Artist: Midi Mafia
Interviewer: Brandon Greene

You may or may not know the name, but you certainly know the sound-excuse me, the platinum sounds. 50 cent's "21 Questions," 213's "Groupy Love," need I say any more? Midi Mafia is not just a production team that puts some sounds together, adds a drum track, and then sends it off. They get involved in the whole process from concept, to lyrics, to ensuring that the vocal delivery is on point. Their attention to detail has proved to be a successful approach to what can sometimes be a redundant game, and now they have parlayed that success into a label deal. If you didn't know them before now, trust me when I say that you will be seeing a lot more from these "made men".

SoundSlam: What's new with the Mafia?

Swift: Man we've been busy, we have an R&B from Brooklyn artist named Deeni on Atlantic. We just finished her album, and were working on putting out her single. We just did five records on Fantasia's album. We did Lloyd Banks, we got Sam Scarfo on Def Jam's album coming, and we just did NBA 07.

SoundSlam. So with all the different and diverse artist you have produced for, how do feel about the idea that Hip-Hop is Dead?

Swift: Well...I guess it went from being ours to being everybody else's, which is how it got watered down. As long as there are core people still doing the same Hip-Hop being true to it, it's not dead. We can get through the cheesy stuff. People may not like where it's at right now, but it sways. It goes in cycles.

SoundSlam: I have noticed that you guys don't really try to take any shine or limelight away from the artist that you produce for, is that by design on your guys part?

Swift: We are just real careful about how we brand ourselves. If it's natural and the artist wants us to be in the videos and what not, that's cool. But we don't make it an issue. We want to brand ourselves as producers and label owners. We don't want to overexpose ourselves, so we come in, show a little bit, then go back to the lab You'll see us being a lot more visible in the next 6 months with Deemi's album coming soon.

SoundSlam: What do you look for in artist that you produce for?

Swift: Sometimes with signed artists it might just be a check. Sometimes with big name artists you don't really get to interact with them. You send them the track, they drop their vocals, and it's a wrap. We have the most fun with those artists you don't know what to expect from. Like Fantasia, working with an artist that is creative, talented and open to suggestions is always the best thing, and if an artist is knowledgeable about the recording process that is good too.

SoundSlam: I know you guys like to go more of the sell-a-song concept route rather than just the sell-the-beat and leave the rest up to the artist route, does that always work?

Swift: Well a true producer likes to be in charge of, or involved in everything. From doing the beat arrangement to mixing, tracking the vocals, and making sure that all the elements go together right. Sometimes it's possible, sometimes it's not. It's a lot easier with R&B artists since a lot of them don't write their own lyrics. With rappers it's a little different. Some, like Talib Kweli, are open. It's just depends on the artist. In the end it's all about the trust factor.

SoundSlam: With you guys having backgrounds that include roles as both artists and DJ, what are thoughts on the current trend of beef in hip-hop, and does that affect who you produce for?

Swift: It does and it doesn't, you just got to be aware. There have always been beefs in hip-hop it's just now some of them are coming with guns, so you probably don't want to be too deeply involved. You may not want to work with one artist while you are working with the other. You definitely have to respect it.Soundslam: How does your approach to producing records vary from other producers in the game?

Swift: I don't know if it does or it doesn't. I think our approach is just trying to be involved in all aspects. If we could be there to tailor make something for the artist we would. I think the artists appreciate that in us. Being able to be there and create with the artist is always the best.

SoundSlam: I read that you guys are starting your label, how is that going?Swift: We made a lot of mistakes early on, which was a good thing. It all came kind of early in our career for us. We got the label deal before we made 50 hits. So we got money, responsibility, office, space, and then we had to realize that we only had one artist. It was a learning process. In the end we had to focus on what got us there, which is being the studio working.

SoundSlam: How do you go about signing artist?Swift: We like to look for original stuff. Of course you want to sign someone with momentum behind them already. It's hard to do the business side and the artist development at the same time. We like people who are easy to work with, with a strong work ethic, and a lot of drive. At the end of the day it's about music but it's mostly about business.

SoundSlam: Is all still surreal, being in the industry?

Swift: We are kind of used to it now. It's a job. At first it was weird. We had a studio at Sony and I was still taking the train home, walking pass Swizz Beats' Lamborghini, after a while their your peers and you're in the industry. I mean the money is cool, but building strong relationships and doing good business is the most important.

SoundSlam: What do you say to cats who are trying to get in the position you're in?

SWIFT: Business is based on branding. Some day it's luck but I say it's opportunity meeting preparation. You got to be ready when your time comes, because you don't get many opportunities in this business. Meet who you need to meet. Our motto was always hang around those who are richer than you. Associate with those who are doing what you want to do and doing it well. We got a lot of cats trying to fall into our camp, which we haven't really took to, but a lot of people do that, which is good because there are only so many spots in this game.