Throughout the 50-year history of hip-hop music, Zaytoven is a pioneer who has gone through and created a revolution. However, usually, when you think of "pioneers" more times than not, rappers are the ones that get the majority of the credit for shaping the landscapes in the genre. However, it would be very foolish to not show grace to the ones behind the scenes who make it all happen. Arguably the most important piece to creating incredible music is the production. Beats can make or break how a song turns out.
Of course, Zaytoven knows how vital colorful production is to a record. Undoubtedly, he is one of the best at his craft. He does not need much of an introduction at this point in his career. He has had it going since the late 1990s and has been a major factor in ushering in the trap sound. Since he came into the game, he has helped deliver iconic tracks into the mainstream, but also for rising artists. Now nearly three decades in, Zaytoven has shifted his focus more into the Christian hip-hop subset. However, he is still working with your favorites like Gucci Mane, Quavo, Lil Durk, and all of the other usual suspects.
In our chat with the German-born hitmaker, we discussed some projects he has in the works, and not all of them are music-related. But, Zaytoven certainly had a lot to unpack on that front. He spoke about his feelings toward AI technology. We asked his opinion on where the state of hip-hop is, after Lil Yachty’s recent statements. Additionally, the Atlanta-based producer recently attended the AfroTech conference to bring his studio sessions to life. Of course, we had to talk about his most recent release, Zaytoven The Trapfather (Instrumentals). This and a whole lot more revealed that his work ethic is not stopping in the slightest.
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This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
HNHH: Hello! How’s it goin’ man?
Zaytoven: I'm doing good. How you doing?
So I wanted to jump right into your solo project. It dropped in November, it's called Zaytoven The Trapfather. I got to listen to it and I like the way you had this mafia boss-like feeling to the beats. What was your inspiration behind the project?
More than anything I remember back in the day going to the studio and giving out beat CDs. You are trying to get people to wrap on your beats. I used to go to Studio with it and it would have 40 beats on the CD. Now they all might be around two minutes and thirty seconds. And I feel like that was how I was expressing my talent and what I can do. I make so much music every day. Let me get something back to the people, like I used to do just give them a beat CD and let them just start rapping on all the beats, write songs to them or whatever, and that was my inspiration behind it.
Do you plan on getting anyone on these beats in the near future?
As we speak, big artists have already gotten probably five of the beats already.
You're most friends and frequent collaborators include Gucci Mane, Rae Sremmurd, Shy Glizzy, and Lil Durk. You also have some stuff coming up with Quavo and Juice WRLD at some point. What can you tell us about what you have coming with them?
Man, it's so crazy that I have some big stuff coming real soon, but it’s things I can't spoil. And I want to so bad. It’s a timing thing like if we had this interview two weeks from now the stuff would be out or whatever. So it’s just certain things I can’t let the cat out of the bag.
That understandable. We're looking forward to it. One of those projects that's already been announced is your one with 1K Phew. Excited for that. We checked out “On Fire” and it sounds amazing. I love Phew’s hook. You've worked with them in the past. What has it been like to see his growth within Gospel rap, and also with the Atlanta rap scene in general?
I mean, it's amazing. I play at a church In Conyers, Georgia called Life Abundantly Christian Center and we were doing this program called Gospel Cafe, and it’s almost like an open mic type of gospel night and he came and rapped and he was dope. My mom was like, ‘Yeah, I like him you need to work with him.’ We started working years and years ago. Then I stayed back and I watched him get signed over there with Lecrae and he doing his thing. And the more I just watched, I waited until the time was right to do a project with him because we have to do it because we connected so long ago on such an upcoming scale, we need to take it to a whole nother level.
For some reason, there seems to be this negative view on Christian hip-hop. Maybe people don't agree with the message that they're trying to convey, or whatever their reasons are. How important do you think it is for gospel rap to flourish and how it can expand hip-hop in general?
I think it's really important. We living in a time in a generation where I think the music almost raises and teaches the kids what to say and how to act and what they should get into. And the more that gospel rap becomes cool, the more it reaches the masses of our youth and that society would be better to our youth. I think hip-hop music has probably the biggest influence on our youth than anything. That's the reason why I'm putting my best work even with gospel music to make sure I'm in there and trying to help push that message forward.
That's definitely an important thing and that is the reason why I wanted to ask you that is because Lil Yachty also had spoken about the state of hip-hop recently on his podcast and he said it's in a stagnant state due to not a lack of originality. I wanted to get your thoughts on those comments.
I'll definitely agree and I think it's because technology has made it where everybody can put they music out on the same platform as the artists theylook up to. Even if I wanted to be a producer and I'm not really musically inclined, I can be able to do because the platforms that are making music now, it's not technical, so I could just learn how to be technical and I can make music and I can put it out on all platforms. And I think it's so much of that now that creativity almost got washed away. And I think and I will say it's due to technology. Technology is good, but at the same time it waters down people that have real gift and real musicianship. So, I think that's really what's going on more than anything.
You were at the AfroTech Conference at the beginning of [November]. AI was maybe a topic that was discussed, or that you had brought up. Do you think that's also playing a role in maybe the lack of originality as well?
Definitely. But we really can't do nothing about it. So you can't do nothing but try to be a part of it and help steering it in a right direction. But I think everything is so computer based and everything is robotic that its like how much originality can you get from there? You can't really get a lot of it. Me being a producer right, there are different plugins and programs that made it easy for me to do this or they made it and helped me expand who I am in certain ways. But I understand how it can cripple our musicians and people that's trying to really make it in music because it's like this. We're doing it for you. Who's making up your mind for you? It's like you don't have to learn how to do different things because the computer already knows how to, so it can just do it for you.
Besides [talking about AI], you had a lot of involvement with [Afrotech]. What was your favorite part about participating in the event?
The fact that I got to sit there in front of a whole lot of people and preview my process of making music. For me, to be able to do that right there in front of everybody and watch me create something from scratch to the point where I allowed the people in the crowd to come up and rap to the music. Everything was just done spontaneously. I think that was my favorite part because that to me is what hip-hop is built on that. People that got talent and gifts and can show it and they can do what they own hands and they own mind.
Did any of them have any questions for you on how to get into the industry, or did you impart any advice on them in any way?
I'm gonna start a piano course. Give producers the basic things to learn and my philosophy and the way I hear and see things when it comes to producing music being somewhat of a musician. Knowing these different scales and knowing these different chords can help take you farther than the guy that’s just clicking the computer, going to put in the music together. And that's really my aim is to help shed light on that and push people back into learning instruments because they're gonna open up so many other doors when it comes to making music.
Did you want to expand on that at all? Do you have any details on when that’s gonna get started? How can people find it?
I'm actually starting next week on doing just filming and taping the first couple classes. So, I'm not sure I know it's gonna be in 2024 when I release the classroom. But yeah, I start taping next week. I will announce it maybe via my social media. I'm not sure exactly how I want to announce it, but I'm definitely gonna make it acceptable for everybody to join and be a part of it. It will be a website. It’s a subscription type thing, something that you have to join and I'm really building a Beethoven community of people that really want to get in the music industry or just got the love and heart for music and want to learn and grow and build a network. Because I see that this is what most of our young people want to do. I have a son that I feel like is a real dope artist and can produce for me. I sit and watch him in my studio and he go down there and make beats and record songs all day and I listen like 'dang you got the gift without me even shadowing you all the time. You almost know more stuff than I know.'
Can we expect anything from him coming down the pipeline?
Yes, I'm putting his album out on January 2nd on his birthday. He turns 18. So yeah, make sure you put that out here. Zayskii is his artist name and I'll be putting his project out and I'm excited about it because he watched me but at the same time, he's not just trying to do it the exact same way I did. He got his own little twist and flavor to it, too.
Yeah, that's awesome! We are looking forward to that! We'll make sure we spread that news as soon as possible. I wanted to ask stuff relating to the end of the year. We're coming to the end of 2023. Do you have anything coming up with family and friends?
I love spending time with my family and everything. These are the times where I really get with the family and try to stop with everything else just to take a break and bring back a new excitement when the top of the year hits. Now, I will be dropping another project called Piano Nights. This one is more piano-driven just to give people another taste or another aspect of what I can do.
Do you have any goals or any sort of aspirations personally that you're looking to get in place and then attack next year? I know you're also into the movie scene. Is there anything that we can expect there as well?
It’s just opening more businesses. I've been a barber ever since I came in the game. Me and my wife been talking about opening up a spot where I do music. She's a hairstylist. I want to open up a Zaytown facility where people can come and get their hair done, you can record music. It’s gonna be upscale and exclusive but one of those Zaytoven spots where it's like 'I gotta go to Zaytoven’s spot.' It’s probably gonna be expensive to get in there. But, it's one of those things that I want to do next year that I definitely feel like I will be doing. [For movies] I go into shooting in January. The music-based movies is not really around and it's a void. So I definitely want to stay in that lane and continue to create content on that level. I'm thinking, about summer next year. I want to be dropping another movie.
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