Studio Talks sat down with super-talented producer Clayco for an exclusive interview about his creative process, work ethic, and vision for the future. Clayco has worked with Playboi Carti and is the architect behind much of Destroy Lonely’s sound, shaping its foundation with a distinct, gritty, rhythm-driven style. He opens up about his journey, the rise of AI in music, the making of the If Looks Could Kill album, the vision behind Underworld Online, and the mindset pushing him to expand into film, gaming, and beyond. This interview was conducted by Rudy Manager via video call on April 24, 2025.
How did you first get interested in music?
I grew up listening to music all the time. My mom and dad always had something playing — whether it was my mom singing or my dad playing New York hip-hop — artists like Nas, Jadakiss, and more. I also sang in church and in the choir.
All of that just came together. I didn’t really become interested in music — I just grew up in it. Honestly, as soon as I came out of the womb, I was pretty much hearing a song.
How did you first start with music production?
The first time I remember making a beat was because my mom said, “Yo, make me a beat.” She’s always been singing, so she told me, “Figure out how to make me a beat — you’re my son. You gotta make me a beat.” This was back in 2015. I said, “Alright, bet.”
I had just gotten my first iPhone and downloaded GarageBand. I also had this app called iMASCHINE 2 — some people might remember it. It was a mobile beat-making app. That’s where I made some of my first beats, but GarageBand was where it really started.
When you were just starting out, what was your process for improving your music? Did you have any mentors, or were you mostly self-taught — like watching YouTube tutorials?
It was mostly YouTube University for me. I didn’t really have any mentors. Growing up, my uncle James showed me a lot of cool stuff — music, games, all that. He made beats and rapped too, so I had a sense of that early on. But I didn’t have a mentor saying, “This is how you do this.”
So I turned to YouTube. I started with Busy Works Beats it felt like beat-making school. I’d be sitting there... sometimes nodding off. Then I got into Internet Money — shoutout Nick Mira and all the Internet Money boys. Their videos were more straight to the point. I picked it up fast. I’d have FL Studio open while watching and learning the basics.
What’s your creative process like now? How do you start an idea from scratch when you open your DAW?
The first thing I do is make a melody. Usually I just hum something. I got that from my boy ssor.t — he told me, “If you hum it and it’s catchy, you can come up with a good melody that way.” I think I have a good ear for music — I can’t play instruments fluently right now, but I can hear things from growing up in church — hearing keys, harmonies, and all that.
So I might hum something or freestyle while I’m making a beat. In my head, I’m already rapping on it. Sometimes I start with drums, sometimes with melody — just depends. Lately, I’ve been collaborating a lot with my producer friends. I just open my laptop and get ready to cook up.
Where do you find inspiration when you’re working on music?
I find inspiration in pretty much every sound — conversations, nature, music — whatever. Every noise makes my brain think of a rhythm — because at the end of the day, everything is rhythm.
I get inspiration from life — any little feeling or moment. I try to make music that gives people a feeling — happy, sad, whatever. I’m inspired by how life sounds — if that makes sense.
What’s your work rate like?
I don’t really track it like that, but lately, I don’t even sleep on a regular schedule I usually go to sleep around 10 a.m., wake up at 4 p.m., and just repeat that cycle every day. In between, I usually have the laptop in my lap, making beats. I might hop on 2K for a bit, but mostly I’m making beats.
I make at least 10 beats a day. So in a month, it adds up to a few hundred. Some of my young homies are doing 15 to 20 a day. My friend Forever — he’s only 17 — is making 20 a day. That motivates me. Shoutout Forever — he’s going crazy.
When you were just starting out, what was your process for improving your music? Did you have any mentors, or were you mostly self-taught — like watching YouTube tutorials?
It was mostly YouTube University for me. I didn’t really have any mentors. Growing up, my uncle James showed me a lot of cool stuff — music, games, all that. He made beats and rapped too, so I had a sense of that early on. But I didn’t have a mentor saying, “This is how you do this.”
So I turned to YouTube. I started with Busy Works Beats it felt like beat-making school. I’d be sitting there... sometimes nodding off. Then I got into Internet Money — shoutout Nick Mira and all the Internet Money boys. Their videos were more straight to the point. I picked it up fast. I’d have FL Studio open while watching and learning the basics.
What’s your creative process like now? How do you start an idea from scratch when you open your DAW?
The first thing I do is make a melody. Usually I just hum something. I got that from my boy ssor.t — he told me, “If you hum it and it’s catchy, you can come up with a good melody that way.” I think I have a good ear for music — I can’t play instruments fluently right now, but I can hear things from growing up in church — hearing keys, harmonies, and all that.
So I might hum something or freestyle while I’m making a beat. In my head, I’m already rapping on it. Sometimes I start with drums, sometimes with melody — just depends. Lately, I’ve been collaborating a lot with my producer friends. I just open my laptop and get ready to cook up.
Where do you find inspiration when you’re working on music?
I find inspiration in pretty much every sound — conversations, nature, music — whatever. Every noise makes my brain think of a rhythm — because at the end of the day, everything is rhythm.
I get inspiration from life — any little feeling or moment. I try to make music that gives people a feeling — happy, sad, whatever. I’m inspired by how life sounds — if that makes sense.
What’s your work rate like?
I don’t really track it like that, but lately, I don’t even sleep on a regular schedule I usually go to sleep around 10 a.m., wake up at 4 p.m., and just repeat that cycle every day. In between, I usually have the laptop in my lap, making beats. I might hop on 2K for a bit, but mostly I’m making beats.
I make at least 10 beats a day. So in a month, it adds up to a few hundred. Some of my young homies are doing 15 to 20 a day. My friend Forever — he’s only 17 — is making 20 a day. That motivates me. Shoutout Forever — he’s going crazy.
When you were just starting out, what was your process for improving your music? Did you have any mentors, or were you mostly self-taught — like watching YouTube tutorials?
It was mostly YouTube University for me. I didn’t really have any mentors. Growing up, my uncle James showed me a lot of cool stuff — music, games, all that. He made beats and rapped too, so I had a sense of that early on. But I didn’t have a mentor saying, “This is how you do this.”
So I turned to YouTube. I started with Busy Works Beats it felt like beat-making school. I’d be sitting there... sometimes nodding off. Then I got into Internet Money — shoutout Nick Mira and all the Internet Money boys. Their videos were more straight to the point. I picked it up fast. I’d have FL Studio open while watching and learning the basics.
What’s your creative process like now? How do you start an idea from scratch when you open your DAW?
The first thing I do is make a melody. Usually I just hum something. I got that from my boy ssor.t — he told me, “If you hum it and it’s catchy, you can come up with a good melody that way.” I think I have a good ear for music — I can’t play instruments fluently right now, but I can hear things from growing up in church — hearing keys, harmonies, and all that.
So I might hum something or freestyle while I’m making a beat. In my head, I’m already rapping on it. Sometimes I start with drums, sometimes with melody — just depends. Lately, I’ve been collaborating a lot with my producer friends. I just open my laptop and get ready to cook up.
Where do you find inspiration when you’re working on music?
I find inspiration in pretty much every sound — conversations, nature, music — whatever. Every noise makes my brain think of a rhythm — because at the end of the day, everything is rhythm.
I get inspiration from life — any little feeling or moment. I try to make music that gives people a feeling — happy, sad, whatever. I’m inspired by how life sounds — if that makes sense.
What’s your work rate like?
I don’t really track it like that, but lately, I don’t even sleep on a regular schedule I usually go to sleep around 10 a.m., wake up at 4 p.m., and just repeat that cycle every day. In between, I usually have the laptop in my lap, making beats. I might hop on 2K for a bit, but mostly I’m making beats.
I make at least 10 beats a day. So in a month, it adds up to a few hundred. Some of my young homies are doing 15 to 20 a day. My friend Forever — he’s only 17 — is making 20 a day. That motivates me. Shoutout Forever — he’s going crazy.
What are some of your favorite VSTs or hardware gear you’re using right now?
I don’t really use much hardware. I’ve got two keyboards that my girlfriend bought me for Christmas. One’s an FL Studio Edition keyboard — pretty cool for beat-making — but really, it’s just a MIDI controller. The other’s a regular Akai MPC-style controller.
But honestly, I barely use either of them. I’m more of a VST head. I’m not like my boy ssor.t — he’s the VST expert. I keep it simple. Lately, my go-to has been Serum. I used to use Omnisphere a lot, but it’s super heavy on CPU. It’s one of the best, but it gets ridiculous sometimes. Nexus is a go-to too. Analog Lab, ElectraX — just some of the classics.
What’s your take on the use of AI in music production
AI is wild — it’s already crazy. I see all these brain rot memes on Instagram — they have me dying laughing. I’m super into all that John Pork Lore and Tim Cheese stuff — it’s hilarious.
When it comes to music, I think AI is cool. It’s something people have always dreamed of. But it can’t replicate a human 100%. It’s definitely a useful tool — I just hope people don’t use it to skip steps.
You can’t skip the journey. Everyone’s unique. People gotta remember to be themselves — not just turn into robots.
What’s the secret to making a great-sounding beat?
The secret to making a great beat is making sure you can bob your head to it — it’s all about the rhythm.
Another secret is “downloading” different rhythms into your head — listening to a lot of different stuff so it naturally translates into your own beats. Everything you hear and see gets stored in your brain — so make sure you’re “downloading” quality information to put out quality music. Those are the secrets. Pretty simple.
Now let’s talk about If Looks Could Kill for Destroy Lonely. Can you share how that project came together from your perspective?
Alright, random fact — right before all that happened, I hadn’t worked a job since 10th grade, back in 2017. For some reason — hustler mindset — I was considering getting a job again.
I went to a job interview, got the gig, and literally right after I got home, I got a call from Lone’s manager. She said, “We’re flying you out to New York for 30 days — Lone wants you to lock in on his album with him.”
I’m like, “Bet — forget the job.” My dad’s from New York, so I was excited to go back.
First day in New York, I found out we’d be in the studio every day from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. I was excited, like, “Alright, bet, let’s do it!” Every day, I was making at least 10 beats. The first week, it was just me in there, locked in. Then ssor.t pulled up.
I had met ssor.t once before in Atlanta, but I didn’t really know him. We got to know each other — there was a pool table in the studio, and the vibes were good. We’d take breaks, play pool, eat halal, and try all kinds of New York food. I was just having the time of my life.
And the beats? It was natural, effortless. Lone gave me a clear vision, and I was making the kind of beats I really wanted to make. I’d walk to the studio every day, listening to old-school NY hip-hop. The whole thing was a vibe.
What’s one production of yours that best describes your sound?
Damn, that’s a tough one.
Before I name a song, let me describe the sound I’ve been going for these past couple of years. It’s like an undertone version of trap. Instead of a colorful sound, it’s more gray — if that makes sense. It’s straight to the point — and it’s undeniably gonna make you bob your head.
So based on that, I’d say “BLITZ” or “Oh Yeah” by Destroy Lonely. That’s the sound I’ve been trying to make.
Also, a song like “undercover.” I’ve made a lot of music with Lone — he’s really the main artist I work with. Especially “undercover” and “Miley Cyrus” when it comes to melody.
What’s the craziest song you’ve ever sampled?
Probably... Minecraft. Yeah, I sampled the whole Minecraft soundtrack once. That was definitely the wildest.
What advice would you give to upcoming producers who want to build their brand and work with established artists?
First off, just have fun — enjoy what you’re doing. That’s the most important thing.
If you keep working and enjoying yourself, everything that’s meant for you is gonna come your way. Life isn’t easy — but when you’re doing what you love, you’ve got to be there for yourself, especially if you don’t have outside support.
I was blessed to have my parents support me. Not everyone has that. But if you can always have your own back, you’ll be able to accomplish whatever you set your mind to.
What can fans expect from your collective, Underworld Online, in the near future?
You can expect merch and visuals — cartoons, show episodes. Maybe even a comic book one day. I want to build a whole world around it — not just music, but things people can really connect with. I want to have visuals that go with the music fans are listening to.
Underworld concerts, Underworld shows, Underworld merch — even Underworld lighters. Everything. I want Underworld to feel as big as the whole world.
Where do you see yourself in five years — both personally and professionally?
Personally, I see myself being more mature — learning, growing, staying grounded, and being a light to the people around me. Keeping my work ethic strong, enjoying life, staying happy, and staying locked in every day.
Career-wise, I want to work with more artists — across different genres too. I want to get into movie scores, commercials, music for games, advertisements — all that. Really just expand my producer portfolio as much as possible.
Follow Clayco on Instagram: @claycocookinup
