Looking at Christian Rich’s production credits in just the last couple years may have you scratching your head in impressed confusion. J. Cole’s “Sparks Will Fly,” Earl Sweatshirt’s “Chum,” two Chris Browm songs that leaked before his X album, Childish Gambino’s “The Palisades,” and Vince Staples’ “Señorita.” And that’s a partial list. The twin brothers who were born in Chicago, spent some years in Nigeria, and then moved back to Chicago and now Los Angeles, have been flying soaring under the public eye for years but hopefully that’ll change for the better overnight. Taiwo and Kehinde Hassan spent some time learning from N.E.R.D. and have placed their eclectic sound with a slew of major artists for over 10 years. Now they’re on the precipice of releasing their ambitious debut LP, FW14, which took 3 months to record, in one day. It features Vince Staples, GoldLink, JMSN, Denitia, Sene, and others.
We had the opportunity to speak with them on the inspiration behind the album as well as the evolution of their sound, other producers that catch their ears, and more. Enter the minds of Christian Rich below.
For the last two projects, you’ve opened with an instrumental track with little to no words. Is this done to introduce the listener to the world you’re about to create or for another reason?
Taiwo: Exactly. It’s the introduction to our state of mind for each project. It’s almost like a prayer before you eat or before you run on the field. The first song is helping the listener enter the album from a zen, centered place.
On FW14, the progression in many of the beats are crazy where it’s almost 2 different songs. There’s a lot of balance of heavier sounds and lighter ones like “Forever Ever” and “Bells.” Was that done deliberately or just happened?
Kehinde: That’s a great observation. Yeah that’s how we like to approach some tracks, especially in the time we were working on this album. That lighter, soothing feel into the aggressive drop helps paint a story. So before you even focus on the lyrics, the track is setting scene up. It also comes as a surprise on first listen. It’s always cool to face juxtaposition in music.
What was it about Interstellar that inspired this album or parts of it?
Kehinde: We’re really into Sci-Fi and the unknown. So when we saw that movie, it was a physical personification of the thoughts we have about what’s around us and purpose. This album for us questions that. Hence why the female character in interludes is saying what she’s saying.
How would you like people to feel after listening to this album? Do you want them to learn anything from it?
Taiwo: One of our main goals for the album is for the audience to listen and stay engaged. As a whole the album is interwoven like a nonstop journey, that just loops. I want you to come out of “Compromise” and listen to what the voice in the outro is saying. Let the thoughts sink in and challenge your way of observing the world. But after that get back into the music for balance.
What is the significance behind the lady figure on the cover?
Taiwo: She’s a character we thought about for this project. We gave the illustrator, Jacob Escabedo, a basic idea of what we wanted and he delivered that on the first try. She is the protagonist in this story. The voice you hear throughout the album. This is her journey that we are on a ride for.
The closing words on the album has a message about hypnosis. Is that to be taken seriously or sarcastically?
Taiwo: Very seriously. The only reality we truly have in this world is that we are in a state of hypnosis created by someone and passed on from generation to generation. We are living in someone’s idea of what the world should look like. We live in a world where people hate each other because of skin pigmentation. That’s silly. It’s not innate, it’s learned. We can change our reality or state of hypnosis but you have to know you are in one. It’s like that quote from Harriet Tubman, that she would have saved more slaves if she could make them understand that they were slaves.
How do you stay on top of new artists coming out and finding the ones you want to work with?
Kehinde: Well, we’re super fortunate and blessed in that sense. Artists reach out to us based on our work and we filter through that to see who makes sense for the bigger picture and how we can enhance their career.
How have you noticed your production style and evolve over the years? What new habits do you have or what old habits have died?
Kehinde: Our style has definitely evolved, that’s natural. We stick to our regiments from back when we started, which includes being focused on the task at hand. One thing that’s changed is that we try and take samples out of our production because it’s limiting sometimes but at times it’s needed.
Your first placement was with Lil Kim almost 15 years ago. Did you have rappers in mind when you sent that beat CD to NY? When you produce a beat today, do you have a certain artist in mind or a flow?
Kehinde: When we sent beats out to NY we had a rough idea of who was working. So the goal was to make as many bangers as you could that week that you got word about artists seeking tracks. Today we work on specific projects more and more so it’s usually for a certain artist. But we also just lay down ideas in general that could fit any artist.
What producers excite you today?
Taiwo: Metro Boomin, Kaytranada, Disclosure, Alchemist, Mike Will, Sonny Digital.
You guys are working on a documentary as well as fixing music on TV shows. Are there ideas that you’d like to work on that might not even be possible now because of technological restrictions like the way people consume or produce music?
Kehinde: We don’t have restrictions, anything we want to work on we do it. If the technology doesn’t exist, you can create if you want it that bad. Our minds are limitless. If we think it, we do it and study the outcome.
What was one of the greatest lessons you learned from Pharrell and Shae, inside or outside of music?
Taiwo: Shae reminds us on a daily basis that we are great. He literally will call just to emphasize that and then explain to us why he thinks that. He definitely has shown us how to be low key and productive. I remember a few years ago I was telling Pharrell about this guy who was hating on us and the guy walked in the room and I’m like, “Yeah see that’s dude,” and he’s like, “Who cares, f*ck him”.
Bryan Hahn couldn’t give a f*ck about that hater in the room. He’s on Twitter (@notupstate).
