Exclusive Interview
Jun 13, 2025
Produced by: Rudy Manager
Edited by: Rudy Manager & Andrej Aroch
Peeb – “You’ve got to stay locked in, keep working, keep creating, and keep innovating”
In this exclusive Studio Talks interview, breakout music producer Peeb opens up about his journey from making loops in his bedroom to producing chart-topping records for some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Future, 21 Savage, and Lil Baby. With standout credits like 21 Savage’s “redrum,” Peeb has carved out a name for himself through a dark, ethnic sound and relentless work ethic. He shares insights into his creative process, the stories behind his biggest placements, and what it really takes to break into the industry. This interview was conducted by Rudy Manager via video call on May 25th, 2025.
How did you first get into music, and was there a specific moment that led you to start producing?
I’ve been listening to music—rap music in particular—since I was about five years old. I had an older brother who’s six years older than me, and I was already listening to 50 Cent when I was four or five. I was listening to Kanye, Eminem—all these major artists—at a really young age. I also played piano as a kid, so music was always around.
What really got me into production was watching Genius Deconstructed videos in high school. I’d see young producers like Nick Mira breaking down tracks and think, “I want to do that,” but I didn’t know how to start. Back then, I was focused on sports and getting into college, so music wasn’t a serious thing yet.
Then, my best friend passed away right before COVID hit. That was a major turning point for me. At the time, I was in college working in dental insurance, and I hated it—it was terrible. I was taking six units, working that job, and it just felt overwhelming. Losing my best friend right before the world shut down really opened my eyes. It made me think, “I want to do something I love while I’m still here.”
I also lost my mom when I was nine, so I had a lot of perspective early on. I knew I didn’t want to spend my life doing something I didn’t enjoy. I wanted to be passionate about something and make an impact. Music felt like that path—something that could reach millions of people and mean something.
During COVID, I started making loops in my bedroom while doing school online. No commuting meant more time for music. I was still at Cal State Fullerton and eventually graduated, but by then my focus was on making producing. I was grinding every day, making melodies, and gradually started connecting with bigger producers and artists. That’s when placements started coming in.
What was your process for improving when you first started? Did you have any mentors, or were you mostly self-taught?
I grew up playing classical Persian music—my parents kind of forced me into it. I hated it at the time. I’m Persian, and my family—especially my grandparents—loved that stuff. They wanted me to play piano at family functions and events—but I really wasn’t into it. But looking back, it was a blessing in disguise. That background helped a lot once I started producing.
I definitely had some friends who helped me get into music production. A friend of mine in the Bay Area—his name’s Anarr, he’s a producer—really guided me and helped me get my foot in the door. Honestly, the hardest part of getting into producing is just starting. It’s so easy to get discouraged in the beginning. You’re making music and thinking, “Wow, I’m terrible. This doesn’t sound anything like I imagined.” Most of what you make early on just isn’t good. But that friend helped push me, especially during COVID, to actually give it a real shot.
Who were your biggest influences early on?
I drew a lot of inspiration from the music I grew up on—rap was always a big part of my life. So when artists like Young Thug, Future, and Travis Scott were dropping music, I was paying attention to the producers behind the music. Guys like Metro Boomin, OZ, London on da Track, Southside, and Murda Beatz were all huge influences on me. I was fascinated by that.
Around 18, I started regularly looking up production credits. I wanted to know, “Who made this beat?” To me, those producers were the real MVPs of the songs. That curiosity led me down a path of studying and learning from them.
Nick Mira was also a big inspiration—especially his tutorials. I wouldn’t say my sound directly mimics the classic Internet Money style, but those videos were the reason I started using FL Studio. He, Taz Taylor, and that whole crew created a platform for upcoming producers to learn—and they were showing their sauce at the time.
When you start an idea from scratch, do you follow a specific process or routine? Do you warm up by listening to music, or is it more like a nine-to-five for you?
It really depends on who I’m working with. I try to book a studio session every day. I’m lucky to have access through my publishing deal, so I’m not charged for time, and it’s a great spot for collaboration. Sometimes my publisher sets up sessions, sometimes I do.
If I’m with my homies, we usually start from scratch and build a vibe together. If I’m working solo, I’ll use loops—either mine or theirs. Even in group sessions, after making six or seven ideas from scratch, we might pull up a loop just to switch it up. It depends on what we’re working toward—if there’s an artist in town or a project we’re aiming for.
I definitely treat it like a nine-to-five—or honestly, longer. I wake up, go to the gym, make food, and head to the studio. I’m there all day. Music takes full commitment. You’ve got to stay consistent and keep creating.
Staying tapped in with new sounds, artists, and trends is important. A lot of people treat music like a hobby—making one beat here, a few loops there—but that’s not enough. This game is tough. Major placements, big albums, real connections—it takes grind. You’ve got to stay locked in 24/7.
What are some of your favorite VSTs? Do you also use any hardware synths or gear in your production?
Luckily, my publisher gives me access to a lot of synths and hardware. Lately, I’ve been loving the Super 6—I’ve used it a lot since I got signed. Prophet synths too—honestly, any kind of Prophet or hardware synth is great to experiment with.
My boy Dover, who’s an amazing producer, started bringing pedals to the studio, so we’ve been using more hardware in our sessions. But to keep it real, most of my major placements were made with VSTs. You don’t need hardware to make a crazy record.
“redrum” came from a sample. “Outfit” was me flipping an idea from a homie. “TEFLON DON” started from a trumpet loop I made using EastWest’s Play—an idea I created like four years ago. I kept flipping and reprocessing it with newer plugins, then sent it to MoXart who added more.
So yeah, you don’t need hardware. Sometimes I use one-shots, sometimes I just create off a vibe. There’s no set formula—it’s all about the idea.
As for VSTs, I’ve been using Falcon a lot, but Kontakt is my go-to. I make a lot of ethnic, dark, Middle Eastern-sounding music, and orchestral melodies—Kontakt has everything for that. Analog Lab’s always fire, and I’ve been getting back into Omnisphere too.
Shout out to my computer guy, Skillz—he hooked me up with a bunch of stuff. I just switched from Windows to Mac and bought a new laptop. Before that, I was broke, working off a Windows machine with limited resources. I kept flipping old ideas just to keep things going. I still do, but now that I’ve upgraded, I feel like I’m making some of my best music.
Reinvesting into your craft is huge. Having access to new VSTs and sounds is never a bad thing.
You mentioned the loop for “TEFLON DON” was made four years ago—what made you revisit it, and how did it evolve into the final track?
Yeah, I went back to this loop I made years ago and started running it through different effect plugins—just kept re-flipping it. At one point, I turned it into a starter and thought, “This is cool, but I’m not gonna go too deep right now.” Then I sent it to MoXart, and he added some layers.
But yeah, the main sound—the trumpet that runs through the whole beat—is from that original loop. It’s wild to think that trumpet’s been there the whole time.
I always tell people: one of the best ways to unlimited inspiration is to re-sample yourself—like 50 times. I never really get beat block or sample block, and I think that’s why. I’m always down to try weird ideas until something works.
That could mean pulling up a loop from years ago, flipping an old starter, or reworking a beat from scratch. When you keep sampling yourself and pushing out new ideas, you never really run out of inspiration.
Can you walk us through how you produced “redrum” for 21 Savage?
At the time, London and I were working on a lot of music—multiple albums. He hit me up to make a pack, so we started creating a bunch of stuff. After a while, we were like, “Yo, we’ve been using a lot of loops—let’s try sampling something.”
I remembered a sample I had saved months earlier. I’d found it on YouTube searching for super niche stuff. I don’t actually sample that often, which is funny since “redrum” is my biggest record so far. But I had tucked this sample away, and the moment London mentioned sampling, it was the first thing that came to mind.
I remember thinking, These strings are insane—these vocals are insane. So we chopped it up and built the beat around it. At the time, it just felt like a cool instrumental. We made it on my laptop, and later London hit me like, “Yo, we need the stems.” I sent them, then heard the final record—and it went crazy.
Honestly, the beat is super simple—like seven sounds, no hi-hat rolls. But we let the sample carry the song. The sample was just so crazy that it didn’t need much else.
What’s the story behind how you made “Outfit” for Lil Baby’s WHAM album?
That song’s having a moment on TikTok right now—it just started going crazy out of nowhere. Savage went crazy on it—Baby did his thing too, but Savage really snapped.
The way it came together is wild. I was working with Quavo a lot at the time, helping on his project, and I was like, “Yo, I need some beats.” So I started sending loops out to my homies. I sent one to Josh Taylor and Haze. Funny enough, I’d originally made that loop for Baby about a year earlier, thinking, He’d spazz on this.
Splited had sent me an idea, I flipped it, added drums, and we sent it out—but nothing happened. It just sat. I still thought it fit Baby perfectly.
Months later, I was back working with Quavo and told Josh and Haze, “I want to include your beats in my stuff too.” I sent them a big pack of loops, and they made like 20 beats in a day using my melodies. We played some for Quavo—nothing landed—but then Haze sent one of those beats to Zeus, Baby’s engineer. That’s how the play happened.
Funny thing is, I like their drums more than what I originally did. I had my own version but wasn’t in love with it. I was like, “Let’s see if someone else can flip it better.” For me, it’s never about ego—I just want to make the best music possible. And I’ve got a lot of homies with real talent. Haze and Josh are incredible.
So yeah, I sent them the loop, they flipped it, and eventually it got to Baby. You never really know what’s gonna happen with the music you’re making.
What’s your opinion on the use of AI in music production?
I know a lot of people are against it, but personally, I think AI is cool—if it’s used the right way, it can be a really creative tool.
It’s like what I mentioned with “TEFLON DON”—when you’re re-sampling yourself. I might take a loop from years ago and use AI to tweak the texture. That small change can spark a whole new idea.
That’s how I use it—not to make something from scratch, but to flip something old which can spark a new direction. Like turning a vocal into a violin—suddenly, I’m inspired to rework it a few times and it turns into something crazy.
I don’t mind AI if it’s used well. If you’re just having it make stuff for you, that feels like cheating. I get why some people are against it—music’s about originality. But as a resampling tool? I think it’s cool.
What advice would you give to up-and-coming producers who want to level up and work with established artists?
Honestly, the goal shouldn’t just be to work with established artists. I made that mistake early on—chasing placements with Savage or Future and overlooking smaller artists. Big placements should be part of the goal, but not the only focus.
A lot of producers today don’t want to develop artists, and I think that’s a problem. We’re in a time where attention spans are short and new talent aren’t breaking through like they used to. Where’s the next Young Thug? The next Future? The next Drake? We’re missing that because not enough people are focused on artist development.
I love a lot of the underground scene—there’s serious potential, but too many artists are just mimicking others. There’s a wave of Ken Carson-type clones—everyone’s trying to sound like Carti instead of becoming the next superstar. So to young producers: keep chasing placements, keep making loops, keep experimenting—but also try to build something from the ground up.
Don’t be afraid to hit up an artist you believe in and say, “I’ll give you free beats—let’s make a tape.” I used to be against that, but now I’m doing both: pushing for big placements and helping underground artists shape their sound.
Too many producers ignore the chance to be that producer who helps launch the next wave. Why not be the BNYX to Yeat, the Tay Keith to BlockBoy JB, the London on da Track to Young Thug, the Metro to Future. That’s how you make your mark. That’s how timeless music is made.
Right now, albums drop and disappear—there’s no longevity. So if you’re a young producer, think long-term. Offer beats, ask for a better master split instead of upfront money, and build a sound with someone.
And if you’re still locked in on working with the big names—Savage, Future, whoever—then my advice is: your network is your net worth. DM people. Hit up engineers. Find the people around the artist. Build real relationships and have great music ready. Show up at events, stay consistent. That’s exactly what I did—over time, I built those relationships and made great music.
But don’t sleep on the power of building with the next wave of artists.
Is there a track you’ve produced that holds a special place in your heart?
Yeah—“redrum” definitely changed my life. That moment was special. As soon as it dropped, it felt like everyone went crazy. I remember being at the gym, and kids were blasting it in the parking lot. I rolled down my window, and they were all screaming—I was like, Yo... I made that. That feeling can’t be replicated.
I know I’ll have more hits, but that moment just hit different. It stopped everything. The song went number one on rhythmic and urban radio. I’d be flipping through stations in my car and hear “redrum” playing on three at once. It changed everything and gave me even more motivation to go harder.
Shout out to London—he played a huge role in making that record happen. And shout out to 21 Savage—he’s a legend. Funny enough, he was my most-listened-to artist back in 2018, so to go from being a fan to producing his biggest solo record? That’s surreal.
I also can’t leave out “TEFLON DON.” Every producer dreams of a Future record, and to do the album intro? That was an honor—especially alongside Southside, London, and MoXart.
That loop means a lot to me—it reflects my core sound. I’m into dark, ethnic, Middle Eastern melodies, and that track captures it perfectly. Right now, “redrum” and “TEFLON DON” are definitely the most special to me.
Where do you see yourself a year from now, both personally and professionally?
Honestly, just going even crazier than before. Since “redrum” dropped, things have moved fast. I’ve had Billboard records with Lil Durk, BigXthaPlug, Lil Baby, Future, YoungBoy… the list goes on. It’s been non-stop. My goal is to keep that momentum going.
I work 24/7, no days off. I’ve got a session later today—doesn’t matter if it’s Saturday or Monday. I’m always locked in, pulling double sessions when needed. A year from now, I just want to be at a higher level, doing even more. And in five years? Even crazier.
The goal is to keep creating with people who share the vision—who are passionate and want to make something special. I want to keep having fun, keep pushing the sound, maybe even pivot it, and inspire a new wave of producers and show them that anything is possible.
So yeah, a year from now, I see myself leveling up—and having fun doing it.
Follow Peeb on Instagram: @ayopeeb
More Blog Posts
See our latest blogs
