Exclusive Interview

Aug 11, 2025

Produced by: Rudy Manager

Edited by: Rudy Manager & Andrej Aroch

Marko Lenz – “When I started making loops, I reached out to 10 producers a day”

Marko Lenz, a music producer from Russia, has worked with major artists like Lil Durk, Lil Baby, DJ Khaled, and Future. In this interview, he shares how he broke into the industry, his creative process, and his views on AI in music.

From being a music fan while playing hockey as a kid in Russia to working on major records with top U.S. artists, Marko Lenz’s story is nothing short of inspirational. In this exclusive Studio Talks interview, the producer and loopmaker shares how he went from making beats in his hometown to landing placements with artists like Lil Durk, Lil Baby, DJ Khaled, Future, and more. We explore his creative process, the strategies that helped him break into the industry, his perspective on AI in music, and what’s next for him. This interview was conducted by Rudy Manager via video call on July 2, 2025.

Can you share how you first got into music and how that led you to start producing?

When I was six years old, I went to music school in Russia to study piano. I started music school even before regular school and stayed for about five years until I graduated.

During that same time, I also got into hockey. My parents bought me gear like skates and sticks, and I started playing. After finishing music school, I began playing hockey more seriously. By the time I was 14, I even moved to another city to play at a more professional level.

During that time, I was always listening to a lot of music, especially American music and rap. When I eventually stopped playing hockey professionally, I moved back to my hometown and started living with my parents again. That’s when I decided to learn how to make music as a hobby. I downloaded FL Studio, started watching tutorials on YouTube, and began making beats—just for fun. At the time, I had no idea you could actually make money doing it. I was making beats simply because I loved music.

At what age did you start using FL Studio?

I was around 18. I had just finished high school and started college when I downloaded FL Studio and began making beats.

But I really started taking music more seriously toward the end of 2019 and into 2020. I started spending a lot more time at home, which gave me a chance to focus. I started making more music and thinking about how to sell my beats, get placements, and level up.

When you first started using FL Studio, what was your process for improving your music? Did you have any mentors, or were you mostly self-taught?

I just started making beats and watching YouTube tutorials. That’s how it all began. I got into live videos from big producers on Instagram, like TM88. I also watched a lot of behind-the-scenes and cookup videos from people in 808 Mafia, like Southside, TM88, and others. Wheezy was a big influence too.

Watching them really inspired me. I would try to copy their melodies, study their drum patterns, and break down how they structured their beats. I kept learning by analyzing other producers’ work and trying to recreate it. That process helped me figure out how to make my own melodies and develop my production skills.

Were you working with artists in person, or sending out beats and loops to the U.S. from the start?

At first, I was definitely working with Russian artists. I focused on making and selling beats locally. I wasn’t trying to produce for anyone in particular, just trying to sell beats.

Then in 2020, I created my Instagram page. By 2021, I started connecting with American artists and producers. That’s also when I started making loops, around January that year. Once I started focusing more on loops and sending them out regularly, I began getting placements consistently. That became my main focus at the time: making loops and sending them out.

How do you usually start an idea from scratch?

For me, it usually starts with sound selection. I’ll open up a random VST and start looking for sounds that catch my ear. Then I use my MIDI keyboard to play a random melody, just something off the top. I’ll record it, tweak the MIDI, change the pitch—things like that.

After that, I always render the melody and try chopping it up to find a new idea or vibe. From there, I just keep building on it. Sometimes I’ll even start with drums instead—it really just depends. I’m always looking for that one element that grabs my attention, and once I find it, I build around it.

What are some of your favorite VSTs or hardware synths right now?

Right now, I’d say anything by Roland is at the top of my list. I really like the Roland banks and use a lot of Kontakt libraries too. KORG plugins are great too—I use them a lot.

Omnisphere is one of my go-tos too. But overall, Kontakt is probably what I use the most, especially for realistic instrument sounds like pianos and strings. I like those textures because they sound more natural and organic.

Were you working with artists in person, or sending out beats and loops to the U.S. from the start?

At first, I was definitely working with Russian artists. I focused on making and selling beats locally. I wasn’t trying to produce for anyone in particular, just trying to sell beats.

How do you usually start an idea from scratch?

What are some of your favorite VSTs or hardware synths right now?

Right now, I’d say anything by Roland is at the top of my list. I really like the Roland banks and use a lot of Kontakt libraries too. KORG plugins are great too—I use them a lot.

Were you working with artists in person, or sending out beats and loops to the U.S. from the start?

At first, I was definitely working with Russian artists. I focused on making and selling beats locally. I wasn’t trying to produce for anyone in particular, just trying to sell beats.

How do you usually start an idea from scratch?

What are some of your favorite VSTs or hardware synths right now?

Right now, I’d say anything by Roland is at the top of my list. I really like the Roland banks and use a lot of Kontakt libraries too. KORG plugins are great too—I use them a lot.

Can you walk us through how you made the record “Hear It Back” by Lil Durk featuring Moneybagg Yo?

That was actually my first major placement, my first big one. That song ended up becoming a gold single a couple of months ago, which is crazy.

I started making loops in January 2021, and in February of that year, I made the loop that became “Hear It Back.” I sent it to Beezo and Louie Montana, the producers who made the drums on the track. Shoutout to them. They’re both super fire producers.

At the time, I had no idea we had a song with Lil Durk. Then, right before his album dropped in February 2022, Louie Montana called me and said, “Yo, we got a song with Lil Durk—they’re trying to clear it.” I was like, “Wait, hold on, what?” I had no idea we had a record with him. It was a huge surprise, and I was excited because it was my first track with a major artist.

We got all the paperwork done, and at first, we thought the song was going to be on the main album 7220, which dropped in March. But when the tracklist came out the day before release, the song wasn’t on it. We thought they had scrapped it. We didn’t hear anything about it again until June 2022, when the label reached back out and told us it would be on the deluxe version dropping at the end of the month.

Even then, we didn’t know Moneybagg Yo was going to be on the song. We found that out when the final tracklist dropped the day before release. It was a crazy moment. I was so happy to get my first major placement with two huge artists.

I really love the track. Louie Montana and Beezo did an amazing job on the drums. The production came out fire. We really made a hit.

Since you mainly make loops and samples, do you have a strategy for reaching out and sending your work to other producers?

Back when I first started making loops, I had a strict routine. I made it a goal to reach out to 10 new producers every day. That’s how I built my network and connected with a lot of the producers I still work with today.

These days, I still reach out to new people, but not as consistently as I used to. Now I’m more focused on working with producers I already have relationships with and continuing to build together. I think that’s the best approach. If you want to get placements, it’s all about relationships.

You can’t just get someone’s email or number and start sending loops or beats hoping for results. You need to build a real connection. Sometimes it takes months, even a year, to see anything come from that relationship. But in the long run, it’s the most important part of the process.

For a new producer with no contacts, how would you recommend they start building relationships with industry producers?

I’d say try reaching out to as many producers as you can, but don’t do it like a robot. Don’t just copy and paste the same message to everyone on Instagram. Keep it personal. Talk to people like it’s a real conversation, person to person.

Find producers you really respect, especially the ones working with your favorite artists, and focus on building genuine connections with them. Reach out to as many as possible, and when someone replies, if they give you their email or number, don’t just send loops once and disappear. Keep following up and building the relationship.

Check in with them every week or two. Ask if they need something specific—maybe you can put together a custom pack for them. React to their stories, stay engaged, and be genuine.

What’s your opinion on the use of AI in music production?

I see it as just another tool. I think it’s great when a producer uses AI creatively—like taking an idea, chopping it up, flipping it, layering other instruments, and turning it into something unique.

But if you’re just generating loops with AI and sending them out, that’s the worst way to use it. You’ll get stuck in that AI-generated sound and never develop your own style or identity.

Having your own sound is really important. Artists and other producers notice that. You have to stand out and bring something different, not just copy what’s already out there or rely completely on AI-generated material.

Is there a production of yours that’s especially close to your heart?

I’d say right now it’s my record with LUCKI, “Free Mr. Banks.” I really love that song. Funny enough, when it first dropped, I didn’t like it that much. That actually happens to me a lot. When a song drops, I don’t feel it at first. But then I listen to it more, and people start hitting me up saying, “Yo, this is crazy,” or “You made a crazy loop on this.” That kind of feedback makes me appreciate it more. Now I really like that song. It’s a banger for sure.

What advice would you give to upcoming producers trying to get placements and work with bigger artists?

It depends. If you’re overseas and not based in the U.S., I’d definitely recommend focusing on making loops. It’s one of the easiest ways to start getting placements and building relationships with producers. It can be really tough to connect directly with artists when you’re not in the States.

If your goal is to work with big artists, loops are a great starting point. But if you’re more interested in building something from the ground up, I’d suggest finding smaller or up-and-coming artists you really vibe with, and working with them consistently. You can be anywhere in the world and still do that. Just find artists on Instagram, reach out, and build with them.

That’s the best way to grow your production skills and your name as a producer. Work closely with those artists. Don’t just send beats and try to sell them. Act like a real producer. Be creative, bring ideas to the table. That’s how I’d approach it if I were just starting out today.

Where do you see yourself one year from now, both personally and in your career?

In a year, I want to have more records out, especially bigger ones. My goal is to land a platinum single. I also want to be working closely with a lot of artists in the U.S., being in studio sessions with them every day and locking in with big producers regularly.

Personally, I’d like to stay in Atlanta for one more year, and then I plan to move to Los Angeles. That’s the vision I have for myself, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.

Follow Marko Lenz on Instagram: @markolenzmtb