Artist Profile: Misterdillinger.
Misterdillinger., the formidable producer from NYC, has been honing his craft since he was a teenager, grinding out beat switches and growing to understand the nuanced underworkings of hip-hop instrumentation, and, with his growing discography of collaborative projects and a new direction for his sound, he continues the upward trajectory he has established for himself thus far.
As a child, his mother introduced him to a host of classic hip-hop. Having grown up in Queens, his mom exposed her son to the bevy of rappers, including Nas, who were tied to that area at the time.
Then, as he entered middle school, he encountered the new wave of conscious, lo-fi hip-hop for the first time. He marks two albums, Below the Heavens by Blu & Exile and Boy Meets World by Fashawn, as incredibly pivotal works of art in his life.
“It wasn't [about] the glamour or glitz; both those albums was talking about real life situations, like growing up, adolescence, becoming a young adult into a young man. That was big, especially for me being a minority, it made me feel seen… I don't think anything comes close to those two albums. I think every young man should listen to [them].”
His love for these projects, coupled with his penchant for isolating himself in his thoughts, led him to start writing raps. However, as he dove deeper into the music he loved, he felt himself drawn more and more towards the soundscapes that backed the lyricists he had grown fond of.
As he learned to sample, adding niches and oddities to his workflow that helped make his sound unique, he would stay in his room for hours on end, spending what turned out to be years refining his musical abilities.
However, when he was ultimately ready to share his work with the world and begin working with other artists to bring his tracks to life, he encountered a market that had become saturated with prolific beatmakers and demanding emcees: a fact that greatly discouraged him before he had even truly started.
Yet, he dug into his driven creative vision and decided that the best route for him to take was to make his own project, finding the rappers who would best suit his own style and creating an album of his own accord.
Thus, My Soul Weighs a Ton and If You Know, You Know, Misterdillinger.’s first two major projects were born. Featuring artists like Rome Streetz, Fast Life, and Koncept Jack$on, his East Coast-bred beats intermeshed serendipitously with the effortless flows of the artists he chose to grace his instrumentals, in turn creating a special pair of albums that served to announce his creative prowess to the world.
“I didn't like how accessible [the market was], and it just didn't seem like producers were getting respected like at the time. Even now I see it still, so I wanted to just make a brand and [make it so that] you had to make your way to get something from me or to work with me.”
In creating his own brand, and directing his own output, Misterdillinger. has become the master of his own creative destiny. Now, as he looks to move away from hip-hop and towards a more alternative, rock-driven sound, he has given himself the opportunity to defy any external expectations or limits that could be placed upon him, continuing to grow in his unique vision.
