Exclusive Interview
Nov 19, 2025
Produced by: Rudy Manager
Edited by: Rudy Manager & Andrej Aroch
MaxFlames – Neila World Producer Behind Ken Carson’s “i need you” & Destroy Lonely’s “BABY MONEY”
MaxFlames is one of the producers shaping the new underground, with production credits for artists like Destroy Lonely and Ken Carson, and he is a member of the Neila World collective. In this Studio Talks interview, he breaks down how he first got into music and production, shares the stories behind songs like “i need you” and “BABY MONEY,” and offers advice for new producers who want to build a brand and get placements. This interview was conducted over a video call by Rudy Manager on November 14, 2025.
"Build a real brand. Making good beats and loops isn’t enough anymore. You need something people can connect to.”
- MaxFlames
Can you share the story of how you first got interested in music and how that eventually led you into music production?
I’ve been into music for as long as I can remember. I started out on instruments and picked up the guitar when I was 10. I took guitar lessons, and I also taught myself songs on YouTube. I didn’t take it very seriously at first, but I’ve listened to rap since I was about 10 years old and was super into it.
Getting into production actually started out as a joke. I’d always had the GarageBand app on my phone, and one day I was bored and thought I’d try making a beat. I spent an afternoon on it, played it for my friends, and they said it’d be hilarious if I posted it on SoundCloud. So I did, and it’s still up. That got me interested in production. I knew about FL Studio from friends and videos, so I ended up torrenting it on my school computer. The learning curve was tough at first because FL Studio felt so advanced compared to GarageBand, but after watching tutorials and being patient with myself, I fell in love with making beats. I had friends making music too, and that summer we made songs in a friend’s garage almost every night. The feeling I got from it made me want to chase that, plug into the internet, and become part of the online community of music producers.
When did you first download FL Studio, and when did you start working on music with artists?
I actually remember exactly when I downloaded FL Studio. It was January 2018. At that time, I wasn’t sending beats to artists right away. I wanted to make sure I was at least decent before putting my stuff out there. A lot of people start and immediately want to send beats to artists, but I wanted my music to sound presentable first. It was probably around six or seven months before I actually started sending beats to artists and having people rap on my music.
Can you share how you managed to land the song with FBG Goat and Trippie Redd?
Around that time, I’d started sending my melodies to other producers. I’d look up the people who produced songs I liked, find their Instagrams, then message them to see if I could send loops. One of the producers I connected with was David Morse, who really liked my loops back then. I’d send him new ones all the time. One day he hit me up out of the blue and said, “Yo, we got a song with FBG Goat, and Trippie Redd hopped on it.” I was super excited. The business side didn’t go too well, since it was my first major label placement and things got a little messy. But I’m still grateful to David for giving me a shot and helping get my sound out there.
Can you share how you ended up joining Neila World?
It was a pretty unique situation because I hadn’t really talked to anyone from Neila before I joined, even though I was a big fan of what they were doing. Callari is a good friend of mine now. At the time, I was making loops that I felt would fit his style, so I thought about hitting him up to send loops for free. That didn’t feel like the right approach, and I wanted to come correct, so I asked him how much he charged for collabs and told him I had sounds he’d like. He got back to me, we did the collab and he told me my stuff was crazy. I didn’t think too much of it, but I kept sending him more.
A couple weeks later, right after I sent another pack, the Neila World Twitter page posted that they were looking for new members. I liked the tweet and figured it’d be cool if they reached out, but I wasn’t stressing it. Then FBK DM’d me and asked if I wanted to join Neila World. I thought about it for ten minutes and said yes.
I believed in what they were building, and I’ve always been a fan of producer collectives. I didn’t want to join something that was already set in stone. Neila World felt special, like a place where I could contribute and help build what they had going.
When did you join Neila World, and who were some of the members that were already part of it?
I joined in April 2020, right when the world started shutting down because of COVID. At that time, Neila World was still a very underground collective on SoundCloud, with a lot of artists and producers focused on that scene. There were people like Eric Doa and Belis, along with other producers who’ve come and gone, and the group’s path felt rooted in the underground space.
My goals were always to go bigger and move toward the mainstream. Over time, members have rotated, and now we’ve got more producers aiming for larger records and opportunities beyond SoundCloud. That’s how the group’s evolved since I joined.
How do you approach working on an idea from scratch when you first open FL Studio?
I usually start with the melody. A lot of the time, I’ll open a random VST, maybe something I just downloaded, and cycle through sounds while I click ideas in. I’ve got a MIDI keyboard next to me, so sometimes I’ll just play until something catches my ear. I treat it like throwing paint at a wall and seeing what sticks. If it sounds good or feels right, I run with it.
If I already have a specific direction in mind, I’ll go straight to a VST I know can give me the kind of sound I’m after. But if I don’t have a clear idea, I keep experimenting.
Do you work with artists in the studio often, or do you mostly send out beats?
It’s mainly sending out beats right now. I’ve been in the studio with artists a few times here and there, but for the most part I’m still sending beats out.
Can you share how the song “i need you” by Ken Carson came about?
I remember it clearly. It was October 2022. My boy Lucian had just started working closely with Ken, and they were in the studio a lot. He asked people in the Neila chat to send ideas, so I kept sending him packs. He’d give quick feedback like, “This idea is cool,” or “Can you send something in this vibe?” When I sent the idea that became “i need you,” I honestly didn’t think that would be the one. I’d sent a bunch of ideas before, and I was more excited about other ones than that one.
Then he texted me the beat and said he thought Ken would mess with it, which was amazing, but I tried not to get my hopes up. Two days later I was at my job serving at Olive Garden when he hit me and said Ken was recording it right then. I couldn’t believe it. A couple hours later he told me the hook was super catchy. That’s when I really started to get excited.
A few weeks after that the whole Neila World crew was in New York. Lucian played me a voice recording of the song from the session and I thought it was out of here. A couple months later, Ken started previewing it, and the fans got excited. Seeing that energy was insane for me. Then the song dropped, and the rest has been history ever since.
When he sent you the beat back, did you know it was going to be a hit before Ken recorded over it?
Not at all. I thought the beat was amazing, but when you’re making music, you don’t usually have huge expectations like that. At least for me, I try not to think too far ahead. When he sent the beat back, I was blown away by what he added to it. I told him he really did his thing on it. But no, I didn’t think it was going to be a smash or anything like that at the time.
How did the track “BABY MONEY” for Destroy Lonely come together?
That one’s kind of funny. I was working a lot with this producer named Semsi, and he kept asking me to make stuff that fit Destroy Lonely’s sound. Around that time, I was in New York with ssor.t, Carter Bryson, and a few others, making beats out there, but I didn’t feel like what I was making really matched that vibe. When I got back home, I started sending Semsi new ideas for Lone. I had just downloaded two VSTs, FM8 and LuSH, and the first beat I made that day used those. It came together super quick, maybe in 15 minutes, and I didn’t think too much about it; it was more like a warm up beat.
I sent it to Semsi, and a couple days later he hit me up saying that Lone had made a crazy song on it. I couldn’t believe it. Then a few days after that, Lone performed at Coachella and played the song live for the first time. Leading up to the album, I wasn’t sure if it was going to make the final cut, and I remember feeling nervous about whether it would even come out. But it did, and I’m really glad people connected with it and showed love to the record.
Is there a specific track of yours that’s closest to your heart?
Honestly, it’s probably “i need you.” That song really represents who I was at the time I made it. It captures that big, anthemic sound I was chasing and wanted to put out into the world. I also think it’s a perfect example of great collaboration between two producers bringing out the best in each other. Lucian and I both showcased our strengths on that beat, and together we built a great canvas for Ken to make something special on top of it. That song means a lot to me, and I’m really happy people connected with it the way they did.
What advice would you give to new producers who want to work with established artists and get placements?
First, build a real brand. Making good beats and loops isn’t enough anymore. You need something people can connect to. When I was coming up, I made YouTube tutorials to separate myself. I always showed my face, let my personality come through, talked how I normally talk, and joked how I normally joke. If the music is good, people will come back. If the brand feels authentic, they’ll want to work with you.
I’d also tell new producers to network horizontally. A lot of people try to skip steps and chase bigger producers who already have placements and connections. If you don’t have a strong brand or you’re not planning to pay for collabs, that path is usually a waste of time. It’s more effective to work with people at a similar skill level who want to make the same kind of music. Join Discord servers where people share your taste.
Over time, someone in that circle will land a good opportunity to send beats to an artist or connect with a certain producer. People are more likely to work with friends they trust than with a random kid dropping loops in their DMs. Make relationships with peers at your level, keep improving together, and you’ll put yourself in a position to get into rooms with bigger artists and earn bigger placements.
Who are some upcoming artists or producers you think deserve more recognition or are going to blow up in the next few months?
As far as artists, there are a few in the underground that I really mess with, like ApolloRed1, Protect, and prettifun. They’re already on the rise though, so I wouldn’t say they’re completely undiscovered. Right now, there aren’t too many artists I’m super focused on who haven’t gotten some recognition yet.
For producers, definitely the Neila World guys. There are a few in the collective who are crazy talented and still haven’t fully gotten their shine, but it’s on the way. Outside of that, my boy Manny Laurenko from Philly is doing something really cool, producing his own projects and working with a lot of rising Philly rappers. The wave he’s on right now feels like it’s about to take off.
Where do you see yourself a year from today, both professionally and personally?
Hopefully within a year I’ll be in studios with artists, actually crafting songs from the ground up. Right now it’s mostly sending beats, but one of my biggest passions has always been working directly with artists to help bring their ideas to life. I want to be involved from the very beginning and help shape an idea into a full record. That process of being hands on is something I’ve always wanted to do more of.
I also want to collaborate with bigger producers and be in larger rooms where I can keep learning and pushing myself creatively. There are a few producers I’m already working with who are great, and I want to keep expanding those connections. More than anything, I want to make music I truly love and feel passionate about. That’s the space I hope to be in, working closely with artists and producers on songs that really inspire me.
Who are some of your favorite producers you’d like to work with?
There are a lot. I really look up to producers like BNYX and F1LTHY. I’m also a fan of pop producers like Benny Blanco, and I love what he’s done in music. Those bigger names are the first that come to mind.
Follow MaxFlames on Instagram: @maxflames_
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