Exclusive Interview
Nov 6, 2025
Produced by: Rudy Manager
Edited by: Rudy Manager & Andrej Aroch
2C - Neila World Producer Behind Destroy Lonely’s “If Looks Could Kill”
Studio Talks sat down with artist and producer 2C for an in depth interview about his come up, creative process, and the moments that shaped his sound. We trace his path from early experiments in FL Studio to landing records on Destroy Lonely’s If Looks Could Kill, including “superstar” and “make sum work.” We also get into favorite productions like untiljapan’s “Showin” and his own track “onmyway,” reflecting his work as an artist in his own right. 2C opens up about joining the Neila World collective, the state of music right now, and practical advice for new producers. The interview was conducted by Rudy Manager via video call on October 20, 2025.
“Be yourself. If you make music the way you truly want to, the right things will come.”
- 2C
What first got you into music, and how did that lead you to producing and rapping?
I’ve always been into music. It’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I’ve followed the trends. I’m 26, so I’ve lived through a lot of different phases, from the 2000s and early 2010s into the late 2010s, listening to all kinds of sounds and watching the underground scene grow.
I didn’t get into production until late 2019 or 2020. In college I was messing around with chopped and screwed edits, taking songs I loved, slowing them down, and posting them online. They started getting plays on SoundCloud, and I was getting a little clout, thinking I was going up. One day I showed my boy Julian, shoutout Julian, and I was hyped because an artist had reposted one of my edits on Instagram. I was like, I’m about to go up as a DJ. It’s lit. Everyone’s messing with these edits. He looked at me and said I should start making beats. DJs are cool, but being a producer would be even cooler. At first I didn’t get it. Me, a producer? It didn’t make sense. I had no music background, never played an instrument, nothing. I was just a huge fan. But he knew that and said it made sense because I was always putting him on to new music.
That night I went home and downloaded the FL Studio trial version. I couldn’t save anything and couldn’t do what I actually wanted, but I still made my first beat. From that night on, I never stopped. It’s been about six years now, and I’ve been making beats ever since.
What was the process of improving when you were just starting out? Did you watch YouTube tutorials, or did you have any mentors?
In my first couple of months, it was mostly YouTube, but I didn’t dive deep. I’d be in FL Studio, and when I had a specific question, like a hotkey I needed or how to do a snare roll, I’d look up that exact thing. I watched whatever helped in the moment, whether it was an Internet Money video or a Busy Works Beats tutorial. Then I’d apply it to the beat I was working on at the time. Those early beats probably weren’t great, but I was putting in constant hours and learning by doing.
Around month eight or nine, I started getting mentors. People like FBK and Dotmidorii, and others from different collectives including Neila World, took me in and showed me a level of style I hadn’t seen before. They taught me how to really move in FL Studio. So it was YouTube for the first few months, and later it was guidance from producers who put me onto a lot. That’s how I started to understand FL and how to produce overall.
Could you share how you worked on Destroy Lonely’s album If Looks Could Kill, and on the songs “superstar” and “make sum work”?
It all came together in late September and October 2022. My boy ssor.t and I had built a really strong relationship by then, both as friends and musically. A couple of months earlier, we’d landed a song with Lone, which had me excited because it was my first time getting something with a bigger artist. Things went quiet for a bit. Then ssor.t texted me that Lone would be in New York for a month and that he’d be at the sessions. He told me to send every loop and every start I had, and he gave me a breakdown of what they needed for the album. I decided to really lock in. I was working at a cafe and would bring my laptop to my barista shifts. Any moment I wasn’t making drinks, I was building starts and sending them to ssor.t.
“superstar” started when my friend ESAU sent me a YouTube beatbox video. I thought it could be a cool sample, so I sampled the video, made the start, and sent it to ssor.t. He did his thing on it and sent it to Lone, but at first Lone didn’t rap on it and wasn’t feeling the beat. ssor.t told me he still believed in the beat and sent it again. He pitched it down and slowed it from about 135 or 136 bpm to 131 bpm. For some reason, Lone was rapping only on 131 bpm beats for about a month, and that hit the sweet spot. Once it was sent again, Lone recorded on it and we had the record.
“make sum work” came right after. I was at my job again, still bringing the laptop every day. There was no special formula. I started a guitar melody using my computer keys, laid a simple drum pattern, and sent it off as a start. Clayco and ssor.t picked it up and worked on it, and since Jonah and AM were at the studio, they jumped in and added a few things too. That same night Lone recorded on it. That’s how those two records for If Looks Could Kill came together.
How do you approach working on a project from scratch when you first open FL Studio?
It always starts with a sound. I never go in with a set direction, and I don’t like having one. Prompts don’t work for me, and I don’t like it when an artist tells me to make a specific type of beat. That’s never worked for me, and I’m not changing what works. I open FL Studio, do a kind of Russian roulette with VSTs, pick one, and follow where it leads. Sometimes I start with chords, other times with a weird pluck or some random texture. I pick one sound, build around it, and let that single idea grow into the whole beat. I just follow the sound and let it take me.
Do you have any favorite VSTs or hardware?
I keep it simple. I use five or six VSTs and the same four or five drum packs. I don’t switch my style too much. Xpand is a big one for me, and it really changed my life. I also use ZENOLOGY, Hive, Analog Lab, and Serum. Serum is the goated VST. Those are the ones I use every day.
What do you think about the state of music right now, and where do you see it going in the next few years?
I love where music is right now, even if it feels a little stale. Not in a bad way, more like we’re in limbo where no one’s sure which direction it’ll go next. We’ve already pushed it to places we didn’t expect, so now it feels like everyone’s searching for the next thing. I like the current moment, but I think it could head in a new direction and get more exciting, depending on what artists and producers do, including me.
I feel like it’s on us to help decide what music becomes. I’m more focused on the future than the present because I want to be part of what’s next. I’m excited to see what happens, and I’m aiming to help make it amazing and beautiful. Let’s see where it goes.
What’s your opinion on using AI in music and music production?
I don’t mind it. If you use it, it’s a tool like anything else. VSTs are tools, MIDI files are tools, loops are tools. People love to say some way of making music is cheating, and I hate that. You’re using loops? That’s cheating. You’re using this or that? That’s cheating. No. There isn’t one correct way to make music. Everyone’s process is different. The only thing I don’t like is having AI make an entire beat for you, then going around flaunting it like you made it. That’s weird to me. At the end of the day, you should be the one making the beat.
I’m fine with using AI for things like vocal chops. I’ve had people send me songs with AI vocal chops, and I thought it was super resourceful. Not everyone has a great voice, and sometimes it’s hard to find royalty free chops. Sampling comes with a lot of sticky situations. So AI can be helpful. It becomes a problem when people use it to generate full beats and then claim them as something they worked hard on, when all they did was write a prompt and hope for the best. I don’t like that.
Do you have a production of yours that’s especially close to your heart?
There are two that really stand out. The first is the untiljapan’s song “Showin,” which dropped in June or July. I got that record back in March and didn’t know where it would land. I thought it might be on the trompe l’oeil album, but it didn’t make it, which had me upset for a bit. It ended up coming out on the BornUnderPunches. EP. That beat means a lot to me because it’s a solo beat. In 2025, having a solo beat feels rare, and I’m proud of that. If someone asked me for the ideal version of a 2C beat, I’d point them to that song. From the sample chops to the drums, the bounce, and the swag, it’s all me. I’m grateful Japan got on it because it really represents who I am.
The second is “onmyway,” from my tape that I dropped in June. Me, Lucian, and ssor.t were in Atlanta, making that beat for an artist I won’t name. The artist never got on it, and it blew me because I thought it was one of the craziest beats I’d made with my bros. I figured if he didn’t take it, someone would, so I got on it myself and made “onmyway.” I love that beat and that song. It’s the best example of what happens when you’re collabing in person with your boys and catch a crazy moment together.
What advice would you give to new producers who are just starting out and want to work with artists and get into the industry?
Be yourself. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s real. I’ve been authentically me the whole time and I’ve been patient. I didn’t make contacts right away, and I didn’t jump to where I am now overnight. I’m still at the beginning of my career. Take your time, work on yourself, and put the hours into your craft. Reach out to people you genuinely want to work with. Do not chase people just because you think they’ll level you up or get you to bigger artists. If you make music the way you truly want to, the right things will come. A lot of artists hit me because they hear the passion, and they want my swag to be part of theirs.
If you reach out and they don’t respond, that’s fine. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Keep working and stay authentic. Either they’ll find their way to you, or it wasn’t meant to happen. Let things take their course. Focus on getting better as a producer, and the artist relationships and placements will follow. If you work hard and stay consistent, that part comes with it. It’s not rocket science.
Who are some artists and producers people should keep an eye on in the next few months?
I love the Ø Way guys, especially Tezzus, Diamond, Sk8star, and Dior. untiljapan too. He’s already on the rise, but I think he’s going to hit a real mainstream lane. Hopefully me too, but I’m not worried about myself right now. I’m just excited to see these rappers go crazy.
As for producers, I mainly focus on my Neila people, and most of the other producers I work with aren’t really up and coming anymore. I’m kind of the one who’s up and coming. I want to see the XTC guys take off: Skii, Hosu, Evo, Lucca, Blvnts, Roc, and Riqo. They have some of the most amazing beats and skills I’ve ever seen.
Where do you see yourself one year from now?
I want to be on amazing albums and keep dropping music that catches people’s ears. I’m not chasing flowers or respect. I just want you to hear a beat or a song and think, think this guy’s onto something and want to keep watching me grow. I’d like to sign a deal, keep making music, and make this my full time job. I’m working every day toward it, so in a year, or however long it takes, I’m on great albums and doing things I’m proud of. I want to live the life I want.
Follow 2C on Instagram: @2c2c2c2c2c2c
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