Exclusive: The-Dream Q&A

By Toshitaka Kondo

After crafting Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” one of the biggest hits of her career, and implanting the “ella, ella” earworm in the world’s auditory memory, The-Dream set out to become yet another big songwriter-turned-big singer. The Georgia native, who also wrote J. Holiday’s “Bed” and Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine,” is off to a good start, generating ample buzz for his debut Love Hate with “Shawty Is Da Sh*t! (10)” and “Falsetto.” The album, produced almost exclusively by Tricky Stewart (Rihanna, Mya, Britney Spears), shows off The-Dream’s quirky lyrical style and a sound influenced by everything from chopped & screwed music to Prince. Rhapsody recently got him on the phone to discuss the making of the Love Hate, which was recorded in only nine days, and getting booed at the Vibe Yardfest.

Rhapsody: A lot of songs leaked from Love Hate are building a good buzz for you. Was that intentional?
The-Dream: At first I was kind of mad about it, but then I started to be flattered. I was calling up the label and they [were] like “It wasn’t us.” They’ve been sending certain stuff out to press and the press been leaking it. [There’s] a lot of great records on there still -- if that’s all I had, then I’d be like “Oh my God.” But “She Needs My Love” is definitely a leak. It’s supposed to be the third single.

It sounds like your vocals on “She Needs My Love" are auto-tuned. Do you feel like too many artists are using auto-tuning now?
No. At the end of day, you stumble on to a great idea. If you’re GE and you invent the flat screen TV, don’t expect Phillips not to bring out one. The vocoder isn’t used on “She Needs My Love.” I actually sung it exactly like that. Those are straight notes and the harmonies that go in and out with each other. When I start on a certain note, I’m actually doing that so it kicks off the real note and creates a vocoder-like sound.

How much of the album did you produce?
I produced [and] influenced my whole album in every way. Now, of course, individual tracks are going to have their composers -- like Tricky [Stewart], Los [Da Mystro] – [whereas], some of the records I did. But nobody can really produce me. I automatically got in my head what’s going to go on the [album] and how it’s gonna sound.

Did it really only take nine days to record your album?
It was literally nine days to do my job. The mixing takes time. We were in Vegas, at the [studio in the] Palms Hotel recording my album. We’d go out to the Playboy Club one night, but after nine days, [it] was finished. We had some of the ideas of what was gonna go on and some of the beats [picked out]. The songs weren’t written, but there was an idea and a concept. Depending on the engineer, the song [was] probably written within about 20-25 minutes, and I could have it recorded in another hour.

Are you real meticulous about going to the mixing sessions?
Oh yeah. I’m there all the way through. Dude, there’s no artist in me at all when it comes to that point. I straight produce the album. Even with mastering, we heard some things messed up and had to send it back a couple of times like, “That ain’t right. Too much bass is pulling from the high end.” I been in the band since I was in third grade, so I hear it real good.

While you were out in Vegas you also worked with Celine Dion right?
Yeah, I played the piano riff that’s on the “Skies of LA” record while I was singing the melody. Then I told Trick to come in and sustain it while I was trying to figure out what the song was gonna be about. It took maybe six minutes to come up with the concept for a song. The manager, Zoë, who runs the Palms studio, said “You know who would probably love this record? Celine! She works here all the time.” So we reached out to her and made it happen.

What made you decide to sign as an artist with Def Jam?
Well, I already had business with [Def Jam president] Jay-Z with “Umbrella.” Matter of fact, I had mentioned to him “I’ll be over on that label in a minute.” He was like “Yeah, okay. Let me know.” Me giving him the Rihanna record and just the upcoming business...it was out of respect that Def Jam Chairman] L.A. [Reid] had to hear it [first]. When I played “Shawty Is Da Sh*!(10)” for L.A. at Four Seasons in Atlanta, he was like “Oh my God! This is crazy!” The next day, I think Jay had it. He was at the 40/40 Club with it. [People called me ] like “Jay just ran it back six or seven times!”

Did Jay talk to you before taking your line for his song, “No Hook”?
We were listening to his album and he was like “I got a surprise for you on this next record” and played it. People were calling me like “What you going to do? Get a percentage?” At the end of the day, it’s not business, it’s music. That’s flattering. That’s m*th*rf*ck*ng Jay-Z! If it was anybody else, my attorneys would be sitting in front of their yard with a bag like, “Put all the money in here, we gonna meet Dream at Gucci.”

So how much are you charging now to get in the studio?
Oh boy. I think the last amount was $65,000 per record. [That’s] if I sit in the studio with your artist, we record a record and you say right then whether you want it or not. If you say, “Yes,” then you make a payment. I wrote “Umbrella” for $7,000. Inflation is crazy! [Laughs]

You once said that you’re very picky about working with new producers. Why is that?
Me and [Tricky Stewart] created a chemistry. So we can go ’til I’m broke and I still won’t call whoever’s the hottest producer. If you look at my track record, I don’t write with anybody; that’s just me. I’ve been with Tricky a long time. It took [us] years to build up our rapport. Unless it’s somebody I respect, I don’t work with them. Of course Timbaland can get whatever he needs out of us. Otherwise, we’re new ourselves so it doesn’t really make any sense taking money off my other half’s plate to go give it to somebody else when we can do it. If me and Trick can’t sign ‘em, there’s no reason for us to write with [them], because there’s no equity in their project.

When you came out for the VIBE Yardfest in Atlanta this past October singing “Umbrella,” you got boo’d. Why do you think that happened?
At the end of the day, it’s not about whether somebody’s hot or not. This is the coincidental point in why music is exactly where it is and that’s actually pitiful. I hadn’t been promoted like, “This guy did this particular thing, that’s why he’s singing it.” So they gonna be like, “What the f*ck is this n*gg* doing singing it?” This is a black thing. Anything that’s fearful, or we don’t seemingly like, or fits into exactly what we gonna know, we don’t accept it. So when you send an R&B artist to do a hip-hop show, you should expect that. It didn’t really mean anything to me. I can care less [that] I get boo’d once out of a hundred [times], which is exactly what that was. Of course when I did “Shawty Is Da Sh*!(10),” they were like “Okay. Cool.”

Did that reaction bother you given that you’re from Atlanta?
No. And it didn’t bother me that the radio started playing my record last. This is how [“the black guy syndrome”] works: When you’re from a certain place, it’s the big brother routine. Everybody knows where you’re from. That’s probably where you’re gonna have most of the people that are not going to give you the start or support because that’s how we as a black people are toward one another. So I made it my business to go out and around Atlanta before I came back. Fabulous is gonna get on [“Shawty Is Da Sh*t! (10)”] with the utmost respect and Jay is gonna go to a club and bump it out four-five times because that’s my n*gg*. But in Atlanta, [those who didn't support me from the start] are my n*gg*s now? Them ain’t my n*gg*s. They knew I grew up in Bankhead, but it doesn’t mean anything. Whether you’re talking about hip-hop or not, you’re talking about a guy who wrote one of the biggest records of history. Rihanna, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Celine, or when I cut this record with Sting, are not urban artists. I’m not that guy. You’re gonna have a problem connecting with me. They don’t respect Snoop enough in New York to not boo him [at The Source Awards]. They was at a major event and not able to handle themselves with certain esteem. But that’s what n*gg*s do.

Does the fact that a lot of people have that mindset upset you?
I have to leave their mindset where they’re at. My granddaddy told me that “As much as racism goes on. If someone outside of your race calls you a n*gg*r, don’t get mad. ‘Cause you’ll never find somebody who hate n*gg*rs more than I do.” That is crazy, but that’s the truth. I can’t go nowhere with the sh*t I got on right now. But I can go ahead to this white kid’s party and be cool. I don’t got to bring my bodyguards out. I can take my girl. We can dance. I can sip on Patron, When I do an urban show, I’m [drinking] water, straight sober.

Has dealing with that aspect jaded you as an artist?
I’ve been thinking about retiring, actually. It’s like a 35% chance. Certain things require my attention, so I have to look at it and make sure it’s worth being out on the road instead of writing songs for all of these artists. Me, L.A., and Jay will make the right decision when it gets to that point. I’m eight records into the next album anyway, and I already have the first three singles.

Comments

[Kelz]

Dude, just because you can make hit records don't mean you can sing hit records. He might as well put his retirement slip in now

[SNICKA]

good article

[gihlatine]

the truth just sounds good, and the numbers dont lie shawty..its a 10

[gihlatine]

the truth just sounds good, and the numbers dont lie shawty..its a 10

[Koolkidkulture]

Humility goes a long way.

Boost Mobile Anthem 2.0 video (hi-res)

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[mixtablitz]

Dude is intelligent. Looks like he had a good game plan from the start and is now executing it to perfection. That line his grandfather told him about racism is the truth.

[Renee]

In this world no matter how you look at it you have haters, and that just that. I think that you have done a great job on this album and with the other work that you have done. Just keep God first and he will continue to bless you in each and every thing you do.

Stay on Top.