Producer Six Interview.
Six is a producer from KwaZulu-Natal who is on the rise having produced for prominent artists like Gigi Lamayne, Dotcom, Yanga and Buffalo Soulja. We got to interview the producer about his career and his views on the game.
Why the name Six? How did that come about?
Most people know me as Smash Hitz; I changed my alias to SIX late last year. I don’t really have a deep meaning behind the name, it just came to me and I stuck with it.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a beautiful town called Newcastle, in KwaZulu-Natal.
What were you like growing up and what music did you enjoy listening to?
Honestly I was a hardcore bag pack rapper in the early days of my High school years and I remember on Fridays all the rappers from the high schools in town would meet up at Victorian mall and we would hold ciphers. My whole life has centred on Hip Hop and that’s all I would listen to.
What inspired you to start producing?
I started out as a rapper and being from a small town, we never really had recording studios and I could never get beats from anyone, so in 2006 I bought FL studio 4 from this guy who sold it to me for R20 ha-ha and I never looked back since.
Did you always know you wanted to be in the music industry?
Yea, I think I’ve always known that’s partly the reason why I studied Marketing.
Was there an artist that inspired you to be a producer?
Nah not really, I solely got into it because I couldn’t get beats from anyone, so I started making my own.
How did the collaboration with Yanga come about?
Last year was a crazy year for Yanga as an Up and Coming artist and with the type of music he was making and getting featured on in 2014 I knew that there was potential for him to mess with the beat. I didn’t actually make it for him but once it was done I sent it out to him and Kid X, Neither of them responded for months until March this year when Yanga hit me up and today we have one of the hottest tracks out and that’s “Mantshingilane”.
Did you know the instrumental for Mantshingilane was special when you were making it or it surprised you after the song was recorded?
I knew it was special when it was done, but I was blown away when Yangas management finally sent me the final mix of the track. Big S/O to Psyfo for adding his touch on the final mix, it was already on 100 but Psyfo’s work put it at 1 hundred and 10%
Which artists are you currently working with?
I think this is the hardest question for a producer because you often don’t want to jump the gun. Artists and Deejays hit us up all the time and tell us they interested in a certain beat but it doesn’t always materialize, but none the less right now I’m busy with work for Yangas EP, Dj SPHEctactuar & Dj Naves project, Sakhekile, Dee Moneey (Ghana) and other unconfirmed such as Dj Capital…
Which artists have you worked?
I’ve worked with Gigi Lamayne, Dotcom, Yanga and Buffalo Soulja
Who’s your favourite producer in S.A right now?
That’s a hard one chief, I’ll give you my top 2 and that’s Lunatik beatz and Tweezy
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself moving to Cape Town, Have won an award for the “Best Producer of the year” at the SAHHA’s and prosperous in every area of my life
Top 5 S.A Hip Hop producers?
1. Airdee
2. Tweezy
3. Lunatik Beatz
4. Ganja Beatz
5. 66 beats
Top 5 S.A Hip Hop artists?
1. AKA
2. K.O
3. Reason
4. Yanga
5. Kid X
Top 5 songs on your playlist?
Yanga – Mantshingilane
Ma E – King Pin
AKA – Sunshine
Wale – 88
Big Sean – Play no games
Which artists would you love to work with and why?
I’d love to work with Toya Delazy; I think she’s a phenomenal artist and great performer. Her music is original, fresh and has this international pop feel with a local flavour at the same time.
I’d love to work with AKA; I think every South African producer dreams of working with the king. He can take the simplest of beats and make it into hit record and in my opinion he’s taken S.A hip hop way up.
What do you do for fun?
Newcastle is solid because it’s in between Durban and Johannesburg, so I get the best of both worlds. I enjoy travelling, sightseeing, watching documentaries and spending long nights in the studio…
Any words of wisdom to unknown producers?
“PUT YOURSELF ON”…
Never get tired of sending beats to artists, but know when you are doing it too much. Make sure you have an online presence and invest in yourself, invest in your mixing, quality drums, quality vst instruments and try to experiment as much as possible.
(Artists tend to fall for a different sound rather than the norm…)
Where can your fans reach you?
IG/Twitter/Sound cloud: ProducedbySix
Email : [email protected]
