The SMKA Experience » producers

Schweinbeck LLC & Modinkenya.com Present #The Panel featuring 808 Blake of SMKA

SMKA — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:13:55 +0000

Schweinbeck LLC & Modinkenya.com Present #The Panel

Date: 3/31/2013
Time: 6-10pm
Location: Threadz Boutique 1060 St. Charles Ave. Atlanta, GA
Hosts: DJ Lady B & Gambino
DJ: DJ Adore

Featuring:
Will A Fool
Shawn Hosea
ProdBySOS
Sonny Digitial
L’s
DJ Speedy
Zaytoven
808 Blake

Give-a-ways from Rocksmith & 8&9 Clothing Company
3 surprise bags will be given out to the first 3 people who spend $150+ in store
Complimentary drinks from Twenty Grand

SMKA featured story in Jezebel Magazine (Feb 2012)

SMKA — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:53:07 +0000

“these inspired young music producers are staging an industry takeover…”

thanks to Jezebel for the kind words and support.

Jezebel

Justin Padron

SMKA — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:13:56 +0000

Justin Padron: Producer / Engineer

BIO
Native Atlantan Justin Padron immersed himself in a world of music at a young age. At 10 he had started playing guitar, and by 14 he had taught himself how DJ. After DJing at gatherings of his friends and family for several years he quickly became the resident DJ at his alma mater Grady High School. There he further distinguished himself as an expert in media technology by serving as the audio director of the high school news network. This position allowed him to experiment with instrumentals for news segments and featured stories. Before graduating from high school he started producing music for up and coming local artists and worked as a commercial party DJ for a nationally syndicated company.

Justin has continued to not only produce instrumentals for recording artists of many genres, but has also helped many other aspiring musicians and producers to learn the technical skills and overall philosophy necessary to fully develop their own creative endeavors. These technical skills were able to more fully develop into what can accurately be described as expertise through his internship at Music House Studios in Atlanta. After this 2007 internship ended, he stayed on at the studio as an assistant engineer and worked with many renowned producers such as Drumma Boy, Rich Harrison and Bryan Michael Cox and with many prominent engineers such as Alec Newell, Dru Castro, Halo, Mark “Exit” Goodchild and Seth Firkins.

Justin continues to produce music for many established and up-and-coming artists, such as the Youngbloodz, Ne-Yo, Taio Cruz, Donnis, OJ Da Juiceman, Nappy Roots, Shawty Redd and many others. Justin joined SMKA in Janurary 2010 and became a vital producer behind the Jarren Benton meets SMKA project. Justin brings a unique style to the SMKA team, and has the ability to create big records for southern rap and pop.

808 Blake on Esperanza Atl Transmission (WESP-ATL)

SMKA — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:49:08 +0000

808 Blake recently sat down with our friends and design crew Esperanza to discuss SMKA and producing aspirations. Listen and stream below.

We got a chance to kick it on the mic with 808 Blake,the producer of SMKA. We found out some interesting facts and listened to some dope beats, so I would say that this Transmission was a success! – Esperanza

LISTEN & DL: 808 Blake on WESP-ATL

Podcast Description
Esperanza Atlanta knows what the deal is in our city. We will always remain on the forefront of what sounds good, what looks good, what tastes good, what smells good, what’s funny, what’s anything. We will discuss that anything and everything with the creative minds we come in contact with in our daily business. Don’t expect us to get too serious though, this is not business discussion. It is spirited talks fueled by all of the interesting people we are consistently inspired by. www.esperanza-atl.com

Creative Loafing – "The biggest rap producer you've never heard of"

SMKA — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:58:22 +0000

We enjoyed this article and you might as well. We like to keep up with other producers, especially those (hundreds) who live in Atlanta and have made a successful career.

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Bangladesh is still pissed at Lil Wayne’s label Cash Money Records. Which is understandable, considering the Atlanta music producer claims Cash Money has yet to dish out, um, cash money for the huge hit he made for Wayne, “A Milli,” more than three years ago. The label could very well owe him a milli by now, but so far he says it’s given him nothing but excuses.

“They’re hood niggas from New Orleans,” Bangladesh says, none too gingerly, of the label’s brass. “In the streets you use your muscle — you don’t pay niggas. You don’t do certain things you’re supposed to do.”

But who, might you ask, is this guy to be talking shit? Well, as an A-list beatmaker for more than a decade, Bangladesh has earned the right to speak his mind. Having gotten his start on Ludacris’ 2000 major label debut, Back for the First Time, the 31-year-old unsung hitmaker has remained fiercely independent, declining invitations to join such established rap labels as Disturbing tha Peace and Bad Boy. While career decisions like those have probably cost him the chance to become a household name, they’ve also afforded him something money can’t buy: the ability to stay relevant and true to his art. He’s found time to craft a pair of upcoming solo albums — both of which sound pretty far out there — while simultaneously securing singles with the hottest artists going.

“He comes with big records, records that don’t sound like anything else,” says DJ Drama, the influential Atlanta mixtape impresario. “You don’t hear five songs on the radio from him at a time, but the ones you do hear are always very big records. He’s very smart about who he chooses for his production.”

Yet in many ways, Bangladesh has struggled as an outsider. He’s got no guaranteed income, and, per the Cash Money situation, even when he does make a hit he doesn’t know for sure if he’ll be paid. But by not associating himself with any particular sound, or any particular movement, he’s been able to transcend fads and forge something somewhat unique in hip-hop — a long-term career.

Born Shondrae Crawford, he’s called “Bang” nowadays and lives in southwest Atlanta, where he has custody of two of his four kids. He’s tatted-up, with portraits of his children and the word “Warrior” on his arm, and often comes across cocky and self-satisfied, such as when he talks about why he turned down Diddy’s offer to join Bad Boy. “What for? I’m the shit by myself,” he says. “I don’t want to feel like I’m working for a[nother] nigga.”

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