Check Out M Slago’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to M Slago.

Hi M, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Hip Hop music and culture have always been mainstays in my life. From the dress, listening, dancing, rapping, to ultimately producing, it’s been at the core for as long as I can remember. My contributions allowed me to balance out what I was hearing. Hip Hop music on the radio was increasingly veering in a direction I didn’t like, so I chose to try my hand at production. I quickly found that production was my niche. I’m not a big talker, but I could speak volumes by compiling sounds together.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every road has a pothole somewhere, lol. I had a different ear than my peers growing up. Early on, I shared duties operating a recording studio in South Nashville, GNB Studios at 12th, and Wedgewood. That was tough. Mainly because my production style didn’t suit the artists we were working with, and there was pressure for me to assimilate.

As a producer or any artist, there’s always the element of acceptance or rejection of your art. There were numerous beats I created that were turned down during that time. I can denote the event that served as a line in the sand for trying to “fit in” to what my nearest contemporaries sounded like at the time; the passing of J Dilla. Once he died, I decided that I would create what drove me to create, and I would make beats forever.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a producer and engineer that specializes in Hip Hop and Soul music. My music is just my soul in stereo. I think because each beat stems from an emotion, it connects with other artists and casual fans on a certain level. Production is my form of therapy, so I’ll do it forever. The care I take in the sonics of my sound has lent itself to others trusting me to engineer their works. My personality and commitment to Hip Hop culture awarded me the opportunity to be an on-air personality and become a steward of the culture.

Some of the artists I’ve had the honor of making music with and for are Homeboy Sandman, Headkrack, Aesop Rock, Mega Ran, Senor Kaos, Kyle Rapps, Midaz The Beast, Bodega Brovas, Sivion, Krum, RoQy TyRaiD, Marcel P. Black, Lejend, Deborah Jordan, Mokah Soulfly, P.SO, Jedi Nemesis, and Nashville’s own Heru Heru. I’ve also featured music on Dish Nation, MTV, and Sway and King Tech’s “The Wake Up Show.”

In addition to making music, I spent 12 years as co-host alongside DJ EZ Eddie D on the world’s 2nd longest-running Hip Hop radio show, Knowledge Dropped Lessons Taught Vol 2 on KNON 89.3fm in Dallas, TX, before moving back to Nashville in 2020.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Artists like Homeboy Sandman, Von Pea, The Bodega Brovas, DJ Sean P, J-Live, Illastrate, and Lexzyne Productions are friends that keep me on my toes. Also, new fans, friends, and family continue to listen and push my growth.

In my 14 years in Dallas, TX, before moving back to Nashville, I met many talented people there and couldn’t help but be inspired. Rob Viktum played a big part in my maturation as a producer. Others like Ty Macklin, Gensu Dean, Symbolic One, and OneSelf Salaam, to name a few, became peers. DJ EZ Eddie D also helped me tremendously. The community radio experience introduced me to so many great people and allowed me to contribute in a larger way to lesser heard Hip Hop artists and community leaders.

Validation from people I look up to helps push the needle as well. You get unprompted praise from producers Focus, Supa Dave West, The ARE, and Madlib and hear your music played by J Rocc and DJ Eclipse. Or Camp Lo and Das EFX complimenting your art are things that I will never forget.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mslago.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m_slago/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mslagomusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_slago
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/m-slago
• Other: https://fly7music.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Eric Willingham