A-Dawg is a producer from Toronto, Canada. He has been making music for about 3-4 years now but had been playing guitar for about 7. In that time he got some pretty cool placements with artists such as Iann Dior, Killval, and Rod Wave. The Rod Wave album I was included on went to #1 on Billboard and is now eligible for Platinum.
Q: How did you get your producer name?
A: I took a line I recorded my bro rapping and used it as my new producer tag (pull up with my dawgs let em loose). I then took the first letter from my name, A, and added it to Dawg to match the tag and I had A-Dawg.
Q: What was your first record placement?
A: My first placement was “Today” by YSN Flow which is on his album Flow $ZN. I got it with JR Hitmaker.
Q: What is the biggest lesson you learned while working in the music industry?
A: Hard work and networking will almost always overcome talent. If you take the time to get to know what works best for you, then put the 10,000 hours of work into that, you’re almost guaranteed to start succeeding. Also, the learning never stops, the 10,000 hours has to be put in multiple times every time you feel yourself getting too comfortable.
Q: Where are you from, and how did it mold you into the person you are today ?
A: I’m from Toronto, which I view as a city that has spawned some superstars and has great musical potential, but lacks direction. I started off feeling that way too about my own work, but I’ve had help from groups like Beatcave, who are actively trying to assist Toronto’s music scene in progressing. I also had help from another producer around Toronto, Jug, who I worked with to progress our own sounds to where we are now. Toronto mans always help each other out.
Q: Who is your favorite artist to work with?
A: DC The Don. I have 1 released track with him and a few unreleased. He’s super versatile and I find myself liking whatever he makes. Just the snippets I have with him are crazy. The song I have with him, “Ghostrider”, I had made the loop as a throwaway rock melody that I didn’t think could be turned into a song. Once I heard it when it released I was actually blown away by how much I liked it, thanks to his creativity as an artist (and Jug’s fire drums).
Q: What DAW do you use, and what is your favorite plug-in?
A: I primarily use Ableton, but I use FL Studio when I’m collaborating in person. My favorite instrument VST I use is definitely Analog Lab, it’s got so many great synths and sounds, especially the Loophole presets. My favorite fx VST I use is Portal, since it’s perfect for making any sound you can imagine, especially with Steven Shaeffer and Pilgrim’s presets.
Q: What is your favorite record placement and why?
A: Rod Wave - "How the Game Go" for sure. Being included on an album that has been as successful as SoulFly has really opened my eyes to the possibilities in producing as a career rather than a hobby.
Q: What are somethings producers don't know that they should know?
A: Collaborate and network as much as you can, make as many like-minded friends as you can, and always keep it real. Some opportunities you might see as not worth your time actually end up being the key to your success.
Q: What makes you a hot producer?
A: I follow my instincts when making music instead of following trends. I’m also always trying to put on other producers whenever I can. What’s the point of having success by yourself?
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