Street Walkers NYC would like you to meet Music Producer/Engineer/Songwriter Joe Patrello. Joe and I go way back to our Boston days. About seven some odd years ago I was sitting on my porch smoking a cigarrette after returning from the studio and Joe pulls up in his car from West Virginia ready to start school to become a music engineer. Almost immediately we made a music connection and shortly after we began collaborating on what became, not just a lifelong professional relationship, but friendship as well.
Since running around with Mike Milan in our hay days in Boston, Joe has made his way to New York City for an internship at Quad Studios where artists such as The Notorius B.I.G., Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and even Yoko Ono among many more have recorded. He now works as "The Engineer" at Mobb Deep's Infamous Studios where he has personally worked with artists including Mobb Deep, Wu Tang, Akon, Missy Elliot, Christina Milian, Mr. Cheeks, Ice Cube, G Unit, Young Money, Jasmine Sullivan, Foxy Brown, Faith Evans, and the list goes on and on and on. Also, if you remember our favorite Russian pop star Ilayda, he is currently working with her as well on her debut album.
I can go on forever on how awesome this guy is but instead I'm going to let you in on our Q&A we had with Joe Patrello himself...
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| J.A.Y.O and Joe |
SWNYC: Tell me a little bit about how you got started in this game?
JP: It really happened by chance. I was in college double majoring in pre med and biology and playing football. One day I was with some teamates and everybody was freestyling, and one guy in particular was exceptionaly talented. It caught me instantly. I wanted to be apart of it but I couldnt rap, so the next day I went to radio shack and bought a $200 keyboard and started trying to make beats. I wasnt any good but I was addicted. Soon after I found myself skipping class and making beats 24/7. I dropped out of college soon after and enrolled in the Art Institute of New England for audio production.
SWNYC: How do you motivate yourself everyday?
JP: By knowing where I've come from. How much I gave up, how much of a gamble it was too just quit eveything and start something completely new. Especially when you have zero experience in what your now trying to do. Remembering commuting from Boston to NYC every week just to intern at Quad Studios. Remembering why I wanted to do this in the first place. I've always said from the beginning that Hip-Hop was lost and that new york had forgotten why it bred Hip-Hop in the first place. I thought maybe it was going to take someone from outside to come in and lead the way. I might not be leading the way, but I am doing everything I can to advance good music and real hip hop.
SWNYC: How long does it take you to create?
JP: It really depends. Creativity is such a special result of circumstances. Given the right ingredients, something can be made in a matter of minutes. Sometimes the creative energy is so overwhelming that you are lucky enough to experience such a moment. Sometimes it snowballs, one idea leads to another, which breeds another, and so on. I especially enjoy working with another producer or artist in the creative process, even then I have had certain projects that take months. Creating can take seconds, executing however, has no time table.
SWNYC: What is your biggest pet peeve?
JP: Honestly, I try not to let things bother me but I am not a fan of someone trying to figure out their lyrics in the booth. It is supposed to be a performance. Other than that, engineers who dont pay attention to the artists. Engineering is a discipline in social/time management. It is your job to keep the session flowing for the artist. Breaking the flow only hurts the project.
SWNYC: What are your vices?
JP: Patriots football, vanilla dutches, sharks breath, accupulco gold, mid-ninties hip hop, beats from Havoc, analog sound, SSL9000's, adams sr3's, distressors, real grand daddy purple from northern california, the sounds from an asr10, playing golf and brown skinned women. Real talk.
SWNYC: Who do you parallel your life to?
JP: Kinda weird question, but in real life. I try to emulate my mentor LB 9000. He lives, eats, and breathes engineering hip hop. As far as a career path, I look up to Young Guru, Jay-Z's engineer. He is talented, successful, and is part of something rather than being a hired gun. Thats why I chose to exclusively work with Mobb Deep. Ive been with Havoc and Prodigy for a few years now. Together we rise and together we fall. Knowing that every man will rise, and every man will fall, I'd prefer to have done it with my people so we can enjoy the top together, and help each other up when we fall.
SWNYC: What's your favorite thing about NYC and why?
JP: I love New York because it never sleeps, and neither do I. It's the creative mecca of our time, the birthplace and rightful home of Hip-Hop music, it's the city everyone in the world wants to come see. New York is the city where dreams are made into reality. Its the hardest place to make it in the world but [Frank] Sinatra was right.
You can catch up with Joe on one of the following sites and keep up with what he's working on or get in on a little bit of how he feels cause he doesn't hesitate to share...
