Exclusive Interview
Jan 21, 2025
Produced by: Andrej Aroch
Edited by: Rudy Manager & Andrej Aroch
Stoopid Lou – “I’m from a small German town with a bunch of cows, and I have a song on a Travis Scott record”
In this interview with Studio Talks, we sit down with producer Stoopid Lou, who has worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Travis Scott, Tory Lanez, Lil Tecca, and more. Known for his innovative approach to sample-making and his ability to craft beats that resonate with both artists and fans, Stoopid Lou shares his jourvney from Viersen, a small German town, to making music for global superstars. In this conversation, we dive into his creative process, his rise in the music industry, and his advice for up-and-coming producers looking to make their mark. This interview was conducted by Andrej Aroch via a video call on November 21st, 2024.
How did you first get interested in music, and what led you to music production?
It all started with my friends. When you're around 12, 13, or 14, you're figuring out your personality. Before that, you're just a kid, but then you start deciding—am I into football? Cars? For me, I just had friends who were into music. We started bands, even though I didn’t know how to play any instruments. We just wanted to have a band.
Eventually, I taught myself to play guitar, and from there, I fell in love with it. I downloaded some music software so I could record demos to show my friends—nothing serious, just stuff we could play together as a band. At first, it wasn’t about music production; I just wanted to record my own guitar tracks. But over time, I realized, "Wait a second, this is fun." I could add drums, bass, piano—so many other things. By the time I was 16 or 17, I started making my own beats, and I loved it.
That said, I never thought of music as a career. Coming from a small town, Viersen, it felt unrealistic. Unless you were in a major city like Berlin, Atlanta, or London, making a living from music seemed impossible. So, for a long time, I made beats just for fun. I didn’t start building a producer profile or taking it seriously until I was about 27. For more than a decade, I was just creating for myself.
What made you decide to take it seriously as a career?
It happened during a transitional period in my life—between finishing my bachelor's degree, and deciding whether to pursue a master’s. I was at this point where I had to ask myself, "Is this the life I want?" I realized it wasn’t. No matter the city or the program, I couldn’t see myself being happy with the path I was on.
Around that time, a friend of mine—someone from the same or a neighboring small town—landed a track on a Mac Miller record. We had been in a band together as teenagers, so I thought, "We have the same background. How did he manage that?" I reached out to him, and he became like a mentor. He explained the concept of creating samples—starting a vibe or beat and sending it to U.S. producers to finish the song in a session.
I’d vaguely heard of sample libraries like Kingsway Music Library before, but they always felt distant and unattainable, especially for someone from a small town like me. But hearing that it was possible, even for someone from my background, sparked something in me. It gave me a drive I’d never had before.
From that point, I went all in. I created an Instagram page, started building a beat-selling profile, and made samples to send out. At first, I sold them on smaller sites like Prime Loops. Eventually, I worked my way up to larger platforms like The Drum Broker and Kingsway Music Library. It was a gradual process, but seeing that it was possible made all the difference.
What do you think makes a great hip hop sample? Or when you're producing samples, what are you looking for?
I think it comes down to a few key elements. The first is simplicity. A great sample shouldn’t be overly complicated or packed with too many sounds. A lot of upcoming producers tend to overstack their samples, leaving no space for the artist with their voice. So, keeping it simple is crucial—but it still needs to be interesting.
There should be something unique that grabs your ear—whether it’s a sound, a pattern, a rhythm, a bit of syncopation, or even a chord change—because hip-hop music is often very loop-based. The loop needs to be something you can listen to over and over again for three or four minutes without it becoming boring. So, the sound quality and vibe of the loop are crucial.
I also value having some variation, like an A and B section, where two different variations of the loop complement each other. For example, one part could just feature chords, while the other has the chords and a melody. That way, there’s a version that works for a more instrumental part and another for a verse that isn’t too busy.
You have a production credit on a song by Metro Boomin and Travis Scott, “Raindrops.” How did this track come about?
The story behind that track is pretty crazy. I’ve mentioned before that I started out playing in indie and punk rock bands when I was around 13 to 15, and also about my friend who landed a song with Mac Miller. That blew my mind—like, here was someone from my hometown, making music with big U.S. artists. I remember thinking, “You have to teach me how this works.” So, I visited him in Berlin during a period when I was finishing my bachelor’s degree and debating whether to move to Berlin myself to pursue music seriously.
We spent a few days hanging out and making music. That trip was pivotal for me—it’s when I decided I wanted to move to Berlin and give this a real shot. During that session, we created a bunch of ideas, and one of them turned out to be the sample that became the foundation for “Raindrops.” At the time, it was just one of many loops we made—nothing fancy, just a rough idea. I think we even called it something generic like “Trap Bells.”
Fast forward a few years, and I was hustling, struggling financially, and trying to make things work in music. At that time, I didn’t know that sample from 2017 had already been sent out and was making its way through the industry. My friend was working with David X Eli, producers from Munich who are signed to Metro, and they had shared a bunch of material, including our sample.
The song dropped in 2022, but I didn’t even realize it used our sample at first. I vaguely recognized something familiar when I heard it, but it wasn’t until months later that I got the confirmation. One day, while I was biking home, I got a call from my friend. He told me to sit down and broke the news: “We got one on the Travis record.” Turns out, David x Eli had been trying to figure out who made the “Trap Bells” sample for over a year. The file didn’t have any credits or BPM info, so it took a while to trace it back to us. Eventually, they dug through old folders, found the original file, and reached out to us.
Metro’s team was amazing—they made sure everything was credited properly retroactively. Looking back, it’s wild to think that one of the first samples I ever made ended up on a track like that. I had no idea what I was doing back then—it was pure experimentation. It really makes you feel superstitious, like maybe there’s something to the idea of manifestation or fate.
Do you have a production that holds special value to you, or a favorite track you’ve worked on?
My favorite production is probably a song called “Schweden” by the German artist Souly. For a long time, I worked mostly as a sample maker, creating loops in my flat in Berlin and sending them to producers in the U.S. Occasionally, every couple of months, a big song would come out using one of my samples. But apart from making the initial sample, I wasn’t involved in the creative process at all. I’d get a message, maybe a week—or sometimes just two days—before the release saying, “Hey, it’s dropping.” Then the song would come out, I’d post about it, and that was it.
After doing that for two or three years, I started to feel really disconnected from the process. I was grateful for the placements, but I wanted to be more hands-on and work in sessions, especially in Germany. I wasn’t sure if I could make it work, but then I discovered Souly who I honestly think is the best artist in Germany right now by a mile. Back then, though, he was just starting out—he had around 4,000 Instagram followers and maybe 50,000 monthly listeners. Now, he’s nearing 2 million monthly listeners.
“Schweden” holds a special place in my heart because it wasn’t just about making the music. It was about being part of the entire journey—building the vision, working on rollouts, shaping the aesthetic, and witnessing Souly grow into a true star. That level of involvement was so much more fulfilling than just receiving a message about a release.
That particular song was also deeply personal for him. In fact, one or two days before the release, we had to go back into the studio to re-record some lines because they felt too vulnerable. That session felt more like a therapy session than a recording session. It was a pivotal moment in our relationship—we became real friends through that experience.
To me, “Schweden” represents something bigger than just music. It’s about being there for the entire process, watching someone transform into a superstar, and knowing you played a part in their story. Those moments mean so much more to me than even the big U.S. placements.
What advice would you give to new producers trying to break into the music industry and connect with artists?
I think the most important thing is to be really focused and intentional, about what you want to achieve. As a producer, there are so many paths you can take, so it’s crucial to identify the one thing you’re truly passionate about. For instance, if you dream of producing for someone like Trippie Redd, start by going to their Genius page and checking the credits for their last one or two albums. Find out which producers worked on those projects, then research their work to understand their overall sound.
Once you have that knowledge, reach out to up-and-coming producers in those credits—the ones who are more likely to see your DMs. When you message them, be specific and personal. Share one or two of your best samples, but make sure they’re tailored to the sound that producer is known for. Avoid generic email blasts to hundreds of random people; instead, focus on building genuine connections with a few carefully chosen contacts.
It’s also important to be realistic. We all want to work with the Drakes of the world, but DMing producers like OZ or BNYX—some of the biggest names in the industry—is unlikely to yield results when you’re just starting out. Instead, aim for one step below. For example, if you want to work with Drake, consider reaching out to producers who worked on a smaller feature or a support act from his tour.
I’ve always been obsessed with sample-making, and my dream early on was to release a Kingsway pack. I’d download Kingsway previews from YouTube—those 15-minute clips with the “Kingsway Music” tag every 40 seconds—and listen to them on repeat, even falling asleep to them. That obsession drove me to follow all the Kingsway producers, study their work, see what plugins and gear they used, and reach out to ask questions.
Through this, I connected with Oscar Zulu, and we eventually collaborated on a sample pack that ended up on The Drum Broker. That pack opened the door for me to work with Kingsway, which was a huge milestone for me. I didn’t try to do everything at once; I focused on that one goal and pursued it persistently until it happened.
So my advice is to find the one thing that excites you the most, and go all in on that. Be specific, be intentional, and stay consistent. It’s all about doing the work, sending those DMs, and showing up regularly. That focus and persistence can take you a long way.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I’d love to establish my own label and publishing setup. I’m really passionate about being involved in the full creative process with artists. My goal is to secure some major placements—those huge cuts that lead to a big publishing deal—and use that to build a studio space with three or four rooms.
This space wouldn’t just be for me; I’d invite producers and artists to collaborate, potentially signing some of them. I envision creating a small but thriving ecosystem where we’re not only making music but also handling everything needed to release and promote it.
I also want to take on more executive roles, like being an executive producer on full projects. That doesn’t mean producing every song myself—it’s more about helping artists select samples, choose beats, and shape the overall vision of an album. It’s the kind of hands-on, old-school producing where you’re deeply involved in crafting something cohesive and meaningful.
For me, working on an entire project is so much more fulfilling than contributing just one sample to a track on a massive album. Building a vision and seeing it come to life is where I find the most joy, and I’d love to do that on a bigger scale in the years to come.
Do you want to add something in the end?
I think I’d just like to say this: I’m from a small German town, with a bunch of cows, and I have a song on a Travis Scott record.
Also, I didn’t even start my Instagram page until I was 27. There’s so much pressure to “make it” by 24, but that’s not realistic for everyone. Starting later or coming from a smaller place doesn’t mean you’re out of the race. If you love what you do and stay consistent, amazing things can happen.
Follow Stoopid Lou on Instagram: @stoopidloubeats
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