Internet Money Dissect Their Sound

The production duo delve into their Foundations...

Internet Money are busy breaking boundaries.

Largely helmed by Taz Taylor and Nick Mira, the free-flowing production collective is a blend between a YouTube channel, a record label, and a producer union.

Debut album 'B4 The Storm' was a show of strength this summer, a diverse and confident creation that underlined the raw depth at work in their art.

Breakout single 'Lemonade' has become a viral smash, and it's currently neck-and-neck in the battle for this week's No. 1 spot.

With Internet Money overhauling their merch shop – check out the new range HERE – it's clear that this is a phenomenon that just won't go away.

Clash hooked up with Taz Taylor and Nick Mira to delve into the Foundations of their sound…

– – –

– – –

Kanye West – 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'

I think 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' has always been important to me because it literally took a village to build that album. There were so many huge artists on there. Kanye also had artists come in that you didn’t even know were on there. There were these surprise features that made the record super exciting. For example, Kanye got Elton John on 'All Of The Lights' with Alicia Keys, and it was totally unexpected. It’s like finding easter eggs as you listen to it, and it adds a lot of excitement for fans.

From a production standpoint, it’s also a 10 out of 10. So flawless. I especially love the whole mix and master, the album’s rollout and of course, the 40 minute long music video he made for it. It made the album such a perfect comeback for Kanye and is definitely my favorite record of all time.

As someone who makes records like 'B4 The Storm' that are collaborations with a lot of different artists and producers, 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' is a gold standard for me.

– – –

XXXTentacion – '17'

'17' by XXXTentacion was a super vital record for my career. We produced 'Fuck Love' featuring Trippie Redd on that album, and it was probably the first really big song we had. 'Fuck Love' featuring Trippie Redd was my first plaque, and just overall, from an album standpoint, I just knew from the beginning that it was going to be a classic. There was always something really special about it even when it was not finished.

Thinking back on my career now, X’s '17' is still probably one of my favorite albums I’ve worked on in the past decade to be honest with you. I’m so glad we were able to be a part of it. I just don’t feel like it’s easy to duplicate albums that sound and feel like this one does. Plenty of artists have tried. It really became influential for the new artists coming up which was so cool to watch.

All in all, this album just changed everything. It changed music, it changed my own life. It changed everyone in Internet Money’s life. If it wasn’t for this album, there wouldn’t be a lot of Internet Money right now. I got to thank X for that opportunity. I’m grateful.

– – –

Fleetwood Mac – 'Rumours'

'Rumours' by Fleetwood Mac was a huge album for me growing up. I used to watch Classic Albums on VH1 when I was just a kid and that album was played a lot on that show. I learned a lot from that program.

Not only did I hear the album for the first time, but I also was exposed to what it took to make such a good album. The kind of dedication an album can sometimes take. It was wild to learn that they all pretty much hated each other, but they were still album to work through it and make a classic album.

So much good shit on that record: 'Don’t Stop', 'Dreams', 'The Chain', everything. It’s one of those rare album you can really put on and just listen to it all the way through.

Though it is not an album that many people would expect me to grow up on, 'Rumours' is one of my all-time favorites. I grew up around a lot more rock and pop than I did hip-hop. Though I’ve become known through Internet Money as a rap producer, I will always love a good rock song. That was my first love music-wise.

– – –

KISS – 'Dynasty'

Speaking of rock records, Dynasty by KISS is also one of my favorites. My step dad is a really big KISS fanatic, so like, you know, KISS was the first band I really listened to. I started playing guitar and bass pretty early on and KISS’s 'Sure Know Something' was the first song I ever learned how to play on guitar and bass.

I remember it being played around my house heavily growing up, and it will always remind me of my childhood. It is kind of the reason why I am in music now. If it wasn’t for the bass line on 'Sure Know Something', I do not know if I would be making music right now.

I still listen to 'Dynasty' now as an adult. I know every song by heart and everything about the record. I like to go back and listen to the chord changes and the progressions they were using. KISS is a very melodic group. It is interesting to see now how they were able to get creative with their melodies and all that.

KISS really informed my understanding of music and how to make a hit. I’ll always go back to this record no matter what.

– – –

T-Pain – 'Rappa Ternt Sanga'

First of all, I’m from Florida, and T-Pain is like a God in Florida so I had to put one of his records on here. I was always jamming to T-Pain growing up. We all had a lot of pride when listening to a rapper who was from our area. I remember hearing 'I’m Sprung', the second track on Rappa Ternt Sanga, as a child and just loving it. I was also a big fan of 'I’m N Love (Wit A Stripper)' featuring Mike Jones and 'Studio Luv'. Really the whole album is incredible, not just those three songs.

T-Pain made a lot of these beats himself, and the shit he was doing with auto-tune at the time was so groundbreaking. He controlled so much of the process of the record, and his use of autotune inspired so many people. 'Rappa Ternt Sanga' was the album that sparked Kanye to make '808s And Heartbreak'. Then '808s…' went on to change the rap game.

Without T-Pain inspiring '808s…', there would be no Drake or Kid Cudi, and the genre would be so different now. Kid Cudi is one of my biggest inspirations, and I definitely have T-Pain to thank for that. T-Pain is a god, no question about it, and his 2005 record 'Rappa Ternt Sanga' changed the world.

– – –

'Lemonade' is out now.

Join us on the ad-free creative social network Vero, as we get under the skin of global cultural happenings. Follow Clash Magazine as we skip merrily between clubs, concerts, interviews and photo shoots. Get backstage sneak peeks, exclusive content and access to Clash Live events and a true view into our world as the fun and games unfold.

 

-
Join the Clash mailing list for up to the minute music, fashion and film news.