MBW’s World’s Greatest Producers series allows us to interview and celebrate some of the greatest talent working in the studio over the decades. This time we talk to Swiss producer/songwriter OZ, who is now a major act through his work with Drake, Travis Scott, Jack Harlow and more. The world’s greatest producers are backed by Hipgnosis Song Management.
What’s the best $300 you’ve ever spent?
Producer Ozan Yildirim, better known as OZ, knew exactly what he was spending his money on: He paid his contact CHF 250 in exchange for Meek Mill’s email address.
At the time, he was living in a small village in Switzerland, and while he was making a name for himself in European hip-hop production, the all-important American market, while constrained by Swizz Beatz beats, had little interest in authentic Swiss music, which meant he Efforts are underway to get people across the Atlantic to take notice.
However, one deal later, legendary rapper Mill had a WeTransfer link with 10 precision-machined OZ beats.
“This is the best investment of my life!” Oz chuckled. “I was very depressed during that time. I’m not usually a person who asks for help. I knew I had a really good beat. I had a lot of experience working with German artists, I’d made two albums myself without any collaboration, so I thought, “My rhythm got better, so I had to try it because I knew he would like my stuff.” The worst thing he could say was ‘no’.
Fortunately, Mill was impressed and invited OZ to co-write and produce such titles as Once upon a time (feat. Rick Ross) and ruthless (feat. Diddy). This led to more Native American productions, and the rest is transatlantic hip-hop history.
Mir’s sponsorship was a game-changer for OZ, whose talent was never in question, only hampered by his unfashionable location. OZ is of Turkish descent and grew up in Switzerland, becoming obsessed with rap music through clips he saw on MTV.
He started DJing at age 12 (“I didn’t join a club because I could have joined a club!” he quips), then started making his own beats using Magix Music Maker software at 14. In the mid-2000s, he started putting them together Posted on YouTube and MySpace and “sent my beats to random rappers.”
“I’m not thinking about my career, I’m just having fun,” he said. “There is no scene [in Switzerland]America seemed so far away, and there was no other producer in Europe that I could look up to and say, ‘I want to be like him.’
However, eventually Austrian rapper Nazar contacted OZ and signed him to his No Limits stable. As German-language hip-hop grew, so did OZ’s reputation, but he still dreamed of making it big stateside.
“It scares me a little bit, but I believe in myself.”
“I was 18 or 19 years old and barely spoke English,” he said. “I didn’t know how it worked and people told me crazy stories about America; you have to speak the language and you have to be from there – which was impossible for me at the time. It scared me a little bit , but I believed in myself. The fact that I was working in Germany gave me a positive mindset; I knew I had succeeded, so why couldn’t I succeed in the United States?
And that’s exactly what he did after his breakthrough collaboration with Meek Mill. After signing with Kobalt, he became the perfect modern co-writer/co-producer and key collaborator with the likes of Drake (Toosie Slide, girls want girls), Travis Scott (Sicko mode, highest point in the room), future(life is good) There are a lot more.
After racking up a staggering 7 billion plays (“I never take the privilege of having a platinum song for granted”), his songs with Drake and others are once again a hit. first person shooting Monster Connection with Jack Harlow is a huge hit love menow has his own stable of producers as he hopes to help others get a break from his hard work.
when he chats MBW From its headquarters in Switzerland, OZ announced plans to expand into music genres other than hip-hop. But first, it’s time to introduce us to Drake, AI, and why artists need to give producers more respect…
When you first started working with American artists, did you realize what a path you were blazing for European hip-hop producers?
No, because I was too focused. I wasn’t thinking about being a pioneer.
There was a producer in Berlin who had worked with someone in America, but that was what he had done. My plan is to do it constantly, not just for one song and then be done with it.
Once I started working with Meek, some hip-hop pages started writing about me, and I started to realize that this was huge for everyone, not just me. A lot of producers started texting me and telling me how positive they were because I started going overseas and showing them [it was possible].
I realize this is special, but I’m focused on staying in the American industry. I wanted to stay there forever and make a living from music.
I believe that you can achieve anything anywhere if you are willing to put in the effort. Also, people told me I wouldn’t make it, so I did have doubts at times. Especially coming from a small village in Switzerland! But my belief in my vision was greater than my doubts and the voices around me.
How did it feel when you finally arrived in the United States?
It’s not like people warned me. When I was making Beats in 2008 or 2009, in my mind, I was making Beats for Usher.
I have an American friend in the industry who always tells me, ‘You have to be prepared, because once you’re in the room with Usher or a big artist like him, you have to be the leader of the studio, Tell them how to do singing’. I thought, ‘How can I tell Arthur how to sing? He is a professional player!
However, after a few years, I discovered that there are many people working on a song, not just the artist and producer. It definitely makes my life easier. I had more faith and once I started working with Americans, my language got better.
What are the most important production factors for you?
Beats have always been an inspiration to me. Since English is not my first language, the lyrics to the songs I listened to as a teenager were not always understandable. However, I am fascinated by the art as a whole. Even today, I tend to focus on the overall vibe of the song rather than the lyrics.
You’ve said that DRAKE makes you a better producer. How did he do that?
As an artist, Drake is picky, he knows what he wants and is always evolving. Working with him has taken my creative process to the next level and the art we create individually and together makes it work really well.
There are a lot of great producers sending music to Drake or Travis [Scott] – These artists are always trying to find new sounds, which is always a challenge.
So, when we release a song, I’m already thinking about what’s going to happen next. It’s rare to film the same thing twice, and people are always concerned about what’s going to happen next? Artists like Drake or Travis know what they’re looking for, so it’s a challenge for me and that’s why I’m always getting better and better.
It’s not easy to write songs with artists like Drake or Travis. I can’t just sit back and do nothing and say, “This is going to work out somehow.” Every time I make music for them, it pushes me to push my own limits.
Is that how you earned your reputation for always being vocal?
Yes. I know I’m not the only producer in the industry – I have to do something that no one else is doing. I have to get better, try new sounds, try new ways to make my work stand out – it definitely makes me work harder.
What’s it like to be in the middle of a big hit? like me?
There’s definitely something special about that song. When I created the music, I knew immediately; this was something that everyone would enjoy.
It’s timeless and it gives you good energy – when you play it, you’ll be in a good mood to dance and have a good time. Normally, I don’t feel this way, but I knew during this process that this could stand out and go crazy around the world.
and pathological pattern [by Travis Scott], I didn’t know who could be involved in it because it was an experimental beat. That’s why my first beat choice is Travis. love me is a different story. I know it will be popular no matter who uses it – but it was made for Jack.
Do you get a lot of calls asking about similar things?
certainly! When you achieve great things, the phone calls always come.
nice to see because love me It’s a fresh voice to the industry, but I always say, ‘What’s a hit?’ People call you and ask you, ‘We need a hot product, send some hot product,’ but there’s no formula for that Let me sit down and do it and say, ‘Okay, this is a hot product, let’s do it’.
love me I know this sounds special and it might be huge, but I made a huge record with Travis Scott last year I know?, it went to No. 1 on radio and went crazy. But when you listen to the production, you find the complete opposite. love me. It’s a slower pace, a darker, very scary piece – if I sent it to other people, they probably wouldn’t come up with the same ideas that Travis did. So it’s hard – it depends on what the artist wants to do.
Are you worried that artificial intelligence will one day do what you do?
Not really. Artificial intelligence is not that far away from crazy production.
Ten years from now things may be different, but for now I’m not worried about myself or the producers I work with because you can hear the differences among all the producers.
“When I make music, I have a different atmosphere, different works, and different sounds every day.”
Everyone brings something special to the table, but no artificial intelligence program can perfectly replicate it. When I make music, every day is a different vibe, a different production, a different sound.
On the other hand, AI can help a lot with some production aspects – when you’re writing a song, finding some rhyme or something might be helpful. I try to look at it in a positive way and see how it can help you be more productive. I’m not scared yet – hopefully I won’t be!
Does the music industry take producers seriously enough?
It depends on the artist. There are some artists – I won’t name them – who don’t really care about producers. But the artists who showed their love to the producers are the ones who are still in the game.
They can do this because they know the value of a producer. They know that to be a great artist and create great albums and songs, you need to show respect to the producer. If you don’t show love, respect or appreciation for your producer, you’ll end up with bad production and bad songs!
What do you think about the trend of having multiple co-writers and co-producers per song?
Sometimes I produce the entire album myself. Such projects can be challenging and people may feel burned out after a while. So collaborating with other creatives and getting some new perspectives is invaluable.
When collaborating, it’s crucial to me that the extra work adds value to the song and improves its quality. I particularly enjoy the teamwork that comes with it, especially when working with like-minded friends.
If you could change one thing about the music industry right here and right now, what would it be?
I want producers and songwriters to close deals faster and get paid faster. At this point in my career, it’s okay to wait three or four months for payment, but I know what it’s like when you first start making money.
I hope this changes, that it changes the lives of people who are new to music and making records; that it helps them stay financially stable so they don’t have to worry about paying their bills.
Where do you want to be in five years?
Short and sweet: still here.global music business
