Following the release of two hard-hitting new albums, producer and artist Ihateyoujonny kindly allowed us to dig into his creative process and journey within music. Here’s the interview in full.
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Hey – thanks so much for your time, and huge congrats for the new album. For those new to your work, what is Ihateyoujonny all about – and who is Jonny?
Ihateyoujonny is my producer alias and a brand that I created to release my production under. When it comes to me I am multi instrumentalist. I started off as a drummer. Throughout the years I found myself gravitating towards production because it allows me to express myself through multiple genres.
“I love & appreciate all music so I find myself influenced to make everything.”
You’re a producer by nature, the style creative yet spacious, collaboration in mind – how do you choose which rappers or artists to work with?
I choose artists based on if I genuinely like their music. Especially if I take on a whole project with an artist! I have to make sure I am aware of their catalog, work flow and versatility – that way I can help bring the best ideas to life!
Does your production always come first or do you sometimes get a melody or some bars and build around it?
I’ve found that there are multiple ways to start a song. It could start from a melody, lyrics, concept or even in some cases to complement a visual idea! I like to take ideas as they come. If I think of a bar, I write it. If I think of a cool concept that I’d like to bring to life at some point, I write it. If I hear a melody I’ll hum it into my phone. Even if I don’t take on the idea in the moment it’s always good to have your ideas written somewhere for a later date.
When did you start making music, and what steps have you taken to grow your audience to reach tens of thousands?
I started making music when I was 11. Drums was my first instrument and something I quickly fell in love with. In the early years I played cover songs with friends. A couple years later I was asked to join a band that played a cross between Nu Metal and Hip Hop. I played with that band for years and we played tons of local shows until we disbanded.
After that I started writing and recording my own music. Guitar, drums, some bass and vocals. I created a punk project with one of my good friends. I played in a lot of bands after that. Mostly metal and deathcore bands. I started showing interest in Hip Hop when I went over to my cousin’s house and he showed me music that he made with his roommate. It was intriguing. It was exciting. It was a whole realm of music that I hadn’t been introduced to.
I love the sample chopping methods the producers used to create beats. I love the complex lyricism. I love the DJ scratching. The whole essence of the genre. So I started rapping and quickly got good enough because I was hanging around some of the best lyricists.
I made my first rap album the first year of me rapping. From there I started to really get into music production. For like 7 years I dropped at least 5 beat tapes a year sometimes more. That’s mostly how I grew my fan base. IG videos of me producing, playing shows and dropping projects consistently.
Tell us about the album Felonies – a powerful opener, a gritty and rhythmic style that captivates; what’s the inspiration and what does this project represent?
Felonies started out as just two friends making tracks together with the intention of taking the best songs we created and putting an album together. There was no real concept and we created many tracks before we got enough good ones to make the album.
What was it like working with ThatGuyBula?
It was easy working with Thatguybula. We’ve known each other since we were kids so we already had chemistry. We started attempting to make tracks together in 2016. They didn’t turn out well but we kept trying until we refined our work flow. Once we had a clearer idea of what we were going for the writing and recording sessions went smoothly.
How important has your image and logo been in building your brand as a producer?
As far as my logo and tag it has been vital from a branding standpoint. I think it is important to have a signature because then it’s easy to recognize and becomes normal. When it comes to my image, I’m still working on it. I want it to be as familiar as the logo and synonymous with my brand.
What else do you have lined up for the months ahead?
Good question! In the coming months I will be building my YouTube page. The content will be useful for producers because I’ll be making tutorials. I’m also almost finished with my first drum/midi pack so I’ll be announcing that soon too.
Of course I’ll be releasing new beat tapes. I have about 4 completed and ready to release. I’m also engineering my friend John.AVERAGE’s new album Cleric so that will also be coming soon!
What’s something about you that fans might be surprised to know?
I love hiking and traveling! Also, I am really wanting to get into scoring films or music direction in my future!
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Go stream FELONIES and BROKE AUTHORS – both albums are on all streaming platforms! Also follow me on IG for the latest releases! Much love! Peace.
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Check out Ihateyoujonny via Instagram, YouTube & his Website.
