Few producers have made their mark on music like Zaytoven.
Known for his sharp beatmaking chops, Zaytoven has worked alongside leading artists including the likes of Gucci Mane, Usher, Future, Young Dolph, Migos, Lecrae, and Lil Yachty—just to name a few. He gained worldwide recognition from his work on Usher’s Raymond v Raymond, which earned him a GRAMY in 2011, and since then he has quite literally shaped the careers of OJ Da Juiceman, Yung L.A., and many others.
Above, Zaytoven sat down with us to showcase how he makes beats using Create’s audio upload feature as a source for inspiration. “I think part of my success is based on how I go back to the same sounds all the time,” he tells us. “I do it because I know what they sound like, I know how they feel in a beat, and people recognize them. I think it’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed around for so long; I’ve kept my core sound. But, I always also add something new—and what helps me do that is things like this. It helps me spark some new ideas, but still make Zaytoven beats at the same time.”
“I’m one of those guys who’s old but new at the same time. When I say that, I mean I like doing things the old-school way. I’m almost like an old man at heart—I don’t know why, but I’ve been like that since I was young. Even with producing, I still like making beats the ‘old’ way. But, I also love when some new piece of technology or some new equipment comes out, because it makes me go like, ‘Dang, I can use that to add to what I do.’ And it’ll make me that much bigger or better.”
“I can see all the possibilities now. It’s like I can go a whole another way, because this AI technology is helping me go in different directions that I never would have went in.”
What was your favorite insight from Zaytoven? What other topics would you like to see us explore next? Let us know in the comments section of the video, and subscribe to the Splice YouTube channel for more artist-led tips and tutorials.
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July 24, 2024
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