Just Blaze on Shaping Roc-A-Fella’s Sound, Writing Hit Records & Disrupting the Video Game Indus

On this week's episode of IDEA GENERATION, Just Blaze takes us on a journey from his early days as a math prodigy in Paterson, New Jersey, to becoming one of the premier beatmakers in music. From helping shape the sound of Roc-A-Fella records, to earning a reputation as one of the most sought after pens in the game, to scoring new worlds within video games, Just Blaze has built one of the most impressive resumes in music... and it all started with one idea.

Act I
00:00 Intro
1:36 Family values
3:20 Getting started in programming
4:25 Stepping into the hip-hop DJ scene
5:18 Early days at Rutgers // “Fat Funky Wednesdays”
5:43 Meeting idols, playing his own beats
7:10 Role models
7:35 Graduating high school early
8:27 From college to internships
10:24 Holding onto your passion
10:50 Engineering at the Cutting Room
12:00 Meeting Mase, landing “Harlem” record

Act II
13:42 Finding his voice
14:53 Understanding the business side of the industry
15:40 Two Way Branding, “ringtones before ringtones”
16:40 Origins of the name Just Blaze
17:45 “My biggest advantage”
18:18 Finding placements & new opportunities
20:16 Growing “the Rockefeller sound”
22:42 Girls Girls Girls (remix)
23:57 Life structure around success
25:23 The wind down, entering a new phase

Act III
28:12 Opportunities after Roc-A-Fella
29:23 Saigon era
30:07 “I wasn’t looking to make a body of work”
30:34 Check your ego at the door
31:32 Shifts in his relationship to music, leveraging work outside of the studio
32:32 Transition into game scoring
34:12 “You can’t just do the one thing forever”
34:24 “Exhibit A” - Jay Electronica
35:38 What does money mean to you?
35:49 Seeking alternate revenue streams
37:35 Entrepreneurial pursuits, ramen business
38:40 Brass Lion Entertainment

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Credits:
Noah Callahan-Bever
Creator & Host, Idea Generation

Starring: Just Blaze

Musical Director: A-Trak
Animations by: Sang Bleu / IDEA GENERATION

Executive Producers: Helena Ox, Tricia Clarke-Stone and John Walaszek
Producer: Jack Erwin
Creative Director + Editor: Kyle Gaughan

Produced by: 5 Towns Media House
Director: Katie Paul
DP: Alex Stikich
Producer: Jagger Corcione
Production Manager: Zena Kha****y
Cam Ops: Sabrina Marki, Brian Dauphin
Sound: Anthony Charles
PAs: Sabrina Alvarez
MUA: Tatiana Mendez
Photography: Kai Tsehay

Special thanks to:
Juan Guerrero
Sony Music Entertainment
Universal Music Group
MassAppeal