Episode 77 – Interview with Mike Kuz | Illmind BLAPCHAT

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The world of hip-hop is as competitive as ever, and nowhere is that truer than among producers, one of the few lucrative positions left in the market. The name !llmind first popped off on the Beat Society scene (circa 2001), one of the first live producer events in existence, where he showcased with heavyweights like Kanye West and Just Blaze. He soon began to make a name for himself, producing tracks for underground legends such as Little Brother (Good Clothes, Nobody Like Me), Boot Camp Clik (Let's Go), Akrobatik, El Da Sensei, Diamond D, KRS-ONE (Survival Skills) and more. In 2005, he produced and released an entire album on BBE with fellow producer Symbolyc One (Kanye's "Power" producer & now G.O.O.D. Music family) called "The Art Of Onemind", which featured a slew of underground artists, including Ghostface Killa. In 2006, Sha Money XL (former G-Unit records president & current VP A&R at Def Jam) signed and upgraded the New Jersey beat-smith's seat from economy to first class, bringing new !llmind produced songs with Erykah Badu (Get Live), 50 Cent (Queens, Make A Movie, All His Love), Ludacris, Lloyd Banks, Prodigy, Kool G Rap, Redman, Scarface (Who Are They, It's Not A Game), LL Cool J, and even The Jabbawockeez (America's Best Dance Crew season 1 Champs). Since then, he's released multiple full-length albums, one with acclaimed lyricist Skyzoo called "Live From The Tapedeck" (released on Duckdown Records & considered a modern day classic to some), along with his own full-length instrumental album called "Beh!nd The Curta!n" (released on Nature Sounds records). He is also plays executive producer for 3 separate groups (all of which he is also an official member of); Fortilive (Mushmouf & Slo-Mo), SunZoo (Drunken Tiger, Yoon Mirae, Roscoe Umali & Styliztik Jones), and Smokey Robotic, a band which has garnered the attention of multiple Hollywood superstars such as Lindsay Lohan, Samantha Ronson, and more. !llmind has also been featured in multiple magazine and online publications, such as Scratch Magazine (Top 20 Best Producers), Hip Hop Weekly, Mass Appeal, The Source, XXL, Hiphopgame.com, and Hiphopdx.com. As an advocate for education in music business and production, !llmind taught Music Production Business classes at one of NYC's largest non-profit organizations, Harlem Children's Zone, from 2007-2009. Recently, he was hired at the prestigious Clive Davis Department Of Recorded Music at NYU as a Technical Music Instructor for a program called "Future Music Moguls". Taking his entrepreneurship even further, !llmind started his own bi-weekly producer showcase event in NYC called "Beats, Love, Alcohol & Party" (B.L.A.P.), which gives up-coming and established music producers a chance to showcase exclusive music in a club atmosphere. The event has been a huge success, with participants such as Amadeus (Hitmen/Bad Boy), Mr. Fingaz (Ja Rule/Fabolous), Digga (50 Cent/Jay-Z), and more. With an on-going digital compilation series called "Blaps, Rhymes & Life" (touting over 200,000 downloads worldwide & 5 Volumes), an exclusive bi-monthly event for his fellow producers, and a handful of music for both underground and mainstream/pop artists in the works, things can only get bigger. "Reach for the stars, and the sky can never be your limit." - !llmind Credits Placed records with 50 Cent, Eminem, LL Cool J, Ludacris, Scarface, Redman, Apl (Black Eyed Peas), G-Unit, Erykah Badu, LLoyd Banks, Drunken Tiger & Yoon Mirae (multi-platinum Korean hip-hop/pop artists), Music Licensed with Movado, ESPN, MTV, & more. illmind.biz facebook.com/TheRealillmind twitter.com/illmindPRODUCER illmindbiz.tumblr.com myspace.com/illmind soundcloud.com/illmind illmind.bandcamp.com