The simplest things can bring two people together. For producer/artist Willie B. and AreEezy of Forty Ounce Gold Creative, it was an event that combined their creative realms. From that initial network experience to the recent Instagram rollout of Ichiban Sounds In HD Beat Tape, this collaboration has proved to be impressive. For those who are unfamiliar, Willie B. is the man behind the boards of many of TDE’s tracks, including Kendrick Lamar’s “Rigamortis,” “Ignorance is Bliss,” and he’s also worked with Busta Rhymes, Wale, Apollo The Great and more. Then there’s Forty Ounce Gold Creative, a media and marketing agency that’s coming close to a decade of operation. After last week’s game changing reveal, the official project dropped earlier today. The Source got a chance to chop it up with Willie B. and AreEezy about his latest beat tape, social media and future endeavors.
-Danitha Jones (@LifeLikeJones)
How did you connect with AreEezy and Forty Ounce Gold Creative?
Willie B: I rocked at an annual beat showcase in Los Angeles called True Sounds, and Are and his company was doing the media coverage for the event. He just so happened to be a supporter of a couple of records I previously produced for TDE. When he interviewed me and Taebeast, all I remember is that he had a bright a** light [laughs]. So, a couple days later on Twitter, he posted the YouTube link to his visual recap of the event and tweeted me the link personally. I saw his work and it was ill. From there, we worked, built and started a really good friendship. It’s been history ever since.
What sparked the decision to release these instrumentals via Instagram with HD?
Willie B: Honestly, my partner AreEezzy came up with the idea to release the project via Instagram. I just helped with the vision of editing the content. Are is crazy when it comes to marketing and things like that. As far as HD, you gone have to ask him how that happened. That’s some real techy sh*t. That’s his lane. I just take care of the music side dawg [Laughs]
AreEezzy: Willie was at the office when we released a HD video on Instagram promoting his “Ichiban” single a few weeks before. We joked around and discussed putting out the first #InstaBeatTape along with HD videos to each track. When we realized how much of an impact it would make to music that’s when we decided to really bring it to life. We asked Will to choose 9 unreleased instrumentals that we can pair up with visuals of his favorite places: Los Angeles , New York , and Japan. We released a HD promo via Instagram days before the release and that’s when it really hit us. We realized what a game changer it was.
What’s the people’s reaction to your reveal?
AreEezzy: Our intial vision for #ISIHD was to build meaningful connections with Willie B’s audiences. Presenting this project to our audience through social media networks like Instagram allowed us to give his production life with hi-definition visuals, something that had not been done in the music scene. We wanted to create an experience — the kind that grabs people by the heart and inspire them to move, to listen, to spread the word.
Willie B: I received so much love from the people. I got love from some of my peers. I know all of them saw it but for the most part, the real ones noticed and showed love as real ones should. The others, I know them ni**s is sick so it’s okay. I get it [Laughs]
How would you describe the sound of #IchibanSoundsInHD Beat Tape? Do you have anyone in mind for these joints?
Willie B: Dirty. That’s how I describe my sound period. I usually don’t tailor make my records for anyone, I just create out of sheer inspiration, and where ever the record lands then praise God. There are a couple of records that some artists are actually already rocking on. But the “Sony” record, I wanted to get that to Cam’Ron, like bad, either him or Jeezy.
How did you get to that point? What was your grind like?
Willie B: Maaaannnnnn.. my grind has always been real. People who know me, know what it is. This ish is way past music. AreEezy and my brothers in NYC, Scriptz and Vito are all witnesses and are big reasons why that grind was and is alive. As far as we are all concerned the grind never stops. We have helped each other out with our dreams for the past two years. We have a bi-coastal collective of dope people. Follow The Script and Forty Ounce Gold, as we like to call it, “Follow the Gold.” [Laughs]
AreEezzy: 8 years of collective experience working closely with local, national and international clients in the music, art, fashion, and lifestyle scene.
What’s next for you?
Willie B: A lot of things; too many to name. All I’m gonna say is: Just look out for Schoolboy Q’s new album “Oxymoron.” I have a joint on there. And just stay tuned cause I can’t give all the goods away.
AreEezzy: A side from our clients like Top Dawg Ent, Strong Arm Steady, Thurz and many others in the music industry, We are currently working on our first official music release with an artist by the name of Radio, his Ep “Live A Little is due to release in late August. We also run a sports wear company “Olympik USA” you can check out the line at OlympikUSA.com. We are looking forward to expanding our client list and launch a few of our own in house projects. Hope to one day be a leader in the digital media and marketing world because we believe that creativity and communications expertise must be at the core of any brand.
