know what I'm saying? I know a lot of times with the artist just feeling like they, they sometimes don't want to be fucking like sitting there, want to be having them cooked up, you know what I'm saying? I know that even some artists do want that shit, you know what I'm saying, but I'm more of an in and out like I got some shit on my phone, you know what I'm saying, I'm just, I'm

just tear this bitch down, you know what I'm saying? Right. So that's how I come in and kind of, you know, address that, but it's just, um, I don't know. I feel like this is just a, I just the way I am though. I'm kind of not a very social person like that, you know what I'm saying? I'm not one of the ones that walk up, you know, like, well, I want you to rap like this on the beat. You know what I'm saying?

I'm just kind of like, I walk in. I want you to be shocked by my shit that's got, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, and there's some producers who like definitely are in it because they want to kind of be a rapper in a sense. Like they want to be in the studio, smoking weed with everything. everybody doing all the same shit that rappers are doing, taking photos with everybody, which is cool because, I mean, that shit is, you know, it might be good for your brand in the long run. But, yeah, I mean, that, that is interesting how that's, like, a choice that you kind of make is like how much. Because, I mean, realistically, if you pull up on an artist and you spend a half

hour kicking it, showing them the beats, and then you're out of there, that's just more time that you could be in the lab making more shit. And every beat you make is a different chance that it's going to go. But I will say, I will say, it is a good thing to to have that presence of being a part of the song, you know what I'm saying? Because that do separate you from being a beatmaker and a producer. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like producers, you are more able to lay out a song, you know what I'm saying,

bring these different sounds and bring, you know what I'm saying, like more DJ Calais, you know what I'm saying? But a beat maker, which I am right now, you know what I'm saying, I'm just dropping beats. But have you thought about making the music? that distinction or making that move of like trying to make your own songs and like you go get a verse from this artist and this artist and then you make the beat exactly how you want it and then you kind of own it have you thought about doing that that direction for sure that that kind of stuff

that kind of stuff is going to come natural you know what I'm saying like me progressing and me just wanted to make that move you know what I'm saying that that kind of stuff already in the words you know right yeah um one thing that kind of surprised me when I was getting ready for this interview is there was a couple different songs that I went to that I was like oh yeah yeah like I want to listen to that song because that's my energy beat and then I realized like oh shit that song just has a beat that sounds hell I like energy yeah and I in my head I thought that it was you the whole time yeah yeah I don't know if you hear that a lot but uh yeah how do you how do you feel the people sort of you know I mean I mean that shit happens so quickly in beats that it's almost

like nobody really has you might have like a you know a couple weeks or a month or some shit where your style is your style, and then it kind of becomes everybody's style. How do you feel about that? I feel, I ain't going to lie, I was mad as hell about that shit when I first heard it because it's like, it's like, damn, like, I'm not even established. I'm not established yet, you know what I'm saying? This is how I was feeling like when I was, I'm not established. So it was like when I was hearing shit, like different producers that got my same sound,

kid my same like you know what I'm saying it's kind of like damn I'm not even on yet like like chill you know what I'm saying but it it's kind of like when I look back and like look at it now like I embrace that shit because it's like I got the whole Michigan on that kind of way right now it's kind of it's it's really kind of it's just dope to see it it just really just show like how impactful I am to the whole culture like yeah because I mean even if it's not you making the beat if there's a beat that's popping and it sounds a lot like your shit. It's like anyone who really knows is going to be having the conversation of, oh, yeah, like, you know, that style came from energy.

But then at the same time, it's kind of on you to continue being an innovator and continue to progress in shit and, like, really, you know, pushing the sound because that's going to be the thing that keeps people trying to tune in with your shit, yeah. And that's, I just got to, but I just got to lead the whole, the whole way, you know what I'm saying? That's why I'm kind of, I'm lining up. all the good producers that I fuck with, you know what I'm saying? And that team would form, you know what I'm saying? But I'm leading away through this shit.

So what's that look like? You're putting together other producers. You're trying to form like a little collective and shit? For sure. That kind of stuff is like, it's really like notable names. I ain't got it together all the way, but for sure when I have like Pablo, Jalen, you know, baby on the track. Really the key hit makers that's been, you know, carrying the sound up, you know what I'm saying?

So, yeah, I want to get them together for sure. Do you feel like your style? Like, was it really like, who would you say influenced or made you kind of want to go in the direction that you went in? Because there is like a connection where you think of Flint, you think of it as being like an old industrial type area and just sort of having like a real gritty feel. And I feel like in a lot of ways, that's a big part of what made a lot of these rappers pop off was that your style just kind of was like the perfect soundtrack for Rio saying the most offensive

shit he could ever think of or, you know, all this wild shit. Like what influenced you or helped cause you to go in that direction? First, I got to say, like, hell of a is a big influence because he actually, like, introduced me to the whole Detroit song you know what I'm saying like he was the first producer

I listened to from Detroit and then it went on from like it went on from like meech and like different like people that made shit for smooth and it's just all those people like really introduced me to the sound

you know what I'm saying so I wouldn't be I wouldn't even be making these fast asses beats if I wasn't listening to them. You know what I'm saying? But what influence me, I say like, it was like, I just wanted to hear like some fast shit with a lot of A to 8-O-A.

And that's like as simple as it gets. You know what I'm saying? Like, I feel like that's the whole thing anyway. Like, it's just simple. Like, my whole sound is just simple. Like, it's not doing too much. It's not, you know what I'm saying? So I feel like that's what, like,

influence me, you know what I'm saying? I just wanted to hear some, some fast-ass-ass 808s right down the street. How much have you done for ESTG at this point? At this point, just 5,500 degrees. Off of the new project or the one before that? Off the new project. Okay.

So I did that, and that was, like, tapped in through barreling and shit like that. And that was kind of, you know, big-ass shit like that. but I'm really just now getting tied in to that issue, you know what I'm like really just moving up the ranks type of shit. Because he's somebody that he's from Kentucky, like sometimes people think he's from Detroit or some shit because he fucks with all artists out there and like his style is a little bit like that. He has his own, you know, distinct flow, I think as well. But that's one thing I said when I was interviewing him because I listened to like his like older projects and shit. And I was like, I think one of the biggest things that you did right is that you started getting on faster beats. and that really just like fit your style

and I think that's what kind of blew him up over the course of the past like six months or so yeah for sure and I thought when I first heard of him I thought he was from Detroit I'm like how long he got like that it's not the sound it's really more like what he's talking about and like his like the grit

in it like you don't really see too many niggas that come up and they like and they just gritty like that you know what I understand like you know what I'm saying looking to him like he really got something yeah i read an article about him that was basically like they're talking about like man estu g should be on the top of the world right now he's doing so good stuff but he's still like his demeanor is just like you don't give a fuck and i'm like yeah that's what makes him tight though is just that he's sort of like unaffected by whatever like he's just

he's just kind of like a grimy low-key dude who don't really like care about all this frivolous shit you know yeah and that's why i like a i feel like that's uh i feel like that's what was gonna care him a long way though it's like you don't get caught in the gimmicks you know what I'm saying he just you know real to itself so that I fuck with that too um you you don't get into the drinking or the smoking or uh no I I don't I I can't smoke because it's like that shit fuck me up that shit I think too much I I think way too much like I I I I damn near had like a damn near a heart attack really last time I smoked like this shit how long

was that? How long ago? It was like probably like six months ago. Okay. I was down there goddamn in my head. Like I'm, I think way too much. So I know I can't smoke, but drinking smooth. You know what I'm saying? Drink it smooth, but I don't drink too much, but drinking smooth, but smoking, I can't do that shit, that shit. That shit. You might want to fuck with these 2020 sour rings. If you can't smoke. You might want to just nibble a little piece. You might don't want to go too crazy right away. You had one, Gina? I'll be tearing down. No, no. Oh, you do? Oh, yeah. Oh, I didn't know that. Oh, wow. Gina's high right now. Fuck. Okay. That's a good news. Damn, I had no idea.

Yeah. That's good to hear, though. Are there any other artists that you have stuff coming out with or, like, any artists who reached out to you for beats and shit that you've sent to recently that you are, like, looking forward to having shit. Because I'm sure you have all kinds of shit in the works that hasn't. dropped yet um i i'll be i don't even be thinking uh i just know i got a whole bunch of shit that's coming out from j louis uh kid you know what i'm saying crispy life kid that was one of the first dudes that you worked with as well right yeah yeah he was like i think he was like probably like one of my fifth artists that ever hop on my beat like like he taught like in the first five to ever have rock on on energy beats so um yeah um I got shit coming out with everybody.

I just can't think about the shit that's coming out from industry side, though. Yeah. Definitely. I'm assuming, like, in the beginning, did you not have the business side of things down as well as you do now? Like, how did you, like, contrast and compare? What did you have to learn in order to get the business side locked down a little bit more? I'd say initially, like, Flint didn't know. So, like.

Right, nobody in the whole fucking city knew. I'm assuming. Nobody knew, like, how to do this shit. You know what I'm saying? Like, it was so much, it was, like, so much, like, friction, like, on the business side, like, nobody knew what to do. So it was kind of like, now we getting into, like, producer agreements and all of the publishing and all of the splits. And it's, like, the splits and shit in the beginning was, like, stressful. I didn't know nothing about that shit

so I'm just like, fuck it. When you make the song and then you got to figure all that shit out afterwards, it gets super complicated in comparison to like actually knowing what you got going beforehand, right? Facts. And it's kind of like we had to do a lot of catch up, you know what I'm saying? Because it was like

we did shit for a whole year. And then it's like, well, shit, we got the whole world looking at us, but we don't got the business side situation. You know, saying but now it's now everything locked in you know what I'm saying everything uh pretty locked in it's just it's just for sure in that beginning it was crazy do you have anybody who like

helped you get your shit together in that regard you got like a manager or a team to help you figure out anybody reach out um I say as we as we went like um I got a lawyer um I think firsthand like it was Bob Celeste's my lawyer so that kind of shit helped me out you know what I'm saying TQ over there you kind of helped me out on the business side you know what I'm saying my pops learning the business side because you're my manager right now too

so like just really going through this shit experiencing this shit you know what I'm saying like you're just learning different shit so you're going to naturally learn the business side of the music. Damn your pop must be super fucking proud of you huh? Oh yeah

what's that like bro? You got a you got to meet him like he he a character brother he a character for sure that I mean that must be trippy as fuck to like you know just have a kid you see him doing something at three you just assume kids are going

through phases and who knows what the fuck is going to end up doing and it's all that must be crazy for him to see you like really having such a big role in the culture of the city and you know he was watching you fucking stir it up all those years yeah for sure for sure for sure you got to get his perspective

uh he for sure gonna tell you about that shit for sure that's dope as fuck i'm hyped on that yeah that's good news um what do you think like rio having to go in and and do some time what do you think that does to the overall energy no pun intended of the city oh that's funny too um um i feel like rio uh sitting down i feel like it just makes us more motivated you know what i'm saying like it just it just it just makes us more motivated because that like what he did for the city alone would never go like he a legend like forever going to be a legend like no matter what so it's like it's like we just really we turn you know what saying now we got

now we got to keep this shit going you know what I'm saying like we have to like it's no other choice so that's the kind of energy we got going on right now it's like we got to keep we got to keep press yeah definitely free rail that's going to be hopefully you know hopefully that five years turns into like a year and a half or some shit and they don't have to be too too ridiculous exactly yeah even when i know i know the day he get out that shit it's gonna go right back where it like it never left oh yeah he was going crazy before that like just doing so many goddamn features and just putting out so much shit that you know he was he was just like working his ass off up until the fucking moment he had to go in literally like like that kind of work ethic like made me want to keep

making beats like that. Like, he worked, like, crazy. I ain't never seen an artist do that many features. Like, him and Mike and Louis and Jay, like, doing all those features, but just Rio alone, just, even just, like, that's too many, that's crazy. Like, that's too many features. I don't know how much energy he put into that shit. I never rap, but that's crazy.

When did you get the name and where exactly did it come from? because it's kind of perfect because like, you know, people will be talking about keep that same energy. I got to protect my energy. There's a lot of energy talk these days. Yeah, yeah. I feel like it's like two things to it. Energy came from like me wanting to be like on the physical aspect. I always was like I want to be.

I want people to hear my beats and I want to move. Like I want people to hear my beats and I want to move. and I want to actually want to dance. Like, I want you to feel like what I just made. You know what I'm saying? Like, when I, like, I walked in sessions and I've seen people just stand still. Like, I don't ever want that shit to happen when I'm on, you know what I'm saying?

But that's what I came up with. I was a senior, you know, trying to figure out, like, what's my producer name going to be? And I just, it came over energy and I dropped the second E, you know what I'm saying? saying but the other side too it is like more like on the spiritual level you know what I'm saying like more of like like energy all around us you know what I'm saying like it's more of a like being tapped in and like knowing like your soul is an energy you know what I'm saying we all energy walking around you know what I'm saying so it's more like on that level but you know

that's real when you're driving around or going to do something and you're just listening to music for pleasure at this point in your life what are you likely

to be listening to? I majority to listen to I ain't gonna lie at first I was just listening to my beats but at this point I listen to like

potential samples you know like like sometimes like if I got serious like in my in my car right now so I go like on 50 and I go like on like a groove station and I really I'm just listening to all old music like at this point I'm just listening to samples like I can't really listen to my beats no more I just I just got to listen to samples and get inspired yeah like when you sit down to make beats what's that usually look like like what's like a good day for you is you going to sit down and make

beats for a couple hours and you make beats for 10 hours like what's it look like a good beat day for me like I say like I'm sitting down for like 12 hours straight 12 yeah like 12 hours straight like it might start from like might start from like 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. like I might like I might just cook all like from all day you know what I'm saying and that's usually like I'll probably fuck around get like 20 beats like but like like an average day i say like 10 like and that's like five hours you know what I'm saying right so that's it's cool you know what I'm saying it kind of fluctuates on me to tap the end for 12 or I'm for five you know what I'm sitting down for hours at a time for sure what uh do you got any hobbies or anything you like to do outside of just working on the music I ain't gonna lie to you

I just I just be on the game I just play 2K and may be nice you nice I'm pretty nice I'm pretty nice. Like I'm and I'm having kind of like conversations. Like I need to start streaming like because I just can't be playing too gay for no reason. That made sense to me. Like I just can't be on the game for no reason. Like I'm just grinding in the SS3 for no reason. Like that it makes no sense because it's just taking up a lot of time.

Yeah. And I mean there's a lot of producers doing good shit on Twitch now too. But I bet like you could probably do some kind of combination of both. Like people love watching people make beats. on Twitch and answer questions. And if you were doing that and playing games and shit, people would probably really fuck with you. You might never get out the house if you start streaming,

doing all that shit all that time. Man, I probably don't need to start doing that shit because I don't like to leave the house. So it's like, if I do that shit, I know, I know I know I'm going to be in a career every day. Like, not leaving. Probably never going to get groceries. Like, it's already bad.

Like, I door to ash every day. Like, just because I'm lazy, like I door to ask, order groceries, all type of shit. Like it's, it's bad, bro. How, uh, how comfortable you feel right now, money-wise? Like, has your life really, really changed from, from the success you've had musically? Yeah, um, I feel real good money-wise. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, um, I'm comfortable to where I don't have to worry about bills. I can buy what I want, you know what I'm saying? Like, I don't, I'm, I'm blessed, you know what I'm saying? So it's just

kind of like, um, it's just I don't, um, um, um, I just don't, I feel like I don't spend it on shit that, that's typically, like, fun. You know what I'm saying? But for sure, I'm, like, super, super comfortable. I mean, just let that shit stack. And then, you know, maybe at a certain point you got enough money built up that you can kind of be like, all right, now I got some money to play with and I could do this, this, and this, or whatever. But I feel like at least at first, especially, like, if you were, you know, basically broke,

a couple years ago, I mean, build up that security blanket so that you don't have to worry about ever being in that position again, you know? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. For sure, for sure. It's, it's really, I feel like I always tell people that, like, I ain't really struggle as an adult. Like, I didn't, I'm, I feel like I'd never struggle as an adult because it's kind of like, I did.

Of course, I worked a job. You know what I'm saying? I was in my own. apartment at 18, you know what I'm saying, fresh out of high school, you know what I'm saying? Like I, I kind of struggled in that sense, but I still wasn't because I was able to pay the bills, you know what I'm saying? So like, all this shit that's coming my way is like, it's like just plus something. It's like, damn, like, I'm making so much as where it's like, I don't even, I don't even, I don't do anything. So it's just kind of like, it's just sitting there. So like,

that's why I'm like, I got to invest. Because it's like, I don't, I don't do shit else. If you're trading Bitcoin as well as playing 2K and making beats, then your Twitch stream will really be lit. I actually want to get into that shit. I want to get into stocks and shit. That was a good time with the Bitcoin. The price is kind of low right now. Yeah.

I'm going to have to hop in. Shit, all right. Anything that we need to be looking forward to in terms of new stuff you got on the way? Shit. You don't know. It'll just be some big booms. For sure, for sure. That's real.

Yeah, I appreciate it, man. Yeah, meeting and get this in for a minute. I'm glad we finally got it done. Yeah. And basically, I mean, hey, everybody follow you on Instagram and tap in if they're trying to get some heat. And, yeah, best of luck in terms of everything that you're building right now. I'm very optimistic. Yeah, appreciate you, man.

I appreciate it. It's honor for sure. Yeah, for sure. Energy beats. Check us out on YouTube. No jumper. The patrons are on the screen right now. to the patreon.com slash no jumper family

check us out on YouTube SoundCloud iTunes all that shit like comment, subscribe, nojumper.com if you want to support. Appreciate you man. Yeah. Much love.