Jaxx interview

It’s no secret that Houston is home to some of the greatest creative minds in music, and Jaxx proves just that. After joining Houston’s hometown collective, DontDie, Jaxx went on to sign with Migo the Plug, and quickly started working with some elite company, like Rae Sremmurd. Since then, Jaxx has focused on creating a close network of artists to work with, such as Oodaredevil, Almighty Thrax, and Nerd1k to name a few. I’d keep a close eye on those names. Jaxx hasn’t slowed down since his Rae Sremmurd x Future song was dropped either. The producer is constantly dropping sessions on his YouTube, and it seems that vlogs are on the way as well. In this interview, Jaxx will talk about his come up, navigating the Houston scene, and how to advance your career as an upcoming producer.

Tell me about how you joined DontDie.

I got a homeboy, BROADDAY. We were living together at the time. He introduced me to HVN, No Friends, and everyone else. I was working out of a studio, so everyone would pull up. They’d hop on my beats, record, and just kick it. I went to my first DontDie event, but it was the SXSW show in Austin. It was more of a party really. That shit was crazy. I remember telling BROADDAY that I wanted to be part of it. Next DontDie event, HVN let me have my own DJ set. It went stupid and people were going crazy. I was just pulling up and vibing out, whether I was performing or not. So eventually, we all got closer. For a while, I lived with two other members, Bigredshooter and Jaiden. Like three months later I got that shit tatted on my neck.

DontDie show via 2018.

There’s a lot of talented people in DontDie. What’s it like progressing and watching them progress along with you?

It’s so fire. We just peep each other’s work and support each other. Moreso with people I went to Howard with, it’s hard when someone isn’t making it like they hoped. Or vice versa when you’re looking up cause it’s not your turn.  People I’ve talked to for hours about our dreams. Then they hit me up now like, “Yo, listen to my song on SoundCloud” and it only has 100 plays. That hurts me. But it’s so fire when you both come from the same place and shine together. It hurts when it’s the other way around.

You go back and forth between LA and Houston, how would compare both LA and Houston’s music industries?

LA has more people involved in music and they’re at a higher level. You could build bigger relationships. But, Houston has a lot of underground artists. That’s cool and all, but you want to ascend. You don’t want to stay in the same place. There’s a lot of hate going on in Houston. Texas is the state of hate and Houston is the city for it. A lot of people will vouch for that. It’s all jealousy type shit.

I’ve talked to a lot of artists or people in the industry coming out of Houston and it’s hard to get a truthful answer out of them on record. Behind closed doors there’s a lot of talk about the hate and what not, but I always get the media answer.

It’s horrible. It’s like this. If you’re in, then you’re in. If you’re not, then you’re not. It’s hard to come up cause if they don’t know you, they just assume you suck. They may know your content, or your music is hard, but if they don’t know you then it’s a wrap.

Do you think Houston has the potential to become a mecca for hip hop, next to LA, NYC and ATL? What would the city have to do to take that next step?

Hell yeah. That’s the beautiful part about it. Even after all the hate, there’s so much hard music coming out the H. All of DontDie is hard, not even on some biased shit. It would just be better if certain people would collab. That’s what the city would have to do. I know about an artist who got offered a bag to collaborate with another cold ass artist, but he had some bullshit excuse not to do it. He just didn’t want the other artist to outshine him. But really, they’d shine together. When you go up together, can’t nobody stop you. I don’t like comparing cities but even in LA, ATL and NYC, they all collaborate, and nobody falls off when you got each other like that.

I saw you on IG live with Swae Lee, smoking, freestyling, and making beats. What does a normal session look like for you?

Literally that. It’s cool cause that’s what I dreamed of in high school. Just rolling up, opening my computer and starting a beat. Doing that over and over. Whether it be Swae, Jxmmi, or whoever walks in the house that day. I work out of the Rae Sremmurd home studio most of the time.

JAXX x Swae Lee

You’ve collaborated with Swae Lee on Back 2 Back Maybach and Reality Check, which now has almost 14 million views on YouTube. What’s it like to collaborate with someone like Swae Lee, on the level that he’s at right now and the expectation in the studio when you’re together.

When I first started working with Swae, I was straight out the underground. I had the “fuck this industry shit” mentality you know? How the mainstream moved just wasn’t what I knew. At the same time, I was sending him beats, trying to get placements. He facetimed me one day and told me I was going crazy. He was talking about a bag and all that. So, I pulled up on him in Dallas when he was touring with Post Malone. We went to an after party and that’s really when we locked in. But when we really got in the studio, I can’t lie I was in awe. This dude is a G.O.A.T. After hearing one unreleased song, I just knew he was on another level. That set the bar for me. I knew I had to come to the studio with some crazy shit. Some crack. Just trying to match his energy and vibe out. For instance, I’ll play a beat and be like, yeah, this shit is trash. But he’ll tell me this shit is hard to convince me otherwise. I know it’s trash, but the point is he doesn’t want me to get down on myself. He’ll hop on the beat just to prove a point.

When was your “Oh Shit, I can make this a career moment?”

Back in high school I was playing football, running back and safety.  I broke my wrist. I was trying to get recruited too. At the same time I was already falling in love with music and artists were popping at such a young age. Like Metro was 19 and going crazy. I remember telling my sister, “Well, I guess I’m making beats for the rest of my life.

You signed with Migo the Plug and Monte. Can you explain the dynamics of management for a producer?

I signed with them in May 2020. They throw me plays. If so and so needs a beat, they’ll have me send them beats and they’ll send those beats to that artist who I probably don’t know yet. Working with Rae Sremmurd and Ear Drummers, they know everybody. It gives me access to a lot of international recording artists. Platinum artists. Shoutout to them. They threw me a bag.

What’s the first thing you did once you signed?

I went shopping for cars honestly, but I said fuck that and bought a cartier.

What were some things that changed once you signed?

I cleaned up for sure. I was able to get what I want, not what I could. Do what I want, not what I can. Before I signed, I was in a room around millionaires. But not a millionaire. For example, to eat, I was getting the snacks they had around the crib. I couldn’t order my own food. Now that I’m signed, I can order my own food and have my own weed. When you look different, people respect you differently too. Dressing right and moving more accordingly was huge for me.

Do you feel pressure to make a club hit or a radio friendly song?

Not at all. I make music I want to listen to every day. It drives me crazy when I send a beat pack and the artist hops on the wrong beat. Like, I want to be proud of my own music. I honestly couldn’t give a fuck about that. Money wise, it’d be great. It’s just not about that for me.

Were you ever discouraged or wanted to give up?

A week before Swae facetimed me, I was on the bus coming back from a 12-hour session. We recorded one song in 12 hours because the artist would fall asleep and wake up or just leave to go do something. Anyways, Pro Tools zapped out and deleted the only recorded song. This was before I knew about file back up. I was supposed to get paid $250, and that would’ve paid my rent. I didn’t get anything. I was on the bus crying with a paper bag of laundry just asking myself when this shit was going to pop off. I don’t think I was ever going to give up, but I’ve had levels of discouragement. I still go through it. Like when am I going to get a billboard song?

What are some challenges that newly signed producers can expect when working with bigger artists?

You need to prioritize your work. You gotta come with it. You were signed and paid. If you start slacking and come unprepared, you won’t be prioritized. Also, unless you plan on being like behind the scenes, utilize your brand if you have one. Don’t let the hierarchy phase you. There is no hierarchy. It’s not rapper above producer or vice versa. You’re both artists. You both created the song. Never let somebody son you because of your title. Rap isn’t rap without a beat. It’s spoken word.

How would you tap in with people early in your career and has it changed?

I would DM everybody. It’s crazy cause I kinda look down on it now honestly. Like, “yo let me send you a beat pack” to people who have no idea who I am or searching the internet for somebody’s email. I had to learn through trial and error of how to approach somebody the right way. If you’re really trying to work with somebody you gotta let them know you’re not on bullshit. Locking in with the person and putting in work is what sets you apart.

Is there any advice you can give to producers who are going through the motions?

Keep going. Do everything in your power to get to where you want to be. If it doesn’t work, do it again and do more. Don’t stop though.

You worked on HVN’s debut album, Welcome to Heaven. Tell me about it.

I worked on every song except for Backhand. But HVN cool, you know? That’s my dawg. But like, he has to be inspired. He doesn’t walk into the studio and just be saying some bullshit. Like, he’ll watch a Justin Bieber video then go record, and he might have one line about Justin Bieber, but the whole verse it hard. It’s not about clout or just working to put out an album. He really puts DontDie behind his music. It’s real art.

via: Hulio Jenry

Are you working on any projects right now?

That question is tricky for a producer. You send work to hundreds of artists who may or may not be working on an album. So, you really don’t know. I’ve been sending a lot of beats to Future as well. There’s a lot of songs up in the air or in the vault. Up in the air meaning I know they’ve been made but I haven’t heard them yet (This interview was conducted prior to the new Rae Sremmurd album).

When did you start making beats and describe the new sound you’re working on?

I started in 7th grade. I’m completely self-taught. I kind of looked down on using tutorials. I liked hitting different buttons and just seeing what they did. Music has been part of me early in my life. I was classically trained when I was four to play the cello and piano. My new sound is like molly music meets techno. Milly and meth music combined with trap. Yeah, I like how that sounds. Ambience and trap.

If you’re trying to break away from work, what do you do to relax?

I’d say roll a blunt and listen to music but 9/10 times I’m listening to Future. That n*gga the G.O.A.T forreal. Listening to music is a major part of cooking up music though. Not to say you have to know what’s hot, but you need to know what’s going on and what’s good.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Ear crack. There’s so much fire shit that I don’t have in my possession. I’ll get a text like, “Yo, Rich the Kid hopped on the song or Trevor Daniel did this.” It’s all crack. Brand growth will be big for me as well. 

Instagram: Jaxx