Describe your side hustle?
I produce rap, hip-hop, and neo-soul music for musicians in mainly Chicago, but also around the country. I go by Acr0bat. Long story short, I make the instrumentaIs for the artists who sing or rap over the instrumental. I use a variety of different equipment to do this from Ableton, various Akai products, and Teenage Engineering’s OP1. What I’ve found throughout doing this, is that there are many talented artists who don’t have the resources to record or make music how they’d like to. So on top of the creative process, I find helping people make music how they envision is really rewarding.
What inspired you to get started?
I started making beats, when I was in middle school. I found it as a really great creative outlet, so I kept with it. I love getting creative with my music to make something outside of the mainstream norm, and this is one of the reasons they keep me going. I think throughout the years I just get inspired when I hear something different or something I’ve never heard before. Some artists who are examples of this inspiration include Knxwledge, Hudson Mohawke, Flying Lotus and Monte Booker.
What are your main goals and objectives?
Maaaaaaaaan this is a hard question, but I think about it a lot. Of course I’d love to work with some more popular artists, but I don’t think that’s an end goal. And if I was being cliché, I’d say I’d want producing to be my main source of income, but I don’t. I really like ad tech just as much. It’s a balance. I guess for now, my goal is just to continue to have fun with it.
Do you have a social media presence?
Instagram: @Acr0bat1
Twitter: @Acr0bat
YouTube: Acr0bat Produce
Spotify, Apple Music: Acr0bat