Interview with Producer Vin Major from Staten Island

Vin Major is NYC hip-hop producer who raised himself in hip-hop culture and tries to embody the sound of genre with every beat he makes. His production is top notch, and is planning big things in the immediate future.

Who are you, what do you do? 

What's up world? My name is Vin Major, I am a producer/beatmaker from New York.

Tell me about Get Major and how did you get started? 

Get Major was my initial independent production label that I created years ago while in the process of evolving my music and business opportunities. I have branched off to starting my own production team known as The Tune Doc's represented by 523 studios/records.

How long have you been producing and did you ever explore other things musically? 

I have been producing music for roughly eight years with a few long hiatuses here and there. I have never limited my creative opportunities and experimenting with other genres has always been my sole goal. I am currently working on a instrumental album which consists of many different genres from trip hop/ funk/soul/electronica and rock all mixed in one.

What do you feel is the connection between good rapping and good beats? 

They go hand for hand, but I feel sometimes you have to know the artist you are working with and arrange music accordingly...where the artist and beatmaker do not fight to out shine each other. Many artists lack substance in certain departments of lyricism where the beatmaker would have to emphasize more characteristics in an individual track and visa versa. Sometimes the beatmaker adds too much, he leaves no room for the artist but I think you should know the people you work with and know their strong points as an artist. I know how to create music with enough space for them to be as creative and comfortable as possible.

What gear do you use and how do you go about creating your beats?

I started on Acid Pro and until this day I still swear by it. My current set up consist of a Macbook Pro, Logic Pro 9, Reason 6, Akai Mpk 25, a MPC 1000, and a bunch of midi controllers, keyboards with a lot of custom sounds and samples on my hard drive.

Who are your favorite producers and rappers? 

I change my mind every day, but as far as producers I've always been a Dr. Dre fan. I admire his perfectionist craft, DJ Khalil (Not to be confused with DJ Khaled), Nottz Raw, Hi Tek, Alchemist... too many to name. I'm definitely feeling the new kids, my guy Arrabmuzik, Hit-Boy, Frank Dukes, Jhalil Beats, Cardiak, just to name a few.

Who would you aspire to sound like and have you gotten any comparisons? 

I try not sound like anybody, I do not think any two artists or producers sound the same. You can deliberately tell when there is a carbon copy or one producer influences the other, but everything I do is based on feeling and the atmosphere or my mood; so I basically arrange my mood and emotions. It's still me to the core.

What rappers have you worked with, and are any of them famous?

I have worked with a few artists in the past: Big Lou (former Street Sweepers artist), Bodybaggs (Champion Muzik),  Grafh (Black Hand), Cash NY, and featured tracks with Kool G Rap, Nino Bless, Joell Ortiz, and Styles P. They've gone uncredited due to legal issues and some paper work, but that's the game...I am focusing on my own project now and the artist I am working with now.

Where do you hope to take your music?

Right now I have a bunch of projects in motion. Me and my partner/engineer Mike Checks of 523 Records have been working hands on and trying new things out in the new studio. Shout out to Mike Checks, he's a very dope engineer and we have this in studio chemistry that I feel is bringing a lot of my creativity back to life. He knows exactly how I want my stuff to sound from a mixing stand point and his ear for music is phenomenal. In the long run I am just trying to create good music and leave something for people to remember me by. It's my art, it's my vent, so regardless how far it goes I just enjoy making music.

What is your take on today's hip-hop? 

It's evolved for better and for worse, technology evolves, trends fade, fads have a short life span and we just entered a different age. I just take it for what it is.

Anything else you'd like to add? 

Look out for my Tune Doc Saints instrumental LP. There's a few things I want to keep quiet that I can't speak on, but I am very excited about Broken Records Collective, we'll just have to wait and see (laughs). Also my future project with Drow and Damier of the Cypha, I have been working heavy with them and I think they have a bright future in this game.

Shoutouts to: Mike Checks, Hoffy, 523 Records, Bareknuckle Mafia, and SiK Boi. 

Contact me on twitter @Vinmajor