MJeezy, is a multifaceted music producer, drummer and DJ. With over 12 years of experience in the music business as a drummer and a music producer, MJeezy has been producing music for and working with numerous talented artists and musicians across the globe. Professionally producing music since 2015, MJeezy is constantly expanding his repertoire, from a variety of different genres in finding his right sound and style.
What made you want to be a music producer?
I grew up in a family of musicians. So my environment has been constantly infused with music and I was always surrounded with good music and all kinds of musical instruments that I can mess around with. So I’ve always known that I wanted to be a musician. But never thought of myself as a producer. The decision to pick up music production came later (around 2015). When I picked up my first MPC and fell in love with the process of making music, and the results that came out of it.
Who were your music inspirations growing up?
I’d have to say that my biggest inspiration growing up was my father. He was a professional violinist. He toured the world and played behind some of the regions biggest stars. I always wanted to experience what that would be like. However, music production wise, I’d probably say my biggest inspiration came from producers like Just Blaze, Araab Music, Kanye West and Jon Bellion.
How do people in the region react to your music?
I’m super grateful for the amount of love and support that I’ve received from my peers and the audience in the region. That, of course, does not mean that I’m not greedy for more love and support. Lol But on a more serious note, I’m happy with whatever love and support I get. At the end of the day, I started music production for the love of the art, so whatever love and support comes along with it is just an extra blessing that I’m eternally grateful for.
Why did you make your latest album “foreign forests” and what was the inspiration behind it?
To be completely honest, I almost never start an album with the full intention of making an album. With Foreign Forests, I was just experimenting with new sounds, new genres and a new approach. That ended up being one song, then two, then the whole album. So the whole process of the album came from my curiosity to experiment with something new. That’s where the name of the album comes, me walking into unexplored territories of sounds and sonic landscapes.
Where do you see the music scene in the UAE going in the coming years?
As young as the music scene is in the UAE at the moment, I truly see it as having the potential to be a new node for musicians. The country, and the quality of music that’s coming out of it, can easily establish itself as a new hub for international music. Like the USA and the UK, the UAE will definitely become the new place to be for young musicians that are trying to make it globally. And it will be a trend setter for everything new and cool, we just have to stay persistent and keep the quality at an all time high. The recognition will follow eventually.
What are 5 dream collaborations of yours?
I would probably say: Eminem, Lana Del Rey, Jon Bellion, Royce da 5’9 and Snoh Aalegra.
Out of all the projects you put out, which one is your favorite and why?
Although each project is special (to me) in their own way, I’d be lying if I didn’t say Tobias Boon. I love that project. I love making dark and aggressive music. That’s my comfort zone. That’s why every now and then I challenge myself to step out of it and come out with something new and different (for me), such as Foreign Forests, or Prism. But if it was up to me, I’d probably keep making Tobias Boon music for another 20 years, I just don’t want to be the “insert genre here” producer. The “trap” producer, the “R&B” producer, etc.
What do have coming out that we should look out for?
I have a new single that’s coming out in the coming few weeks, aside from that I’m sitting on 8 albums worth of music. Which will all hopefully see the light of day. That, of course, excludes all the other music that I’ve worked on with musicians from the region and abroad. However, no confirmed date has been set for anything yet. So stay tuned.
INTERVIEWED AND WRITTEN BY: MAJID AL-HUSSEINI
