Str8HipHip

SHH:  So what have you been up to since the last time we spoke?

Lab Ox: Really man... Just grindin' man...  Just tryin' to get it in... Working with a lot of artists and just makin' good music.

SHH: So let's get into the joint everybody is talking about right now. The” Part Time Lover" joint with 50 Cent. How did that whole thing happen? How'd he get that beat?

Lab Ox: Basically I shop tracks back and forth to G-Unit and speak with the A&R up there Dre (Shouts out to Dre). So one thing leads to another and he said he gave the beat CD to 50. 50 heard it, recorded the song as soon as he heard it. So... I was shocked and I was surprised... It was a pretty great feeling.

SHH:  Word... So I know a couple of artists turned down that "Part Time Lover" beat.  Knowing that fact, have you touched base with those people and heard their feedback on what they've turned down? Feel free to call out names (Laughs).  Have any them said, "Damn... I wish I hoped on that first or picked that beat?"

Lab Ox: (Laughs). There's one thing you learn as you go on and that is, that the beats you make aren't for everybody. I sent the beat to Nickelus F (Shouts out to him) and Young Hot Rod (Shouts out to him) and a few other cats that I can't even name right now. But you see, when you hear a specific beat that you know is made for you as an artist, you know what to do with it. You know that's a track that when you spit on it, that no one else can spit on it like you. It just worked out that that particular track was for 50, so we have "Part Time Lover."

SHH:  So how do you figure out your "chemistry" with artist then? Cause we know you pretty much just send beats to people at random. How do you craft beats for particular artists or how do you make beats in general that make artists just want to hop on them? What's your formula?

Lab Ox: Really, most of the time I make what's hot to me. I like to think I have a pretty good ear, but when working with artists, I like to listen to music that they already have.  So I can say, "This is the way they approach this type of track" or "let me throw a curveball and still give them something that’s familiar to them."  I just take it from there and then see if I can take that artist in a different direction so we can create a hot sound.

SHH: As far as artists you've worked with, who do you feel you have the best chemistry with?

Lab Ox: (Silence) that’s a tough question... Really it's a lot of artists, man. At the end of the day, music is music to me, so whenever a good song comes out I can say, "that's my favorite" and then two months later another new track will be my favorite. I do great music with Nickelus F. I do great music with my boys Anzeo & Logan from making the band on the R&B side.  When I get Young Hot Rod on a track its great music... The list goes on... My boy J. Angel, we have great chemistry in the studio. From writing songs to me coming up with a beat and him coming up with a concept... So you know it really depends on the moment and when there's an artist who's capable of bringing the best out
of Lab Ox.

SHH: Speaking of artists you are working with. Tell us about you Production Company.

Lab Ox: My production company is Ex.O Entertainment. Shout out to Solid Projects, Heaven Underground Entertainment is the movement. It's me, J. Angel & Nu... We just gettin' it in.

SHH: What's the first release you are working on?

Lab Ox:  Right now we're doing a few things with a few labels.  We're trying to get a few things done with a few labels. Atlantic Records and Mosley Music Group in particular. I'm trying to get a couple of things poppin' with them. Locally I'm working on the J. Angel project. J. Angel is gonna be huge. He's gonna definitely be the next best thing. Then we got Anzeo and Logan from the new Making The Band.

SHH: Anzeo and Logan are R&B correct?

Lab Ox: Yeah...

SHH: Well I know you're no stranger to R&B. I've heard tracks with you singing on them. What direction are you trying to take that aspect of your career?

Lab Ox: Well... Before I was thinking of myself as an R&B artist, but now I fit more into the production side of things. You know?  So now I look at it as experience. You see Anzeo has two records right now that were originally my tracks. J Angel and I wrote and arranged the records, and I produced them as well... We gave them to Anzeo because I look at it like… I'm solely a producer now…I’ve flirted with being an artist, so I can turn that around and use those talents to give someone else the edge.

SHH: So as your career starts to expand and you have more clout would you enter back in the game as a singer or rapper? Say like Kanye West or Timbaland have done.

Lab Ox: I think when I do something like that it will be more in the direction of a Timbaland type of project. Cause I don't really like to be "labeled" as an "R&B" or "Hip Hop" cat. I like to be labeled as strictly an entertainer that puts out good music…whether I feel like putting out a track where the beat just switches up five or six times, or a track where I'm rapping the verses and singing the hook. I just see myself putting out good music. I definitely see myself doing a project like that in the future though.

SHH: So what inspires you creatively right now?

Lab Ox: Too much... Too many things... I'm inspired by a whole lot of music. I listen to a lot of different things. Right now I'm kind of diggin' a lot of the new Timbaland stuff. It took me a little time to get used to the new sound, but it slowly is trickling away into everything else. You see he's changed the face of radio again, so I'm really diggin' that.  Going back into my R&B roots... I'm diggin' the Underdogs and I put that into a lot of my Hip Hop. I try to make my production melodic where as you can feel the beats rather than have a loop. The Underdogs definitely... Shout out to them.

SHH: So people on the inside have been buzzing about you "possibly" doing some ghost production for Polow Da Don. In particular the "Get Buck" single since it sounds similar to the style of production a lot of artists have heard from you. What do you have to say about that?

Lab Ox:  (Laughs) The rumors are not true and even if it was true I wouldn't say it was true since I didn't get any credit for the track. But a lot of people hit me up about it saying, "that sounds like a Lab Ox track. Did you do it?"  I've been hearing stuff like that from people for about the past year and a half so I'm used to it.  So the rumors aren't true. It's a Polow Da Don track not a Lab Ox track, so people can let it go cause I just set the record straight.

SHH: Has there ever been a situation where you've ghost produced for anyone?

Lab Ox: I've done a few things here and there, but who hasn't?  It's the nature of the industry. You know you get money and making beats is a business so you don't necessarily share your business plans with your competition and peers all the time. You have rappers ghostwriting for other rappers and R&B singers writing for other R&B artists. It's the same thing for producers and I'm not the only one. It happens all the time.

SHH: So do you feel that ghost producing is a good direction to take for someone like yourself who's on the come up?

Lab Ox: I'd be honored if someone like Polow or Timbaland came to me and asked me to work with them and produce tracks with them because they have well established names. Look at the Danjahandz and Timbaland situation. Where Danja will lay down this and Tim will put something over it and change up a few things and say it's produced by Timbaland. It gets Danja more money and puts him in a better situation, so when he does establish his own name, he's in a better place. I think it's a great way to get into the game because it shows that this big time producer recognizes my talent and wants to use me to get me to a better place and possibly refine his sound as well.

SHH:  When did you get your start making beats then?

Lab Ox: I'd say 2000-2001.

SHH: When did you start considering yourself a "producer?"

Lab Ox: Around 2002 when I started to write songs to my tracks. I started to write song and come up with concepts and I started to build the beats I'd make around the lyrics I had written, which goes further than actually making the beat. You're actually producing a song.

SHH: Do you feel more comfortable working with a concept when making a beat or just coming off the top with something?

Lab Ox: It really depends on the mood. Sometimes you have to have a concept because you can't come off top, and sometimes having a concept limits your creativity. So it really depends on the setting.

SHH: I heard you've upgraded your studio equipment. Tell the people what you're working with now.

Lab Ox: Surprisingly enough, I still use Fruity Loops. Only Fruity Loops... So for you producers out there, it's not about what you use, but how you use it. I also have a lot of great sounds, a lot of VSTs, a midi controller, two high powered monitors, and a presonus firepod (external soundcard). I have the core equipment to produce good sound, minus the bulky equipment to make beats.

SHH: So how do you feel about producers who strictly use Fruity Loops without any other equipment. Meaning they use the stock sounds and let the program basically run the show? A lot of these producers are getting placements too. Basically how do you feel about these guys who are probably
further ahead in the game than you are and doing it with the least amount of knowhow and talent?

Lab Ox: I feel that each person has their own lane. You can't compare Dem Franchize Boyz to Jay-Z. That's just two different lanes. There's cats out there that's doing they thing with the stock Fruity Loops sounds... more power to them.  I praise what they’re doing, but my sound and style is completely different so you can't compare the two.  So get your shine on while you got it, but when I take over... It's a different story! They're in a different lane so I don't even feel it's on that competitive tip. They doing what they doing and it works for them and I'm doing what I'm doing and it works for me.

SHH: As far as producers who do you look up to?

Lab Ox: Timbaland is number one and that goes back to '97 with the old Missy, Ginuwine, and Aaliyah joints. The records he had with Mista. They was classic records that changed my life. I like Darkchild, The Underdogs, The Neptunes, Kanye, and J. Dilla. Really those are the core people who I can listen to their music and get moved by it and say, "I really got to step my game up now."

SHH: You ain't fucking with Just Blaze?

Lab Ox: Oh Just Blaze! He's crazy... You know man when you ask me a question like who's my favorite my mind goes blank, but Just Blaze is another one. The joint he got with Fab "The Return Of The Hustle" is crazy...

SHH: Whenever I talk to producers their usual top three is Timbaland, The Neptunes and Just Blaze.

Lab Ox: Yeah. I didn't name him earlier, but I'm a say he inspires me. I mean Just uses a lot of samples and I can dig that cause I sample myself, but I'm more of an instrumentalist and musician. I dig more of the Darkchild and Underdogs style. You know? People that really get down on the boards and play the keys on just about everything they produce.

SHH: Yeah man... Darkchild is amazing. That man makes some heat.

Lab Ox: Yeah, but I definitely got love for Just. Shout out to Just Blaze. So if you read this, there ain't no hate or discrimination. You my nigga... If I can be a fly on the wall in one of your studio sessions, I'd be honored, ha-ha.

SHH: Aight... I need to get one more question in there then.  When the albums drop who's gonna take it? 50 Cent or Kanye West?

Lab Ox: I'm gon’ be straight up honest. Let me say this before I answer though. My answer is not going to be based on my affiliation with G-Unit, but anyone doubting the strength of 50 Cent's first week’s sales is getting caught up in the media blitz because of the simple fact that 50 Cent has a greater impact worldwide. The dude can put a track up on the internet, and in four days create a bigger buzz than tracks that have been on the internet and radio for three months. It says that people are paying attention to this guy. The fact that people go out of their way to hate on this guy says something too. I'm not taking anything away from Kanye West because Kanye West is by far one of the greatest artists to me and one of my favorite producers. I can say it may be close, but I think 50 is gonna easily take the first week sales. It’s going to be a great day in hip hop, because I don’t think anyone has anticipated an album… Let alone two albums dropping like this in a good while. I'm going to buy both albums regardless.

SHH: I think the same thing... So yeah, give some shout outs and thanks to people and we'll wrap it up.

Lab Ox: Shout out to the whole Heaven Underground Movement, the Solid Projects Team, my boy Vikaden, J. Angel, the big homie Nu.... the big homie 50 for  lookin’ out for a young producer and giving me my start in the industry… Nickelus F,  Anzeo, Logan, Glueazy and the whole Ill Spittaz clique, the whole Fastlane Radio Team, my homie M Rell... Man everybody, I already know I’m goin’ leave some people out, so let me just say everybody to sum it up! Str8hiphop.com for showing me love again. Man everyone who's been showing me love through the year’s and\ hitting up the MySpace page (www.myspace.com/LabOxBeats). I really appreciate it  and it means a lot to me. So keep it coming. I dish it back out if you show it to me.  So just keep showin' me love and keep holdin' ya boy down...

SHH: Aight cool... thank you for the time.

Lab Ox: Fa sho mayne, holla at ya boy!