(This interview originally appears in Complex, but due to space constraints, we were unable to use the entire article. Because I know RapGenius fans are hardcore and want to know everything, not just the highlights, you're getting the full Director's Cut right here on RG. BIG UPS to Complex for believing in the piece, and giving a kid a shot. Enjoy!)
If we're being completely honest, you probably forgot about Scott Storch. Somewhere along the way you forgot he crafted some of the biggest songs in hip-hop and pop history. This was the guy who provided Dr. Dre with the chilly, instantly recognizable keys to the inescapable smash "Still D.R.E." But due to a fast lifestyle and an even faster climbing pile of debt, he became the guy producing underwhelming music for the likes of Paris Hilton and Brooke Hogan. The lackluster projects eventually took him out of the limelight altogether. Rick James once famously warned that "cocaine's a hell of a drug" and Storch now knows why.
Don't blame yourself for not keeping tabs on him though, Storch understands it was because he made some bad choices. You can Google those if you want, but don't place too much weight on the past. He's only looking forward now, concentrating only on regaining the respect and immense success he once held in the music industry. It's going to be a long journey back, but who doesn't love a good comeback story?
When we spoke to Storch at his Miami studio, there was lots of commotion—phones ringing and his employees asking him countless questions, yet he seemed, in a word, chill. His demeanor could have been attributed to whatever he was puffing on throughout our conversation. Nevertheless, he seemed eager to get his story out. We spoke about his new work with some of rap's biggest names, learning to separate work from play, his relationship with past collaborators, lessons learned, and what's next.
Duke London: First off, thanks for taking the time, I know you're a really busy guy right now. I think I speak for most people when I say it's great to have you back making music.
Scott Storch: My pleasure man, I appreciate that. It's been an interesting year. With these records I've been working on, normally from the start to when it's out, it takes a year. So I've just been collecting and putting stuff together, and hopefully it becomes like a domino effect.
Duke: Let's talk about one of those records right off the bat. "Mastermind", the new album from Rick Ross just dropped, and you produced the song "Supreme", which is getting rave reviews. Was that a beat you had already finished, or was it made just for Rozay?
SS: It was something that I had made specifically for him. I was in the middle of a Gucci Mane session, and Ross had stopped by to talk to Gucci about an upcoming video they were shooting, so I took advantage of the opportunity. We talked about me coming out to his house and bringing him some joints. So I went in for 3 or 4 days and made some exclusives tailor-made for him. I brought them to Ross and he recorded them all that night.
Duke: The "Supreme" beat is a perfect fit for him on that album, very soulful. Was that the first time you two had worked together?
SS: Directly, yeah. He's been on some of my records before, but those were cameos.
Duke: Hopefully we get to hear the other songs you guys worked on soon. You know what the plan is for those?
SS: Absolutely, he has other projects we're using those for. He pretty much took the whole lot of what I had made for him. Then I came through again, and he took all of those as well.
Duke: Not a bad day at the office.
SS: He's really just been a great supporter of mine in my return, if you want to call it that, to the industry.
Duke: What do two guys who have reached the highest levels of success in their craft talk about in the studio?
SS: Man, he told me some fascinating stories. Some interesting stuff that I hadn't even realized. Actually, you'll be the first person I even share this with. He was telling me, along with a few other people at his house, that years ago he was doing his first show in Miami where he got a real big check. He came out after the show, and I was in the parking lot behind the venue sitting in the back of my Maybach 62, which at the time wasn't even really out yet. He told me I opened the window and stuck out my hand with a bunch of ice on it, and he saw Paris Hilton sitting next to me. That's how I was introduced to Rick Ross. He said at that very moment, he got the vision for what would eventually become Maybach Music.
Duke: Whoa.
SS: To him, it just captured the lifestyle. Gave him the drive and inspiration to build MMG.
Duke: It's wild to think that such a quick interaction can spark such a huge movement in Hip Hop, but sometimes that's all it takes. Considering you both spend a lot of time in Miami, can you remember any other times you guys linked up back then?
SS: Actually, yeah. I had forgotten about it, but I did him a favor and let him use my home, boat, cars, etc. to film some stuff. Later on I figured out that the picture where he's in the back of the Maybach looking out the window, was taken in my car.
Duke: That's really interesting, you unknowingly at the time really helped to grow this idea he had for what he wanted to do.
SS: It's cool because I was supportive to him back in the day, and he was there for me in a much greater way when I needed him.
Duke: Everything comes full circle.
SS: He told me now that everything is coming back, make sure I know who my real friends are, because everybody's going to come knocking again.
Duke: On the topic of real old friends, what's your relationship today with the guys from The Roots?
SS: My relationship with them is fine, although somewhat non-existent now. There's definitely mutual love and respect among us. I think they were slightly disappointed in me for a while for going so hard with the partying and not being able to control that. There's nothing wrong with having fun and getting crazy every now and then, but at the same time you have to be responsible and know when to turn it off.
Duke: Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but is it easier now for you to separate work from play?
SS: This Russian billionaire told me one time that every now and then it's good to roll around in the mud with the pigs, but when you're done, you take a shower and wash that shit off. I just wasn't washing it off, so I think that disappointed them a little bit and I lost their respect for a while.
Duke: Have they reached out since you've been back working?
SS: As soon as they started hearing I was working again and focused on my career and life, I started hearing shout outs from them on their show.
Duke: Back then, could you ever imagine that The Roots would eventually be the Tonight Show band?
SS: No, it's crazy. They've invited me to come perform with them a couple times recently, so I'll probably go do that. One of my dear friends, Richard Nichols, is still their manager to this day. He handled my career before it was even The Roots, and helped us cultivate the band. I've been talking to him more these days, and everybody's really happy right now.
Duke: Let's fast forward a little bit. Fat Joe is someone you've obviously shared tremendous amounts of success with. What was it like to get in the studio again and work after all this time?
SS: Awesome, we came away with some amazing stuff. I can't wait for everybody to hear it, it's definitely the epitome of what he and I do. We've worked together numerous times and never failed to make a hit record. Joe is like the Godfather of rappers, I'm telling you. Even at the "Mastermind" listening party we just did, rappers look at him like Don Corleone.
Duke: Even after all of his success, do you think he's a little bit slept on at the mainstream level?
SS: It's definitely a handicap being a Latino rapper, I can't even front, but he still overcame that because he's great.
Duke: Do you think you face extra challenges being a white producer?
SS: Absolutely. Within the hardcore Hip Hop community, yes. But I also had extra advantages too. Because I am white, I feel like certain opportunities were "thrown" to me through all of the people from the white community who prey on Hip Hop culture. Hip Hop is always what's the coolest, and people want to touch that. A lot of the Pop artists always want to get that stamp of approval and be down. So I was more approachable for those people.
Duke: In the past, you collaborated with a guy that probably experienced a lot of those same things you're talking about, referring to Eminem. Recently in another interview, you said that a young artist you'd been working with, Chris Webby, showed a lot of the same characteristics in studio as Em, as far as their work ethic and some of the ways they put their music together. Can you expand on that a little bit?
SS: Webby first reminded me of Marshall because they both wanted to go crazy and add sound effects throughout the music to add another layer. They were both meticulous about the details. Webby is super into the craft and really took pride in the music we were making. Chris is a really, really talented dude and he's still going to grow too. He's the closest thing I've seen to Eminem from a white dude.
Duke: Lyrically, he's a beast.
SS: His flow is crazy, his personality and vibe even remind me of Em.
Duke: What kind of track did you guys work on? For the most part, you've traditionally made a lot of club bangers, and even with all the buzz Webby's generated in the industry, he still hasn't had that certified club hit. So how did you mesh those two distinct styles?
SS: We did two records. One of them is the title track for his upcoming album, "Chemically Imbalanced". It's more of a serious record, real epic sounding, and has more of a focus on the lyrics. We did another one though, where I gave him what I thought was the closest thing to a Chris Webby record for the club, and that's more of a fun record. So we went to two opposite ends of the spectrum.
Duke: Do you think that's the missing link for him, is having that one massive club banger to introduce him to that group of Hip Hop fans?
SS: Psshh, he's not missing it now. He got it.
Duke: So you're working with everybody right now, from the up and comers to the heavyweights.
SS: Yeah, the work's been speaking for itself, I haven't really had to solicit myself out there too much. I had to hustle a little bit and show up at some studios, but it led to some really cool records I have coming out and when people hear those records, they want to be a part of my return. I've always taken it upon myself to be a pioneer or a leader, and create a different sound, not just go by what the radio is playing at the time. People are feeling that, and it's refreshing to hear that in the music again.
Duke: The real instrumentation has been lost on a lot the Hip Hop music from the past few years, so your timing couldn't be more perfect. Do you think people are ready for that type of music to thrive again?
SS: I just did a session with Pusha T, and he was saying that he feels like the musicality in music is coming back and I agree with him. My records are an example of that. I've always come from a place where I'm a keyboard player and I can't help it. Sometimes I even try to limit that aspect of it because I don't want it to go over people's heads or seem too mature. It still has to be raw, because that's what Hip Hop really is.
Duke: Pusha T seems like the perfect collaborator for you. He's always thrived on keyboard driven beats, whether they were from Kanye or the Neptunes, but he also represents what you're talking about with balancing the raw street culture aspects and the sophisticated sound. How do you keep that balance?
SS: My idea of the perfect balance is A Tribe Called Quest.
Duke: Do you think, as that type of record comes back to the forefront, that other artists will adapt?
SS: My only gripe with most of the Hip Hop that's been coming out in the past 4 or 5 years has been the direct result of labels not giving as much money to the artists for production. So the artist in turn doesn't want to spend as much money making the album. So instead of having a really amazing beat, they go to an unknown where they can take all the publishing and get the beat for $2,000 instead of $50,000 and still push out a lukewarm hit that has a short shelf life. The real shit is what lasts forever, and in addition to piracy, that's the problem with album sales. Things that are truly great will be timeless.
Duke: You know a thing or two about timeless records. Are you making music the same way you always have, or are you trying to adapt what you do best to what's working right now?
SS: I've always done that. Even though I think I'm a pioneer and I try to not do what everybody else is doing, there are parameters we have to work within. You have to sort of spoon-feed little elements people are used to, whether that means using familiar drum sounds, etc. But the meat of the record, or the nucleus, I always keep it Scott Storch. I had to learn all that trap shit, all those drums. Not necessarily to use them, but to know I'm not an old fart. It gave me more confidence in my own style, knowing I could make these new beats people are using if I wanted, I just choose not to.
Duke: You wanted to master them just to know that you could?
SS: How am I supposed to hold my head up and make a record that's a straight trap joint, just a bunch of high hats going and some cool drums with nothing else there? Anybody can do that. Jay Z always told me to do what it is that makes me special, and that's the piano.
Duke: You've also been dabbling into the EDM genre and making music in that realm recently. How are you applying what you know and do to that type of music?
SS: The chords and inversions of the chords are similar to what I do. I've had to take on a whole new formula for making music though and it's a different thought pattern. That music is very mathematical, and sonically it's kind of cool because the actual sounds you use are so unique and the EDM fans are really looking for that.
Duke: When did you get interested in EDM? How'd you decide you wanted to get involved and create something?
SS: To me it's always fun to take on music you're not experienced with because it's a challenge to learn it. It's fun and I enjoy doing it, but I'm not even going to front, with the whole financial structure of EDM, I'd be a fool not to get involved. I figure if I like it, and there's millions of dollars to make doing it, then why should I not do it?
Duke: When can the people get their hands on this music, and do you foresee yourself touring or performing it at all?
SS: I'm finalizing the paperwork on a tour right now, actually. I've got some teaser stuff out on Soundcloud now, and there's product coming. We're mixing everything down at this point.
Duke: When someone goes to see Scott Storch live, what can they expect to see?
SS: They can expect to see all original music. I'll be DJ-ing and playing keys at the same time. There's 3 or 4 times in my set where I do a mashup of my EDM tracks with some of my old Hip Hop and R&B records. There's a "Lean Back" one, a Chris Brown "Run It" remix.
Duke: That'll be dope to hear.
SS: People will definitely vibe out to that, which is important, just because I don't have those hits in the EDM world yet.
Duke: Do you think because you're not partying like you used to that you have all the extra time to do both projects right now, your EDM and all the Hip Hop placements you have coming out?
SS: I'll tell you what, it's crazy. I always tell people that it's almost like I graduated. If I want to go to a club in Miami, I can still get ushered into the VIP, girls everywhere and all that still to this day, and that's cool because sometimes you want to tap into that energy, feel yourself a little bit. But frankly, I don't give a shit about that stuff anymore. I go to functions that I have to go to, like if people I'm working with are there, just to stay visible and relevant, show people I'm still Scott Storch. But I'd so much rather just stay in the studio these days, I'm over all that. I'm more of the mindset that when it's time to celebrate, I'll... you know what? Dr. Dre and I had a conversation about this in the studio and I'll never forget it. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, "Scott there's 2 things that I know are going to happen every day. The sun is going to come up, and there'll be a party with bitches. That's never going to change." So I'm getting my work on and I'm not worried about any of that shit. That's where I'm at right now. I'd rather be making new hits then cut loose at the club. When I say I graduated, I mean that even in my prime, when I was working I felt like I was missing out on what was going on outside. I felt like I was working so much I never got a chance to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I don't feel like that anymore.
Duke: What's your relationship like with Dr. Dre now?
SS: I haven't spoken to Dre in a minute, but we're always family, we'll always be cool. Last time I hung with him was about a year ago, we got dinner at Katana in LA. Fat Joe was with us too. It's funny you ask that, because I was thinking 3 or 4 days ago that I should make a trip out to see Dre. His doors are always open to me, and he's given me a certain seniority among his creative circle in music. He tolerated so much bullshit for me in the past, but now that I'm actually focused and concentrating I know we'll make something great in the studio again together.
Duke: Maybe he was waiting for you to be back on your game to drop "Detox".
SS: Possibly. We had a record for it that was amazing. Jay got on it and we were all excited about it.
Duke: "Under Pressure" right?
SS: Yeah, but it leaked. Dre is strict about if something get's leaked, that's it. That was still a dark time for me, and I thought that record was going to catapult me back to the top, so it was hard. But the future is bright, and I'm sure there's another Dr. Dre and Scott Storch hit record in it.
Duke: So, going back to the EDM for a minute, what's your process now? How do you decide what you're working on, and when?
SS: I've been alternating and spending a week at a time or so on each. But going forward, my goal is to work on one Hip Hop record and one EDM record a night. I come in 5, 6 days a week. Really it's 7, but I didn't want to say that and make it seem like I have no life. It's cool though, because I need to stay on both and if I do it that way, it gives the two genres the chance to intertwine into each other, and there could be a hybrid that comes from that. Look, I may not be as rich as I used to be, but I'm richer in character and creativity than I used to be.
Duke: So do you think you're making better music than you were before?
SS: Shit, looking back, I made some cool tracks, but I feel like there's so much more inspiration in what I'm doing right now because of everything I've had to overcome, all that I fucked up for myself, and all that I have to prove to myself. All these things are a culmination of what is going into my new music. I'm going 3 times as hard. People, blogs, they all think I'm damaged goods or whatever people say. Everybody's in trouble.
Duke: What do you think you have left to prove?
SS: That I'm back, that I got my sanity, that I'm not a crackhead. I'll always have my work ethic and drive. I got a taste of the good life before, and I'm going to get it back, don't even worry about that. I'm making way better music now. I don't have one foot out the studio door thinking about some bitch I'm trying to see or whatever. I'm happy busting creative nuts now. Every time I finish a track now, I play it back and try to think what Dre or Jay would say about it, whether they'd like it or not. I'm excited to hear what they think of the "Supreme" record with Ross.
Duke: How do you quality check what you're making before it comes out?
SS: You have to set a bar, and not kiss your own ass by telling yourself that everything you make is great. You have to be really hard on yourself. You also have to be smart enough to not have a bunch of yes-men in your circle, so that when you use them as your test market, you have a real gauge on it.
Duke: So I'm guessing there's projects from that darker time in your life that you regret, or at least would have done differently?
SS: 100 percent, I had my head up my ass for a long time and unfortunately at a certain point I rode my success for a while and wasn't putting the work in that I should have been. There were a lot of projects that I could have given more of my all to. One example is that notorious story everybody tells where I left Janet Jackson in the studio for like 5 hours while I was out chasing tail or looking for weed or something. It's different now though, it is so hard out there that you really have to make a statement with your music.
Duke: I hate to close this out with something so cliche, but for someone who's accomplished so much in your field, is there even anything left unchecked on your Hip Hop bucket list?
SS: Yeah, I definitely want a hit record with Jay Z. He has his crew he works with, and I've floated around them a few times, Bleek with the "Murda Murda" joint, I co-produced "Hola Hovito" with Timbaland, and a couple other records. But 1-on-1, me and that dude are going to get a hit record. Just for the child in me that has to have it. Not just any song on an album, but a true hit that has its place in music history.
