Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamall Anthony.
Jamall, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Izzy the Kidd is an American music producer, audio engineer and songwriter based in Denton, Texas. With more than 13 years of experience working with the likes of Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Slim Thug, and BET Television Network, he has a special place in his heart for the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene.
Along with his Billboard-charting work, he’s also the co-founder of the local independent record label, Gitmo Music, and the owner of Platinum and Gold Music Publishing. We talked to Izzy about how he got his start in the music industry, what sets him apart from other music professionals in the city, and his thoughts on the local music climate.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Its been an…interesting road. My dad used to tell me that nothing worth having in life comes to you easily, and that is a good way to describe my journey as a music professional. It took a lot of patience and dedication to my craft as both a producer and engineer.
I remember in 2010, I was a college student at The Los Angeles Film School in Hollywood, California. After a long school day, I was watching a show on BET called “Trey Songz: My Moment”, when I suddenly heard one of my beats playing through the TV screen. I was excited to hear my music playing on Cable TV but confused as to how it got there. It had turned out that Trey Songz little brother was featured on this particular episode, and had stolen my beat from my website and was passing it off as his own on television.
At this point in time, I had just finished producing and engineering on Slim Thug’s “Tha Thug Show” album, which topped out at #7 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart. This means I had some basic understanding of how copyrights worked, and so I reached out to the BET Production Headquarters in Los Angeles (with copyright certificate in hand) to complain to them about my intellectual property being infringed upon.
This leads to me receiving 100% royalties anytime that episode of the show was played anywhere in the World. It also leads to other opportunities, such as a composer agreement with BET where I began doing background music for their television shows.
If I could instill anything in the next generation of music producers, it would be to learn the business side of the entertainment industry as early as possible. Also, I would tell them that there is always a “silver lining” to be found in every good or bad situation, and it is up to you to discover what that may be.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I wear many different hats, but I’m most recognized as a producer and engineer. I create unique vibes and tailor them to the artists that I work within the studio. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve expanded my functions to include other things, like artist management and publishing administration.
I started a record label with my good friend Keldrick Scott, called Gitmo Records. After learning that a lot of local musicians don’t understand the business side of the industry, I started Platinum and Gold Music Publishing as a way to help local producers collect their royalties for songs they helped to create. I also created the “Denton County Music Coalition” Facebook group, as a way for the local musicians in Far North Dallas to connect, network, and collaborate with one another.
Most of my functions happen behind-the-scenes, as the studio can quickly turn you into an introvert of sorts, but I wouldn’t want it any other way! My proudest moments happen when I help others achieve their goals.
What were you like growing up?
I was raised by my grandparents since my birth. When I was about 3 years old, they bought me a Yamaha keyboard, and I used to sit around playing music I heard on TV on that keyboard, by ear. Seeing an obvious talent, my grandma started actively helping me to learn to play the piano. That love of music never went away, as I became principal bassist in my middle school’s orchestra, and later the bassist in my high school’s jazz band.
Growing up, I had always been told that I had an “old soul”, My grandma was always listening to smooth jazz at home, from artists like David Sanborn, Kenny G, and The Jazzmasters. Adversely, my grandpa loved funk/soul music — listening to artists like The Parlament, Average White Band, and The Isley Brothers. I know their musical choices had a profound effect on what I consider to be “my own sound”, blending funk with smooth soulful and jazzy vibes.
I had always known from an early age that I wanted to be a musician, and finding a space to develop and grow in the production realm has helped me turn that into fruition.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beatstars.com/izzythekidd
- Email: iamizzythekidd@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instragram.com/iamizzythekidd
- Facebook: www.instragram.com/iamizzythekidd
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/izzythekidd
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