Underneath the obvious layer of New York rap stars like A$AP Mob, there's a whole world of underground rap in the city. Tony Seltzer is the mastermind behind many of the beats from the city's rising MCs like Wiki and MIKE.
A dedicated drummer since he was eight, Seltzer grew up with old school influences that run the gamut of funk, soul, R&B, old ‘60s and ‘70s Motown, and early rap thanks to his father, a former radio DJ. He also became obsessed with what he calls "crazy technical death metal," watching a DVD called Extreme Metal Drumming 101 on repeat.
In a new interview with The FADER, the 25 year old Brooklyn born and raised producer talks about how he started making beats, drumming for Princess Nokia, and working on songs for Freddie Gibbs, Rich the Kid, Rick Ross, and more. He has even linked up with NYC mainstay producer Harry Fraud, who he says is a "pivotal part of New York." Although he works with more and more rappers, he always stays true to his unique sound. "I’ll never make a beat that I think doesn’t sound like me even if I’m catering to someone's style," he asserts.
Check out the full interview over at The FADER.
In other music news, watch Lil Pump and Smokepurpp bring out XXXTentacion's mom onstage for a tribute to the late rapper right here.
