The Source Magazine caught up with producer Kane Beatz at the 2013 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, recently. Check out what he had to say about working with Nicki Minaj, Birdman and more!

Q: Congrats on your BMI Award, what are some of the records you worked on?

Kane Beatz: I did “Super Bass” for Nicki Minaj, “BedRock,” “Bottoms Up,” “Right Above It.” I worked on Birdman’s, “Rich Gang” album that just came out. Nicki Minaj’s new album. We’re just doing a lot right now. It’s really all about Cash Money. I think I’m just somewhere honored in the process. It’s going down, though. It’s really all about Cash Money; shout out to Baby and Slim. I’m really here to support them. And I’m just blessed, you know, to be getting awards with them.

Q: Tell me about how you first linked up with Birdman and Slim?

Kane Beatz: Birdman has been a real big inspiration in my life. I met him when I was 18 years old at a video shoot I did. I’m from Miami, I did a song with Trick Daddy and Trick Daddy actually put him on the song. Trick Daddy was cool with me so he put me in the video and we just linked up from there. From then on you know, just started working. Worked on every album he’s done since then. So it’s a blessing.

Q: Tell me about working on Birdman’s “Rich Gang” album.

Kane Beatz: It’s a smash. Check out the record I did on there with Lil Wayne and T.I. It’s a smash, there’s a lot of big records on there, it’s the Rich Gang album. I think it’s the best album he’s ever put together and it’s creative. Instead of him stamping himself, he created a whole new brand and he brought a lot of rappers, not even on Cash Money, on to one album. It’s big for Hip Hop I think.

Q: What makes Bird and Slim icons?

Kane Beatz: I mean just getting it from the ground up, you know what I mean? A lot of people take a lot of stuff to get to the level they got to and they didn’t do that. They got it from the ground up; they got it from their home town. They did it their way and they changed the game. So it’s just a blessing to always be a part of that.

Q: Can you speak about working with Nicki Minaj and Drake? 

Beatz: I worked with Drake one time, he was great. He’s really creative. He was really ‘What button is that? What are you doing? Play it like that. Do it like this.’ He’s really involved as far as Nicki she’s she’s really picky. She’s more like, ‘Send me the beat and I’ll hear it. I like this, I like this.’ And you know, with her it’s just sometimes shoot, sometimes miss. But sometimes when you hit, you hit. So with her we’ve done so many records you know what I mean. So it’s just trying decide which one’s were going to use for the album.