The Beat Don't Stop w/ D2Jay

BY CHLOÉ ADAMS

A producer can hear music in everything. Many of them can pull inspiration from anywhere. A doorbell ring, the typing sounds from a computer keyboard, the sound of flipping through papers all to be matched with the harmonic sounds of a violin, trumpet or drum. All of these sounds can be pulled together to create the very melodies you hear accompanied by some of your favorite artists.

You’ve heard of the greats. Those like Quincy Jones, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Kanye West, the Neptunes and so many more. These are the creators. The ones that heard the music before it was even thought of. The ones that felt the sound before anyone could even understand.

Many people today have studied their methods and worked to create their own. One of which is 20-year-old Jeremiah Adams, who goes by the stage name D2Jay. D2Jay has loved music since he was a kid. From the moment he got his very first DJ set to the first time he stepped into the studio at Savannah College of Art and Design, he has worked endlessly to create sounds and rhythms that not only make for the perfect song but also touch the people that hear them.

What got you started in music?

D2Jay: It started when I was nine-years-old. I remember coming home from school one day and seeing a keyboard on my dad’s desk. I remember asking him, ‘What’s going on here?’ And he actually had Reason (a digital audio software for editing music and audio) pulled up. My dad showed me the basics like loading samples, how to use the keyboard, how to use the instruments. And I loved it! I found myself coming home every day after school and hogging my dad’s desk and being there for hours making music and it’s been an ongoing thing ever since.

So your dad had a big hand in getting you started?

D2Jay: Yeah, a big contributor. But not only that, I used to always be surrounded by music. My mom was huge on music, I had an iPod that had all of these oldies and good classics in my library and I would always play around and listen to them or be in the car when my parents. Then, I got my first DJ mixer when I was younger as well. Ever since I’ve been working and it’s been a great experience.

What projects have you worked on that really solidified your love for producing? What project made you say “This is it. I love this.”?

D2Jay: I never really had any intention of working with an artist when I first started out. At first, it was just something I did on my free time. But my freshman year of high school, I was working with this artist called Mello B. I remember playing my beats and Mello heard one of the songs I was playing and he started freestyling. I remember recording it on the spot and after the fact, I went home and was mixing and mastering and ended up turning it into a song. That was my first introduction to working with an artist. Within the first few weeks, it got 20K plays on SoundCloud. It was different because I never had my music heard like that before. Ever since then, I wanted to do more and found myself exploring and networking.

So that was what got it started.

D2Jay: Well…when I moved to South Carolina, sophomore year of HS, I started to do my own studio. I started working with South Carolina artists, Kiyon and Ahmad Pharaoh. We collaborated almost every day. We would link up after school and he would bring five or six other people with him and we would have the cyphers, and I would be making beats. I feel like that was the real turning point because I developed my studio from that. I wanted to build up my studio and improve my work to the point that I could engineer artists and make a living from it.

How many hours on average do you spend in the studio?

D2Jay: I would be in the studio every day for at least six hours and then spend the rest of my day either making more beats or mixing and mastering. Being a producer, it’s not just the recording aspect, it’s everything else. Mixing and mastering alone can take me a day to do several songs. It would be to a point where I would be locked in my room making music. Sometimes I have to stop myself. I’ve been up until five or six in the morning. It got intense.

Who are your favorite producers out right now?

D2Jay: Okay so, Timbaland is a legend. The way he puts together his sound is really dope. JetsonMade, who is actually from South Carolina. He produced for DaBaby and Migos and a lot of the songs you know today. I would say my top would be Timbaland, Metro Boomin’, JetsonMade, and Pharrell. But there are so many other influential people that have had such an influence on me. It’s hard to make a list.

Would you want to work with any of these producers?

D2Jay: I’d love to. Mainly because they are successful and they have their own sound. And they’re successful because they’ve established their own sound. You hear a lot of upcoming producers trying to replicate these people and something I find myself doing is trying to stand out. The reason why these people are so successful is because they didn’t replicate, they made their own sound.

Any new projects coming up?

D2Jay: Of course. Over the summer I have been working on my sister’s (Jada Beatz) EP. We’ve been working on it for about three months. She had about nine songs that we’ve done and we just finished recording, all produced by me. Right now, I’m mixing and mastering them. She has put a lot of work into these songs and I’m super excited for that. That work is a great example of her creative diversity.

What do you hope to do in the future with your music?

D2Jay: My goal is to move to Atlanta and branch out in terms of doing music and film. I want to promote positivity. I want to create stuff that is positive. I don’t want my name to be associated with anything negative. I want us to have a good time. I want to be able to provide music that people can vibe out to, listen to and just enjoy it. If I continue to surround myself around the right people who are dedicated, positive and happy, then it’ll happen.

It’ll definitely happen.

Instagram: @d2jayproductions