Meet D. Brooks Exclusive, the Hip-Hop Producer with a Classical Ear ( Video Included ) @Lashe_2tone @DreezyDreezy
A few weeks ago, I talked to Dreezy, one of Chicago’s most exciting new rappers, and learned about D. Brooks Exclusive, the producer who was almost solely responsible for the beats on her first mixtape, Schizo. With a background playing viola, D. Brooks had the distinction of being the rare artist who has rubbed shoulders with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and some of the hardest rappers in Chicago. The 26-year old has produced for a list of rappers that includes King Louie, Lil Herb, Lil Durk, Common, Do or Die, and Benzino. He also handles the bulk of production work for Dreezy and Chicago’s KD Young Cocky, who have joint agreements with his new music group, The Winners Circle.
D. Brooks Exclusive, or Wadell Brooks, grew up on the South Side of Chicago but moved around a fair amount, spending some time in Norfolk, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; and Jackson and Natchez, Mississippi. He comes from a musical family: His mom sang in a music group when she was young, and his dad plays the piano and saxophone. Brooks, too, has a deep aptitude for music. Around the age of three, he began playing the piano, and soon after he picked up the drums as well, learning both instruments by ear. When he was in high school, he received his first formal training in string instruments and learned how to play the violin, viola, and cello. He was first chair for viola—for those unfamiliar, first chair means you’re the best—and along with a few members of his class, he was invited at one point to play with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Brooks started making beats in high school, but he didn’t take his production work seriously until Kanye West released The College Dropout in 2004, which, according to Brooks, became his driving force. After high school, Brooks went on to study audio production at Chicago’s Columbia College for two years. While at Columbia College, he studied some music theory, which helped with the technical side of music, teaching him how to read and write all the things he could already do by ear.
Every aspect of Brooks’s background factors into how he views and creates beats. Moving around in his youth helped shape his conceptual outlook on making music, exposing him to new sounds and people. He uses his classical training and understanding of musical theory as a tool when he’s producing, creating sounds that speak to the lyricist’s mood. Recently, Brooks worked on KD’s new project, Smoking Right Now: Worst Enemy, which came out in August, and the two are now working on the upcoming follow-up, Smoking Right Now. I called Brooks up in Chicago to learn more about his music and background. I also had him explain some of his beats for Dreezy to me through more of a theory lens and break down how, musically, a beat might make you listen more closely to what the rapper is saying.
Have you ever used your viola on a track?
Once, a long time ago, but I don’t think it ever came out. I want to get into using it more, but I haven’t really because I haven’t moved into my new studio yet.
I think what was so good about your work on Schizo is that you’re able to mold your sound around her lyrics.
That’s about being able to be in different places and see different things and hear different kinds of music. I knew I didn’t want to just get sucked into one type of sound because working with Dreezy—her music and what she talks about, it speaks to a lot of people, it doesn’t speak to just one culture or one type of person. I wanted to make sure that that was shown in the beats too, and make her message and portray her story the right way with each song.
It’s unusual for a hip-hop producer—even if it’s once—to play with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. How do you relate your classical training to producing beats?
It just depends on what kind of song I’m doing, but like different songs have different moods to them. If it’s a song with Dreezy, for instance, that she’s getting real personal on, I’ll try to make sure that the mood of the music will fit that. Usually songs like that have some type of classical feel to it, just because of how the song will feel in general.
Do you see any connections between hip-hop and classical music, in Chicago and in general?
Yeah, definitely. A lot of the drill music, trap music, a lot of that comes from classical strings and forms, like the hard bass. It’s definitely a similarity between classical and hip-hop music, whether the producers know or not.
What would you say is the difference between a major and minor chord?
Usually a song that’s in a major chord, you’ll feel happier and want to dance to it. Minor chords, it’s kind of like a darker mood. A song in a minor chord, I put it like this: You’ll probably want to listen to the lyrics more and listen to what is being said. Songs in major chords, you’ll probably want to dance to them more.
Walk me through the process behind the songs off Schizo.
One of my favorite songs was “Bad Habit” because the music was all real, so when we went into working on it, we didn’t just sit down like ‘let’s put something together. ‘It was more like that’s how she was feeling at the time. You hear me say the mood of the music a lot because I try to make sure that everything is on point; I believe music is about feeling. When you listen to music, you should feel it. I wanted to make sure that the mood fit the actual mood that she was in at the time, that she really felt that way.
So it was like that: I used minor chords because that’s kind of like a darker sound. I think that song was maybe in the key of C, C minor. The minor chords fit the story she was saying.
“All The Time,” that was a little more open. That was minor chords too, but it was a little more open and less dark—it was kind of dark, but it wasn’t sad dark. I don’t remember what key that song was in, but it was kind of monotone. One chord all the way through, just to let her get off on the lyrical side. I didn’t really want to do too much with the beat because what she was rapping about, I wanted people to really take away her lyrics from that song. She says a lot in it.
Do you listen to what she says and then make a beat around it or do you guys work together?
Usually when we make a song, we’ll be in the studio and ask, like how is she feeling right there? Right then and there, that’s what we’ll make. I wouldn’t say I listen to the words, but I just have a feel already for what the song is gonna be like, and we’ll make it together.
“Schizophrenia”? That was dope. That’s how she was feeling at the time, and I wanted that to sound a little more…I don’t really know the right way to explain it, but it’s like you can make people feel a certain way with different chords. You can make somebody feel happy, sad, aggressive. I wanted people to not feel sad but to feel where she was coming from with the chords. Not really so much depressing or sad but just like, what she was saying was real heartfelt. It was a minor chord. It was a lot of like minor sevens, so that it wasn’t so dark.
That was more like a monotone, minor chord all the way through. Just one chord all the way through with maybe one other transition chord. And there was like hard, aggressive sounds in there, so the point of that was just to show that she can go hard with anybody. She wasn’t just a female rapper, she’s a rapper.
On a different note, I did “Heard It All” in a major chord. It gave it like a happy bounce feel.
The main thing that I like to encourage with an artist, when I’m part of a record, is that it’s got to be authentic to them. That’s the main thing that I want to portray in my music, is that it’s authentic. It’s not representing nothing that the artist is not really about. That’s what I take pride in with my music because then it’s real.
( Noisey Post )
Written by: Tara Mahadevan
Oct 20 2014
Entrepreneur
Award Winning Entrepreneur Mama Sue Taylor Talks Being A Cannabis Pioneer & Resource For The Elderly Community
Sue Taylor “Mama Sue”, is a pioneer in the space of wellness and cannabis. Breaking barriers as the first black woman to open and operate a dispensary in Berkeley, California, she has been featured in Forbes, CNN, ABC7, Black Enterprise, MSN and several other publications sharing her incredible journey through cannabis. As she is one of the most influential women in cannabis she continues to utilize her platform to debunk any negativity surrounding the healing plant. As a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, and advocate, Sue Taylor has made it her mission to be a resource to the elderly community through her Mama Sue Wellness tinctures and series of educational events.
I had the pleasure and honor of speaking with Sue after she was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from Grammy Award Winning singer Erykah Badu at the 2024 Women in Cannabis Awards. Check it out below.
Sue Taylor Interview
What does it mean to you being a cannabis advocate and how did you get your start in the cannabis industry?
Sue Taylor: If someone had told me 17 years ago that I would be working in the cannabis industry I would have never believed them. I did not choose this, it chose me. My son lured me into the business by convincing me that this is a way for me to have my spiritual wellness center that I have always wanted and that intrigued me. I saw that it was needed because of how I took care of my body when I began to age and I knew the pharmaceutical approach wasn’t working way back then. As I said yes to work with Cannabis, I was actually scared and frightened by it due to the movie Reefer Madness. People in my generation were always told weed was a drug and it was always black people or hispanics and the weed devil and a lot of craziness.
This deterred my generation from cannabis because we simply do not break rules and it was deemed federally illegal. As an African American woman you know there is a stigma around us. I am already judged for being a black woman and I don’t want to be judged again! Being black I am judged everyday even still to this day, so to be taking on something that is extremely stigmatized was scary. But when my son told me I could have my Sue Taylor Wellness facility, I said okay let’s give it a try. Even though I was scared, I knew it was something I had to do to improve the quality of my life. If your dream doesn’t scare you a little bit your dream is not big enough. I was so scared but I was not willing to give up, which has allowed me to live my dream in real time.
Not only are you a cannabis advocate but you are also a pioneer. Can you share with me your vision for your Farmacy dispensary as you are the first and only black woman to own and operate a dispensary in Berkeley?
ST: The journey to opening Farmacy Berkeley was not an easy one. It took us 17 years to get things going. However, I was granted a permit to open Farmacy Berkeley because I had a special niche. Mine was geared to the needs of seniors. I also did my own lobbying to the city council and the mayor. I did it because we really didn’t have the money to do it and we are not equity people. We used our family’s money to get things accomplished. I had another key component Brittany that I want to share. When I went in, they could see that I genuinely cared for humankind. It wasn’t about me. And it really wasn’t just about cannabis. I just saw cannabis as one tool to help people. My pioneer work has helped with the stigma that surrounds cannabis. Recently I received the Lifetime Achievement at the Women in Cannabis Awards for my advocacy work and have also received an advocacy award from Oaksterdam University.
I have been very successful at helping to eliminate the stigma because I don’t fit the mold. I’m a former Catholic school principal. I am also a commissioner on aging. I was the commissioner on aging for Alameda County, where Farmacy Berkeley is located. On top of that, I am certified by the state of California to teach the cannabis program to nurses and help them obtain credits toward the yearly certifications that they need. I’ve had that certification for five years or more. It’s amazing to do that. It has been quite a journey for me. I have also been successful simply because I genuinely care.
When we opened up Farmacy Berkeley, we were open for one month, then the pandemic stopped everything. They sent all seniors home because people were afraid I was going to get covid. So we went away from it and then came back. But before I really got into business, I was teaching seniors. I had a community room where I would educate seniors free of charge, just come in and talk. I even did meditation classes. I did a lot of things there as well. Then that all stopped because of the pandemic. But I want you to be clear on this, we were opened up after we got the license.
How did Cannabis change your life?
ST: When I saw the way cannabis was positively impacting the lives of everyone around me that I was working with, that’s when I became open to cannabis. When I started off, I would not touch it, I was simply just doing the work. But after time, people kept coming to me saying that they were no longer using canes, wheelchairs or medication anymore. Seeing the progress in those people, I began to change my mind and became open to cannabis to help with pain or to help me sleep.
I started to think “maybe my son was right this whole time”. I thought he was on drugs, but when I found out what he was doing things changed. He was attending Oaksterdam University learning the entrepreneur side of cannabis. 17 years ago, there were only dispensaries for medical patients and only three in the Berkeley area making the rules a lot stricter. Its incredible how much growth there has been in the industry and the opportunities it’s presenting in helping others, especially seniors. I continued to do the work, myself along with the many hardworking individuals in the cannabis industry see the benefits of being in the business.
What is your mission for helping the elderly connect to cannabis as you have your Mama Sue Wellness products that are specifically geared toward seniors?
ST: Those products were made with love for a group of people that most people have forgotten about. This means everything to me to be able to have wellness products that cater to my demographic.
Seniors mostly come to cannabis for two reasons, because they can’t sleep or they’re in pain. Thats what each tincture was crafted to help with, we have a sleep tincture made with high CBN and CBD and an extra strength tincture which is high-CBD to help with aches and pain. And we have more products coming very soon. These were made with seniors in mind, but I think I might have more young people using the Mama Sue products for sleep and anxiety because the relief tincture, you could use that during the day and still function. They won’t get you high.
What has it been like working with Glass House Brands?
ST: I’ve been a part of Glass House, for a little over 4 years. What many people don’t know is that in the process of building Farmacy Berkeley, we ran out of money. That is when Kyle, Graham and the Glass House team came in, we became partners and they put up the remainder of the money to help build out the dispensary to my specifications. Glass House also helped me develop my tincture products that I’ve always wanted, Mama Sue Wellness. They aligned with my values and are doing things right, that’s why I chose them.
I’m grateful to be part of the Glass House team, they really support my mission in helping change the stigma around cannabis. As a Brand Ambassador we work together to put together these educational events, I travel to our different dispensaries where I get to speak and answer questions for local seniors one on one.
You mentioned your Mama Sue products and how they’re kind of more so geared toward the senior community. What do you feel like is the most important thing about wellness when it comes to cannabis and debunking these misconceptions?
ST: To begin, it depends on the group of people you are talking to. For instance, when me and my fellow cannabis advocates needed to get something done as a cannabis group going up against the city and state, they would always suggest sending me to speak on the group’s behalf. They thought it was like some magic or something, but let me tell you what it was, Brittany. I looked at the cannabis industry and I looked at most of the people who were in that industry at that time. They looked like stoners. I did not. And I was not. And I made a conscious decision that every time I was representing cannabis, I would look like a lawyer. And that’s who they met. They said, oh, you are in the wrong place, lady. I said, no, I’m here for cannabis. I didn’t fit the mold. Brittany, when they looked at me, I didn’t fit their perception of what people who used cannabis look like. Does that make sense?
I know that recently you and Dreka Gates got a chance to connect, can you share the synergy and connection you two ladies share?
ST: It was amazing. It was one of my most amazing ‘Plants Over Pills’ interviews because we connected on so many levels, so many levels. I’ve never met a young person like that, that’s spiritually evolved like her, because she’s young, you know she’s young, she’s only 37. And we just talked like we knew each other. Wait till you see the interview, it’s on the Glass House YouTube channel. I’ve never conducted an interview like that before. The camera crew was saying, oh my God, they were amazed at how easily we connected, and we just kept talking and talking. We connected on such a high level, we’re both spiritual people, we’ve been through a lot, we believe in plant medicine for healing, and she’s now even opening her first dispensary in Mississippi. Dreka talks about all the challenges she went through to secure the permit. We had trouble in California and we’re the most progressive state there is, I can’t imagine Mississippi. We bonded over all of that, opening our first dispensary and our vision to expanding that into our wellness facilities.
What has been your experience with pills versus plants for healing?
ST: They tried to give me a pill during the pandemic. I’m a spiritual person, and I had anxiety and was having difficult nights of sleep, had so much fear, all that kind of stuff. So, I went to my doctor and she prescribed me pills. I said, you know, I’m not a pill taker. But for some reason she insisted that I just take it. So I took the pills home, I looked it up and researched them before I popped anything. You know what it said on the bottle, they were to help with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia! I called her immediately and relayed my findings to her. You know what her response to me was? Why are you questioning me? You are not a doctor. She said, I give that to all my patients that have anxiety. You know what my response to her was? “I am not all your patients, and I don’t take a pill for anything. You know that I don’t take a pill to manage my health so why would you give me something for schizophrenics? I am not schizophrenic.” So that was it. I had to start looking out for my own health, and wellbeing.
I always make this disclaimer, pills have their place. Pharmaceuticals are not bad. They are not bad for people who need them. Pharmaceutical drugs were made for temporary use. If you get into a car accident or going into operation for eight hours, yes pills are helpful. But most people are using pharmaceuticals just to manage their day to day lives. Like with high blood pressure, with high cholesterol, with even anxiety.You start taking pills for an operation, then you have high blood pressure, then 10, 15 years later, you’re still on those same pills and more. That’s not okay. We have to stay educated about our health and thankfully, our younger generation are getting better at understanding that. The younger generation just doesn’t take what people tell them. You guys research everything. I have three sons so I’m surrounded by all the young people all the time and they keep me sharp.
I just met another guy, he’s gonna open up a wellness facility because everybody is seeing the light, popping a pill is not going to get you healthy. If anything, it’s gonna deteriorate your body because it’s all about the money. Pharmaceutical approach to healthcare. They give politicians money so they continue to push pills on us. We have to look beyond. We have to think for ourselves and find more natural ways to heal and care for bodies, mind and spirit.
Brittany, as I look at your beautiful face today, with that beautiful skin, that beautiful complexion, you have to go within and do what’s best for Brittany. I don’t care what the doctors try to tell you. Trust yourself first, always.
To learn more about Mama Sue Taylor and her journey through cannabis, follow her on Instagram at @suetaylorwellness.
Not everyone can be a winner. Detroit native and hip-hop sensation 42 Dugg is back with a fiery new single, Win Wit Us. The track, a precursor to his highly anticipated album 4eva Us, Neva Them, showcases Dugg’s signature style and lyrical prowess. In the brand new single, produced by FLEXONTHEBEAT, TyMaz, and Marshak, Dugg calls out those who try to ride his wave without putting in the work, cementing his stance in the rap game. The release is accompanied by an official music video directed by Counter Point, where Dugg and his crew dominate the streets and clubs of Detroit, visually reinforcing his message of loyalty and resilience. Dugg raps in the hard-hitting track:
All of sudden they wanna win wit us / But ain’t spin with us.
Dugg previously teased this new era of his music with a trailer featuring Hill Harper, further building anticipation among his fans. “Win Wit Us” follows a series of recent hits including Wock N Red, SpinDatBac, and Go Again. Earlier this year, Dugg made a triumphant return to the stage with a sold-out “Welcome Home” show at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, featuring appearances by superstars like Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, Lil Baby, and more. Notably, the event saw Dugg unite Detroit’s rival hip-hop factions, Doughboyz Cashout and Team Eastside, in a historic move to end the city’s East-West beef. Fans can expect even more groundbreaking music from Dugg as he gears up for his upcoming album. Don’t miss out on the latest single available for streaming here and watch the music video below. Link up with 42 Dugg on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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