When it comes to the importance of the recording engineer, it's one of those things where if you know, you know. True, many surface-level listeners might not care to deep dive into the liner notes, but those with an appreciation for the fine craft of music-making tend to appreciate what those behind the boards bring to the table.
Sometimes, engineers spend time in the spotlight, as has been the case for TDE architect Derek 'MixedByAli' Ali, the man behind Kendrick Lamar's Section 80 & To Pimp A Butterfly, YG's My Krazy Life, Danny Brown's Atrocity Exhibition, Boogie's Everything's For Sale, Roddy Ricch's Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, ScHoolboy Q's Blank Face and Oxymoron, and many more. Today, the hip-hop MVP has come through share "the most exciting news since the birth of his daughter" -- the purchase of Death Row Records' former studio.
"This is Death Row Records former studio, where they recorded and mixed @drdre ‘The Chronic 2001’, @snoopdogg ‘The Dog Pound’, Tupac’s ‘All Eyes On Me’ and countless other records that shaped my childhood and inspired me to create the music I make today, being from the west coast," captions MixedByAli, alongside a digital tour. "I’m proud to announce, this is now my facility."
"We’re looking forward to harnessing the energy & history from this studio and continue pumping out nothing but timeless hit records just as they did in the 90’s."
"We’re looking forward to harnessing the energy & history from this studio and continue pumping out nothing but timeless hit records just as they did in the 90’s," he explains, alluding to the notorious label's legendary run -- a run that spawned such epic tales as Kurupt participating in a high-stakes freestyle audition as well as the tense and rivalry-sparking 1995 Source Awards.
For those who appreciate hip-hop history, it's certainly nice to see two legendary west coast labels come together in such an exciting way. Clearly, MixedByAli understands the significance that Death Row has on the rap game at large, and we already look forward to hearing some of the new records cooked up in the newly minted NoName Studios / EngineEars Office, Coming Q2, 2021.