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The Big Break
Emile Ghantous
Ep. 10
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Emile Ghantous is a grammy nominated record producer and songwriter. He has credits with artists like Pitbull, JoJo, Charlie Wilson and dozens of other household names.
But, before he was producing songs for big-time artists, he was just a kid buying the latest R&B CDs in his hometown- Peoria, Illinois. Listening to groups like Boyz II Men and New Edition had him hooked on music and he began experimenting with creating beats and making songs with his friends in high school.
Flash forward a few years and Emile is hustling artists back and forth to his friend’s recording studio, spending sleepless nights producing music, and meeting with some of the most influential managers in the industry. All of that dedication eventually paid off when he landed a huge deal to produce an album for an aspiring artist.
He has a great story with a lot of ups and downs, a lot of hustle and some funny memories. Listen to it now on this episode of The Big Break.
Follow Emile on Instagram and Twitter
Show Notes
1:31 Where did you grow up?
3:08 Who fostered your interest in music when you were young?
4:25 When did you start writing music?
6:35 Emile’s first time using a drum machine
8:05 Buying his own drum machine
10:43 Recording people for the first time and selling the first records
12:10 Selling old demos to collectors
14:28 Starting to record in a real recording studio
16:06 Dealing with doubt and discouragement from people
17:02 Moving to Chicago
18:19 Columbia College and learning Music
18:56 Tomboy and getting connected to R. Kelly
22:00 Being told to drop out of school, and just go get involved in the music business
23:37 “He wanted me to learn that I can make money doing something I believe in.”
24:45 After Emile dropped out of school
25:45 Partnering with Erik Nelson, and making “Set You Free”
27:35 The birth of The Insomniax
28:53 Getting ripped off and learning lessons
30:08 Emailing A&R’s and Managers
32:34 When did all the pressure and work start to pay off?
32:45 3LW
36:55 Jared Rosenberg
38:50 Getting in touch with JoJo
40:20 Getting connected to Vincent Herbert, and recording in New York
44:05 When did you guys start charging people to record?
46:54 Meeting Courtney Stewart and recording with Bobby Valentino
49:48 2009, and how working hard and doing work can turn your life around
55:00 Working with Nasri
56:20 Starting “The Cartoons”
57:50 The importance of being organized, and sampling yourself
60:03 “You never know when you’re going to meet that person you’re supposed to make magic with.”
62:00 Closing thoughts
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