FEATURE
FEATURE
The 411 Editor , Amanda Sweeney , catches up with
AYO BEATZ
Tell us how you and SOS Music all met ? We both had records playing on Radio 1 Dubai and having heard of each other on radio and liked what the other was doing , I reached out to SOS to collaborate on a track I had put together called ' Abu Dabbin '.
What / where are your musical roots ? I started my musical journey at 16 when I moved to the United States to live with family in New York for a while . I was heavily influenced by the sound of the city , which was and is , hip hop . It was there I determined I want to be a rapper . It was also in New York I learnt how to produce . I did not have access to studios , so I taught myself .
England and Dubai are quite different in terms of the music scene , what are some of the differences you have noticed between the two ? To me , yes there is a difference in the music scene . Whereas England has an established music scene , for all different genres . Dubai has the feel it is a developing music scene , in a positive way . Dubai has become aware of and embraced the urban music scene and if Dubai likes you , music fans will come out to support you regardless of music genre . However , Dubai doesn ' t really mess with up and coming artists . They much prefer established artists . But saying that , Abu Dhabi has really embraced SOS and me .
With trap music dominating the mainstream chart , what are your thoughts on the current state of the game ? I think it ' s good . As we know , music genres and what is dominating goes around in cycles . At the moment , it ' s trap and I don ' t see that changing anytime soon . It ' s mixed things up , you hear it fused with pop , afrobeat , grime , even indie . It ' s mainstream which means it allows artists who would not normally be heard on radio , get heard . You hear trap in films , commercials and video games .
I am feeling positive about the current state of the game . With social media , streaming sites and the internet in general . The way it is , it ' s easier to get to your target audience , and for music lovers who would not normally listen to a certain musical genre , have easy access to it .
How do you separate yourself from other artists / producers ? I really don ' t to tell the truth . I just make music and try to be on top of my game . If I consciously did separate myself from others it would be in the sense that I have a world view when making music . I am not blinkered in how I make music . I have travelled the world quite a bit . As a music engineer , I have also worked with artists and musicians from a wide musical spectrum . From classical , indie to dance , hip hop , afro beat and everything in between .
Tell us about a time where you needed to change your producer
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