Rendering №13

Rendering №13

Mike Will Made It is the answer to all your R&B-related queries
The author of the article is Michael Cragg. It was published on 24 May, 2013, in The New York Times. The purpose of the article is to give the readers some information about possible Miley Cyrus' decision to join a famous strip-club.
The writer states that Like a lot of urban producers nowadays, Mike Will Made It – AKA 24-year-old Atlantan Michael Williams – likes to clear up any confusion the listener may have vis-a-vis whose work they're hearing as quickly as possible. 

Then the author asks "who made this beat?". He states that we might be wondering, while enjoying Ciara's langorous newie Body Party. "Mike Will Made It" comes the Auto-Tuned answer within the first 10 seconds.

The author tells us that it's a sonic stamp that's become ever more familiar over the last 18 months, with Williams's forward-thinking productions for the likes of Lil Wayne, Cassie and Rihanna showing that not all modern R&B has to incorporate identikit bass drops and one-finger synth riffs.

Further the writer points out that as with his primary influences, the Neptunes and Timbaland, Miley is not afraid to adapt to who he's working with, whether he's crafting ridiculous bangers for Kanye West (Mercy) or swampy slow jams for Jeremih (773 Love).

Then the writer reports that it's this versatility, alongside a fusion of disparate influences – trap-style drum claps, vintage Prince synth textures, and the exaggerated strings of horror film soundtracks – that's helping Mike define the sound of R&B in 2013.

Further the author states that having landed Miley's first break in 2007, aged just 18, after sending beats to Gucci Mane's A&R, Mike made his mark four years later with the relentlessly aggressive Tupac Back by Meek Mill. From there, he produced hits for 2 Chainz (No Lie) and Juicy J (Bandz A Make Her Dance), while cultivating a close partnership with Auto-Tune aficionado, Future.

The author points out that it's Miley's work with Juicy J and Future that represent the two sides of Mike Will Made It's coin. The popping beats and frenetic drum claps of Bandz A Make Her Dance have been credited with popularising "strip club" rap. It's a claim he's mildly annoyed about, but only because he reckons he's a step ahead of all the other producers he's been bracketed with. "They're not changing the game, they're not trend-setting like I am," he sneered to XXL this year. After all, it was Mike's specific "strip club sound" that Rihanna wanted for her last single Pour It Up.

In conclusion the writer say that Miley's space-age slow jams with Future, meanwhile, have come to define his more recent output and have led to his run of incredible productions for female vocalists. Lifting Ciara out of the dumper with the brilliance of the aforementioned Body Party, he's also created the yearning swirl of Do You Know What You Have? for Brandy, as well as Kelly Rowland's ludicrous cunnilingus anthem, Kisses Down Low. Rumours suggest he's also producing a number of songs for Miley Cyrus's could-actually-be-amazing forthcoming R&B album. With a new rap-free EP, #FuckVerses, in the works, his move into pop's bosom is almost complete.

To my mind, this article is really worth reading. Having read about a possible Miley Cyrus' decision to join a famous strip-club, I was really impressed. It is really great by the fact that rumours suggest he's also producing a number of songs for Miley Cyrus's could-actually-be-amazing forthcoming R&B album.