A Conversation With Yung Lan
How does it feel being signed with Warner Chappel?
“It was a blessing, coming from where I'm from. I know it sounds cliche, but no one has been in that situation where they've gotten signed, or anything like that, where I'm from. Where I'm from, we don't even have a stoplight. No McDonald's, nothing. It's very ‘country’ - like cows and chickens. I always dreamed that something like that would happen.”
Would you recommend other producers signing to a publishing deal?
Honestly, I would suggest most people just stay independent unless you need the money because you don't want to give up your publishing, and that's power in this industry. So I will say, do an admin deal or a co-pub deal if you have to. But yeah, I wouldn't be in a rush to sign a publishing deal - I tell my producers that all the time. A lot of people feel that once you get signed to a publishing company, you're going to get these huge sessions and they're going to make sure that you're set in the future. But honestly, I just look at it as a loan - they’re going to give you that upfront money, but you're going to have to pay that back with interest at the end of the day. So, don't expect too much out of a publishing company. Think about a big company like Warner Chappel or Sony ATV. They have hundreds, if not thousands, of producers that they signed. So, it's kind of easy to get overlooked unless you’re consistent with hit records. So, just have low expectations on that side and just continue to work hard like you’re not signed.
What inspired you to build a production team?
One of my best friends was managing someone prior to me. I'm not sure what happened with that relationship, but he was telling me about how he was getting placements with people and it was another stream of income. He was saying it wasn't too stressful and it was pretty easy. I knew I could definitely elevate somebody's career out here, so I got into it and I haven't stopped since. I love it - I love being able to help these people.
What’s your criteria for signing producers to your management group?
When I'm looking for new producers to sign, I look for creativity, a good work ethic, someone that's grounded and humble, and someone who doesn't have too many prior placements. I want somebody that I could really help get the ball rolling with their whole situation.
What advice would you give to up and coming producers?
I always say this - just keep it business and don't think of people as friends. I learned that you can't put all your eggs in one basket and you have to work with multiple people because an artist might be hot today, but tomorrow they might be washed away. In the past, I had situations with different artists where we kind of just fell apart and didn't talk for a year or two after I got signed, but that happens. In this industry, a lot of people seem like they're genuine and they're going to be there for you, but it's not like that. Even when I was young, I had a real big name artist tell me he was going to sign me. We came up together and eventually I never got signed - I was still working a 9-5. [So] like I said, stay grounded and just [be] continuously working. Don’t believe that somebody is going to be your friend immediately or this'll be a long-term relationship. Just send the beats out and handle the business.
What advice would you give to other producers for getting placements?
Honestly, for independent producers, just send beats to who you want to work with. There's no set caliber that you have to start out with. If you feel like you have the caliber beats that Drake would use, try to reach out to [his] team. So just believe in yourself, make quality music, and it could potentially happen. You don't need a certain amount of placements in order to feel established. It's more so about having that one single. If you have a single that a lot of people can resonate to and [recognize] then I would say you're already pretty established. All it takes is one song. In the average month, the team accumulates at least 5 to 10 placements. We have the artists send us the producer declarations. Then our lawyer will go over all the paperwork and make a long-form agreement. It’s just morso important to get that and make sure you get your splits correct. Also, get your sound exchange documentation as well. I think it's amazing that Airbit actually has non-exclusive and exclusive lease agreements. So that way, we can make sure that producers are actually getting the money that they deserve, not only in the front end, but also in the back end.
How did you start investing your money?
I just started buying French bulldogs, which sounds super random, but French bulldogs are a really good investment. You can buy them from overseas for $2,000-$3,000. Then over here in America, they range from $4,000-$20,000. So if you have 2 dogs [that] you buy for $2,000, you can either sell both of them for $5,000-$10,000, or you can have the puppies [and sell those]. That's just a small investment, but you can also flip houses if you want to get a loan for that. But there are numerous different ways that you can [invest money]. You can start a vending machine business or open a carwash. [Opening] up a studio's definitely key. Just continue to reinvest in yourself. Buy new equipment, travel, network, book studio time to have sessions with bigger artists, and different things like that.
What do you use in your studio bag?
I have an MSI laptop, an Akai MIDI controller, and some Audio Technica headphones. That's all I need. I just take that wherever I go, whether it be Virginia or out here. I take my book bag, my three essentials, and I'm good to go. When I first started, I had a huge 49 key keyboard that weighed a hundred pounds and I had to use a desktop computer. It’s crazy to think how innovative things are now and in the future, I [can only imagine] what they’re gonna have.
Why do you sell your beats online?
I choose to have my beats online because I want to make it so [that] it's available for all people, regardless of what they can afford. Not everybody can afford the $5,000-$10,000 beats. So I want to make sure that the average person can still be able to lease one of my tracks if they wanted to. Actually in my studio, I feel like most of the clientele that buy my beats, [do it] off of Airbit. A lot of times, I'll walk into the studio and not even know a person's in a session, but I hear my beat and I'm like, “how did they get that beat?” Then I remember it was probably from Airbit most of the time.
How do you improve yourself as a producer?
I'll get inspired from the people that I manage or something [I hear] on the radio. It's all about just staying innovative and trying to keep your creativity on an all time high.
How do you network with the music community?
Most of the ways that I connect with people is through my Instagram. I'll put on my story sometimes that I'm doing collabs today, [how to] book me for a session, or to send me loops for an artist. I usually just tell them to send me loops because everybody has tons of [them]. I’ll add some instrumentation + drums [to the loops] and finish it. I just made my first sound kit with Producer Grind - I have a loop kit and a drum kit out with them right now. I definitely want to do one with the whole team and do guitar loops, piano loops, etc. The loop game is at an all time high right now so I feel like there’s definitely a lot of opportunity and ways to make money just from making loop kits.
Which other producers inspire you?
I try not to look up to too many people because we have so many talented people in our group. These guys inspire me more than anything for real. So the way that I found most of the people that I manage is actually through Instagram. Kilo was the first person that I started managing. He DM’d me and sent me a couple of beats. I loved them and I signed him the next day. I had posted that I needed guitar loops and Felipe hit me up. I signed him the next day. I downloaded James’ loop and then the song came out with DaBaby. He hit me up a few months later and said that he made that loop [on the song], so I signed him. Alec and TB were both through Instagram as well. So yeah, a lot of it just comes through social media. So I would say for up and coming loop makers or producers, definitely just network. It's all about networking and utilizing social media.
How do you balance your personal life with your career?
It's difficult, but I would say my wife definitely helps a lot. She definitely pulls her part and makes it so it's way easier for me because she understands that I still have further to go with this music. Even this trip in LA - she planned all this. So it’s really just about having that support system and somebody who can actually step up to the plate and really be there when you need them to be there.
What changes did you make during quarantine?
Quarantine was kind of difficult because my wife was pregnant with our first child. So we had the stress of her potentially getting sick during the whole thing. Then I was in Ohio with her family the whole time during COVID for almost a year. So I wasn't really making beats [regularly]. It was a little stressful, but at the same time, I understand that sometimes you need that break in life. So I just had a little hiatus, [got to] chill with the family, and got some much needed rest. But this year we're back at it for sure. The biggest thing that changed for me was just emailing beats out more. Before [COVID], I was having a lot of sessions in Atlanta. Almost every other day I was in a session, so COVID definitely made me utilize emailing beats out and networking with people through Instagram way more.
What direction do you see the producer world going in the future?
I feel like it's way more saturated already since when I first started because [back then], everyone had to use hardware. So now that everyone can just buy a laptop, install Fruity Loops, and make their own beats, it makes it way more saturated. I think it's gonna continue to get more saturated and I feel like people are going to have better sounds, but not everybody knows how to utilize those sounds.
What would you have done differently given the chance?
The only thing that I would have changed about my past was [moving] to Atlanta quicker because I didn’t move to Atlanta until I was about 24 or 25. So if I were to move when I was 20, I feel like I definitely would've had a Grammy or something by now because there's way more opportunity. If you’re from a small town, like I am, I would definitely say move to a hub, but have a backup plan, have stability, and make sure you have your money saved. Then just take that leap of faith.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Ultimately, the end goal is to probably have my own record label or be an executive on some label. Hopefully I’ll still be making beats and still be relevant. I’ll definitely do something that's still music related - probably open a couple more studios in different cities.
What artists would you want to work with right now?
The main artists that I really want to reach out to and work with are Drake, Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Adele, etc. I also want to cross over and do Pop, R&B, all types of stuff. Like I said, I manage people - everybody makes different types of beats and different genres. So I definitely want to just work with everyone honestly.
