Padd Solutions

How long have you been producing?

For about 4 years now. I started during my sophomore year in high school. I was 15.

What makes up the soulful sound?

Just a lot of passion in what I do. I love making music, and because I'm so passionate about it, I put my all into it. My mind, heart, and of course my soul.

What do you use to create?

You might laugh when I tell you, and a lot of people don't 

believe me, but I use FL Studio 7 and an M-Audio Oxygen 61 Midi keyboard. Plus a Sony USB turntable, and any vinyl I can get my hands on.

Who are your influences?

I got a lot of them... Of course God, on a spiritual level, but musically, Kanye, J Dilla, Madlib, 9th, Pete Rock, Just Blaze, Kev Brown, Oddisee, Nottz, Bink, and ?uestlove. And I also love old school music... Basically 70’s soul, funk, jazz, and of course that old school go-go, like Backyard, Rare Essence, Junkyard, and the Godfather, Chuck Brown.
 I bump artists like Marvin Gaye, Bobby Womack, Donny Hathaway, Al Green, Willie Hutch, and David Ruffin etc, just like I bump Jay-Z, Common, Joe Budden, or Wale. That’s basically where the name “Soulful!” comes from. I’m just a young dude with an old soul.

What is your goal as a producer?

As a producer, my goal is to eventually become “one of the best to ever do it,” while at the same time, have whoever is listening, rapping, or singing on my beats, to get insight into my mind. I’m a very low key and laid back individual, who doesn’t really talk that much. So the only way for me to fully express myself, is through my music. Basically, I just want whoever is listening to it, to be like, “Young, this dude “Soulful!” is really
 deep.”

Where are you from?

You know I hail from the DMV brotha. Alexandria, VA. 703 all day!

Who have you done work for? Please name songs etc.......

For real for real, I haven’t produced for that many people. I mean I’ve done jonts with some local artists. I’ve done a couple songs with A.B the Producer. We did “Home Sweet Home” and “Round of Applause”, which are off my mixtape Soul Serious Vol. 2, that I dropped last March. And then we got this one jont called “Feel Good.” That record is crazy by the way. And then I’ve got a couple songs with Ruq. He’s got a song called “You Just Don’t Know” which is also a crazy record. As a matter of
 fact, both him and A.B were on two other songs I produced called “Down” and “Smooth Seduction.” I’ve also done work for groups outside of the DMV, called HBE, and Clearly Undeniable. They stay in the 757.

What do you do outside music?

Outside of music, I’d probably be chilling with my homeboys Shakez, Legit, or RJ, or with a shorty. Shout out to them by the way, because we got this label called So Serious, that we’re trying to get off the ground. But for real for real, I don’t do too much outside of music, because most of the people I kick it with are involved with music as well. But, I used to play ball up until 2 years ago… I need to get back into that haha.

What is the best song you have
 produced?

I can’t even call it brotha, but my boy Mosel from Detroit said my best beat is this one jont called “Planetary Soul.” I actually played it in the King of the Beltway Battle. It was the 1st beat of the 2nd round. It has a go-go bounce. I tell people it sounds like “A Tribe Called Quest mixed with Wale.” I actually wanna get that that jont to Wale somehow.

What is the best produced song you've heard?

There’s a lot of them. But, most likely it was a jont Kanye did off of College Dropout or Late Registration, like the “Late” jont. I know J Dilla has a lot of them too. The jont he did for Erykah Badu, “Didn’t Cha Know” was dope.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Young, I’m trying to be up there with you Judah. Right now, I’m just a youngin’ looking up to you, Best Kept Secret, Kev Brown, Oddisee… Ya’ll are some of the best to come out of the DC area. And I also want to be known as “one of the best” to come out of the area. But, hopefully I will also be able to elevate and become “one of the best, period.” I have dreams if you can’t tell brotha haha. I just want to make some real good music, and change the world.

Take us thru the process of making a soulful beat.

It’s not even all that complicated for real for real. I basically start off finding the sample first. And then I import it
 into FL Studio, so I could chop it. And based on the way that I chopped it, depends on what kind of drums I would use. I would either chop up a drum loop, or just use my own drums. Or I might even do both, but either way, I make sure that the drums complement the sample, and vice versa. Then based off of that, I would play a bassline using the M-Audio keyboard. Sometimes I would also play another melody that I feel flows nicely with the beat.

I would say that making a “Soulful!” beat is 70% emotion and 30% creativity. Anybody can make a beat, but if you don’t have that emotion, and basically that soul, then your beat is not going to come out that good. Music is supposed to be about feeling. And if your music lacks the feeling, then you have nothing. And you need that creativity, because if you don’t know how to channel that emotion, then your beat won’t come out good
 either.