Exclusive Interview
Aug 19, 2024
Produced by: Andrej Aroch
Edited by: Andrej Aroch
JabariOnTheBeat - Crafting unique sounds and building a legacy in the music industry
JabariOnTheBeat has quickly established himself as a force in the music industry, with an impressive list of production credits that includes A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Polo G, Lil Tjay, Ty Dolla $ign, J.I the Prince of N.Y, and many more. Known for his innovative style and ability to blend different genres, Jabari has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry while maintaining his unique sound.
In this interview, we delve into his journey from a high school student experimenting with GarageBand to producing chart-topping tracks. Jabari shares insights into his creative process, his thoughts on the evolving music landscape, and the importance of staying true to one's artistic vision. He also offers valuable advice for aspiring producers and discusses his long-term goals.
You began producing music during your last year of high school in 2018. What inspired you to start producing music at that point in your life?
I liked the freedom that the music industry gave me. I was good at a lot of different subjects in school—computer science, writing, even biochemistry—but in those fields, someone always had to tell you if what you did was good. With music, it’s different. Some might say it’s bad, some say it’s good, but it really depends on you: where you’re coming from, where you want to go, and your purpose. Music gave me that freedom, with no rules, and I love that. I’ve always believed everyone is unique, and music was the best way for me to express that, rather than just being known as someone good at school or something surface-level like that.
How did starting on GarageBand shape your early production style and techniques?
When I started on GarageBand, the biggest thing it taught me was sequencing. Sequencing is basically how you arrange your beats. When I first started, I had a hard time understanding the structure—like hook, verse, bridge—and why they sounded good together. GarageBand starts you off with loops, whether it's drum loops or melody loops, and it syncs everything up for you. You can draw stuff in, but a lot of the initial work is set up for you. It helped me realize that even if everything was on beat, it could still sound like a mess if the sequencing wasn’t right. GarageBand really ironed out those early stages for me—like understanding when a hook should come in or how the energy should shift for a bridge or verse. I think that aspect of GarageBand is often overlooked. When I transitioned to FL Studio, it all clicked because I was just creating the loops myself instead of GarageBand giving them to me.
“J.I the Prince of N.Y - Used To” was your first major track. How did that collaboration come about, and what was the impact of that track on your career?
“Used To” was definitely a major track for my career. The way it came about was interesting. A lot of people in the producer scene know me for my drums, but at that time, I decided to take a step back from just focusing on drums. I started chopping samples, editing them in my own way, and sending out chops and melodies instead.
Shout out to my boy Palaze. I had this chop that I sent to him, and he made his own rendition of it, and that’s how we made “Used To.” During that time, Palaze and I talked a lot, and we realized we had created something new. We told ourselves we had made a new sub-genre or niche, so we decided to keep expanding on it. That’s how tracks like “20k” and “Love In The Club” came about, all building off what we started with “Used To.”
Can you share some insights into how you built your following on YouTube as a producer? What strategies worked best for you in gaining and maintaining an audience?
The YouTube game is an interesting one. My channel started way before people really knew me, around 2019 or 2020, but I was uploading as early as 2017 or 2018. Initially, I was uploading a variety of beats to showcase my talents, but I realized that while showcasing my skills was good, it wasn’t cohesive for listeners. People come to you for a certain sound and want to hear you specialize in something, doing it so well that it stands out.
What really changed the game for me was when I uploaded a Drake beat. It did really well, and that beat came from the same approach I took with “Used To,” where I was listening to a lot of music and developing my own sampling style. I realized people liked it because it was different, and I was filling a niche that no one else was.
My best advice for YouTube producers is to throw a lot of things at the wall and figure out your own style first. There’s no money-making formula I can give you. You can hire marketers, but if there’s no soul, passion, or innovation in your work, it won’t go anywhere. It’s important to give people the best of what you can do, but also to master a niche and blow everyone out of the water.
Do you think a new producer starting a YouTube channel today can still succeed by posting Type Beats, or has the landscape changed requiring new strategies to stand out?
I feel like the market is oversaturated, but if someone wants to jump in now, they can’t do it conventionally anymore, like how we were doing it in 2018 with just Type Beats and all that. I was just talking with a good friend of mine, VITALSONTHETRACK, who’s big on YouTube as well. We discussed how his visuals helped him stay relevant past the years when we were all really hot in 2018 and 2019.
To keep up with the trends now, you really have to adapt. VITALSONTHETRACK did that by locking in with a videographer and getting unique visuals for his Type Beats on YouTube. So if you're getting in now, come with something innovative, something fresh. It’s really hard to establish yourself right now because of how saturated the market is, but if you do something different, going against the wave, you’ll definitely stand out. Just don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
You have an extensive catalog with Toronto-based artist Sewerperson. How did this collaboration start?
We met around 2019-2020. He found my stuff on YouTube, and someone hit me up saying, "Yo, this guy named Sewerperson wants to work with you."
We ended up making a bunch of songs together, and all of them started going crazy on SoundCloud. We realized we had something special when we made about 15 songs, and everyone was loving them. We released six or seven of them, and then decided to drop the rest as a tape, which became our first album. That album broke everything; I never imagined “Comet,” as we call it, would do what it did. Now we’re seven or eight albums in, and I’m just amazed every time I look back at it.
Some might call our work a passion project, but it was never that for me. I feel like years from now, music historians could study our albums and see how much we put into them. I employed a lot of techniques I learned from 9th Wonder and other placements I’ve had. You can really hear so much in the production and lyrics if you take a second to listen.
I wonder if your production style changes when you're working on a cohesive album compared to a single track.
I think it does. I pride myself on making sure the albums I work on, especially with sewerperson, are cohesive and have a clear direction. If you listen to any of the “Comet” albums, you’ll notice the production is similar throughout, even using samples from the same era. I try to create a general story with the music.
These days, I hear a lot of albums that lack cohesion—they feel like a collection of songs rather than a unified body of work. If I want to truly blossom into the producer I aspire to be, a big part of that is telling a story and having a narrative. I talk with 9th Wonder about this a lot too; we both feel like this intentionality is lacking in the industry now. That feeling of waking up and listening to something with your friends, knowing it was crafted with so much love and intention—that’s something I really value. So, yeah, when I work on an album, I’m always thinking about that bigger picture.
Another notable song of yours is “Glasses” by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. How did you connect with A Boogie and can you share the story behind this song?
A lot of people don’t know this, but I worked on “Glasses” with JoeFromYO and DLo Beatz, who are A Boogie’s (Wit Da Hoodie) primary producers. I met them when I was doing a lot of footwork in 2018, right after I dropped out of school. I walked away from a full-ride scholarship, which was insane for a first-gen student, but I knew I had to get my name out there. So, I started going to every studio in Brooklyn and the Bronx, taking trains everywhere.
One day, I ended up in a studio in the Bronx where the engineer introduced me to JoeFromYO. He mentioned that Joe had just started working with A Boogie and was about to sign to Highbridge. We didn’t talk much initially, but we made a lot of music and respected each other’s grind from a distance.
Fast forward to 2020, I was working with J.I the Prince of N.Y on “Used To,” and he remembered me from those early days. He respected my hustle and invited me to link up in L.A., where I was working on Mozzy’s album at the time. We booked a studio session, and he told me how much he liked the sound I had created with J.I the Prince of N.Y and others. He wanted me to contribute that sound to a track with A Boogie.
We worked on the track “Glasses,” and at first, I didn’t hear it—I didn’t feel like A Boogie was going to get on it. But Joe was like, "Bro, trust me. A Boogie is going to get on this." And sure enough, it turned into “Glasses.” That track solidified my relationship with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, JoeFromYO, and the whole team. I feel so blessed because even though I’m still young, I’ve put in a lot of time, and so many people in the industry know me for the work I’ve done. That’s how “Glasses” came about, and I hope there’s more to come soon.
What advice would you give to young, aspiring producers who are just starting out and looking to make a name for themselves in the industry?
My advice to aspiring producers is, first and foremost, don’t compare yourself to others. I know everyone says this, but it’s really important, especially in today’s fast-paced music industry. It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself when you see someone go number one or blow up overnight. But as I learned from 9th Wonder, chasing trends or trying to replicate someone else’s success goes against the essence of what we’re trying to do—create something from nothing and take a gamble on it.
The journey in this industry is different for everyone. You have to appreciate who you are as a producer, your unique sound, and the journey you're on. Embrace all of it—the struggles, the times when things don’t make sense—because it all helps you figure out your style. When it finally comes together, you’ll be amazed at who you’ve become, and that confidence will change your production. It will make you want to innovate and do something different. So, my advice is simple: don’t compare yourself to anyone else, just focus on your own journey.
What are your long-term goals for your career?
In the long term, one of my main goals is to get a Grammy nomination. I’ve already got plaques, but I’m aiming for global recognition on a curated scale. Even though some people see the Grammys as rigged, to me, getting recognition from a board like that is something I’m striving for right now.
Beyond that, I definitely want to start my own label. I’ve been in the industry long enough to understand how the business works, and I really want to change people’s lives. I walked away from a full-ride scholarship not knowing if this would work, so I want to help others who are in similar positions. I’ve had great mentors who’ve helped me, and I want to pay that forward.
In addition to the Grammy nomination and building a record label, I want to help people on the business side—making things like publishing and administration clear and understandable. I’ve noticed a lot of people have this knowledge but don’t share it, and that’s something I want to change.
After achieving these goals, I’m also interested in branching out into real estate, starting businesses with friends, maybe even acting, and just expanding my horizons.
Follow JabariOnTheBeat on Instagram: @jabarionthebeat
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