This is the spot where you’ll see upcoming producers and Industry veterans in the game. A lot of people don’t know what goes into production. This will be the section where we feature the hottest producers in hip hop. Each month we’ll bring to you a new producer along with their background.
THIS MONTH’S FEATURE IS: MIDI MAFIA
MIDI – A standard for representing musical information in a digital format. [ M(usical) I(nstrument) D(igital) I(nterface) ]
MAFIA – An organization prominent in a particular field or enterprise, associated with a particular traffic
The deadly combination, Midi Mafia, consists of Producer/Engineer/DJ Dirty Swift, and Producer/Songwriter/Artist Bruce Waynne. Bruce Waynne grew up in the East New York section of Brooklyn, amid all the chaos and hustle of the BK streets. A brief stay in Riker’s Island proved enough to pull his attention away from the streets and towards a career in the music industry, where his talent for creating catchy hooks and beats lead him to sell over 60,000 units independently with his former group “US”. Dirty Swift on the other hand,
is a Canadian-born beat junkie who caught the music bug at an early age. He became a turntable wiz by high school, winning the DMC Canadian DJ Championship soon after, and later branched off into production, working with some of the biggest names in Canada. Determined to penetrate the US market, Swift left Ottawa, Canada and headed for New York City. As chance would have it, Swift and Bruce met in a Brooklyn recording studio, while both working on the same project. They vibed, and soon after, formed a partnership…hence, the beginning of Midi Mafia.
Since their inception in 2003, Midi Mafia became quickly known for masterfully assembling whole songs. The winning formula of Bruce Waynne lending his distinctive vocals, performing charismatic hooks and visual songwriting style, while Dirty Swift applying his DJ influenced methodologies and technical expertise generated what the music industry describes as “a ready-made hit”. After only 6 months of uniting their resources it resulted with 50 Cent’s “21 Questions”- which was one of the biggest songs to hit the charts that year. Their momentum spawned some of the heaviest remixes and hottest tracks for the likes of Nelly, Busta Rhymes, Talib Kweli, Young Buck, Mos-Def and G-Unit, and at last count the duo’s production is represented on over 20 million records sold worldwide. The group also garnered national media attention, appearing on BET’s 106th and Park, RAPCITY and spotlighted in Billboard, XXL, Scratch Magazine, Source Magazine and The Rap Report, to name a few.
Despite the success they have achieved thus far, the duo has had to endure tragedy in the middle of their rise to the top. 2006 saw Midi Mafia faced with their greatest challenge yet, the devastating spinal injury Swift sustained while riding his motorcycle during the summer in California. Against doctors orders, Swift was back in the studio within a few weeks of returning from the hospital after a marathon 7 hour spinal reconstruction surgery. Bruce Waynne faced his own challenges fighting a lengthy lawsuit from a former business associate and a painful breakup of his marriage. Despite the tremendous personal and business pressure, Midi Mafia collectively pulled together throughout the tragedy and have produced some of their finest work, the hit single “When I See You” off of Fantasia’s self titled sophmore album and the smash “Hold It, Don’t Drop It” for Jennifer Lopez’s upcoming album to name a few.
Now poised to bring their very own offerings to the music industry, Midi Mafia is preparing to unfurl their new label, Family Ties Entertainment and launching their first artist Deemi, a female R&B sensation from Brooklyn critics are comparing to a young Mary J Blige and newly acquired R&B Soul artist “Baltimore’s Daughter”, Shire’. With their new label deal, a remarkable catalog of hits, and a long laundry list of artists calling on them to produce their magic, Midi Mafia has no choice but to be at the forefront of the next great movement in hip hop. After already proving that they have the skills and talent to pierce the entertainment industry, this two-man hit-making machine has definitely created a winning formula…Get Connected!
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