SAKii – “A great sample is one you can feel—not just hear”

In this exclusive Studio Talks interview, we sit down with rising music producer SAKii, whose unique sound and creative vision have led to collaborations with major artists like GloRilla, Vory, DDG, and more. Hailing from Orlando, Florida, SAKii shares the story of his early beginnings in music, his evolution into production, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. From family influences and creative process insights to his perspective on AI in music and the stories behind some of his standout records — including “Stop Playing” with GloRilla and “Speed” by DDG featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Rich the Kid — this conversation offers a deep, personal look into the journey of a producer steadily making his mark on the industry. This interview was conducted by Rudy Manager via video call on April 30, 2025.

Can you share how you first got interested in music—and how that led you into music production?

I first got into music because my father was a DJ when I was growing up. He was always playing a lot of dope stuff, and as a kid, I’d ask, “Yo, what’s that?” I remember one time I heard his name on the radio — they said “DJ Jimmy Nguyen” on the air. I must’ve been around nine or ten years old, and that moment really inspired me. It lit something up in me. I just knew — that is the coolest thing in the world. I was like, “What do I have to do to do that?”

As for how I transitioned into actually making music — when I was about 13, I stayed at my aunt’s house in Atlanta for the summer. Her son was making beats, and he was using the same music software my dad had used during his sessions with friends. I was immediately intrigued. I was like, “Yo, I’ve seen this before — what is that?”

Spending that whole summer with him, just watching and learning, really got me into it. When I got back home, I downloaded the demo version of FL Studio because I couldn’t afford the full version. With the demo, you can’t save anything, so you have to finish everything in one go. And that’s where it all started.

Who were some of your earliest influences when you were starting out? Were there any specific artists or producers you looked up to?

I definitely looked up to my father—the music he played had a huge impact on me. All the ’90s hip-hop, ’90s freestyle, and 2000s R&B—that stuff is core to my heart.

My cousin Dylan Tran, who’s a producer, also really inspired me. The music he was making with his friends in Atlanta was so different at the time—it was inspiring.

As a kid, you mostly just hear what’s on the radio—you don’t really know how to discover new music. So I relied on him to show me all these dope artists I had never heard of. And it just grew from there.

How did you improve your skills early on—was it mostly self-taught, through mentorship, or did you study in a formal program?

Back then, there was no YouTube—I come from the generation where you either had to figure things out on your own or learn directly from someone else.

I went to audio engineering school for about a year when I was 19—that’s where I really learned the ins and outs of production. But before that, it was all about listening to dope music and wanting to make something similar.

If I heard a beat, I’d be like, “How did he do that?” Then I’d go home and try to figure it out—maybe chop the same sample or experiment with whatever sounded dope to me. That’s how I learned.

When starting a track from scratch, where do you usually begin? What’s the first thing you do when you open your DAW?

Honestly, every day is different. Some days I’ll start with a melody, other days with the drums—it really depends on how I’m feeling.

Sometimes a producer will send me an idea they’ve started and want me to build on it—just take it to the next level. Other times, they'll send over a pack of loops, and I’ll spend the day going through them, collaborating and building from there.

And when I’m working with an artist, sometimes they already know exactly what they want. Then it’s up to us to bring that vision to life—while still adding our own creative touch.