Gabe Niles Interview

NOW...i promised interviews and thus i shall deliver...
Gabe Niles is well a producer of sorts. He got his start making beats in the dorms and stumbled across a young ass dread locked kid looking to become a rapper.
So i hear.
He got his first break when he linked up with Ced Hughes helping him record his first mixtape Ced Hughes and The Technicolor Soundwave. Not to mention he produced one of the most notable tracks "InsteadOfUandI.CouldItBeUs". He sat down with E*klipse Tha Champloo to talk industry and hoes (no really).



Champloo: I know who you are but what do you want people to know about you?

Gabe: Now, I'm probably made out to be very humble but i want people to know that i am the shit. Like, the shit plus.
(laughs)
Naw, I just want people to know i do it for the love of the music. I do this to make very timeless music. This is about building classic music. Take Little Richie for example he made songs a million years ago but it still hits. I don't rape on prices. So if you need beats get at me. I take on any project sometimes too many. I'm lazy but dope.

Champloo: What are you working on right now?

Gabe: Battle...um...

Champloo: Wait! Battle dropping?! When? (ed. note battle is a cool cat from the rebel E one of my favorite musicians. an interview is def in the future.)

Gabe: Yea. Its not set date quite yet but, its going to be monumental. His whole project is going to be on some other shit. I'm actually excited about his project.
Also, Shoot The Moon, which consists of me, Ced Hughes and kid A. We're going to release 3 promotional tracks in March. Depending on how those do we'll start working on the actual project soon after. [The tracks in March] will be free downloads. Carter's project is coming. That is going to be crazy. I'm actually executive producing the project. Ced Hughes, Dante Lewis, and The A3 all will produce tracks. Look at for that.

Champloo: Damn, i see you working. Anything else.

Gabe: I'm looking at alot of major placements as well. I can't really speak on it. I don't want to be like yea i have this this this on deck when in the end most of it is just talks. In the end I don't wanna seem like I'm a liar. Just pray for me.
[side note. CHAMPLOO KNOWS]

Champloo: I got you homie. When do you have time to do anything else?

Gabe: I don't know. Most times I'm isolated. Me and you are just as cool as we were when we used to see each other everyday even though we don't talk as often. Alot of people think I'm flaking on them. I'm just always working. I don't even talk to my moms like that. Especially now that I'm collaborating with alot of musicians. I'm working with people in Timberland's camp and an understudy of Chad. That's two major connects. Right now it's all about me getting heard.

Champloo: Not even time for females?

Gabe: Man, honestly I'm tired of females.

Champloo: Since when did you start getting females?

Gabe: You mad nigga? (Laughs) I get females without even trying most of the time. But at the end of the days its about the music.

Champloo: Your working with a next level artist, Ced Hughes. Which means your getting a first hand look at how the industry works. How do you feel about the direction music is going in?

Gabe: Good. Its getting back to good music. I mean people aren't afraid to be themselves. You can wear damn near whatever you want. Give it 5 years and music on the radio is going to be crazy. Our generation is taking over so you can expect great things. Right now, we're in the middle. For the most part the music we listen to on the radio is trendy. People are only going to listen to what they are told is hot. People are afraid of change. How many people you know go to McDonald's and order the same thing. That new southern chicken sand which is CRACK but they would never know because they always get a MCchicken. But now the industry is understanding this and starting to use change to their advantage. Kanye West changed the game. Now, when the Blueprint 3 comes out do you wanna hear the same old Jay-Z? No, you want to hear something different.

Champloo: So you've heard the Blueprint 3?

Gabe: I mean all I've heard is talks. It could be done for all i know.

Champloo: So how do you plan to get on?

Gabe: I have to appeal to the masses.

Champloo: WHAT? YOU APPEAL TO THE MASSES?

Gabe: Wait, now I have to make music for the masses. You can't get on being cocky like I'm going to do me. Nobody will listen. The thing is you have to do it in your own way. Almost sneak a little bit of you in each song.

Champloo: Understandable. I was about to say.

Gabe: Yea man but I have two sounds. I love the stuff I'm doing now but at the same time my mainstream stuff i love even more. It shows my range as producer. The music is mainstream but its me at the same time. To make it you have to have a distinct sound that can go anywhere. Look at the Neptunes or Scott Storch they make mainstream music but they its them.

Champloo: Iight. Music is always changing tho. Your sound has become way more mainstream in recent months. I JUST got into Justice but they're making shit you was making about a year and a half ago.

Gabe: I know, man. Electro and House was my shit. I just have to always change my sound. Keep it all evolving. Right now its about sounding like my influences. Well, not sounding like them but doing what they did as far as music goes. I might have prince esque drums but its still me. I want to bring that funk to my sound. Look at Hall and Oates, I can play "I Can't Go For That" right now and people will still love it. Timeless music separates the boys from the men.

Champloo: What do you mean?

Gabe: Not too many producers your going to hear 10 years from now. Take 9th wonder for example. He's been out of the loop for a minute. Hopefully, he's reinventing his sound. He had his run, if he doesn't choose to reinvent himself he's done. T.Pain on the other hand is going to be an icon. Give him about 5 years and he's going to be making timeless music that we sing forever. As a producer its about becoming a household name. Look at Pharrell or Kanye West they are constantly evolving and changing the way their music sounds.

Champloo: So at the end of the day being a producer is bigger than just making beats?

Gabe: Of course. Its about changing peoples lives through music. If it wasn't for the neptunes I wouldn't be making music right now period. Ultimately that should be your goal as a producer. When I die i want to still be relevant.

Champloo: Kanye West is a big influence of mine. That's why i got into sampling so heavy. But most of the time people aren't trying to clear samples. Do you think sampling as a whole will die out?

Gabe: Sampling is crack. It all depends on how you do it. Take a class project for example. The teacher tells you to make a picture out of magazine clippings. Now you can do what Diddy does take the whole page rip it out and use it. Or you can get three different magazines take the eyes from one page, mouth from another. As far as clearing samples go, if its dope the label will clear it. They won't mind paying if its a hit. Even if they don't want to clear it, you can put it on the Internet without worrying about getting them cleared. It's just about getting it out to people.

Champloo: How are you still making music? Last I heard your computer was broke.

Gabe: It is. I use it as more of a hard drive at this point. I'm using different programs, more hardware. Sequencing in Cu base is dope.

Champloo: So you don't use FL any more?

Gabe: No i still am. Just using different programs as well.

Champloo: Any last words for the people?

Gabe: In this music game you have to set yourself apart. I feel like I have an edge over most people for the simple fact i believe in myself. Alot of people look down on you when you tell them that your career choice is music but at the end of the day its always going to be an abundance of musicians even more reason for you to fight to be different. Just think at some point Kanye West, Pharrell, Prince were all regular people.

Listen To "Forget Love"
@
www.myspace.com/gdotniles