Needlz Interview

Born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, producer Needlz didn’t have to choose an alliance.  As a Midwesterner, he could consume both East coast and West coast hip-hop without threatening repercussions from friends or family.  Inspired by the sounds of WuTang, Mobb Deep and Snoop Dogg, the 90s offered Needlz a diverse array of choices with which he would later use to craft his very own work.

Unable to think of himself as a member of corporate America, Needlz began producing beats.  After attending Florida A&M University, a college experience that included becoming a fixture as the essential DJ for all parties and events, Needlz pursed a graduate degree in music business at NYU and on the side, interned at Bad Boy Entertainment.  While working under the house that Puff built, former A&R executive Folayan Knight heard Needlz production work and offered to manage him. 

Since then, Needlz has been the sole mastermind behind some of the most infectious beats the industry has heard.  G-Unit member Young Buck was the first big break when his hit single, Let Me In, was showcased as the lead cut for Buck’s debut album, Straight Outta Cashville.  High profile artists have followed including 50 Cent (Piggy Bank), Fabolous (Think Y’all Know), Lupe Fiasco (Hurt Me Soul), Ludacris (Pass Out) and Lloyd Banks (Get Clapped).

During his interview with DJBooth.net’s DJ “Z,” Needlz talks about the difference between a beat maker and a producer, how he views his work in the competitive world of production and what projects people can expect to hear him behind in the 2007 campaign.