Producer's Corner Vol 1

This is a new section dedicated to producers (major and underground) that we think have influenced the hip hop scene (in the US and overseas) with a fresh new sound, making them trendsetters over the past few years.

We will just try to let you guys know a little more about them, how they started, their big breakup, their most influential work and their discography.

Hope the success of these individuals will motivate everybody out there who is trying to be successful in their lives, no matter what they're doing...


So today, we will start with one of our favorite producers at Cle De Sol, which is... (drum rolls)... Khari Cain aka NEEDLZ.


--> Biography:
The Lansing, Michigan native developed a love for music at an early age from his father, a jazz buff who kept John Coltrane and Charles Mingus in constant rotation. He absorbed Hip Hop sounds from the 90's from artists like Mobb Deep, Wu Tang, Snoop, Jay-Z, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, B.I.G., The Roots. Coming from the Midwest he listened to everything from house to bass music, to East and West Coast.
Inspired to leave his own mark on the musical scene, Needlz began deejaying. He packed up to attend Florida A&M University, where he became a permanent fixture at parties and local clubs. With a firm understanding of how to make crowds gravitate to the dance floor, Needlz fueled his passion to get behind the boards and make the hits.
Needlz moved to New York to pursue a graduate degree in Music Business at NYU. He utilized an internship at Bad Boy Entertainment as a testing ground for his production talent, and caught the ear of former A&R executive Folayan Knight. Impressed by the infectious personality of Needlz tracks, Knight began to manage the young producer and helped usher his music into the industry spotlight. Needlz gained acclaim for the infectious single Think Yall Know from Fabolous 2003 mixtape album, More Street Dreams 2, which was his first major placement.
In 2004, Needlz signature high energy production brought him to the forefront of popular music with the debut single from Tennessees G-Unit member Young Buck entitled Let Me In. The vibrant track became an instant hit, helping to push Young Bucks album, Straight Outta Cashville, to Gold status. The album has now sold over 1,000,000 copies and has since been certified platinum by the RIAA, and Let Me In was nominated for a 2004 Vibe Award for Street Anthem of the Year.
Describing his own production signature as “an oxymoron: clean and dirty at the same time,” Needlz since caught the ear of many popular rap acts, most notably 50 Cent. With a predilection of straying away from sampling, his “clean and dirty” style often consists of abrasive basslines, grimy sound effects, and light melodies.
With the establishment of his production company, Dry Rain Entertainment, and a growing musical palette of singles garnering strong radio support, Needlz is forging his way into an elite circle of beat crafters.
He is now residing in Atlanta, Georgia where he is currently working on numerous projects such as the upcoming 50 cent's album "Before I Self Destruct".

--> Discography:
12” Singles
2003 - Drag-On “Put your Drinks Down” (Virgin)
2003 - Fabolous “Think Ya’ll Know” (Elektra)
2003 - G-Unit”Gangsta Shit” (Jive)
2004 - Young Buck “Let Me In” (Interscope)
2004 - Ludacris “Pass Out” - b-side to “The Potion” (Def Jam)

Contributions to Full Lengths and Compilations
2001 - Drag-On “We Don’t Give a F*ck”, Inf & Cross “Gonna Be Sumpthin” Rough Ryders Vol. 3 (Interscope)
2002 - Afu-Ra “Miss You” Life Force Radio (Koch)
2003 - G-Unit “Gangsta Sh*t”(street single) Violator 3 Comp/ Beg for Mercy (Interscope/Jive)
2003 - Fabolous “Think Ya’ll Know” More Street Dreams 2 (Elektra)
2003 - Nappy Roots “Good God Almighty” Wooden Leather (Atlantic)
2003 - Drag-On “Put your Drinks Down” Hell and Back (Virgin)
2004 - Young Buck “Let Me In”, “Bang Bang” Straight Outta Cashville (Interscope)
2004 - Ludacris “Pass Out” Red Light District (Def Jam)
2005 - Czar Nok “Beauty Queen”, Fabolous “No Need For Conversation” Coach Carter Soundtrack (Capitol)
2005 - The Game f/ Nate Dogg “Special” The Documentary (G Unit/Aftermath/Interscope)
2005 - 50 Cent “Piggy Bank”, “God Loves My Style” The Massacre (Shady Aftermath/Interscope)

Special Projects - Television and Film
2001 - BET’s Top 25 Countdown Theme Music
2003 - Corona ad music
2003/2004 - MTV and MTV2 Sucka Free Sundays Theme Music
2004 - Vibe Awards Theme Music
2005 - BET’s Rap City Theme Music
2005 - MTV and MTV2 Sucka Free Sundays Theme Music

2005 Unreleased projects
Aassim-untitled song on forthcoming album (BadBoy)
Cassidy - "Crack" on forthcoming album (J)
Czar Nok - “Beauty Queen” on forth coming album (Capitol)
David Banner- untitled song on forthcoming album (SRC)
Jermaine Dupri f/ Anthony Hamilton “Sprung” Green Light (So-So Def/Jive)
Lupe Fiasco -“Tilted” and “Hurt Me Soul” on forthcoming album (First & Fifteenth/Atlantic)
Redman - untitled songs on forthcoming album (Def Jam)
Rich Boy-3 untitled songs on forthcoming album (Interscope)
Saigon - untitled song on forthcoming album (Atlantic)
Scarface-2 untitled songs on the forthcoming album (Def Jam)
Thara - “You”, “You’re Everything” f/ Fabolous (Desert Storm)

2007
Freeway - Nuttin On Me fom "Free At Last"
Swizz Beatz - Bust Ya Gunz (feat Drag-On) from "One Man Band Man"

2008
Skyzoo - The Necessary Evils
Archie - What Money Sounds Like
Freeway - Diesel

--> Equipment Used
When he was still living in Brooklyn, he used to own vintage synths like an 80's Kurzweil, an MPC 2000XL, MPC 4000 and a bunch of vintage racks. At the time he was really anti-software.
But ever since he moved to Atlanta his equipment became lighter: he got rid of his synths and vintage racks and now uses a midi keyboard with logic and an MPC 4000 and he is still in the process of trying to master all this new equipment.

--> Beat Making Video