London Tyler Holmes (born March 27, 1991), known professionally as London on da Track, is an American record producer, rapper and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug and has also worked with Birdman, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Gunna, BlocBoi Fame, Rich Homie Quan, Gucci Mane, Giggs, Drake, Post Malone, T.I., 21 Savage, Travis Porter, 50 Cent, Summer Walker, French Montana, and A Boogie wit da Hoodie.

London continued to give his beats away for free before signing his first label deal with Cash Money Records.

London began rapping at the age of sixteen with the group Dem Guyz. The group used to download beats on SoundClick for 99 cents, although most of the beats cost $100 for exclusive rights. As a way to save money, London drew upon his experience playing piano arrangements in church and began making beats for rappers. With the help of online software he was able to refine his craft. He gained local acclaim when he began producing beats for the Rich Kidz . Soon after, others began asking for his compositions. Early on in his career, London would give away his beats for free as a means to build connections and garner more publicity. The first song he produced that received radio play was “Pieon” by Rich Kidz. The success of “Pieon” motivated London to continue producing. In 2011, he recorded his first of many collaborations with Young Thug, “Curtains.” London continued to give his beats away for free before signing his first label deal with Cash Money Records.

In August 2014, American rapper and Cash Money Records chief executive officer (CEO) Bryan “Birdman” Williams, called London “the best producer in the business, as we speak today”. London’s frequent collaborator, Atlanta-based rapper Young Thug has stated London is his favorite producer to work with and will go down as “the greatest producer ever”. Complex included him on their 2013 list of “25 New Producers To Watch For”. In August 2014, three singles, produced by London on da Track, charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, with “Lifestyle” at 16, “About the Money” at 42, and “Hookah” at 85. In 2018, he appeared in Black Ink Crew: Chicago. That same year, he was named to Spotify’s Secret Genius Ambassador’s list. In 2019, he appeared in Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow, as a producer advisor in the finale.

Kiowa Roukema (born 3 December 1999), professionally known as YoungKio, is a Dutch beat producer. He is known for producing “Old Town Road”, by American rapper Lil Nas X. in 2019. Since the rise in popularity of “Old Town Road”, YoungKio was signed by beat producer CashMoneyAP.

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YoungKio first started producing beats in 2016. He began producing on the popular digital audio workstation FL Studio, which his friend gifted to him. YoungKio’s early and current influences include producers Wheezy and TM88. He later stated, “In my opinion, I became good at it pretty fast.” He began posting his type beats on YouTube and sold leases for $30. With this money, he saved up to purchase a year-long membership to the beat store hosting platform BeatStars.

In 2018, one of YoungKio’s beats was leased by American rapper Lil Nas X for his song “Old Town Road”. The beat sampled the 2008 Nine Inch Nails song “Ghost IV – 34”. The song was released independently on December 3, 2018, and gained popularity on social video sharing app TikTok. Since the rise in popularity of “Old Town Road”, YoungKio has done interviews with Forbes, GQ, and many other publications. He has also flown to Los Angeles to work with producers like CashMoneyAP, and appeared in the “Old Town Road” music video. He has since been hired to produce beats for prominent artists like Lil Pump and Rico Nasty.

Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), professionally known as Metro Boomin (also known as Young Metro or simply Metro), is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and DJ. Raised in St. Louis, Wayne began a production career while in high school and became known for his successful recordings with Atlanta hip hop and trap artists such as Future, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, and Migos in the mid-2010s. In 2017, Forbes called him “easily one of the most in-demand hitmakers in the world,” while Stereogum described him as “one of the most original, vivid, important voices in rap right now.”

His debut solo album Not All Heroes Wear Capes was released in November 2018, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

Early production success for Wayne came with tracks such as ILoveMakonnen’s 2014 hit “Tuesday” and Drake and Future’s 2015 single “Jumpman”. Since then, he has amassed over a dozen top 20 hits, including “Bad and Boujee” by Migos, “Mask Off” by Future, “Bank Account” by 21 Savage, “Congratulations” by Post Malone, and “Tunnel Vision” by Kodak Black. He has also released full-length collaborations, including Savage Mode (2016) with 21 Savage, Perfect Timing (2017) with Nav, Double or Nothing (2017) with Big Sean, and DropTopWop (2017) with Gucci Mane. His debut solo album Not All Heroes Wear Capes was released in November 2018, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. “Congratulations” by Post Malone featuring Quavo was his first diamond certification (10x Platinum), being certified in 2019.

2013–17: Rise to fame

In May 2013, Metro formally announced his debut mixtape, 19 & Boomin. Following warm-up singles, featuring artists like Trinidad James, Gucci Mane, and others, Metro released the mixtape, hosted by popular mixtape website LiveMixtapes, on October 7, 2013. The mixtape, all original songs, included “Maison Margiela”, featuring Future, and “Some More”, featuring Young Thug, both of which were subsequently released as music videos.

In March 2014, Metro and Young Thug announced that they would release a collaborative album, performed and released under the moniker “Metro Thuggin”. The album will be self-titled and will be released sometime in 2015. Along with the announcement, Metro Thuggin released the collaborative track, “The Blanguage”. The ‘Metro Thuggin’ project was ultimately scrapped, however photographer Cam Kirk claims to have a copy of the complete, finished album. A few leaked tracks from the project were found circulating the internet in late 2015, yet an official mixtape has never surfaced.

In October 2014, Metro executive produced Future’s Monster mixtape. This spawned the first appearance of hit single “Fuck Up Some Commas.” Metro has also produced the sixth single from Future’s Honest, “I Won”, which features Kanye West. The song became a single a month after the album was released.

Metro served as executive producer for Drake and Future’s collaborative mixtape What a Time to Be Alive released on September 20, 2015. In addition, he produced or co-produced seven of the 11 tracks on the mixtape.

Metro also served alongside DJ Esco as executive producer for Future’s 2016 mixtape, Purple Reign. In 2016, he won Producer of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards.

In 2016, Metro Boomin was credited with produced charting hits such as “Jumpman” by Future and Drake, “Bad and Boujee” by Migos, “Low Life” by Future and The Weeknd, and the 21 Savage collaboration “X.” That year, he also contributed to Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo, and he and 21 Savage released the EP Savage Mode. In 2017, he produced charting singles such as “Tunnel Vision” by Kodak Black, “Bounce Back” by Big Sean, “Mask Off” by Future, and “Bank Account” by 21 Savage.

On July 17, 2017, Perfect Timing , a collaborative mixtape by Nav and Metro was released by Boominati Worldwide, XO, and Republic Records.

In April 2018, Metro Boomin announced his “retirement” from rap on his Instagram page, changing his bio to “Retired record producer/DJ.” However, he has since garnered production credits on Nicki Minaj’s album Queen, as well as Minaj’s labelmate Lil Wayne on Tha Carter V, which both debuted in the top 5 of the Billboard 200.

On October 26, 2018, multiple billboards appeared in Atlanta and New York depicting Metro Boomin as a “missing person”. It was later revealed to be a teaser for his comeback debut full-length project Not All Heroes Wear Capes, which he had been working on since 2015. The album was released on November 2 and featured appearances from Travis Scott, Swae Lee, 21 Savage, Wizkid, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, Gunna, Drake, and more. Not All Heroes Wear Capes debuted number 1 on the Billboard 200 and number 16 on the UK Top 40 Albums.

In 2019, he produced The Weeknd’s fourth Billboard Hot 100 number one, Heartless, with Illangelo & Dre Moon.

Alex Petit (b. May 19, 1995), better known by his stage name CashMoneyAP, is a French beat producer who started his career by making “type beats,” which are new beats similar to beats that big artists have already used. He now makes beats for artists such as Migos, Young Thug, Ski Mask the Slump God, Lil Skies, Chief Keef, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, ​iLoveMakonnen, Desiigner, G Herbo, Lil Bibby and many more.

Cash Money Ap employs a beat-leasing strategy, allowing customers to purchase a single beat for as low as $50.

Though YouTube’s low royalty payments have been labeled a threat to the overall health of the music business – which should be remedied with its new streaming service YouTube Music – it still remains the most-used streaming platform in the world. The combination of its free-for-users model and global reach has granted a new generation of music entrepreneurs boundless opportunities to thrive.

Such is the case for producer CashMoneyAp. The 23-year-old earns a living by selling beats online, using YouTube as his main marketing platform. In just three years, his work has attracted nearly 500,000 subscribers, garnered over 100 million views and paved the way for placements with Lil Skies, Migos, Young Thug and Chief Keef.

But his list of accomplishments are more than just happenstance. The Guadeloupe-born producer took advantage of the “type beat” marketing strategy, titling each video with names of rappers he hopes to hear or foresees recording over his production. Some of his most popular videos fall under Young Thug Type Beats, 21 Savage Type Beats and Travis Scott Type Beats.

The ploy isn’t a new concept, but has seen a steady uptick in popularity amongst rappers. Joey Badass admitted to using YouTube as an virtual A&R to fulfill production needs for his debut mixtape 1999. For most rappers, sifting through production online is a more efficient way of making music. Gone are the days-to-weeks long processes of waiting on an A&R to book studio sessions with a producer. Instead, a rapper can hop on YouTube, find the style of beat they’re looking for, purchase it, record vocals and release it onto streaming sites in less than 24 hours.

The online production search cost effective for rappers, too. CashMoneyAp employs a beat-leasing strategy, allowing customers to purchase a single beat for as low as $50. Though the cost is budget-friendly, the beat can be re-leased to others for the same price. He claims to lease his production to “more than a thousand people. I sell leases like everyday.” Full ownership rights are available, but come with premium price.

To sell his beats, CashMoneyAp utilizes BeatStars, the growing e-commerce marketplace for producers. For a monthly fee, the platform offers a centralized destination for beat makers to sell their work, as well as contract templates, social media advertising services and Soundcloud monetization.

“CashMoneyAp is literally one of the most perfect examples of what a young music entrepreneur can do in this world,” said BeatStars founder, Abe Batshon.

CashMoneyAp’s beat-making counterparts believe the reselling game dilutes value. He begs to differ. The small music scene in his hometown of Guadeloupe – a French island located in the Caribbean – did not offer many advantages to promote and monetize his artistry. Therefore, utilizing YouTube and other online mediums was his best marketing tactic. It was a wise decision that extracted him from his bedroom and into major label offices, specifically with Def Jam’s executive vice president and head of A&R Steven Victor, who now serves as his manager.

“Artists now go and find CashMoneyAp’s beats to record on, and put online and hope to garner a fan base and hopes to the attention of an A&R or a record label,” Victor said. “That $250 [an artist] spends on creating a record could help get him a million-dollar deal or get him on the road and get him touring.”

With Victor’s major label expertise, CashMoneyAp has already begun the process of expanding his brand to include a solo album and a record label with its own roster of producers.

Victor adds: “This is the beginning of an empire for him.”

Writer Credit: Ogden Payne

Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da (a play on boy wonder that sounds boy one da), is a Canadian record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. He is an in-house producer for Drake’s OVO Sound label and has produced for a variety of artists and groups, most notably Drake, Rihanna, Eminem, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Nas, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, and Jake Paul among others. In 2015, Samuels served as the executive producer for Drake’s mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.

His first production work was at the age of 18, when he worked on two tracks on a mixtape (Room for Improvement) for Drake.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Samuels moved to Canada when he was three, and grew up in the North York and Scarborough districts of Toronto. He was also raised in Ajax, Ontario, where he attended Pickering High School. His father was a keen listener of dancehall music and so Samuels was brought up listening to Jamaican music. At the age of eight, his mother bought him a Casio keyboard, and at the age of 15, a friend had introduced him to FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops). Without any formal musical training, he started using the FL Studio beat-making program. A few years later, he won three consecutive Battle of the Beatmakers championships; because of this accomplishment, he was given a spot in the Battle of the Beatmakers judging panel.

His first production work was at the age of 18, when he worked on two tracks on a mixtape (Room for Improvement) for Drake.

Dr. Dre appeared on the remix of “Set It Off” by Kardinal Offishall, produced by Boi-1da. In an interview with FLOW 93.5, Boi-1da revealed that he was working on beats for Dr. Dre’s highly anticipated album, Detox, which was to be released in 2011. However, that album was indefinitely shelved, and none of the released or leaked tracks by Dr. Dre featured Boi-1da’s production. He has since stated that he was working with songwriter Sean Garrett and has submitted tracks for Usher. He’s also working on Busta Rhymes’ upcoming album, Extinction Level Event 2.

In 2010, Boi-1da produced the hit song “Not Afraid” by Eminem, and “hahahaha jk?” from Das Racist’s debut album Sit Down, Man. Boi-1da assisted with Drake’s second album, Take Care, which was released November 15, 2011. Boi-1da worked with rapper Lecrae on his song “Gimme a Second” from his mixtape Church Clothes. He also collaborated with rapper Bizzle on his 2013 album The Good Fight3. He is also a member of Drake’s October’s Very Own with Noah “40” Shebib and T-Minus. Boi-1da produced “Party Favors” for Tinashe for her album Nightride. The single features Young Thug.

In January 2016, Rihanna released the dancehall track “Work”, featuring Drake. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the second Boi-1da produced track to top the charts. Between 2016 and 2017, Boi-1da continued to produce dancehall tracks, such as Drake’s “Controlla”, Tyga’s “1 of 1”, PartyNextDoor’s “Only U” and Nicki Minaj’s “Regret in Your Tears”.

He co-produced the 2016 Kanye West single “Real Friends”.

In September 2017, he produced “No Limit” by G-Eazy featuring A$AP Rocky and Cardi B.

In January 2018, he produced “God’s Plan” by Drake.

In May 2018, he produced “TATI” by 6ix9ine featuring DJ Spinking.

In August 2018, he produced “Lucky You” by Eminem featuring Joyner Lucas.

In March 2019, he produced “I’m Single” by Jake Paul, and “Maze” and “Make Believe” from Juice Wrld’s album, “Death Race for Love”.

In May 2019, he produced “Isis” by Joyner Lucas featuring Logic.

In June 2019, he produced “No Guidance” by Chris Brown featuring Drake.

In July 2019, he produced “1000 Nights” by Ed Sheeran featuring Meek Mill and A Boogie wit da Hoodie.

In August 2019, he produced “5AM in Toronto” by Drake.