So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become a producer?
Born in South Jersey and I reside there now but growing up, I’ve lived in NY and spent my childhood in Houston, TX . Grandson of Chester Grier Sr. and Thelma White, I’ve watched lifetime of uncles and cousins who are 100% Grade A! From drums ,bass guitar, keys ,songwriting ,to vocals the production process is in our genes to make timeless music . Poetry in my early teens gave me interest to song-write ,shortly after downloading the now popular DAW Fruity Loops (Now Fl Studio) which is on its 11th series I’ve really had years to research the various ways to manipulate sounds. When I have spare time I do hands on tutorials and 1on1 courses for many techniques I really enjoy finding a sample that stimulate & enhances your third eye. My style is very original which makes it almost impossible to duplicate..I know what im used to hearing from others so being myself eliminates all competition because my next beat has to be better then the last ,so getting my collection of now over 900+ beats listened to is my top priority by attending showcases and mixer events like Istandards Philly Style Producer Battle ,that was march 2013 I picked up 2 fellow producers and two artists and crossed the bridge straight to south st. Showcasing five of my favorite beats with 22 other upcoming beat makers like Grade A & Doeboy Philly before 3 judges, super producers Omen, Pop Wansel, and Cardiak Flatline .I took all feedback given from the panel and continued perfecting my craft . Events like that give use a platform to say play my ish! The crowd extremely entertained the event is “Instrumental Heaven” ,the system in the venue was ridiculous there was a room of bobble heads. I’ve roughly compiled an archive of about seven thousand contacts mostly emails of artists looking for beats…I may change my name to from The Gentleman to Stack Beats in the near future because I’m close to having one thousand beats made. Don’t plan on taking a day off now.
How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
That was the easiest. I’ve been called that from a child til now. Strangers call me Gentleman and have no clue I got it tattooed on me since 2005 so I strive everyday to live up to it…and musically everyone says I’m nice !!
What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
I think there’s a storm coming…personally I love it because I’m a music fanatic and technology has given me access to music 24/7! And yes all my music is free for promotional use only (where proper credit is given). On sites like datpiff & Monstermixtapes, pretty much anywhere you get your free Mixtapes my instrumental tape Kush & Red Kool-Aid Beats pt 10 will be out soon including over 100+sites & blogs you can search “Prod By TheGentleman” for the previous beats like Coast 2 Coast & GotInstrumentals.
Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller beat makers or musicians looking to get gigs and placements some tips?
Nothing that hasn’t been said before… build a strong network ethic. Talent means nothing without personality if you can’t build relationships this is not the career for you it’s a nice hobby and there is nothing wrong with that. As far as a gig; that’s linking with promoters, djs, artists, and street teams…submit the music. What’s the worst they could say?
Do you ever make mistakes during a session? How do you handle that?
Yes there are always going to be tech issues but I’m very handy with troubleshooting. I’m normally the one someone calls when something goes wrong recently started a course for computer technology. Handling those problems just come with the job if you have a recording studio purchase extra cables and headphones, backup hard drive.
Where do you usually make your music? What is your usual production process?
Anywhere and everywhere thanks to laptops, that’s a good question though because your song is going to be made from your current vibe which your surroundings play a big role. Also the energy from other people involved in that creative process is a mind blowing experience if you have really good chemistry in the room. I would like to open a studio again if the opportunity comes.
Do you have a website? Do you have a Facebook or Twitter? Do you use Bandcamp, Spotify, ExposedVocals or SoundCloud to share your music?
You might get lucky and find my music on most of those (my fb/ig =@prodbythegentleman) also (fb/twitter=@ITSAWRAPmusic) but mainly www.thegentleman. tk personally i’m not a big fan of some of those sites because most people forget where they got the music from. If majority of them got a phone call right now and their track is about to be a hit , they would be searching for a needle in a haystack to locate a soundcloud acct. from 2001 ,My Mixtapes allow me to include all contact info , I also put my contact info in the track name. Being personal with the artists I send my music to allow me to build a relationship and also help with the promotion, you can also download straight from my website www.thegentleman.tk
What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Honestly don’t have any. I like riding music, I’m mostly in my truck you can’t afford to have something embarrassing start playing. I listen to hip hop and my beats so we put the ipod on shuffle and ride.
If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
No days off! A million dollars would be more than enough to make some really serious moves. Invest a decent amount and turn that into profit. Once the business is done then I’ll take a vacation…One day!
Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
Upgrades are always nice I’m into midi controllers, a new pc sounds well over due, as well .I currently use arturia it’s a great synth controller with a gold mind of sounds.
How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Word of mouth…I appreciate all the support my biggest task with music was getting someone to hit play…my website traffic increases because I’ve conquered that goal and working on others…there’s a storm coming.
If you could work anywhere and with any artist (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Doesn’t matter where… Jay-z, hands down; that’s a goal that must and will happen one day. I grew up following the blueprint so I know I could add the same amount of class to his project, which would be an achievement of success in my career.
So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Honored to be featured on the site it’s been a pleasure, finishing up Kush & Red Kool-Aid beats, and featured on a couple upcoming beat tapes like Coast 2 Coast instrumentals pt 55 hosted by J Oliver. I’m working on my brand which consist of clothing ,artist management , and my app “Prod By TheGentleman” free in Itunes/GooglePlay market…gives artists and songwriters access to over 50+ hip hop beats produced by myself at any given time from any Smartphone for free.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
I’m a big tech nerd for electronics so probably cracking jokes in an office fixing computers all day with headphones on.
Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
That’s funny first album I spent my money on was will smith my mother didn’t play that. I played that CD loud and proud until it was trash cause there was no cursing, so I could get jiggy all f’n night!
How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
I’ve been doing this for over 10yrs and always been a HipHop fan. Making it a profession was just destined for me I’m just patient and taking it a day at a time. It has become a lifestyle for me so as long as I take care of my responsibilities that are all I’m concerned about.
What should fans look forward too for the rest of 2014 and beyond?
More timeless music and hopefully the next record you hear on the radio will be produced by the gentleman. I’ll definitely be stopping by again soon love the site!! *ITSAWRAP!
