You did Bad and Boujee, Timbalandnotes, referring to the 2016 Migos trackMetroproduced.
Metro offers his own distinction.
(For the record, Bad and Boujee was a classicanda Number One.)
THE STUDIO: 11th Street Records, Las VegasAn independent record store in downtown Vegas, not far from the Strip, 11th Street Records is home to self-described “evangelists for vinyl” — and includes a recording studio in the back.HIT LIST:The Killers, ‘Wonderful Wonderful‘; Jean Dawson and SZA, “NO SZNS”; Anti-Flag, ‘Live Acoustic at 11th Street Records‘; SECOS, ‘Loveseat‘
And I believe that Superhero record was the one that made me go back and listen from the beginning.
I was like, Wow, he understands sonics.
A lot of people clutter music.
He only uses four or five sounds, but they felt like 30 sounds.
To me, thats what makes a great producer.
If it’s possible for you to do shit with just four elements, thats a masterpiece.
Simplicity is easy to say but hard to do.
If you listen to Metros hits, theres a tone in there.
Thats all you need.
Metro Boomin:Whats necessary, whats most necessary.
Timbaland:you’re free to add little trinkets, but why?
To me, knowing when something is done is what makes you a classic producer.
A lot of people overproduce: I call it producer porn.
When you know how to stop, thats a beautiful thing.
Metro Boomin:That means a lot to me, man.
Timbaland: I study.
[You] put out a statement [in 2018] and said, Im retiring.
You said that, then you came back and killed them.
Thats a Timbo move!
You chilled, came back, and knocked them over the head.
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Timbaland:What did you come up on?
Metro Boomin:In seventh grade, my mom had got me this laptop for Christmas.
It was a PC, one of those HPs or something.
Timbaland:What drew you to music?
Metro Boomin:When I was younger, I wanted to rap.
Back then, people mostly had real jobs not like today.
Music producer sounded like some halfway-business throw in shit.
I really just got Fruity Loops to make my own beats to rap on.
But I fell in love with that side of it.
I figured it would be easier to get my foot in the door as a producer.
Timbaland:You did Bad and Boujee.
You know that right?
Theres a difference between hits and classics.
Timbaland:And Bad and Boujee is a classic.
Metro Boomin:I played it out here last night [laughs].
Timbaland:I ask people: How many songs will play five, 10 years from now?
I go through your catalog and go, How many classics do you have?
Youve got a lot of hits.
But thats your first stage of hunger, youre just in it.
Its like when I did Work It.
Metro Boomin:I played that last night too [laughs].
And they went crazy as soon as the beat dropped.
Timbaland:I knew that right away.
When I go to the studio with Missy, she always beats me up.
Metro Boomin:I read about that about you trying to play her beats.
Timbaland:She really took me through the ringer.
Metro Boomin:You be thinking, I got it!
Then they shit on it [laughs].
Timbaland:Back then, I never saved.
So I had to click my keyboard and cut it back on and restart again!
Metro Boomin:Ah, no, bro!
Timbaland:You understand?
Or erase the whole sequence and go, Man, I dont know.
Then Missy would cuss me out: Where are my beats?
You just killed 10 of them!
When I did Work It, it was me pushing her.
She heard the beat.
I said, Theres nothing you’ve got the option to say about this.
She never let me watch her record.
I could go to the club and come back.
So I came back, and I was like, That aint it.
She came back again, and I said, It aint there.
The third time, she said: If this aint it, I quit.
We just gotta do something else.
But I know this is it.
When she pushed play, and that backward sound played, I said, Stop.
I said, We number-one forever.
She pushed me thats how all them beats came about.
They werent simple enough.
Metro Boomin:Thats one of the hardest beats of all time to me.
I remember my mom having the CD.
Timbaland:It only had three sounds.
Metro Boomin:But thats all you need a lot of the time.
You gotta give the artist room.
We gotta play the background.
Timbaland:She taught me that.
I wouldve never known that.
Pharrell [Williams] was like that too hed use simple sounds.
Metro Boomin:For sure.
About two, three of them, thats it.
Maybe these strings come in on the bridge one time.
I know yall used to have your battles.
Timbaland:Our studios were right beside each other.
Im working on Missy; hes working on Kelis.
I walked in, and I heard [sings the hook of Kelis Caught Out There].
I walked back to Missy and said, We gotta rethink our whole shit.
I had to go sit in the lounge.
Who does a hook like that?
We didnt allow no bullshit to come out.
Metro Boomin:Steel sharpens steel, yeah.
Because Ive told them crazy shit before and its worked.
But I could tell by his body language.
I just hope they hurry up and play the next thing.
Timbaland:I just like to see how another person thinks, how weird another person can get.
New York was New York; coming up from Virginia, it was like, Yall cant get in.
So I was pushed.
Metro Boomin:Theres something in the water.
Timbaland:I remember when Pharrell had his run I was doing all the Jay-Z records.
I pulled over and said, I think I might have to go into retirement for a couple years.
I said, Pack it up, we gotta rethink our whole shit.
Metro Boomin:The way he took that James Brown shit and put it on some rap shit.
Timbaland:That boy was too hot.
I asked him, You putting anything out anymore?
Then I could come sneak in the door.
Metro Boomin:Both yall have them bounces, bro.
Timbaland:It can come together like a puzzle.
Metro Boomin:Everythings in its own pocket and slot.
Timbaland:Pharrells great at that.
He can hear an old record and mimic it his way.
We loved the Jungle Brothers.
I was like, How did he do that?
He took something we used to jam to and remade it better.
We had a lot of fun making music together.
It was friendly competition.
I always liked that about our community.
Metro Boomin:Now, Im charged up.
Now, Im going to the studio.
The artist communitys different.
If you got ideas of where you wanna go, we can try all that first.
I have no ego about it.
But were gonna get in there and try everything.
Timbaland:Im the same way.
The artists trust us after a while.
I remember when I did Big Pimpin, it was actually for me and Magoo.
I knew in my spirit Im not even trying to do this beat.
He had on his jacket; he was right at the door.
He heard the beat, took the jacket off.
I said, Hold on, man.
Youre not gonna be able to finish this song tonight.
This beat gon beat your ass.
He was like, Its me, nigga.
He called me early the next morning: Come to the studio.
Metro Boomin:I couldnt imagine hearing that for the first time.
Timbaland: He was like, I told you, nigga, Im the best!
It got to the point where I didnt want to work with no other rapper besides him.
This man dont write nothing down.
Like with Jigga What, Jigga Who, I had a different beat.
I was like, Five minutes.
I put my headphones on; he was talking to his man.
Then he was like, You just did that?
From that point on, it was like playing ping-pong.
But for your records:ThatPurple Reignalbum [the 2016 Future mixtape Metro executive-produced] … classic.
Metro Boomin:Thats one of my favorites.
Timbaland:Thats a classic album.
Ill tell you another classic song: [Raps the hook to Mask Off].
That will play 10 years from now.
it’s possible for you to play that now itll go crazy.
But [Purple Reign], thats when I was like, OK, this boys nasty.
I was like, Wait a minute.
I knew I had my own bounce, but that bounce threw me off.
Metro Boomin:I played that last night too [laughs].
Timbaland:But [Purple Reign],thats when I was like, OK, this boys nasty.
I was like, Wait a minute.
I knew I had my own bounce, but that bounce threw me off.
You got the championship ring with that album.
And all the stuff you did with Young Thug.
Metro Boomin:I appreciate that.
Hes the reason I learned Pro Tools, learned how to record people.
I started just trying stuff.
It was a whole new world to me.
Timbaland:You edit and all that?
Thats what you love to do?
Metro Boomin:I love making beats.
But once I have everything in the same session, I feel like I can paint and sculpt.
Timbaland:Do you mix your records?
Timbaland:You be in the studio?
Metro Boomin:Oh, yeah, for sure.
Timbaland:A lot of people dont do that anymore.
I enjoy putting albums out, but I cant until I feel like its ready.
Ill mix songs over and over, reconstruct them.
Like I said earlier, I feel music more than I see it.
it’s possible for you to listen forever.
But it’s possible for you to feel when its done.
We make songs for a long time.
Timbaland:How often do you make the artist redo their vocals?
Metro Boomin:As I get older, more and more.
Me and [21] Savage get into that sometimes.
Ill play this man 35 or 40 beats before he wants to get in the booth.
But in return, Im like, OK, youve gotta overly bring it on this one.
Im not taking any OK shit, nigga.
Timbaland:I think yall make some incredible music together.
Metro Boomin:Hes definitely my favorite to work with.
Well get on each others nerves, go back and forth all the time.
But at the end of the day, we make each other better.
If I play him 20 beats and hes not really feeling them, Im going home and cooking up.
Metro Boomin:We got a whole album in the can.
Timbaland:I feel like you and him is me and Justin Timberlake.
Yall aint make that moment yet, but yall can.
You did it with the Spider-Man [Across the Spider-Versesoundtrack, which Metro curated].
But when yall make that magic, trust me, bro.
You gotta do it.
Yall gon sell 10 million records.
Last record I said that about wasO Brother, Where Art Thou?, the soundtrack.
Im laughing my way all the way through this movie!
This is outta here.
And whatd it do?
And Im telling you.
You and James Blake?
We didnt put out the album right then; this was after the retirement thing.
I felt I had to get that off to get my foot back in.
He didnt have to write everything; he knew who to get.
Im at the stage of my life where Im Lightning McQueen.
What else can I create?
What else can I build?
I tell all the OGs, Theres nothing wrong with being a teacher.
Metro Boomin:You helping them is a part of your legacy as well.
Its like a tree.
I appreciate you, bro.
Youve always been there, to listen or to lend any advice.
And I still love them.
But having that opened me up to the new ones.
