Dallas has the necessary ingredients to become a new epicenter of hip hop. Artists are at the forefront of this movement, but it wouldn’t be happening without a talented crop of local producers who provide the initial construct of sound before artists add lyrics. Within the local community of beatmakers, Lucyclubhouse has proven she has potential to become one of the best in the business – and she’s only 14 years old.
When it comes to hip hop producers, you’d be hard pressed to find a profession within the music industry that’s more male-dominated. In addition to gender bias, there’s a long list of equal opportunity obstacles one must overcome to establish a career. There’s regional bias, politics, gatekeepers, small budgets, and a saturated market, filled to the brim with talent. Fortunately, producer competition tournaments, called beat battles, have become an influential platform for aspiring sound architects, one which can help them overcome the aforementioned hurdles.
Lucyclubhouse has managed to parlay beat battle success into international recognition. She was a member of the winning team at the SXSW Hard Knock SAFE Charity Beat Battle in Austin this year, and she won the Rapzilla Beat Battle in Atlanta. Last month, she was the victor at the highly coveted Battle of The Beatmakers in Toronto, wowing a panel of judges that included Just Blaze, Manny Fresh and Illmind.
We spoke to the 14-year-old protégé about her background, beat battle success and what she has planned for 2019.
Do you play any instruments or come from a family of musicians?
I do, I play the drums and I’m in the process of learning how to play the piano. My Dad is a rapper and plays the saxophone. My older brother raps, sings, produces, plays guitar, and piano. I guess music just runs in our blood.
What made you want to become a producer?
I remember going into the studio with my Dad when I was about three or four. I would just soak it all in while he was recording and working. I used to play around with his equipment & he would hype me up like I was a DJ, so I guess that feeling of thinking I was making the music I was hearing was what inspired me to give it a shot a few years later. I started messing around with apps on my iPod when I was about six, but I taught myself how to produce in a DAW [digital audio workstation] when I was nine, after getting a bootleg laptop.
When did you start to believe you were good enough to do this professionally, and how did you go about marketing yourself?
I don’t think I ever came to a point of believing I was ready to do this professionally. I think after my first battle, I felt a bit more relaxed about other people hearing my music and letting them see what I was working on. I really took to Instagram and started to post snippets of beats with a pink cover photo, so you would have to swipe over to hear whatever I posted. With that, I started to associate myself with the color pink and beat snippets. I think people really enjoyed hearing small bits of what I was working on!
What producers would you say are your favorite and who’s had the most influence on you?
Kaytranada, Wondagurl, Jon Bellion, and my brother are probably my main influences. They have such unique styles and ways of expressing themselves. They’re all geniuses to me.
When was your first beat battle? Were you nervous or intimidated?
My first battle was earlier this year at SXSW in Austin, TX. I was super nervous. There was a lot more people there than I expected, but I was able to power through & calm my nerves. So far, I’ve been in five battles and I’ve won four of them!
Hip hop, especially on the production side, is extremely male dominated. Do you feel like your peers have been supportive, or has there been a lot of roadblocks and skepticism?
I’ve gotten a lot of support from people so far. They’ve all encouraged me to be myself & let my music speak for itself. There are always going to be roadblocks, but I can’t let them keep me from creating.
Tell us about your experience at Battle of the Beatmakers. Did you go into it expecting to win?
I didn’t think I was going to win to be honest. I was super nervous going head-to-head with a lot of super dope producers. Every round, I found myself picking my beat and just hoping for the best. There was point in the semifinals round where I was scared because I was going against the 2017 BBM champion. That round was super intense! I’m still shocked that I won, and I’m so thankful for the judges and their input and feedback. They were super cool, and I’ve looked up to them for a long time!
Have you met/done any work with WondaGurl?
I have worked with her. It’s crazy because I’ve always wanted to meet her, so when I was given the chance it was a dream come true. She’s an amazing producer and we definitely created some gems.
Who are some artists or producers you’d like to collaborate with?
I definitely want to work with Buddy, Andy Mineo, Kaytranada, Beam, John Mayer, Jon Bellion, Anderson.Paak, Tyler, The Creator, and Kevin Parker one day!
It’s been a big year for you! What’s in the works for 2019?
I have an EP dropping soon, and a lot of other stuff in the works. I’m still fine-tuning my sound and adding the finishing touches to the Lucy Clubhouse brand. 2019 is going to be an exciting year, stay tuned!
