Producer Spotlight – Harry Fraud

Harry Fraud is a producer from Brooklyn, and he’s been doing his thing on the New York mixtape scene for a while now. With an impressive list of production credits and a distinctly recognizable sound, Fraud produces tracks that provide ideal backdrops for some of New York’s finest lyricists. He’s also probably the only producer to take a Don Henley song and flip it into a grimy NYC street banger (“New York Minute”). For this interview, Elevator caught up with Harry to discuss his beginnings, studio techniques, and what’s in store for the future.  Check out some of Harry Fraud’s production on French Montana’s latest mixtape, Mac and Cheese 2.

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Producer Name: Harry Fraud
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Production Credits: French Montana, Jadakiss, Nicki Minaj, Daz Dillinger, Sean Price, Vast Aire, Ill Bill, etc.
Equipment: MPC 2000XL, Pro Tools, Reason

How long have you been producing music?

I released my first fully produced album in 2003, so I’ll say seven years, but I’ve been messing with beats for a long time.

What kind of gear do you use in the studio?

I started producing on the MPC 2000XL, but as my style evolves I’m moving more towards making my beats directly in Pro Tools. For me, Pro Tools has more options to process sounds and add effects/instrumentation as I’m building the track. I still use the MPC 2000XL and 500 to start a lot of beat ideas, and for adding drums to tracks. Reason has also come in handy when adding drums to my tracks, but I have yet to make an entire beat with that program. I also have a pretty deep collection of guitars, synths, percussion, and bass that I use whenever I can.

How would you describe your production style?

I would describe my style as very unique. When I approach making a beat, I look for sounds that are out of the ordinary and I try and flip those sounds in the most original way I can. Whether it be a sample-based joint or more of a live feel, I wanna make each record sound different from the norm. Another very important element of my sound is the drums. I try to make the drums feel as hard and aggressive as possible without being out of place.

How did you link up with French Montana?

About two years ago French did a feature for an artist that I was working with at the time. He heard some of my production and liked my sound. From there he came by my spot to get some beats and we just started grinding on this music. At this point we’ve begun to develop a sound that people are taking notice of.

How did the concept for the “New York Minute” beat come together?

I started working on the “New York Minute” beat in ‘04-’05. At the time, I was making records out of the basement apartment in my mother’s house, just trying to make the hottest beats possible. The first time I heard the sample I just knew it was major. I had heard the song before, but this was a live version of the song and it just had a different feel. The sounds were really rich, and the way it was mixed was incredible. I initially flipped the idea on the MPC 2000XL. It sat around for a couple years, and a couple people tried to fuck with it, but it wasn’t the time yet. When French heard the idea he saw the vision for it right away, but we both agreed that the beat had to be taken further. So we tracked it into ProTools, and rearranged the samples to fit around how he wanted to structure the verse. Then we layered the drums with some heavier sounds and a solid sub to really get the bass hitting. Once all the vocals were finished I took the files to the mix spot with my guy Fafu, and we really perfected where all the sounds were sitting in the track.

Any advice for up-and-coming producers?

My main piece of advice for people would be to work hard and follow your instincts. I feel like too many people get caught up trying to emulate a certain sound or producer that is hot at the time. They might make good beats, but a lot of new producers lack originality. I wanna make beats where people hear them and are instantly moved in some way.

What do you look for when digging for samples?

Well, me and my guy Red Walrus have been digging for samples together for many, many years. I like to try and sample vinyl if I can, but I don’t reserve myself to just that. I’ll sample anything I think is hot. When we’re digging, we try and find records that we don’t think people have touched on yet. But at the same time, if I hear something that I think I can make incredible, I will use it no matter how popular it is. Case in point: “New York Minute.”

What can we expect from Harry Fraud in the near future?

Me and French are constantly working on new music, so you can definitely expect more from us, and I’m placing beats with a ton of artists right now. I’ve also been working on a compilation that is gonna feature all the artists that I’ve worked with, including new joints with Kiss, French, Cease, Chinx, and a couple super special guests!

Anything else?

Thank you to everybody that supports my music, and make sure you follow me on Twitter (@HFraud).