A&E MEET THE LAS VEGAS PLAYERS BEHIND SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE HIP-HOP RECORDS
March 3, 2020
A lot goes into making a hit song, from hours of songwriting and production to meticulous mixing and strategic marketing. Rarely do those outside the camera frame get recognized beyond liner notes. But if you take a close look, you might learn that some of your favorite songs received a helping hand from your neighbors. Meet some of Las Vegas’ hitmakers.
The Audibles The production tag team of Jimmy “Jimmy G” Giannos and Dominic “DJ Mecca” Jordan might have made a Belieber out of you. The duo helped the then-teen heartthrob level up to a more mature hip-hop sound, producing five tracks on 2013’s Journals and “No Pressure” off 2015’s Purpose. The two have been industry mainstays since connecting in the studio 11 years ago. “I liked DJ’s drums; he liked my melodies and chords. It was a perfect musical marriage,” Giannos says. The rest—writing for Sam Smith, producing for French Montana and Ty Dolla $ign—is the manifestation of a dream no one believed in more than Giannos’ mother. “She would always tell us, ‘You’re going to be at the Grammys,’” Jordan says. It came true: Purpose was nominated for Album of the Year. Despite their national credits, the duo makes it a point to represent its hometown; it has collaborations with Las Vegas artists Lazr, Interstate Fatz and DJ Franzen in the works. “We really want to support Vegas’ own and bring the culture up,” Jordan says.
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