Outside of production, he founded the record label EarDrummer Records as an imprint of Interscope Records in 2013, through which has signed acts including Mississippi-based hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd and late Atlanta-based rapper Trouble.
Early life
Williams was born in Marietta, Georgia, the youngest of three children; he has two older sisters.[2] His father, Michael Williams Sr., is a former IBM executive who worked as a club DJ in the 1970s. His mother, Shirley Williams, a former bank loan officer, was once in a gospel group, singing for Dottie Peoples. He grew up in a musical family as his uncle was an accomplished guitar player and one of his older sisters was a drum major in the Olympics.[2] While growing up, Williams was athletic, participating in many sports, including basketball, baseball, and football, with dreams of becoming a professional athlete.[3]
His life also centered around a love of hip-hop music. Williams first developed his talent for music by re-playing popular instrumentals that he heard on the radio while he and his friends would freestyle to them.[2] In several interviews, Williams has mentioned, in particular, re-playing the instrumental for "Still Fly", a popular song by the southern rap group Big Tymers, on a Casio brand keyboard, and has also mentioned re-playing "Young'n (Holla Back)" by New York rapper Fabolous on production equipment at a local music store.[4]
At age 14, Williams began to develop his own beats on a Korg ES1 beat machine, which his father bought for him as a Christmas present from the local music store Mars Music. As he became more accomplished, he also began to use production equipment, including the Korg Triton, the Akai MPC1000, the Yamaha Motif, and the Roland Fantom.[2] By the time WillIams was 16, he was spending time at local recording studios in Atlanta, trying to shop his beats to established artists.[5] He was initially ignored, but eventually one of his beat tapes made its way into the hands of Gucci Mane, who then invited WillIams to Patchwerk studios, an Atlanta recording studio.[5]
Upon graduating high school, Williams enrolled at Georgia State University to pursue undergraduate studies mainly due to pressure from his parents, but chose to take a hiatus and eventually dropped out after several semesters, with a 3.1 GPA, to focus on his music career.[6]
Career
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2023)
2011–2012: Production and mixtapes
In an interview with XXL, Mike Will said, "Gucci Mane was the first [major artist] to ever rap on my beat."[7] Mike Will first met Gucci Mane at Atlanta recording studio, PatchWerk Recording Studios, and upon introducing himself and giving Gucci Mane a CD of beats, Gucci Mane proceeded to freestyle over each of the instrumentals. He then offered Mike Will $1,000 for one of his beats.[8] The two artists began releasing songs together, such as "East Atlanta 6", and a number of songs from Gucci Mane's mixtape, No Pad, No Pencil. After developing this close relationship with Gucci Mane, he began working with other big-name Atlanta rappers such as Future, Waka Flocka Flame, Rocko, and 2 Chainz.[8]
Also in 2011, Mike Will worked with Atlanta rapper Future, producing several popular and noteworthy songs together, including "Ain't No Way Around It",[11] "Itchin", and three songs from Future's 2012 major label debut album Pluto: "Neva End", "Truth Gonna Hurt You", and "Turn On the Lights".[2] "Turn On the Lights" was promoted as a single, and to date has peaked at No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart.[12]
On December 27, 2011, Mike Will released his first mixtape, Est. in 1989 (Last of a Dying Breed).[13] It was released in conjunction with popular mixtape website LiveMixtapes.com.[13]Est. in 1989 includes a mix of exclusive songs and songs from Mike Will's catalog, and features artists such as Gucci Mane & 1017 Brick Squad, Future, Waka Flocka Flame, Kanye West & GOOD Music, 2 Chainz, Lil Boosie, Ludacris, Lil Wayne.[14]
On March 23, 2012, Mike Will partnered with popular music site The FADER to announce the second installment of his mixtape series, Est. in 1989 Pt. 2, and to release the mixtape's first single, "Back 2 the Basics", which features his manager/rapper Gucci Mane, founder/CEO/president of Brick Squad and Waka Flocka Flame.[15] The project Est. in 1989 Pt. 2 features songs with Diddy, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Future, Lil Wayne, T.I., Mac Miller, French Montana, Jeremih, and others.[16] The album was released again on July 24, 2012, in partnership with LiveMixtapes.com.[16]
Will has also worked extensively with Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz, producing "La La", which features Busta Rhymes, from 2 Chainz, then known as Tity Boi, Codeine Cowboy mixtape and "Got One" from 2 Chainz's T.R.U. REALigion mixtape.[17][18] According to an interview with Complex magazine, Mike Will has been working together with 2 Chainz "since 2008, when he was Tity Boi...We're kind of like family."[19] In 2012, Mike Will produced the lead single, "No Lie", from 2 Chainz' debut album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, released via Def Jam.[19] The single, which features popular recording artist Drake, was released May 8, 2012, and debuted in the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately peaking at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[20] The single has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, selling over 500,000 copies digitally.[21]
In 2012, Mike WiLL Made-It produced "Bandz a Make Her Dance", a single for Taylor Gang rapper Juicy J that also features Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz.[22] The song was listed as one of the 25 Best Songs of Summer 2012 by Complex magazine, and as of September 2012, the single had peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[23][24]
Mike Will, alongside producers Kanye West, Mike Dean, Lifted, and Anthony Kilhoffer, co-produced the G.O.O.D. Music single "Mercy", which features vocals by Kanye West, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, and Pusha T.[25] "Mercy", released April 3, 2012, served as the lead single from the G.O.O.D. Music compilation album Cruel Summer, and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.[26][27] Other notable production efforts for Mike Will include the single "Way Too Gone", featuring Future from Young Jeezy's 2011 studio album Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition, "Just a Sign" from B.o.B's second studio album Strange Clouds and "Pour It Up" from Rihanna's 2012 studio album, Unapologetic.[28][29]
In 2012 interviews, Mike Will mentioned upcoming work with Kanye West, Brandy, Big Sean, and Pusha T.[19]
The third installment of the series, entitled Est. in 1989 2.5 was released on December 24, 2012.[30] The mixtape featured guest appearances from Gucci Mane, Future, Rihanna, Big Sean, Trinidad Jame$, Lil Wayne, and other artists.[31]
2013–present: Debut studio album, collaborations, and Creed II soundtrack
Mike Will Made It in January 2017
Mike Will executive produced Miley Cyrus's fourth studio album Bangerz (2013), including its lead single "We Can't Stop". He produced eight tracks on Bangerz and six tracks on Cyrus' other project Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz.
On September 9, 2013, Mike Will premiered his commercial debut single "23", featuring Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J and Miley Cyrus. He revealed that he had signed with Interscope Records to release his debut album.[32] His debut album will also feature Beyoncé, Future, Kendrick Lamar, and 2 Chainz.[33]
He was named producer of the year by HipHopDX on December 18, 2013.[34]
On June 17, 2014, Mike Will Made It released the first single from his mixtape, "Buy the World", featuring Future, Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar.[35] On December 15, 2014, he released his fifth mixtape, Ransom. Featured artists include Big Sean, Juicy J, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, and Kendrick Lamar.
On March 24, 2017, he released Ransom 2.[36] The bigger names showcase a quick flip through Mike Will's contact list: Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Migos, YG, and more.[37]
In 2018, the soundtrack for the action-drama film Creed II was released, entitled Creed II: The Album. The album featured all original songs written and produced by Mike Will Made It (with the exception of three tracks).
On August 21, 2020, Mike Will released the single "Bang Bang" with rapper Chief Keef. He also announced that his upcoming project is "74%" done.[38] On November 6, 2020, Mike Will released the song, "What That Speed Bout!?" with rappers Nicki Minaj and YoungBoy Never Broke Again. It is the lead single to his upcoming album, Michael, which failed to meet its 2023 release date.[39]
In 2023, Mike Will partnered with ESPN’s Custom NBA Music Strategy as its first-ever lead producer to curate music for the 2023-24 NBA season.[40] ON October 16, 2023, Mike Will released the new single ‘Different Breed’ featuring Latto and Swae Lee on ESPN.[41]
Influences
In interviews, Mike Will has named several musical influences on his own production work. In a "Behind the Beats" interview with Complex magazine, he says that he "always admired Dr. Dre's drums", and calls Timbaland "the first crazy pop producer... He brought so many artists to the game."[42] As a southern producer, he says, he "was also looking up to Shawty Redd. He was the first producer to really bring that dark trap energy and sound."[42] He also refers to DJ Toomp as "my big brother or my mentor", saying, "I love what he does."[42] In an interview, with AOL's The Boombox, Mike WiLL also cites Pharrell as a producer that he respects. Mike Will told Rolling Stone, that some of his primary musical interests are Arctic Monkeys, Lauryn Hill and The Smiths.[43]
In 2006, Mike Will started his own production company called EarDrummers Entertainment. In 2013, he founded Ear Drummer Records (initially known as Eardruma Records) and signed the label to Interscope Records on December 19, 2013.[46][47] In 2014, Mike Will signed Rae Sremmurd (whose name is "Ear" "Drummers" backwards) and Two-9 to the label.[48][49]
American rapper Gucci Mane has released 16 studio albums, 3 collaborative albums, 10 compilation albums, one soundtrack, 8 extended plays (EPs), 80 mixtapes and 100 singles and 16 promotional singles.
"Wasted" is the official first single from Gucci Mane's sixth studio album The State vs. Radric Davis. The song features rapper Plies. The song was originally from Gucci Mane's 2009 mixtape, Guccimania.
The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted is the seventh studio album by American rapper Gucci Mane. It was released on September 28, 2010, by 1017 Brick Squad Records, Warner Bros. Records and Asylum Records. It serves as a sequel to his previous studio release The State vs. Radric Davis (2009), which was released after the Atlanta rapper's incarceration from prison. The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 61,450 copies; it has sold an estimated 169,500 copies as of the week ending of August 21, 2011.
Everybody Looking is the ninth studio album by American rapper Gucci Mane. It was released on July 22, 2016, by GUWOP Enterprises, RBC Records and Atlantic Records. The album serves as Gucci's first studio release while out of prison since The Return of Mr. Zone 6 (2011). It features guest appearances from Drake, Kanye West and Young Thug, while the majority of the album's production was provided by Gucci Mane's longtime collaborators such as Mike Will Made It and Zaytoven, among others.
Trap Back is a mixtape by American rapper Gucci Mane. The mixtape was released online on February 5, 2012, coinciding with Super Bowl Sunday, at 10:17a.m.—a reference to Gucci Mane's label, 1017 Bricksquad. It was Gucci Mane's first major recording project following his release from jail at the end of 2011, after spending a total of six months incarcerated that year. Trap Back was conceived as a "comeback mixtape" to revive the rapper's reputation and career, which had stalled for years due to ongoing legal troubles and other personal setbacks.
The discography of American rapper 2 Chainz, consists of seven studio albums, two collaborative studio albums, 10 mixtapes, 5 extended plays, 119 singles, 14 promotional singles and 75 music videos.
"Bandz a Make Her Dance" is a song by American rapper Juicy J featuring fellow American rappers Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. Produced by Mike WiLL Made It and co-produced by J-Bo, It was released on September 11, 2012, as the lead single from the former's third studio album Stay Trippy (2013).
The discography of Juicy J, an American rapper, consists of seven studio albums, 22 singles, two promotional singles and eighty music videos.
Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke, better known by his stage name Sonny Digital, is an American record producer, rapper, and DJ. He first saw recognition for his production work on YC's 2011 single "Racks", which peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. Throughout the following decade, he was credited on a string of commercially successful hip hop and trap singles including ILoveMakonnen's "Tuesday", Future's "Same Damn Time", 50 Cent's "I'm the Man", 2 Chainz's "Birthday Song", and Travis Scott's "Stargazing". Uwaezuoke has also produced for XXL Magazine's Freshman Hip Hop Cyphers in 2017 and 2018, and pursued a lukewarmly-received career as a recording artist.
Nicholaus Joseph Williams, better known by his stage name Trinidad James, is a Trinidadian-American rapper, songwriter and music video director. In December 2012, he signed with Def Jam Recordings to release his debut single, "All Gold Everything" commercially that same month. The song peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned a remix featuring fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I., Jeezy and 2 Chainz. He was dropped from the label in 2014 after failing to promptly record a debut album.
The following list is a discography of production by Mike WiLL Made It, an American hip hop record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. It includes a list of songs produced, co-produced and remixed by year, artist, album and title. He has produced multiple singles certified gold or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), including two US Billboard number one hit singles.
Kenneth Edward Bailey, better known by his stage name Young Scooter, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He was among the first artists to sign with fellow Atlanta rapper Future's record label, Freebandz in 2012, having known its founder since childhood. The following year, he jointly signed with Waka Flocka Flame's Brick Squad Monopoly, an imprint of Gucci Mane's 1017 Records. He first gained regional recognition for his collaborations with the rappers, as well as his mixtape Street Lottery (2012) and its lead single, "Colombia". His guest appearance on Future and Juice Wrld's 2018 song, "Jet Lag" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Trap House III is a commercial mixtape by American rapper Gucci Mane. The project serves as a sequel to his fifth album Back to the Trap House (2007). The project was released exclusively to digital download retailers on May 21, 2013 independently by 1017 Brick Squad Records and 101 Distribution. The project features guest appearances from Rick Ross, Rich Homie Quan, Wiz Khalifa, Shawty Lo, Young Scooter, Young Thug and Chief Keef among others.
The discography of American rapper Chief Keef consists of five studio albums, four extended plays, forty mixtapes, and twenty-eight singles. Chief Keef released his first studio album Finally Rich in 2012, which contained several successful singles, including "I Don't Like", "Hate Bein' Sober", and "Love Sosa". The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Billboard Rap chart. In 2013, he was featured on several hit songs by other rappers. In 2014, he released his mixtape Back from the Dead 2, which was critically acclaimed. In 2015, he was featured on Travis Scott's debut album Rodeo on the song "Nightcrawler". He later released the album Bang 3 in two parts. Following this Chief Keef decided go on a one-year hiatus. In 2017, he released three mixtapes and then released the album Dedication. He then released more mixtapes in 2018. In 2019, he released his collaborative album with Zaytoven called GloToven which has a sole feature from Lil Pump. He then went on a hiatus for around 2 years, to return with his fourth album 4NEM.
"Shit" stylized as "$h!t", edited for radio as "Shhh..." is a song by American hip hop recording artist Future. It was released on September 24, 2013, as the third single from his second studio album, Honest (2014). The song has since peaked at number 34 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Ransom 2 is the debut studio album by American record producer Mike Will Made It. It is the sequel to his 2014 mixtape Ransom, and was released on March 24, 2017. The album features guest appearances by Kendrick Lamar, Rae Sremmurd, Big Sean, Lil Wayne, YG, Pharrell Williams, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, Chief Keef, and others.
"Good Drank" is a song by American rapper 2 Chainz, featuring Quavo and Gucci Mane, and was originally released on October 19, 2016 as a promotional single from his mixtape, Hibachi for Lunch; although it was later removed from the tracklist and released on January 20, 2017 as the lead single from his fourth studio album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music. This track was produced by Mike Dean.
Shane Lee Lindstrom, known professionally as Murda Beatz, is a Canadian record producer from Ontario. Working predominantly in hip hop and trap music, he has produced hit songs and albums for various musical acts since 2011. His credits include the singles "Butterfly Effect" by Travis Scott, "Back on Road" by Gucci Mane, "Nice for What" by Drake, and "Motorsport" by Migos. He is best known for his guest appearance alongside Nicki Minaj on 6ix9ine's 2018 single "Fefe", which peaked at number three on both the Canadian Hot 100 and US Billboard Hot 100.
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2 Chainz. It was released on June 16, 2017 through Def Jam Recordings, as the follow-up to ColleGrove, his 2016 collaborative effort with Lil Wayne. The production on the album was handled by FKi, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Mike Dean, Mike Will Made It, and Murda Beatz, among others. The album also features guest appearances from several urban artists; Gucci Mane, Quavo, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Swae Lee, Drake, Ty Dolla Sign, Trey Songz, Jhené Aiko, Pharrell, and Monica.
Markies Deandre Conway, better known by the stage name Yella Beezy, is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. He is best known for his 2017 single "That's On Me", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), along with 2019 single, "Bacc At It Again". The former spawned a remix featuring fellow Southern rappers T.I., 2 Chainz, Jeezy, Boosie Badazz, and Rich the Kid.
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