Over the years hip-hop has gone from gaining its sound from “two turntables and a Microphone”, to generating sounds from a few computer programs and a Mac(computer). The technology evolution has sprung many geniuses but also has created countless artist and producers who lack the musical knack and fail to be original. Insert Illmind, A Bloomfield, New Jersey native who was behind the boards for bangers like Sean Price’ “Cardiac”, Boot Camp’s “Lets Go” and multiple gems for little brother. After an afternoon studio session, Illmind took time out to share his thoughts on what hip-hop needs, how he began in the beat society, and equipment that he must have to get down in the lab.

Scheme: How has technology affected the way you produce?
Illmind: Half of the time I’m not even with the artist, so you could be an ill producer from anywhere around the world and you could get work in which is crazy, the whole online convenience of it is bugged out. I really owe a lot of my success to that.

Scheme: Do you think a producer not being in the studio with an artist can affect how good a track can be?
Illmind: It does, but it really depends on the artist that you are working with. You have some artist that are just so creative with on their own and sometimes a song could come out better when your not there, just being that they’re in their comfort zone doin what they do. Sometimes it can work in a good way, sometimes it could work in a bad way. Me personally I would like being in the studio with the artist as much as I can. Having creative energy is defiantly cool as long as the songs come out right and there is no complaints.

Scheme: What is the biggest difference between producers now and producers 10-15 years ago?
Illmind: The whole internet and online convenience of sending tracks off is defiantly a big difference. The convenience because it affects the way you do certain things. Back then, maybe 10-15 years ago when they weren’t doing stuff over the internet it was definitely harder to get placements. You were messing with A-Dat machines, you didn’t have the convenience of dumping shit in pro-tools and having stuff on a data disk or sending it through e-mail, so being a producer back then was definitely a lot tougher. Today it’s a lot easier to break into the game but at the same time its so many people doin it now. You have your advantages and disadvantages today the same way you had 10-15 years ago. back then it really wasn’t a producer driven genre, nowadays the spotlight is on the producer

Scheme: An argument in hip-hop of late has been the lack of good lyricists and rappers inability to create songs with concepts as other artist have done in years past, as far as producers go, has the skill level increased or decreased in years past?
Illmind: The skill level is beyond the roof right now. At the same time there is a lot of garbage. If you look at the right places there is a lot of cats who just have crazy beats. The depth of the beats nowadays and the complexity of the beats are just ridiculous compared to 10 years ago. If you have music in your blood and rhythm, you can make beats. It could be a 15 year old cat in his bedroom killin it, just bangin it out on fruity loops. It’s probably the sickest shit you ever herd, but aint nobody herd it cuz he’s not out there. I think the talent and level of beats of beats is at an all time high.

Scheme: How would you describe your style of producing?
Illmind: My style… (Pause) as long as my shit knocks I’m happy. I don’t like being pigeon-holed in to a “boom bat” producer or one who makes club joints all day or one who samples. I like to do everything. The most important thing to me about a beat is the feeling. When I’m in the lab I have to feel something, I have to feel inspired somehow. I want people to feel it every time they hear my music. I don’t want to do the same thing twice. I don’t want people to hear a beat and say “yea, that’s an Illmind beat”, I’d rather be the producer that could do lot’s of different things. At the end of the day it just gotta knock. It’s all about the drums.

Scheme: Do you have a set process on making beats?
Illmind: Nah, there is no set process. Its just based on the feeling. Sometimes I might have a melody in my head and a few ideas. Sometimes Ill sit there and start playing the keys a little bit for a few minutes and try to gain some inspiration from what I was thinking.

Scheme: If you only could use four pieces of equipment what would they be
Illmind: ASR-10, SP303, Moteef Rack and Fruity Loops

Scheme: What makes a complete producer?
Illmind: somebody who can lay down an idea and transform that idea into a natural song. There’s people out there who just make beats and then there is other people who actually produce. Anybody could start bangin beats and lay em down, but the real challenge comes in when you sit there and try to create a “song” out of it. A complete producer has a vision on what they want the song to sound like.

Scheme: When you construct beats, do you have certain artist in mind?
Illmind: Yea, most of the time I do. I don’t necessarily think about who I want to get on the track, I usually think about what direction I’m tryin to take it. Is this some old school shit? Is this a dance record? Is it some street shit? Is this an album cut? Or is it a single.

Scheme: Who is your favorite artist to work with?
Illmind long pause)….that’s a hard question to answer. I’d say one of my funnest sessions was with Sean Price because he’s a “bugout” and you never know what you get when you’re in the studio with him. I got a cool energy from Sean P.

Scheme: I heard you’re signed to G-Unit, how did that come about?
Illmind: it’s not G-unit, its actually Sha Money Xl’ “Money management group”. D Prosper was the head A&R at money management, so he hit me up on myspace and said “I heard some of your beats and we might be interested”. I hit him back up that night and sent him 30 beats, D-Prosper hit me back two days later and said “Yo we want to sign you”.

Scheme: A lot of people know you from the “Beat Society”, explain how your involvement in that came about.
Illmind: Its not a beat battle which people misconceive it to be. It’s a live show case in which you have four producers on stage with their equipment and they play beats round after round. Every other round, guest MC’s come in to spit over the producers beats… I used to post my beats up at undergroundhiphop.com, Sal from Soul Spazzom Records heard my beats up there and said “we’re doing this new showcase called “Beat Society” in Philly, we want you to be the underdog producer to do it”. He said Kanye(west), 88 Keyz, and Fury doin it, so we need you to be the underdog.

Scheme: Who is your favorite producer?
Illmind: Anybody making dope shit I’m a fan.

Scheme: If you could take one attribute from a producer, what would it be?
Illmind: Dillia’ baselines have always been one of my biggest influences to this day.

Scheme: What do you think is lacking in rap today?
Illmind: Creativity. I get request all the time to make a beat that sounds like “this”.

Scheme: Does that Hurt you as a producer?
Illmind: No…if you land that then of course it’s a nice check, but at the same time you’re not doing anything. You’re not innovative. Your rehashing what’s already out there. That’s one of the main problems in the game right now. No one is taking chances. The game needs originality.

Scheme: How can that be fixed?
Illmind: Labels need to rework their business models. Start taking chances. Look what happened late last year, you had Talib Kweli sell 70,000 units the first week, that’s incredible for an artist like Kweli, then you had Swiss Beats who had every number one joint on the radio come out with an album and only sells 40,000. That says a lot about the game. That’s not taking away from Swizz, but that just an example of these major label “models” not working.

Scheme: What’s your favorite album of album of all time?
Illmind: Ahh…pause

Scheme: Favorite few albums ?
Illmind: Fantastic vol 2 by slum Village, I love Illadelph Halflife by the roots… (Dr.)Dre’ chronic 2001, crazy…Moment of truth (Gang Star). Those will never get old to me… Of course Nas Illmatic. The list goes on.

Scheme: Speaking of Nas, what do think about his upcoming album title “NIGGER”? How do you feel about him using that term for an album title?
Illmind: It’s too early to say, it’s obviously controversial. People could have a real big debate about the actual title itself but I think people shouldn’t judge Nas too early until they get the message of what he is trying to portray and what he is talking about. What it comes down to is why he is using that as an album title? He’s not your typical rapper, that’s why he’s one of the greatest.

Scheme: Who are some artists that you look forward to working with?
Illmind: Nas…all the greats… I just want to work with talented artist that can make an impact in the game.

Scheme: What rappers and producers do you feel are underrated?
Illmind: As far as MC’s go, ehh… Royce da 5’9… there’s a handful. I could name 10-15 cats on the come up… Skyzoo, Torae… Little Brother, they don’t get enough credit. As far as producers go… Swift-D, Nottz…most people don’t know the existent of his discovery. Eric Sermon… there is so much talent. Its a lot stuff that people haven’t herd yet but need to be up on.

Scheme: Let’s do a little word association, what ever comes to your mind speak on it?
Illmind: begin

Scheme: Dj Premiere?
Illmind: Legend

Scheme: 9th wonder?
Illmind: The new old school (laughs)

Scheme: Just Blaze?
Illmind: Energy. Crazy energy

Scheme: Kanye West?
Illmind: Talent

Scheme: J. Dilla?
Illmind: Out of this world.

Scheme: Jay-Z?
Illmind: Business man entrepreneur. Definition of what an MC wants to be.

Scheme: Nas?
Illmind: one of the greatest… one of the greatest story tellers of all time.

Scheme: Little Brother?
Illmind: exactly what the game needs.

Scheme: As far as you go, what have you have been working on?
Illmind: defiantly. Im working on my solo album right now, my production album. Hopefully its out by the end of the year. Acrobatics album, I got 4 joints on there. Diamond D’s solo album, I got some stuff on there. And I’m working with a lot of other up and coming cats. I’m also working on some t-shirts and a mix-tape that should be out toward the end of the month. It’s an instrumental mix-tape series, the first edition is called “New Blap City”. 12 instrumentals mixed by my man D-J paradime. I want people to be on the look out.

Scheme: Final words?
Illmind: Check out the “Blap mix-tape” and the t-shirts coming out. Go to my site, illmind.biz, shoot me a message on myspce.com/illmind, I’m trying to keep everyone updated. I just want everybody to keep an ear out. I got a lot of things coming. I’m planning on being everywhere this year.