MBW’s World’s Biggest Producers sequence sees us interview – and have a good time – a number of the excellent abilities working in studios throughout the many years. Right here we discuss to Turbo, a producer on a scorching streak who, in addition to long-term artistic associate Gunna, has labored with artists together with Travis Scott, Moneybagg Yo, Younger Thug, Lil Child, Huge Sean – and even Morgan Wallen. World’s Biggest Producers is supported by Kollective Neighbouring Rights, the neighbouring rights agent that empowers and equips shoppers with data to totally maximise their earnings.
Everybody has a kind of lengthy, scorching summers; stuffed with seemingly limitless, carefree days that find yourself residing lengthy within the reminiscence and, simply perhaps, altering your life.
Chandler Durham’s ‘summer time of ‘69’ second got here alongside when he was 14. However he didn’t spend his time on the park, the seaside, or travelling to unique locations. As an alternative, he was locked away in his bed room, avoiding the sweltering Atlanta warmth and laying the foundations of a manufacturing approach that has seen him grow to be one of the crucial influential hip-hop producers of the twenty first century.
However no matter Durham – now significantly better often called Turbo – missed out on in Vitamin D again in 2008, he’s now making up for by overdosing on Vitamin H in 2025. H standing for Hits, after all; in current instances he has labored with everybody from his long-time collaborator Gunna to Travis Scott, Moneybagg Yo, Younger Thug, Lil Child, Huge Sean and SleazyWorld Go. No surprise his stage identify is Turbo The Nice…
“It’s not onerous to stay as much as,” he chuckles as he talks to MBW from the studio in Atlanta. “I’ve spent a lot time doing this from an early age, at this level that’s my final identify…”
After that summer time, wherein his cousin first taught him the right way to use FL Studio and Turbo would scour YouTube in search of manufacturing ideas, he did the whole lot he may to emulate the likes of Timbaland, Pharrell and Swizz Beatz. He carefully racked up his 10,000 hours; paid his personal manner by means of Atlanta Institute of Music & Media; and taught himself to engineer with the intention to achieve entry to periods in Atlanta’s vibrant rap scene, working with the likes of T.I. and 21 Savage & Metro Boomin. Alongside the way in which, he met Gunna and a formidable hip-hop alliance was fashioned.
“We actually began to lock in and from that time, I used to be simply engulfed in it, all the way in which, fully,” Turbo says. “Daily was both engineering or producing or doing one thing. It simply snowballed into what it’s as we speak.”
His relationship with Gunna hit paydirt on 2018’s Drip Season 3 mixtape, crossed over through Lil Child’s collaboration with Gunna on the diamond-certified single, Drip Too Onerous, and stayed robust by means of Gunna’s stint in jail in 2022 after the rapper pleaded responsible to a cost of racketeering (“I’ve had quite a lot of ups and downs, so it was vital for me to verify, publicly and never publicly, that I stood subsequent to my brother,” says Turbo. “That’s one thing I’d need any individual to do for me”).
Turbo has had authorized difficulties of his personal, however just lately gained the $10 million copyright infringement declare over his iconic ‘Run that again, Turbo’ producer tag, filed by musician Jamal Britt, whose voice is heard within the clip. The decide dominated Britt had no legitimate declare to the tag and strengthened Turbo’s unique rights, possession and management of the tag in future works.
Chatting with MBW earlier than the case was settled, Turbo dismissed it as “fairly annoying” and “a kind of conditions you need to undergo”, and the tag options on Turbo’s personal new music, Stylish Lady (feat. Gunna), as he launches an artist profession to sit down alongside his manufacturing work and his firm, The Playmakers, a file label and manufacturing firm collective.
“I’m able to push the restrict, take the music, the transitions, the frequencies and the sensation to a different stage,” he says of his forthcoming artist undertaking. “That’s the place the entire thought of the Turbo album got here from. There are not any partitions if you’re a producer.”
That work ethic means he even works on trip – he famously recorded a part of Gunna’s smash hit album One Of Wun on a yacht, whereas he completed Huge Sean’s Higher Me Than You file on his birthday (“Did he get me a giant current? He did – the album!”). He’s even moved effortlessly into nation music, producing the smash hit Whiskey Whiskey by Moneybagg Yo that includes Morgan Wallen (“Nation is rather like hip-hop once I stroll within the studio, it’s second nature”).
And that dedication to his craft means he’s decided to show his present scorching streak into an limitless lengthy scorching summer time of success.
However first, it’s time for him to sit down down with MBW and discuss streaming algorithms, AI and why he doesn’t take note of the music trade…
WHAT DOES THE HOT STREAK YOU’VE BEEN ON MEAN FOR YOUR CAREER?
Nicely, after all my cellphone’s blowing up. However, when my music comes out, folks have the chance to understand that actual music continues to be alive. As soon as it will get ungimmicky and any individual sees this got here out or that is doing effectively, my cellphone at all times rings a bit bit extra, but it surely’s simply my pals which have been in that course of so lengthy they type of forgot about little previous Turbo!
WHY DOES YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GUNNA WORK SO WELL?
We began collectively. To start with, he at all times checked out me as a producer, so I appreciated that, as a result of I at all times wished to be a producer, however, at the moment, all people was treating me as an engineer.
Gunna was the primary one to begin calling me and asking me for beats. To start with, I’d seen he was type of missing together with his engineer, he wasn’t working on the tempo I used to be working and Gunna was once horrible together with his onerous drive. He used to stroll round with it in two items.
Once I noticed that, I vividly keep in mind having a dialog with him like, ‘This difficult drive is a very powerful factor ever’. He’d pull the onerous drive out of two completely different pockets and I’m like, ‘Bro, this isn’t how that is presupposed to go’.
“It was [down to] our work ethic; we’re those which are going to remain on the studio the longest and work on the music till it’s all the way in which full and sounds the very best.”
From that time on, I informed him I used to be going to be his engineer and file him, and he took that as a chance to rap on all my beats, as a result of he didn’t actually must go to anyone else. I used to be sitting proper there and I at all times made certain I had not less than 20 beats a day to play for him.
It was [down to] our work ethic; we’re those which are going to remain on the studio the longest and work on the music till it’s all the way in which full and sounds the very best. We’ve been doing that just about on daily basis and we simply bought glued to one another. The working relationship become a brotherhood and the brotherhood is the whole lot at this level.
DID YOU ALWAYS THINK HE’D BE A MASSIVE STAR?
I’m not going to lie and act like I knew that he was going to be as large as he’s now. I simply knew that he may gown and he may rap and he was going to remain within the studio so long as I may, in order that was sufficient for me.
IS THE PROCESS DIFFERENT WHEN YOU WORK WITH SOMEBODY YOU DON’T KNOW SO WELL?
If it’s any individual I don’t know effectively, I like these periods the place we simply sit round and discuss and get to know one another. As a result of I’m actually into having a private reference to any individual – with Gunna, Thug or Child, that’s how I got here into the sport. Even with T.I., I had a connection, so I get anxious if I don’t have a chance to determine who this particular person is that I’m working with.
That’s at all times my course of; first session we’re going to principally discuss and get to know one another, if we don’t already, after which from that time, I’m centered on pushing the restrict.
Determining regardless of the artist’s temper is, what sounds and frequencies he likes, after which going like a mad scientist, mixing the whole lot up and seeing the place I land.
A few years in the past I began to really feel like I knew precisely what was going to occur once I was going [to the studio] with varied artists. However now I don’t know what’s going to occur and it’s super-exciting, particularly when it seems to be one thing good. Like with It Is What It Is, the music that got here out with Huge Sean – to see folks find it irresistible is like, ‘OK, cool, we could be experimental and it’ll nonetheless work’.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?
That shit’s not actual. On the finish of the day, the music controls the whole lot, so I’m engulfed in ensuring we have now the very best music. The trade and the techniques – I don’t take note of that shit!
DOES THE MUSIC INDUSTRY VALUE PRODUCERS AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD?
I don’t suppose it’s a price factor so far as the trade is anxious; the whole lot is shifting so quick and is so microwaved, it’s like an understanding factor.
Some folks may not know what placements my producer Kenny [Stuntin] has, regardless that he produced on One Of Wun. But when I’ve a giant voice, then I can shine the sunshine on that and now folks within the trade have a special outlook.
“that’s my whole goal, making a group with The Playmakers and letting folks shine in their very own mild.”
I don’t wish to simply go to ‘undervalued’ as a result of producers are extraordinarily beneficial and engineers are extraordinarily beneficial, with out these folks there is no such thing as a music – you’ll be able to’t sing or rap on air. It’s simply bridging the 2 gaps and that’s my whole goal, making a group with The Playmakers and letting folks shine in their very own mild.
DO PRODUCERS GET A BIG ENOUGH CUT OF STREAMING REVENUES?
In my view, no. I don’t suppose anyone actually is aware of how the streaming percentages work.
However, so long as I’m in a position to present for my household and myself, I determine Jay-Z or any individual will determine that shit out sooner or later.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CURENT STATE OF HIP-HOP?
It’s undoubtedly completely different from once I first got here in in 2017/2018. But it surely’s a root trigger greater than an trade trigger – to start with, there was manner much less entitlement and there was far more collaboration.
In Atlanta, all people used to collaborate. It wasn’t like I needed to name your supervisor; all people was pals and it wasn’t for achieve. And it’s not like that no extra.
“I might like to get again to the method the place all people collaborates, the place there’s no, ‘I’m going to get this function for this factor’”.
So far as the state of hip-hop goes, the whole lot’s grow to be analytical versus, ‘Let’s simply be artistic and see the place we go’. I might like to get again to the method the place all people collaborates, the place there’s no, ‘I’m going to get this function for this factor’, identical to, ‘Hey, we must always get within the studio collectively, we may provide you with one thing and see what occurs’.
ARE STREAMING ALGORITHMS TO BLAME FOR THAT NEW APPROACH?
I’d piss some folks off, however I blame it on the A&Rs. They stress artists, particularly new artists, into TikTok or going viral, versus the roots of being artistic, talking your fact and pushing the restrict.
These previous years, it turned very analytical, even to the purpose the place I’ve seen a number of the A&Rs within the studio and I’m enjoying a beat which may have a pattern in it, simply to be artistic. I don’t actually care what occurs with it however, earlier than their artist has the chance to even consider a phrase or a bar, it’s like ‘We would not have the ability to clear that pattern’. And I’m like, ‘Hey, who cares? We’re simply working, being artistic, perhaps this music will flip into one other music, who is aware of?’
It’s a must to give folks the chance to be artistic and, coming in as a brand new artist, if you happen to don’t perceive that course of, you may get tricked.
ARE YOU APPROACHING YOUR SOLO PROJECT WITH A DIFFERENT MENTALITY TO YOUR PRODUCTION WORK?
I wouldn’t say a special angle, however I undoubtedly have one thing to show. I’m not chopping any corners with the manufacturing or mixing course of, however the mentality is at all times the identical: let’s make the very best music, let’s push the restrict, then flip it two instances and see if there’s a greater model.
What I’m studying about doing a producer album is, there’s quite a lot of label politics that I wasn’t conscious of earlier than, simply shifting round as a producer and dealing on all these different guys’ initiatives.
A number of my producer pals will probably be on it however I’m not simply going out and grabbing the names, or no matter you name it. It’s quite a lot of my pals and we’re simply sitting again, making music.
DOES AI POSE A THREAT TO PRODUCERS?
For me, AI is superb however, as an actual musician and an actual producer, I can see the issues in it. A number of the stuff that AI comes with is predictable.
If you’re a musician enjoying stuff, there are particular nuances that come from simply enjoying it. It’s like placing ketchup on a French fry. A French fry is nice as a French fry however, if you happen to put ketchup on it or honey mustard, it’s simply that significantly better! AI is a French fry proper now, they haven’t discovered a solution to put the ketchup on it, so it’s not likely threatening to me.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, RIGHT HERE AND NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I might take the entitlement and the egos out of your entire course of. Not simply in hip-hop, however music as an entire.
We nonetheless take heed to Michael Jackson, Al Inexperienced and Earth, Wind & Fireplace, all these nice songs from again within the day. And, in any of the footage that I discovered, it looks as if they’re simply sitting within the studio having enjoyable. Whereas there might need been a bit little bit of stress to ship the file, the method of making the file didn’t appear as heavy as it’s as of late.
“take the entitlement out and perhaps the music could be higher, perhaps the hip-hop style may return as much as what it was.”
I’d inform all people, simply collaborate. If you happen to’ve bought a chance or assets, if you happen to’re blessed sufficient to get signed to a label or work with a distributor or an excellent A&R or producer, simply work with them – take the entitlement out and perhaps the music could be higher, perhaps the hip-hop style may return as much as what it was.
The secret’s, the brand new guys developing are going to suppose that that is regular, that is the way in which that they need to act. We’re attending to a spot the place youngsters don’t have the chance to really feel what the music felt like again then. I don’t need it to grow to be a standard factor.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE THE NEXT BIG HIP-HOP MOGUL?
I wouldn’t even simply put it beneath the hip-hop umbrella, I’m going to grow to be a mogul. I’m working in direction of turning into an govt producer as large as David Geffen.
That’s my objective, so proper now I’m within the course of; hip-hop is my factor, it’s in my blood and in my roots, in order that’s what lots of people know me for. That’s why I’m so able to get this album out and let folks see and perceive the vary of Turbo, it’s not simply hip-hop.
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