The man behind the music

Q: A lot of people don't know how big a role producers play in pop and rap music. When I told a friend of mine that the same guy produced Lil' Wayne and T.I. and Beyonce, they couldn't believe their ears. Does it bother you that producers are often an invisible presence in popular music?

A: No, I don't mind. To me, it goes back to when there were singer-songwriters. They had great songs, and you didn't really care what they looked like. They just had great songs. There's a little bit more concern with image now, but it's cool. We're just making music, man, it doesn't matter.

Q: Could you explain how an artist approaches a producer and what the relationship between you is? How is a song like "Lollipop" or "Whatever You Like" constructed? Do you spend time in the studio together, or do you just have the beat or melody ready and waiting?

A: A lot of the time, these publishing companies and record companies will get together on a project, and depending on the artist, they'll say, "Hey look, we're looking for a song like this" - up-tempo, mid-tempo, love song, so on and so forth. After that point, you can either work directly with the artist or there can be less interaction. Personally, I like to work with the artists and writers directly and really get the vibe of the artist. Ninety percent of the time, the song turns out much better that way.

Q: You started out producing mainly rap songs, but you've been producing more and more pop music. What do you say to people who find the lines between pop and rap too blurred?

A: I said a couple of years ago that rap music is pop music, and I still really believe that. It's the most popular thing for today's kids. Personally, I'm over songs without melody. I think music needs melody to carry it, so I try to implement things like melody and chord changes in my music. But it's all always been pop music to me. Most of the stuff I work on has melody in there, whether it's considered rap or pop. I really do believe it's one and the same.

Q: How do you think the music industry is coping with the internet? Is it hurting or helping?

A: I think it's amazing. It's brought the singles market back, and it's brought so many opportunities for young, up-and-coming artists. It really gives you a direct link to consumers. If you've got a song now, you can just put it out. If people love it, then that's great. If anyone has a problem with it, then they can kiss your ass. It's no longer about the grumpy old men in the record companies trying to decide the way the music should be or what young people will like. I love it.

Q: Did you expect "Whatever You Like" to become one of the songs of the year in the way that it did?

A: When I first heard the demo version of the song, I turned to my wife, and I said, "This is really good, but I think that it can be even better." When we got in the studio the following day, we reworked it a bit. T.I. had some real magic on that song, and with a little work it turned out to be crazy. T.I. has a lot of melodic sensibility - he came up with the initial melody himself, that "You can have whatever you like" hook, and that really lit the song up. After it was finished and we mixed it, I really had a feeling that it was going to be a number-one record.

Q: Your first big song, "Let's Go" by Trick Daddy, had a strong rock vibe, and the way you interpolated A Flock of Seagulls on the Slim Thug single "I Run" was also great. Do you listen to a lot of music other than hip hop and pop for inspiration?

A: I listen to a lot of classic rock and pop music. I don't really listen to rap unless it's artists I'm working with. To be honest, I haven't really enjoyed that many rap albums that have been coming out lately. I'm rock and roll all the way - Led Zeppelin, Kansas, Pink Floyd. I'm a classic rock junkie. That's what I listen to and those records inspire me for sure.

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Q: Looking around online, I found a Lady Gaga song you worked on. What's happening with that? Are you still working with her?

Yeah. We did a couple of songs together last year that ended up leaking, but that was just the beginning. We'll definitely be working together in the future. She's awesome.

A: You recently signed Atlanta-based rapper B.o.B., who has started to get some serious attention. Why did you sign him initially, and what do you have to tell hip-hop fans who don't know about him yet?

A: I signed B.o.B. close to three years ago. I heard his music through a friend of mine, and I thought he was unbelievable. Back then, he was making the music that people are trying to make now. He was way ahead of his time. B.o.B. is more of a pop-rock, hip-hop thing. It's Blink 182 meets Andre 3000.

Q: New hip-hop artists like Kid Cudi and Drake are really starting to take rap in a different direction than the really established figures like Jay-Z or Kanye West. What's your take on the current state of hip hop?

A: I think those new guys [like Cudi and Drake] are expanding hip hop. Hip hop comes in many forms. You have stuff like T.I. and Lil' Jon, the whole Southern sound, and then you have Jay-Z and Kanye, and then you have Drake and Cudi. Hip hop is a broad thing. Like I said before, it's pop music.

Q: One last question. Is Auto-Tune dead, just because Jay-Z says it is?

A: No way. We use Auto-Tune a lot, and I'm real happy to use it. In a funny and crazy way, it's teaching these kids how to sing. It's helping people sing melodies again. It's bringing songs back. Obviously kids need to learn to use Auto-Tune in a creative way and not just sound like T-Pain, but if it's helping them learn how to sing, then that's all that matters.

Associate editor Adam Tanaka and staff writer Kiran Gollakota conducted, condensed and edited the interview.