by So Dope truly is just that. The New York-based producer has been on fire as of late. From the moving trap bop ‘Lovin U,’ to his anthemic ‘Revolution’ flip, to the impeccably soulful banger ‘Never Gonna Find,’ it’s been an exceptional few months of releases. His hip-hop-inspired electronic sound is everything we love at FUXWITHIT, and his diversity within that signature makes every release exciting. With a bright future ahead, we connected with the rising artist for the latest installment of our guest mix + interview series. The mix moves between genres, IDs, special edits, and a myriad of heaters for an unmissable 30-minute set. We also talk to him about his love for music, what makes flips special, sample hunting, why Kobe is his idol, and much more. Dive into both below.
What should we expect from the mix?
I love digging for music and finding hidden gems. So, for this mix I wanted to showcase music that I’m really feeling, as well as play some of my own music.
What made you first fall in love with music?
Growing up, I was always surrounded by music at home. Between my father being a DJ and my mother loving music, I heard everything from Soul, Funk , R&B, Hip-Hop, House and Latin on a daily basis. I think that’s the reason I am drawn to so many different genres is truly because of my parents.
It’s such an indescribable feeling that comes with starting something from scratch, putting your heart and soul into it, then having it live forever.
What drives you to create?
I love the process – from beginning to end. It’s such an indescribable feeling that comes with starting something from scratch, putting your heart and soul into it, then having it live forever. Regardless if it streams millions or thousands, has never been the point for me. I’m sharing my music with the world and that alone keeps me going.
Taking a song apart and manipulating those parts into a whole other piece of art is so much fun to me…making flips allows me to do that.
Releasing bootlegs seems to be becoming a bit of a lost art. What do you enjoy most about making flips?
Making flips allows me to keep the creative wave going. Sometimes as an artist (unless you self-release all your music) you’re waiting on record labels way too long to even just listen to your demos. Three or four months could go by and you haven’t put anything out. That’s not a habit I ever wanna get into, so making flips is my way of keeping things moving, staying creative and getting my ideas out.
Another reason I enjoy making flips is sometimes I hear a song and wonder “What if..?” “What if this sample was chopped differently?”, “What if that snare was different?”, “What would that vocal sound like chopped up and used in a drop?” Taking a song apart and manipulating those parts into a whole other piece of art is so much fun to me…making flips allows me to do that.
How do you go about finding samples for your tracks?
Before I was a Producer I was a DJ first so I have always collected a lot of music. Digging comes naturally to me. I try to dedicate at least one day a week going through old records, listening to acapellas, searching online or my music collection for samples. It’s vital to the process and it doesn’t hurt that I genuinely love doing it.
What’s at the top of your personal playlist right now?
The main album on my playlist right now is The Offseason by J Cole. Aside from that, I’ve been listening to a lot of Future Beats, R&B, UK garage, UK Grime and D&B Lately. I also really Like what Bru – C is doing; his catalog is on constant rotation.
If you had a friend coming to visit New York where would you take them?
There is nothing like a nice, warm slice to welcome someone to New York City. I have so many favorites – Joe’s, Prince St., Lucali’s.
Anytime I’m exhausted or confused about what to do next, I stop for a moment and just ask myself “what would Kobe do?” Somehow that helps me with the next move.
You’ve described Kobe Bryant as your idol. What made him so special to you?
It’s so funny that so many people ask me about Kobe. If you know me, you know that he was and remains to be my biggest idol. I’ve learned so many things from Kobe Bryant that I apply to my everyday life, even till this day. He was like a superhero to me. He was the true definition of “hard work pays off.” I played sports growing up and have always been a competitive person, but watching and learning from him helped me understand that as hard as I believed I can work, I can always work harder than that. He made me appreciate what “delayed gratification” really means; that the constant working behind the scenes pays off. It may not happen immediately, but it happens with a mixture of hard work, dedication and passion. Working when others are sleeping or partying, missing family and friend time – it’s all a sacrifice that I, and others around me, have learned to make. Anytime I’m exhausted or confused about what to do next, I stop for a moment and just ask myself “what would Kobe do?” Somehow that helps me with the next move.
What’s been your biggest non-music-related win of 2021?
Honestly with everything going on, aside from some personal wins… being able to stay healthy mentally and physically has been a big W not only in 2021, but in the last two years.
What do you have in store for the rest of the year?
Going to wrap up the year with two more releases, an official remix and another single that I’m super hyped about. In between that, I’m continuing to hit the studio working on music for the next year.
Tracklist:
ID – ID
So Dope – LOVIN U
Waiting for the Flair (So Dope 2021 Edit)
Virtual Self – Ghost Voices (Tisoki Flip)
Zeke Beats – VIbe
AWE – Luvit
Ricky – ID REMIX
4 real? – Camoufly Flip
THUGLI & Eskei83 – Like This
Canna – Celestia
Miguel – Do You… (So Dope Edit)
Mr. Carmack – SIMPLER
OddKidOut – I LUV U
UpsideDown_-_Wonky_Love
CJ – Whoopty (So Dope Edit 2021)
Howl – Make Me Feel
Laxcity – more life
You & Me (BRLLNT Rework)
What So Not & Daniel Johns – Be Ok Again
So Dope – Never Gonna Find
Monster – ID Remix
Particle – Fall 2 Fast
Ivy Lab – Options
Workforce – Two Words (Tim Reaper Remix)
Halogenix – Paper Sword
