9th Wonder To Beatmakers: “You Gotta Do More Than Beats”


Producer 9th Wonder discusses auditioning beats for Jay Z, working with Erika Badu, and teaching music history.  Later 9th goes on to talk about the importance of saving older work and doing other thing besides making beats.

I made the actual beat for Erykah Badu’s honey seven years ago.  That’s why I say, everybody save your beats, because you never know who’s gonna like what.

I tell beatmakers all the time, you gotta do more than beats. If you want your career to go right, you just gotta do more than beats.

1,538 thoughts on “9th Wonder To Beatmakers: “You Gotta Do More Than Beats””

  1. 9th’s probably the only person wel known producer i’ve heard said Dr. Dre as one of his top, which is surprising to me.

  2. SAYING DR DRE IS NOT SURPRISING TO ME . LISTEN TO STRAIGHT OUTTTA COMPTON OR D.O.C FUNKY ENOUGH ! THEN LISTEN TO THE CHRONIC OR 50 CENT IN THAT CLUB ‘ HE NOT ONLY MADE BEATS HE ADDED A CHARACTER TO THE CHARACTERS IF YOU WILL. TIMBALAND ANOTHER INNOVAITIVE PRODUCER. AND THE OLD NEPTUNES. THE WHAT !WHAT ! N.O.R.E NEPTUNES. FEEL ME. RZA ‘ THOSE ARE PRODUCERS TO ME. NOTTZ ‘ UH THERE’S SO MANY MAN . DAMN UH ‘ HAVOC . THE LIST GOES ON ..

  3. hes right,only thing this is like the 4th or fifth intervieuw about rykha badu and jay z beats i wanne hear more then just that but overall dope video

  4. 9th Wonder always speaks the truth, as far as hustle, beatmaking, education, his personal tribulations, he don’t bullshit it. Cool laid back like North Carolineans. He definitely in my top 5 list of illest producers. I wonder what the last question was the interviewer asked 9th?

    BB$ Workshop

  5. Good info but I’m tired of hearing the same old stuff being regurgitated–okay, we know we need to do more than just make beats but with it near impossible to sit in on sessions nowadays, how are we supposed to actually produce? Give information on getting your foot in the door to be able to actually put a track in an artist’s hand.

  6. @Semantik lol at 9th, CK is dope fam. I was speaking on how producers who are “on” tend to give the same few pieces of recycled and non-useful “tips” for aspiring producers.

    • Thanks. Admittedly, I may have been on the verge of overreacting. Funny how the net has a way of triggering that.

      I’ll see what I can do about personally digging up more producer-centric info.

      Peace.

      • Much thanks for not tripping; I’ve been active with Crate Kings since like ’07 and 9th especially in interviews do we hear the same rhetoric that comes with each producer’s pass into the industry: say the exact same thing as everyone else while holding the really juicy bits for ASCAP, BMI and Remix functions so you’ll have something “clever” to say while on the panel.

        I guess the reason I say all this is because I’ve been making beats for about 3 years and haven’t quite broken through yet–I’ve got placements on chart-worthy albums and even a single and music video and I’m wondering what exactly is it that’s holding me back. So yeah, like I was saying, the redundancy of a lot of producer’s words shows that the sentiments aren’t really their own; it’s more than likely what they were either told to say by someone else or absorbed by watching others do it.

  7. quote

    “I tell beatmakers all the time, you gotta do more than beats. If you want your career to go right, you just gotta do more than beats”

    I like 9th wonder but after listening to his sample mixes he needs to take his own advice as his beats are so predictable.

    He uses the same kits, rhythms & his snares hit on the same beat.

    Its important to self regulate your output & not be a slave to your equipment & lazily use the same templates.

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