First Born is the man behind Nicki Minaj’s smash hit “Super Bass.”
When the news broke that Nicki Minaj’s video “Stupid Hoe” was officially banned from BET, First Born was one of the first people to have Nicki’s back.
DETAILS: Nicki Minaj’s Producer Reacts To “Stupid Hoe” BET Ban
Although he’s not the producer of “Stupid Hoe,” First Born reached out the GlobalGrind to clear the air and to update his fans about his upcoming music projects.
GlobalGrind chit-chatted with First Born, and much to our surprise, he’s currently working with Roc Nation songstress Bridget Kelly and Glee actress Amber Riley.
Check out our exclusive interview below!
Do you think that BET is overreacting a little bit?
I think that BET has a brand they’re trying to protect. They’re trying to protect their product. I stay kind of in the middle. I also understand artistic expression. Nicki is really a pioneer as far as new artists are concerned. That’s reflected heavily in the Grammys. Her expression is clearly dope. I definitely think artists should be able to say what they need to say. But, as far as the business entity, I know, business is protected brands. And usually they have shareholders and corporate people who make those decisions. I understand both sides.
Who else are you currently working with right now?
I’m doing a lot of different things. I got a song coming out with a girl named Ariana Grande. It’s called “Honeymoon Avenue.” I’m working heavily on Amber Riley of the Glee cast. I’m doing some stuff, actually, for Bridget Kelly. Just trying to get as much stuff done as possible.
Can you share any details on what you’re working on with Bridget Kelly?
I can’t give you all the secrets, but I’ll tell you this: we’re just working on some new stuff for 2012. I’m also very excited about Kalenna of Dirty Money. I’m working very closely with her. We did about four or five joints on her up-and-coming project. And just really try to stake the claim in 2012 as far as a new producer, man, on the grind.
How did you help produce Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass”?
I started out as a engineer, and I moved to Atlanta. I was working heavily in the Universal system. I made a lot of contacts and from there, I’ve been doing a lot of co-production with a lot of different producers and songwriters, writing and engineering, mixing — everything. I’ve been working heavily with Kane Beatz. We did a lot of other work together. He got me some stuff, I mixed, and we just developed a great relationship. “Super Bass” happened, just going in together, meeting JMIKE, putting some great creative stuff together and the next thing you know, we got “Super Bass.” And Taylor Swift just doing a interview like this, it goes to 1.5 million views the next day on YouTube, and we got a hit record on our hands.
Were you in the room when you played it for Nicki?
We did all the production between Florida and Atlanta and then we sent it out and Nicki went in and did her verses. I think they cut that in L.A.
Do you think Nicki Minaj will have more controversial videos?
Think about it: art is supposed to evoke emotion. And if artists can’t be artistic, then there’s no emotion in what they do. Emotion will last forever. A product comes and goes. I think Nicki is a trendsetting artist. She’s one of the best artists of the new generation. I’m sure her next visuals, her next video, down to her next verse, will evoke some emotion. So I wouldn’t be surprised if she had something very cutting edge that just makes you be like, ‘What was she thinking when she did that? But I love this. It’s inspirational.’ And I think Nicki is going to keep on being at the top because of that creativity. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did anything that pushes the envelope.
