How ProdbyLAC Landed Industry Placements at 18

Esteban Candelario (00:02.437) Let me know when you're ready.

ProdbyLAC (00:04.803) ready.

Esteban Candelario (00:07.621) Hi guys, we're back with another episode. My name is Esteban, the host of the Producer Fury podcast. Today on today's episode, we've got Luca, AKA Produced by Lack, an ATO producer who is still a senior in high school from upstate New York, who started on GarageBand during COVID and turned that into real industry placements in the future from basically doing cold outreach, working with artists like D-Thing and Lackville. So his story is all about the hustle, the timing and staying locked in. My friend, how are you today?

ProdbyLAC (00:33.71) I'm good, how are you?

Esteban Candelario (00:35.351) I am doing great, man. So just tell us about your journey. of give us an idea of where it started and then we'll just go from there.

ProdbyLAC (00:44.63) It started kinda in sixth grade, a little bit before COVID, my dad got me an iPad, cause he would make beats on Garage Band. And I always thought that shit was cool as hell, so he got me my own and I started doing it. And kinda went from there. I just started making like, Comethazine type beats, cause that's what was fire at the time.

and that's what I listened to at the time and they weren't good but you know everybody starts somewhere and then I kind of just stopped doing it for a while and then Covid came and then I went on like band lab in seventh grade when I was home all the time and I would be in class on the call but I just be making beats and shit instead so I wouldn't really um get on FL until I was like 15 during the summer and I found the cracked version of it

Esteban Candelario (01:18.344) ProdbyLAC (01:32.622) And I downloaded the trial mad times before I found out that you could get it for free. And for some reason, when I downloaded the crack version, it just clicked with me and it started like making sense for some reason. Because like before the trial version, I would just get it. I'd look at it. I'd be like, man, this is like insanely confusing. But yeah. And then I just ever since then, it's been lit. I've been making beats nonstop. And yeah, it's basically where I'm at right now.

And I've been doing it on FL for about maybe four, three or four years. And in total, probably about six years making beats in general from all the different DAWs I've used. So yeah.

Esteban Candelario (02:08.537) Mm-hmm.

Esteban Candelario (02:13.237) Nice.

So six years in and you're only 18, which I think is crazy. Like for some people, like six years in, they're probably closer to the 30s or like in their mid 20s. So I find that insane that you started that young. So starting off, like what kind of, you mentioned comethazine, but like, were there any other genres that you kind of fell into and then you stuck with, or were you messing with like all types of music?

ProdbyLAC (02:24.224) year.

ProdbyLAC (02:38.029) I kind of, when I got on FL, I went to drill because that's what was like popular around like 2020, 2021. And that was probably, I mean, it wasn't a mistake, but it definitely wasn't. I wish I didn't start with that and only do that because I would post them on YouTube and stuff and that was cool and all. And, but like at the same time, I wasn't really getting placements with anybody, but.

I kinda went to drill for about like maybe two years. would do like all the different types of drill beats and post them on YouTube. I got some placements. I wound up getting one with D-Thing during the summer after my 10th grade year, which would be 2024 I think. 2024.

Esteban Candelario (03:27.333) Mm-hmm.

ProdbyLAC (03:30.414) I little, I do mostly everything. Even during that time I would do some like Rage, Opium stuff. Every once in a while I'd change it up. Detroit, Philly. I like Philly beats. I used to make a lot of those like Skrilla and Quani type of beats. And that was kind of like my cycle. It was like just kind of Philly and drill really. But mostly drill. And yeah basically in the past like...

year I just kind of stopped doing drill because you know you don't really if you don't know already I'll let you know now drill rappers don't pay 99 % of the time they will straight-up tell you I am NOT paying for that beat gang and

Esteban Candelario (04:08.463) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (04:16.435) yeah basically that was one of the reasons but the other reason was because i feel like every time that drill changes it's worse rappers worse type beats i made good drill beats nobody wanted to use them and if somebody did they probably weren't even paying for them anyways so i kind of just thought you know what forget it honestly like the drill beats that i made were good i wouldn't want anyone to use them because all the rappers that are so bad nowadays like i wouldn't want to hear them out they'd ruin the beat but

Yeah, and also the thing with YouTube too is I don't really post on it anymore that much because I feel like there's a difference between being a producer and a YouTube producer

rappers aren't going to want to use beats that are on YouTube already because someone probably already has they're going to want stuff sent to them and I mean sometimes they will use beats that are on YouTube and stuff which is cool but I mean I wasn't I had the beat stars and everything going I got a few sales but you know it wasn't anything crazy and it wasn't really worth my time I wasn't really pulling views

When I was doing like the drill beats I would do fast drill and I was probably the number one search result for fast drill that's cuz nobody else did it and I've got views for it, but that was cuz I was like the only one doing it and Yeah, I kind of just stopped with after that and But tick tocks definitely a good place to go for posting beats. I still do that every once in a while I'll post a beat on tick tock like a little video with the music video muted and the beat over it

because more people are scrolling. Nobody's, I mean, if you think about it, I don't, I see myself scrolling. I catch myself scrolling more than I'm like clicking on a YouTube video. Cause there's always an ad or like two before the video. And, a good way to get yourself out there is definitely putting your content on things that people scroll onto like Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, TikTok, all of that. Cause I mean,

Esteban Candelario (05:57.242) Mm-hmm.

ProdbyLAC (06:14.763) Just about, you scroll or do you watch YouTube more? Be honest, what do you do more? Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (06:17.625) No, no, I'm scrolling. Actually, I take it back. I do watch a hell of YouTube. do, but I can't lie, I doom scroll a lot. And my thing is, actually, I've been intentionally trying not to doom scroll, but I find myself doom scrolling before I sleep for at least an hour on TikTok, for sure. And I agree. When it comes to, that's funny, because now that I've been doing these podcasts, my TikTok algorithm has been showing me more producers, just people who are not even well known.

ProdbyLAC (06:26.593) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (06:34.209) Yeah

Esteban Candelario (06:47.621) But I don't even fully listen to their beat. If within the first five seconds, I like it, I just leave a comment or like, you know what I'm saying? Like it and then scroll to the next one. I don't even fully listen to it. But so you kind of use like a content strategy. Is that how you ended up with D thing in 2024? Like what was that placement? Like how'd you get that?

ProdbyLAC (06:57.675) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (07:06.477) That was really like really crazy coincidence timing so I had I Don't remember which rapper was I had gotten a whole contact list from a producer That was from like the city and he like knew some rappers personally He had a whole contact list and one of them was what's his name? It might have been it was

What was his name? Damn, LA Drilly, I think it might have been. Yeah, it was LA Drilly and I sent him the beat that D-Thing wound up using but after that, like a day after I wanted to post it on YouTube, D-Thing x Jerk Drill type beat.

and but then my friend one of my lifelong best friends who also makes beats, wizz up, make sure to go check his shit out he's tough as hell he's been doing it longer than i have he went to a studio like event type of thing in new jersey and he was in there and d-thang was there and there was a couple a lot of drill rappers like busy banks and shaggies and all that and he heard my tag while he was there and he started recording immediately he told me i went

went to sleep and then I woke up and I seen the text and it was like I read it was half asleep I thought it said yo I got a placement with D-Thing cuz I knew he was going there and I lowkey wanted to go too and I was kind of jealous I was like that's fire bro I'm happy for you anyways long story short I get in the shower then I get dress shit come up back in my room I check the I check my phone and then I was like I reread the message I'm like he said you got a placement with D-Thing I was like so then I'm looking on Instagram all these people are telling me yo you got a placement with D-Thing

Yavi DG and all that and now I don't know if the rapper LA Drilly showed him the beat that I sent him to his phone or if they found it on YouTube but the craziest part is that like my lifelong best friend was right there at the time that he played that song he was like yo this is his tag and that was like the first placement that I got it did not drop and

Esteban Candelario (08:58.021) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (09:05.525) world.

ProdbyLAC (09:13.257) I honestly, I've already like talked to a bunch of people that have gotten placements de-thing. I would not have gotten paid. That's how like, like he's a popular drill rapper, but that's how drill rappers are. Like even he won't pay. I know a couple of producers that have literally been like told no to payment by him. And part of it, especially now, cause that was a while ago and even then they weren't really, drill kind of was starting to fall off. But now like.

Esteban Candelario (09:23.497) Bro.

Jesus.

Esteban Candelario (09:36.677) Mm-hmm.

ProdbyLAC (09:40.866) these m.5 mind type beats like the drums on them just like don't go together and the rappers aren't making probably much money off of their songs in general so i don't see why they would pay for a beat but it gets to a point where it's like if you're gonna be in a studio making a song and you're under a label you gotta pay for it like you can't just be like nah because i'm not making enough money off the song but that's just how it works but the song wound up never dropping and then not like

Esteban Candelario (09:50.79) huh. Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (10:08.343) about like maybe almost a year after I was scrolling on TikTok.

and found someone streaming and it was like Bizzy Banks rapping on that beat and I guess he was a part of the song but I don't know if he was on it I had the unreleased version from a stream that they did like a Song Wars with on Discord where D-Thing was there with a couple other rappers and they played that song it was a diss on the Troopers, Keglitz and Nune the 3rd and I didn't hear Bizzy Banks part and then I was like damn do they cut him from the song so there's like this little clip that I found on

TikTok that was just like busy banks parts like maybe like 15 seconds I was like damn so I kind of had a busy banks placement but either way it didn't wind up dropping and it wasn't D-Thing's song it was actually the rapper Yavi DG who's like allergic to dropping music or something because he drops like he doesn't really drop it's like he makes a song so it can sit in his files or something I don't know but

That was like my first big placement. The first couple days after that, I don't want to sound ridiculous or nothing. It didn't feel real because I was listening to him since before. I really took this seriously. I would be like, yo, this is fire. And I was really happy about that. And it didn't wind up dropping. But it's cool. A lot of rappers, think this goes for all rappers, they have more unreleased music than they have released.

Esteban Candelario (11:17.221) Mm-hmm.

Esteban Candelario (11:20.655) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (11:34.298) And that's mostly just because they have so much stuff that they don't know if they want to release it or not or if they like it, but they'll just do it in the studio at the time because they're feeling it. But yeah, maybe I think that was just one of those songs that they're just probably not going to post, mainly because that rapper doesn't drop music that much. And if it was D-Thing's song, I think it would have been, it would have dropped. But. Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (11:41.221) Mm-hmm.

Esteban Candelario (11:58.418) That's crazy. So I mean you basically your friend accidentally was just at the right place right time where with your B tag on it and you wanted to be exactly where he was at it was like a riding camp or like I don't know it's like a beat making camp and He yeah, heard your beat and then he told you like you you he's on your beat which is which is crazy because he didn't even send it to him directly so my thing is like and So it's like what do you do? I know you mentioned like getting contacts earlier. So like

ProdbyLAC (12:04.908) Yeah

ProdbyLAC (12:11.233) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (12:19.309) Nah, didn't.

Esteban Candelario (12:26.275) What's kind of like your thing and what's the advice you'd give producers who want to find themselves in more predicaments like that? Like, how do you go about kind of like sharing your music with rappers who may potentially share your beat with other rappers? for that, like, you know, that instance. So like, what do you, do you have a strategy, method, like what's your thing?

ProdbyLAC (12:40.268) Yeah.

really? It was just a whole, like, you can, like, select a bunch of contacts, make them into a folder, and send it to somebody. It was like 50 different rappers that this guy just gave to me. And it's not really- they weren't all, like, big rappers. One of them was YBN Damir, I'll be honest, and I FaceTimed him as, like, a joke, because I didn't think it was him, and he had his arm up. seen his tattoo. He hung up immediately, but it was- it was, like, some random, like, rappers in there that weren't drill rappers. Not random, but, like, just, like, we

Esteban Candelario (13:01.221) hehe

Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (13:12.961) D thing always drove revenue why be in the mirror but stuff like that but honestly that was just like given to me but one thing I do recommend doing is trying to hit up producers that they've worked that have worked with the artist because tagging them on your story they might see it

Esteban Candelario (13:27.641) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (13:31.064) But like I look at stuff that I get tagged in and I might not even listen to her. I'll just look at it real quick. Cause I mean, if you're like looking on Instagram, you see someone tagged you, you see it, you kind of already know what it is. You don't, no one watches it. If you hit up a producers that have worked with these artists before that are currently working with them and sometimes they'll post like, I need loops, FLPs for so-and-so DM me if you're interested or something like that. Make sure if you got what they want. And even if you don't.

Esteban Candelario (13:36.293) Mm-hmm.

Esteban Candelario (13:53.797) Next.

you

ProdbyLAC (14:01.007) Don't limit yourself to, I don't got those type of loops, I'm not gonna hit them. Make them, make those type of loops. There's no reason you can't. Just don't be, I don't make those type of beats. Don't ever say that you don't make those type of beats. Make what? Make beats. Make beats, not type beats. Make just beats. I feel like the type beat type of thing is just kinda like, gets repetitive, cause it's a lot of the same.

Esteban Candelario (14:05.355) I agree.

Esteban Candelario (14:18.297) I agree.

So

Esteban Candelario (14:27.525) So then what's it for you like right now? Cause I know like you mentioned like drill rappers don't pay. So like, you trying to tap into a different genre or a different like, I don't know, type of sound and like, how do you go navigating that or do you just experiment and just go from there?

ProdbyLAC (14:41.035) I kind of do what I... I like to just kind of experiment and go from there but in a way I try and go towards more like trap and more mainstream stuff but not like Lil Baby mainstream yet. I'm planning on getting there but like I'm working with this rapper right now named Lackville who I met in the city and I got a pretty pretty good song with him.

And it was actually the first time he's ever rapped on a beat that he didn't make. And he messed with the song heavy. And I was there in the city at the right place at the right time. I was going just to go with my friend to stay at his cousin's house for a couple days. And I seen, because I had been in contact with Lackville.

Esteban Candelario (15:11.621) Crazy.

ProdbyLAC (15:25.237) Previous to like going to the city for a while and sending him beats and I sent him the beat he used and that was the one that like I knew he would want to use it and he hearted it in the message, but he said on his

Instagram like notes thing like where you click on the DMs can see a little speech bubble. It says New York I'm here. What's the word and I had his numbers. So I called him up I said yo, you're in New York and he's like, yeah, and I was like, yo I'm like literally on the China bus right now on the way there You got a studio session tonight and he's like, yeah pull up and I was like word So I wound up going long story short. He pulled up. We did the song

shit went pretty good it took him it didn't take him long at all to do it he records himself too and it took him about like so what he would do when he was rapping he would kind of play the beat kind of go like like almost like mumble something and then kind of rap in that same way that he mumbled

but like actual words and that's like how I think he did it really fast. It's like his workflows, like kind of listen to the beat, mumble over it like a pattern or like a rhythm you want your voice to rap or sound like and then start spitting. And it took him about, I'd say like 20 minutes to make the whole song. Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (16:40.133) That's insane. What was I going to say? So for people who are not from New York, tell them what the China bus is.

ProdbyLAC (16:46.619) god, the China bus is the bus, man. So my friend that I went with, we both went down together. He said he's taken that bus 50 times. So it's the cheapest bus, okay? When I was there, the drivers didn't speak English, that's the name. And on the way back, I wound up leaving early without my friend. The tire popped.

Esteban Candelario (16:51.033) Esteban Candelario (16:58.52) Yep.

ProdbyLAC (17:08.161) You know, don't take that bus. I'd rather spend an extra $20 than fricking like be late. Like we, the tire popped and we wound up leaving the spot we were parked at when the tire popped. Like at the time that I was supposed to be back in Albany. So it was just really inconvenient. I asked the driver like how much longer it's going to be. And he was like, yes, I go to bathroom. I was like, no, I'm asking like very bad communication. Don't go on the China bus, please. And

Esteban Candelario (17:11.32) Nope.

Esteban Candelario (17:31.832) I don't know.

Esteban Candelario (17:35.813) Bro, the China, was it like 10 bucks? don't know, 10 bucks a ticket? It's crazy, something crazy. that's crazy. That's crazy, they upped the price.

ProdbyLAC (17:38.865) Nah, it was more expensive than that, but that's like how expensive buses are. Yeah. And there was some weird dude looking at like girls on his phone next to me. I don't even want to go there. It was a weird, weird bus. A lot of weird people.

Esteban Candelario (17:47.526) It's sketchy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For people who don't know what the China bus is, basically the cheapest bus you can take. And I don't even think it's regulated by the state. It's like some like slow key underground. I don't know how to explain it, bro. Is it? Okay. So it is kind of legit. I've heard people like, I heard some people like that sometimes there's no seats and you just stand. Like you just stand for however many hours the ride is like crazy shit.

ProdbyLAC (18:01.397) It's on like that ticket app, it's like the bus ticket app, but it's like really weird how it's set up. Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (18:16.865) I think everybody had a seat where I was. That was,

Esteban Candelario (18:17.191) ProdbyLAC (18:21.771) That was probably one of the worst experiences ever, just having to be on that bus, because then there was this big dude that had to take a shit while we were all trapped in there. I was like, bro, and the whole thing stung. It was like the tire popped, and after that, everything got worse. But I made it back. But don't take the China bus unless you're really feeling lucky, because that was the first time and the last time I will take that bus. And my friend's taking it 50 times, he said, and that's never happened. I don't care. I'm not going on it.

Esteban Candelario (18:24.878) It's terrible.

Esteban Candelario (18:35.909) It's crazy.

Esteban Candelario (18:40.101) Don't take the China bus.

Esteban Candelario (18:44.333) Okay.

Nah dude. talk about, I mean, how do you navigate the industry and getting paid as a producer? Cause you mentioned like, job aren't paying. is there, have you ever had an experience with an artist with a label or like any situation where you got paid and like they were just giving you like trouble?

ProdbyLAC (19:07.379) yeah, when I got a placement with actually, so the rapper that dethank dissed in the song, not like maybe like that winter after that summer, I got a placement with Nune the third and winter to brat. Me and my boy Armistead, we made a beat for them and we were going to get 200 each for the song.

their label we contacted the label usually the label is supposed to contact you so that was already like one thing right and then we were talking to them about the payment and stuff and then we just stopped getting answers i would follow up like maybe every week be like hey how's it going just check it in seeing like why you guys aren't responding have a good day

and then like three months of that and then we get an answer that they switched members on their team so all the people that we were communicating with before are like irrelevant they don't even have anything to do with it now we have to restart over and this took about seven months after that song dropped just to get two hundred dollars and it really says like how much labels care about like what rappers they prioritize and it shows because like that song

Esteban Candelario (20:09.729) and say.

Esteban Candelario (20:16.089) Mm-hmm.

ProdbyLAC (20:20.398) it's a good song but it doesn't have that many streams or anything and or like views on YouTube and stuff like that so like 200 was like probably like I could have we should have asked for a little more but that was like my first time receiving payment from a label and yeah it was very like it was a hassle to have to do especially with

Esteban Candelario (20:37.435) huh.

ProdbyLAC (20:46.293) have until like upload form i never did any of that stuff before so it was hard to do like figure it out cuz i was like seventeen at the time but i know now how to do it and yeah but that was definitely like one of the like that was the first time that i got like paid professionally some small rappers would cash at me like some money for a beat and i'd send it to them that was like the first time like a label like i had to get paid by i got paid by a label and

Esteban Candelario (21:07.726) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (21:15.085) I don't think that getting paid by a label is always going to be bad experience. It really depends on the label and the rapper. Labels do tend to kind of prioritize rappers that aren't doing as well as others. They prioritize the ones that are doing good and getting their label more money. So that makes a lot more sense, unfortunately, why they made me and the producer.

Esteban Candelario (21:34.245) Thank

ProdbyLAC (21:44.472) that was also on the beat kinda have to wait for the payment probably a because they could care less it's like two hundred dollars out of their pocket for that was like it's really probably nothing but it's like something they could care less to do and it's also just like drill wrappers shit or it's just always something and that was like the first and only time so far that I've gotten payment from a label for a placement and that one did wind up dropping so

Esteban Candelario (21:53.764) Mm-hmm.

ProdbyLAC (22:14.165) yeah i mean it was kind of annoying it was cool when i got it it's crazy that took seven months because i pretty sure they're supposed to pay you before the song drops actually yeah they are supposed to pay you before the song drops labels but you know like i said drill rapper even the labels were kind of moving weird but yeah that was that was my experience with getting paid by a label

Esteban Candelario (22:24.889) Right.

Esteban Candelario (22:39.013) So, I mean, is there anything you would do differently? Like, is there anything that you see yourself doing in the future to help you get paid faster and more? Like, you know what I'm saying? Because $200 in seven months, like, all due respect, you might as well just have kept the paycheck. Like, if I were you, I'd just, at that point, like, what the fuck? Like, you know? So, like, do you see yourself, like, moving differently professionally? Or, like, any advice that you would give to, producers who would listen to this?

ProdbyLAC (22:52.077) I would too.

ProdbyLAC (23:02.261) Don't settle with something have what you have in mind and be ready to negotiate But don't kind of like let them do don't let them name their price. It's your be it's your work You name the price they don't like it you guys can find an agreement or settle it or like find like a Kind of negotiation with the price that works for both of you, but another thing is to Don't work with Joe rappers. That's another thing like 90 % of them won't

Esteban Candelario (23:08.441) Mm-hmm.

Esteban Candelario (23:26.501) Dude, that's hilarious.

ProdbyLAC (23:31.08) and yeah and always the label should hit you up first before the song even drops and if that don't happen and the song drops hit up the label give them a little bit to answer because i mean labels are busy mad artists under the label but if it goes about like a month or two maybe try contacting them again but there is always like the option to take the song down which i don't like to do

Esteban Candelario (23:57.062) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (24:00.076) cuz it kinda seems like I'm pissed off but when you take a song down you really gotta think about it like you don't wanna be like the one that gets pushed around be like he just wants the placement he's probably happy to have the placement he's gonna take the song down take it down don't let them like take advantage of you like that just cuz you're happy to have the placement cuz that's how you're gonna start being known as that producer that's like doesn't do shit about not getting paid

Esteban Candelario (24:12.421) Exactly.

ProdbyLAC (24:24.423) And it definitely goes without saying that rappers will constantly go back to the producer that doesn't care about getting paid and just cares about getting the placement because it's free basically. And I've heard of that happen like once or twice.

Esteban Candelario (24:25.007) facts.

Esteban Candelario (24:39.626) Thanks.

So like, so then where do you come into play when it's time to talk about like royalties? Like do you, is that conversation brought up before it's dropped or, know, well obviously before it's dropped, but at what time has that conversation brought up for you if you bring it up and like, you know, what do splits look like for you, you know, when it comes to rappers using your beats?

ProdbyLAC (25:02.087) it would depend on the artist. It always is gonna depend on the artist, because if it's someone like Ken Carson, then it's gonna be a lot more than someone like... I don't know, like, Skrilla, for example. Like, there's a big popularity and, money gap for that. So, royalties usually, it kinda just, like... You should probably hit up the artist about that, because the artist's...

artists don't really text first but or no not the artist the label the label should hit you up about the royalties and stuff and you gotta find an agreement with that but when you get royalties always make sure you're not getting skimped out on anything

and make sure they're not like taking advantage of you especially with new producers like they will know kind of if you've ever had a placement before especially if you have your placements in your bio or anything like that if they don't see anything they can kind of like if you don't know what you're doing they can do whatever they want with you and you could wind up with like a hundred dollars when it should have been like uh...

like a thousand you know what I mean because they labels will they'll try and not spend as much money they'll try and spend as let as least amount of money as they can but who wouldn't right but I mean it's messed up that they would take advantage of like new producers but that's why I'm like telling people you know always make sure that you're not being like fucked over basically and like used and taken advantage of just because you don't really know what you're doing yet

Esteban Candelario (26:10.457) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (26:36.077) Yeah, no that makes sense. I mean, it's a good thing that you actually experience that now like you're only 18, bro So imagine 25 26 and you kind of have an idea of what the next steps are You know what i'm saying in terms of if you end up in that situation again So like my question to you is because you mentioned like with certain artists there might be a gap in popularity or like with their with their budget like with however much money they have so How do you know how much to charge?

ProdbyLAC (26:46.551) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (27:02.533) Or do you just charge the same all across the board like regardless and also like how much would you value yourself and your beach right now? Like if you don't mind sharing

ProdbyLAC (27:11.597) Well, not beats, so the value, it would depend on the artist. I would be charging more for a rapper that's got way more...

popularity in streams and money in general than a rapper that doesn't because you know what I mean it just changes the value of the beat when it's being used because when it's being used by an artist it doesn't change the quality it changes the value of it when it's the artist is a bigger artist it will definitely have a greater value and if it's a smaller artist it won't have as big of a value and it could be the same beat but two different people and you will want to charge a different price

I would say that my beats, I don't really have a set price for each one. I would like to say that I would have them all equal, but you know what I mean? It really depends on if someone's using it, and then that's when the value of the beat comes in, depending on who's using it. And that kind of just goes with knowing what you're doing and knowing...

who you're communicating with and all the different...

Esteban Candelario (28:20.44) you

ProdbyLAC (28:21.291) people that you have to go through with labels and stuff just to get a payment it really depends on the artist like if it's an easy thing to do and it's a professional artist that's like big like mainstream like someone like Carti or Lil Baby or whatever it shouldn't be too hard to do that because those labels should be quick about that stuff but like with the one that I did that I got like the 200 for that was Republic Records but it was like there's so many people under labels a lot of

Esteban Candelario (28:48.645) Hm.

ProdbyLAC (28:51.215) people aren't even heard of really and those labels will definitely act different when it comes to pay comes time to pay like producers for this rapper versus that rapper that's more popular and usually if it's a really popular rapper that's already locked in with a producer they've already like gotten paid by this label before for a different song it will go pretty easy but yeah for the most part my beats I don't

I don't know, it's hard to I don't have a value or price until someone's planning on buying it and who that person is, if that makes sense. Because they're all free for non-profit, that's one thing. If you're not making money off your music, you can use my shit and do whatever you'd like, be my guest. But if you're making money off your music with my beat, that's basically like...

Esteban Candelario (29:31.309) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (29:34.853) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (29:42.336) my song too. I'd like some of that money if it's a problem I'll take the song down but I don't like to do that. I've only had to do that once and it wound up getting put back up because the artist paid me on Cash App but that was like the one time I had to do that and yeah don't always like

Esteban Candelario (29:47.813) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (30:02.507) I didn't get paid immediately. Take the song down because that is how you ruin connections. You can definitely ruin like future opportunities if you're known as the guy who doesn't get paid the minute that the song drops. They should hit you up before, but like if they don't, don't just take it right down. That's kind of like crazy, especially if the artist like just dropped it like a week ago. Give it some time. They should hit you up before, but at least give it some time because once you take that song down, that shows that you're like.

I mean, you should because they should pay you, but like you know what I mean, it can ruin connections pretty easily and I've heard of that happening.

Esteban Candelario (30:36.015) Yeah.

So how are you finding out if artists are using your beats? Are you using anything or are you just finding it on your own by coincidence and what's that process like for you?

ProdbyLAC (30:48.397) honestly if I find it I find it I find like random drill rapper videos like like J.Banz G's or someone named something ridiculous like that and they'll be like one of my old drill beats I'll be like cool it won't be I won't hit them up for payment cuz like a I've never heard of them B like I'll look on like there's like all those

Esteban Candelario (30:51.055) Okay.

ProdbyLAC (31:08.799) music video YouTube channels that are like for drill and I look on them and there's like each video it's like this rapper that'll be on the title and you'll never see it again it'll be like somebody off the block that just wants to make a song I won't really hit them up for payment because I know they're probably not making anything if they are it's like they would have to have another job to keep getting money to be honest because it's like that's what I mean like if it's an artist that's just making a song for fun you can have fun I'm not gonna charge you for that

Esteban Candelario (31:13.071) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (31:37.027) I that. I feel that.

ProdbyLAC (31:38.456) But yeah, if I find it, I find it. I don't really look for it. And I feel like if it's a placement that's worth me knowing about, like a big one, I would find out from somebody or I'd find it myself. Because if it's like a big enough placement, it'll come eventually around. But yeah.

Esteban Candelario (31:57.678) I agree. I agree. So, I mean, you're from New York. We live in New York, actually. And a lot of people would feel like, yo, that's so much opportunity. You're like the perfect place to be in besides like LA or Atlanta. But what they don't realize is like you're in upstate New York. And I feel like a lot of people think New York City is like New York itself. They don't realize it's like a whole state and it's gigantic. So like, I guess like, you live really, really far from the city of New York. So how is it being like

ProdbyLAC (32:17.47) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (32:22.807) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (32:24.387) where you're located, like is there opportunities or do you just have to make opportunities online and like what's that like?

ProdbyLAC (32:30.783) It's definitely harder to work with people up here in person. And like, the type of people up here, it's like a whole different world from the city. It really is. Like everybody's white. I- Whoa.

Everybody acts white and it's just is white and it's like everybody's just kind of like the same up here and like preppy like it's a school that I go to and like in the city there's all different kinds of people which I love I like seeing different people different cultures different everything living up here seeing the same bland dull boring stuff every day when you go outside with nothing to do it's very boring up here there is some things to do there is studios but there's really no artists from upstate New York that are like that known there is some Selly Paper

I've heard of. He's, but he's like, you really only know him if you're from upstate. That's like the type of artist that he is. And not saying that he's bad or anything, but like that's like what I'm saying. Like he's like an artist from upstate that's pretty well known, but in upstate. So that's kind of like...

Esteban Candelario (33:32.122) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (33:33.762) That's how it is. It's not easy to find like artists to work with because like you like little baby's not going to come from wherever the fuck he's at to upstate New York to go to a studio. He will not do that. Like you have to go places and travel to like I went to New York and the first time I went there, I mean it was a coincidence, but I was in a studio. Boom song placement. That's not going to happen every time. But like New York, definitely a hotspot for music and working with people. And there's constantly people.

Esteban Candelario (33:41.061) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (34:03.001) in and out of New York, artists, everything. So if you can get in contact with somebody that owns a studio or somebody that's at the studio that knows when a rapper's coming, or even if you just go to a studio to make beats, it is... I was making beats because the rapper, like, the Loki showed up a little late. The studio owner said I could set my shit up in there, so I did. I was making beats. It is definitely way different than doing it at your desk with your headphones on. It sounds different. It feels different.

And it's just overall a way better experience making beats in a studio than it is at home. But I don't got a studio. There is some around here. But not anywhere really near where I live. Maybe the closest one might be 40 minutes away. So.

Esteban Candelario (34:39.001) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (34:49.656) So like what's your I mean right now you kind of live so far from the city and so and you're 18 and you're about to graduate high school like I mean what's the ideal like future for you that you see for yourself like you're going all in with the producing or you want to do something out like you know what I'm saying like where do you because you have more placements than some people get like almost ever and as adults like you know what I'm saying you got your first placement like 16 so it's like what do you do after high school and like what's kind of the plan if you have one

ProdbyLAC (35:11.979) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (35:18.157) I'm looking into getting a welding certificate, but I'm a hundred and thousand percent continuing with beats because that's just something that I find fun in general not even like as work. I just do it like every day. I'd make at least one beat every day Just cuz I wouldn't be able to fall asleep if I didn't so But I definitely see myself moving a lot

Esteban Candelario (35:30.339) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (35:44.916) forward a lot in music after high school. I think what I've heard from people that graduate of high school, you unlock like the whole map once you graduate. Like high school is such a small, it seems long until you graduate and then it's like the real world, but there's so many opportunities music wise when you're able to go places like the city, studios, all that type of stuff. And I mean, I've already done that and I'm still in high school and I don't do it frequently, but like

Esteban Candelario (36:00.09) Yeah.

ProdbyLAC (36:14.955) that was like the first time that i did and i got a placement so i can only imagine what more is to come and that's what i'm looking to do is definitely continue producing and still have that that welding ability to do that because i do like welding it's just fun as hell

Esteban Candelario (36:33.517) So it's actually something you like, it's not something you want to do just because it might make you more money. I mean it might obviously, but it's just...yeah. Okay.

ProdbyLAC (36:38.306) It does make a lot of money. is something that I like about it. I like that about it and I like doing it too. It is fun. It's kind of like both. It's perfect. Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (36:44.728) Okay.

Nice a lot of people might think like that's like a plan B like how do you feel about you know? What people might say like that's a plan B You should go all in like you know what I'm saying or if you have producers right now We're trying to like balance both are thinking about you know getting a trade and doing producing like I mean, what are your thoughts on that?

ProdbyLAC (37:05.325) Honestly, I don't really look at it as a plan B I just look at it as like I want to do both and I want to be able to do both and I can do both I mean I make beats perfectly fine in high school right now and have time to do that and work and all that stuff and I looked at the schedule for this welding thing I'm going to I only got to go three days a week not even for like a full school day and then I can just chill after that and then it's like I'll be able to do that and make beats probably more than I can

do school right now and make beats. So I don't really look at it as a plan B because I have wanted to do it for a while now especially because I can't if I had the option if it's the option to use my hands and do something with my hands rather than sit at a desk and go to college for something that I'm probably not going to use.

Esteban Candelario (37:37.541) Mm-hmm.

ProdbyLAC (37:56.342) in life, like the degree that I get. Cause a lot of people go to college to party, they get a degree in like psychology and then they wind up working at like fucking McDonald's. that's basically like, like I mean, and I think like a trade is something like, you don't have to be a professional like welder full time when you get your welding certificate. It's something you know how to do. Small jobs, if somebody needs something welded, you have the equipment, you can go do it, make some money. And if there's companies that are looking

Esteban Candelario (38:02.533) Yeah, seriously.

Esteban Candelario (38:07.845) Yo.

ProdbyLAC (38:26.325) for people to weld for them you can do that for a little bit too. think trades open up more opportunities than college degrees do because a college degree in something is just for that and it's just for that and that's the job that and there's a job that you need that degree for and that is the one job like welding's very more way more versatile way more opportunities with it in general like anywhere everywhere everybody's looking for somebody to weld something somewhere so

Esteban Candelario (38:37.943) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (38:55.909) No.

ProdbyLAC (38:57.015) trades are definitely a better route for me at least.

Esteban Candelario (39:00.889) Yeah, that's super important. You know, it's funny. feel like I'm seeing like, know, it's funny. I've actually been seeing more commercials for trade schools instead of like colleges and I'm not and that's like a sign for me, especially like in marketing and sales, like, okay, the market is going to shift and more people are going to get trades instead of getting degrees. But it makes sense anyways, because I think there's like a shortage of trade people in trade. So like it makes sense that like, yeah, people like you are going into getting trades. But that's cool, bro. So what I want to know is like if you can go back in time, you know, I think you said you started in sixth grade.

ProdbyLAC (39:06.861) Mm.

ProdbyLAC (39:19.163) there is.

Esteban Candelario (39:30.309) when you got your first iPad or tablet, if you could go back in time and really look back at your journey and speak to yourself, is there anything that you would change that would make it a lot easier or that would help you get to where you're at now a lot faster?

ProdbyLAC (39:47.937) I would probably go back and tell myself to change my name to Probylac, because I had like three names before that that were kind of stupid, but in all seriousness, I'd probably go back and just tell myself to do what I did, what I'm... just go with it, just do what you're gonna do, because where I am now, I'm pretty happy with. And, you know, I don't want to change that. I got the placements that I got.

I'd love to have a big placement, but you know, I will get one someday. the only way you can, there's, don't, there's not a, it's not that people don't make it is that a lot of people don't make it. It's more that a lot of people just give up. You'll make it. You just can't give up. And that's an important thing. And I didn't give up, but I just tell myself, keep doing what you're doing. I'll see you later. And then I'll come back in time and like sit back in the chair type shit. But yeah.

Esteban Candelario (40:24.503) Yeah.

Esteban Candelario (40:34.757) That's fire, bro I appreciate you man for like, you know Just setting the time up with me and speaking with me and talking about your experiences in the industry You know giving it hopefully giving better insight for the producers who are watching this we're trying to get their feet in or get their feet wet But yeah, brother. So just tell them where they can find you or where they can reach out to you any ads or social platforms

ProdbyLAC (40:51.927) Yeah, for sure.

yeah, Instagram, Probi, underscore, lack, tick tock, pro by lag and discord, probably like to, if you've got loops, anything you want to send me on discord, discord works better for me than email. So that, and then yeah, that's basically it. And there's, I have YouTube. I don't really be uploading it on YouTube anymore really, but I do have a YouTube if you want to subscribe to that too, whoever's watching.

And yeah, that's basically it.

Esteban Candelario (41:27.663) Sweet bro. Thank you bro. Appreciate you for popping on today.

ProdbyLAC (41:29.186) Yeah, no problem. Have a good one.