Al Hug – “Everything you need to know about music is already in the music itself.”

Do you have a set process for starting to work on an idea from scratch?

My main instruments and entry points into a piece of music are usually the piano, drums, or percussion. These are my three main starting points. It could be as simple as practicing something on percussion, playing around on the piano, or recording a drum break. From there, I build out the piece step by step.

I almost never start with synth pads; I find them really uninspiring. Pads are just… space. I avoid anything that’s just “sounds nice” because it doesn’t give me the drive to keep going.

The way I make music, every step needs to inspire the next one. For instance, if I create a drum pattern, it needs to inspire the bassline, which then inspires the piano, and in turn, inspires the top-line melody. It becomes a chain reaction. Sometimes, it even circles back—after adding other elements, I’ll return to the drums to tweak something, and that change might inspire another idea.

I once read a book by English synth pioneer, Daphne Oram, who described the creative process in an interesting way. She said that the moment you first have an idea is like a peak—it’s when inspiration is at its highest. From there, it naturally starts to dip. The challenge is to keep reigniting that initial spark over and over so you stay inspired to work on the piece as long as it feels meaningful.

At the same time, there is also a point where you need to step away and avoid overworking it.

In your opinion, what makes a great hip-hop sample? And can you share a tip for new producers on how to improve their samples?

A good hip-hop sample starts with a great record. If you have a strong musical performance or a well-produced track, it naturally inspires the sampling process. Someone can take that record, chop out a piece, rearrange it, pitch it, stretch it, or process it in some way. But the foundation is always a good record—something sonically interesting and emotionally powerful.

A good record doesn’t have to be conventional. It could be very weird, feature an incredible vocal performance, or showcase great drums and bass. Anything compelling and unique can form the basis of a great hip-hop sample. The key from there is finding the right chop.

If you want to create great hip-hop samples, my biggest tip is to study records. This ties back to what I mentioned earlier—everything you need to know about music is already in the music itself. Listen carefully to a wide range of records—both old and new. Today, with platforms like YouTube and Spotify, you have access to an endless library of music. Immerse yourself in it, learn what makes those records stand out, and use that inspiration to create your own sound.

When I create samples, they’re often built from records I make myself.

I’d like to talk about one of the songs you co-produced, “7 Minute Drill” by J. Cole. We recently had Elyas on, and he shared his perspective on the track. Could you tell us your side of the story—how the song came to be? And what was your reaction when it was deleted after just one week?

I honestly can’t recall exactly when Elyas and I worked on the sample; it must have been over a year ago, maybe a year and a half. I had sent the sample to Conductor Williams, with whom I had just recently started working. I had been sending him material, but I didn’t even know he had used any of it.

The day before the album Might Delete Later dropped, Conductor messaged me on Instagram and said, “Yo, call me. We have a placement.” I called him, and he told me that we had a song with J. Cole. At first, I didn’t hear it. I asked, “Who?” And he said, “J. Cole. You know J. Cole, right?” I was like, “Oh, yeah, yeah, of course!”

He told me the song was dropping the next day. It was around 11 p.m. my time in Zurich, and the song dropped at 6 a.m. my time—just seven hours later.

The whole experience was surreal. The track debuted at number six on the Hot 100, which was insane. A week later, it was gone. That song now holds the record for the steepest drop-off from the Hot 100 because it was removed entirely. It was definitely strange, but I wasn’t frustrated about it. For me, it’s a good story.

What stood out most about the experience was realizing how quickly things can happen. I’m not the type of person who thinks, “This could happen overnight!” But when it actually did, I thought, “Wow, I guess it really can happen just like that.”

Which track that you’ve produced do you value the most or holds a special place in your heart?

The first one is “Parlez-Vous Anglais” by Headie One, featuring Aitch, and produced by Ambezza and me. That track is special because, when I made the sample, I genuinely thought no one would ever flip it. It was so complex—especially with the percussion—that I assumed it would be too busy to work with. But I still sent it out, and Ambezza did something incredible with it. His flip of that sample is just insane.

To this day, it’s the song I receive the most feedback on, even more than tracks with bigger numbers. Almost every week, someone reaches out about it—whether to ask how it came together or simply to tell me they love the song. Despite having fewer streams than my more popular songs, it remains truly unique, and I’m very proud of it.