Don Cannon
Don Cannon is considered by some as the future of production. His up tempo tracks have been used by some of today’s most sought after rappers. Cannon, part of the Aphilliates got his start like co-hort DJ Drama, through mixtapes. The duo were arrested in 2006 for a long list of crimes including copyright infringement but they have yet to stand trial. However pleading total innocence Cannon has not let that issue stand in his way.Even though still very involved in the mixtapes (he and Drama have co-signed Asher Roth, America’s so called new Eminem), Cannon’s priorities seem to have taken a different direction. Producing for Young Jeezy, Ludacris, the Game and Nas he is not half stepping.
The fact that you are associated with albums and songs that have sold millions, having achieved that, does it make you nervous in any way as that is what people may expect from you?
It doesn’t bother me as I work with individuals that just inspire me to keep going. You know some people might get carried away ‘You’re working with this person, that person, Jay Z is on your track,” where as I just keep it regular. Jay Z is my favorite rapper of all times but to me it is just another notch on the belt. It isn’t any pressure for me as to me music is an art. Whether you splash it, like when you draw, you can say splashing and painting on a wall is art, the same with the music. It is all about how a person views it. You know some people draw and then some people might throw a bugger on the wall [laughs] but it is art to them. It is art to me; if a person comes to me there is no pressure. They will either need this beat or not, I am doing me. I don’t want to hear no conversation about ‘I want a go crazy beat’ or ‘I want a cannon beat’ or ‘I want a beat like you did for Fabolous’ I am just doing music.There is no real pressure for me as it is up to the artist to take it to the next level and I am just happy to be working with artists that are able to take it to the next level.
Nowadays are artists looking to dictate the direction of production to keep in the vein of what we are already listening to etc?
I think certain artists are lazy now, now they just leave it up to the producer to give them beats. That is why you don’t hear all these hot producers.
To be anybody, people are just going to the hottest producer to get the hottest record and think that getting the beat is it. But no its doesn’t work like that; it is a mutual thing to make a record and make history.
You have to get out there and make those records. The DJ is nothing without the artist and the artist is never something without the DJ; it is never a one footed thing. It is a mutual thing where everyone has to get out there and work.
A great beat and a bad artist still leaves a bad song just as a great artist with a bad beat till leaves a bad song. It all works hand in hand.
Why do you think that artists have got so lazy then when production is so strong?
I think artists go for big name because they want the quickest thing available that will get them to the masses. If that means getting a Cool and Dre beat then that’s what they do. If that means getting a Swizz Beatz beat then that is what they will do.
Hot Dog man over here might have the craziest beats in the world but they won’t touch his beats because everyone is looking for a name to associate. The more association with a name the more credit the artist will have. It will give more people a chance to pick it up.
If there are a million people trying to promote their CDs you might not look at one until you see a DJ Premier beat or something like that. This is no disrespect to the artists saying they are lazy, but people don’t want to grind it out.
They don’t have patience these days and they don’t want to strive for perfection. I give a person like Lil Wayne and a person like Lupe credit. People look at Lil Wayne and think he might be the best rapper or might not be the best rapper, but one thing for sure is that he and Juelz Santana always mess with new producers.
People never look at that though. Lupe Fiasco stays with new producers and one thing about Jay Z and 50 Cent was they always worked with new producers too. They might have their Timbaland or Just Blaze sprinkled here and there but they go with whatever sounds good, doesn’t matter where it comes from and that is why those guys are greats.
Like 50 Cent’s record of the year was Apex, I get Money and that was his first record ever. They are always looking for something fresh. You don’t have to come out of the box with everything. It just takes great minds to think like that.
That’s why I think artists are lazy because they would rather go and spend their budgets going to see Danja or so and so. Yeah they are going to give you a good record but it is up to you to make it a big record. I am sure Swizz and all those n***as will tell you that also.
Did you find that once you had your first big single they were gravitating towards you more?
Yeah they are gravitating towards me more but they realize I am not going to give them the same beat that I gave Jeezy.
You know I am a producer, I make records and will put my input in but it is all up to the artist. I can’t make Lil Scrappy; Lil Scrappy gotta make Lil Scrappy. I can give you the hottest beat in the world, but you have to make yourself.
When is it that you think you might have made it as a producer, you know become content with yourself?
I don’t know man; it is hard to find contentment man. I know I am not content now as I am still on the rise. There is still doubt with everybody, from Timbaland to Dr. Dre, because if you don’t have that banging record you are back to cold or lukewarm again as opposed to hot. It is just one of those things that you have to constantly make hot songs.